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HU France 4-6 Sep 2015
I am sure there are many wondering what the plans are for the French meeting this year. Here's the current situation.
The 2014 meeting at St Amans was another great success, and even more than we expected due to the inclusion of the GSFR group who are very enthusiastic and the contingent from Spain who swelled our numbers. There were some issues with the site on the last weekend of the season, ( lack of choice in the restaurant, sanitary facilities rather run down), and we seemed to have filled up most of the available ''tent'' space. We have been very lucky to have had Mark & Gemma ( gemmasun) on site during the season to make arrangements with the management and to provide certain facilities, as well as negotiate great rates for the camping, which has enabled us to break even for the whole event. Unfortunately M&G will no longer be at St Amans as their employer ( Eurocamp) have pulled out of the site and moved elsewhere. As we are likely to increase our numbers substantially this year and the fact that St Amans is now a non starter, we are looking for a suitable venue elsewhere, and hopefully more central. I have been scouring France on the internet for months and have travelled a fair distance, but nothing entirely suitable has emerged, although three possibilities have been found, and hopefully a decision will be made within the next few weeks. There will be a meeting this year, just hold on tight and keep an eye on the site. We will also be looking for some volunteers this year, especially someone with some computer/technical know how to help with putting our kit together ( We have our own projector and speakers) with presenters kit and software, and someone to liaise with the presenters. Please put your hand up if you would like to help! thanks. |
We'll be there :-) don't mind the place, the important thing is see all of you. We could help you with the kit of projector and speakers.
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The royal Enfield club has held rallies at St Julien le petite near Limoges which is pretty central. The campsite is a municipal one, They have in fact two sites, one near the town and the other by the local lake/beach.
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The good news is that I think we`ve found something excellent in a spectacular part of south west France, already owned by adventure travellers who know HU well. I will be going to visit very soon. More later!.................:D |
Hi Pongo
Sorry John i didn't find time to ride down to the Pyrenees this winter and didn't come to see you as promise ,i hope to do that in march and then we shall talk about which kind of support i can bring for the meeting (except sheese).
See you soon and hello to the all team! Roger:clap::clap: |
Hi
Is there any more info on this Event ? Thanks |
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I`m going to visit the possible location on Monday next ( 23rd). If all is well then I will be posting up all the details for the event which will take place probably in the first two weeks of September,so it doesn`t clash with anything else. I have three possible locations at the moment, and will make my decision before the end of the month. HTH, :thumbup1: John. |
Thanks :thumbup1:
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H.U. France meet is on!!
Hi everyone.
I am delighted to confirm that we have found a very suitable location for this years meeting. :D Not only does it have all the facilities we require, but the owners are adventure travellers themselves ( South America 1200 GS) and HU is well known to them. They are a ''Relais Motard'' .So this has all the making of a great event with people who understand us.:thumbup1: The meet will take place at Camping ''les Hirondelles'' at Loupiac in the LOT ( dept 46), one of the most spectacular regions of France, on the 4th -6th September. Camping Lot - Camping LES HIRONDELLES *** emplacements camping et Mobil-home I am planning a full programme of events/presentations, and hopefully some visits out either green laning or to some of France's oldest and finest villages like Rocamadour. Registration for this event will appear as soon as we can get it done. I would be delighted to hear from anyone who would like to give a presentation or demo /talk ( tyre changing/first aid /other). Please either post up or send me a PM. bier Salut tout le monde! Je suis ravi de confirmer l'endroit de notre rassemblement. Les propriétaires sont motards eux mêmes ( Sud America 1200 GS) et comprennent précisement nos besoins. L'événement aura lieu le 4-6 Septembre a http://www.camping-leshirondelles.com/ c'est un Relais Motard. Enregistrement et renseignements suivront prochainement. |
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Guy |
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Great hear there is a place... and it seems is a good place. We'll try to stay there ;-)
Saludos from Spain |
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Wait for the announcement and registration to appear and you will see the details. bier |
The dates sept. 4th-6th chosen couldn't suit me better as I'll be in France already touring in the mountains around Le Lac Leman.
Donc je serai là :D Eddy |
Hello Jhon,
Je te confirme ma présence ainsi que celle des périgourdins. Amitiés Thierry |
Apologies for the delay in the announcement and registration. With a new venue there are always last minute questions to resolve with the meeting place owners. We have also been working on translations and the up coming Touratech Travel event in Orange ( Vaucluse) in a few weeks time. It's going to be a great year for meetings in France this year with some fascinating presentations already promised for the September meeting. More soon..........
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We are pleased to announce this meeting is now open for registration! Very grateful to John Whyman for finding the new venue, it looks awesome! Even better, John has been able to negotiate a discounted rate for camping, so very well done. :)
Two items to note: 1 - the venue has asked us to take bookings for camping and dinners so they can plan accurately, so please pay when you register online. 2 - this year we are charging a nominal registration fee of 20 Euros, which will help to defray our costs and generate a bit of revenue to help keep the HUBB and website going. Your support is appreciated. All the details and online registration here! Cheers, |
As I don't know where I am going to be or what I am going to be doing can you just turn up like I did at Donnington last year?
Thanks Wayne |
O.K. everyone, registration is now open for our September meeting, and attendees must please register in advance. Not only does this help with administering the system, there are some legal registration requirements for French campsites. Campsites have strict numbers permits which are adhered to for insurance and fire regulation purposes, so if we are full we can not allow ''turn ups'' to come in on spec, and turning people away is something we want to avoid. It is better to register ( and pay on the door) and then let us know if you can't come.
We have a number of presentations already lined up for this event, and the detail will be appearing on the announcement over the next few months. Just to give you an idea, these include 2 journey's being made this year, one to the far east, and in depth journey through Turkey and Iran. A video journey to Nordkap is on the cards also. We also have some practical demonstrations lined up, and a local off road trail being put together by an HU member. It all promises to be a great time, with a real mix of nationalities who all share the same passion. I look forward to welcoming you. |
Great :)
I'll try to make it. |
Hi everyone, hope you are all doing well !
Nice to meet you all again... John, Tiger & the périgourdins , Jacques, le Hug & family, the Catalans team ... and in the meantime I wish you beautiful roads !:scooter: |
Amazing! we had one registration coming in every minute in the first 15 minutes of the registration opening, and still coming in every day! Don't delay to register as soon as you can to make sure you're on the list. We don't have infinite space. I am delighted to say that a good number of previous attendees are coming back, and some interesting new people to meet. France has become a steadily growing and special event with lots of good humour, good food and multinational travellers. This years presenters are already registering and details will appear shortly.
:thumbup1: |
Hi Pongo
I hope you put me on he list, see you soon
Roger |
Hi everyone,
Just to let you know that things are moving along quickly for our September meet, with registrations piling up already. A full schedule of presenters is also registered, with some fascinating stuff for all, inc presentations of journeys happening now to the far east and Iran; Long journeys on small capacity bikes; A ladies only conference on aspects for women travellers; first aid and health on the road; etc. Details will be appearing on the announcement page as soon as we can get them up. I would encourage everyone who is thinking of coming to this event to register as soon as possible, it's going to be a great time.bier |
Hi everyone, please to announce that we will be joining. We will do a presentation of our (as usual!) very eventful trip last year from London to Mongolia via the stans (and back! Although cheating a bit with the trans siberian train).
Salut a tous! Nous nous joindrons au meeting et ferons une présentation de notre voyage, l'année dernière, de Londres a Ulaanbaator , en suivant la route de la Soie, et retour a travers la Russie. Et nous serons bien evidemment a votre disposion pour répondre a vos questions. bier |
Well it's all coming together nicely. The presentation schedule is now full, and further details of the other presenters and their talks/workshops will be added to the web page as soon as possible. Available space for tent campers is getting booked up quickly, so if you are planning on coming, and haven't yet done so, please get registered as soon as possible.
( Please note that we are using a registered campsite, which in France means strict licencing rules. It's not flexible, so if the allowed tent space is booked up, it'll be chalets and mobile homes only.) :thumbup1: |
High Summer now and getting closer to our Sept event. This is only the third year for HU meetings in France, kicked off by a mini meet with 15 people down in the Aveyron where with Mark & Gemma Herron we got things off to a flying start with their welcome and organisation. This year, we already have 70 registered for this event with a few weeks to go- so it should be buzzing. This years presenters are top quality, from a retro look at an RTW, to great travels happening this year, along with in depth map reading and other workshops including one for the ladies. Superb support from the GS club France ( GSFR) means we have a very french flavour to the meeting, which is a recipe for excellent humour and great food! ( especially after an apero bier )
If you want to be part of this, register as soon as you can. It's great fun, and language is never an issue, we all understand a smile! |
Only 30 days to go till the meeting, and a few weeks only before registration closes. If you are planning to come, please register as soon as you can. Had a preview of Roger Primout's Scandinavian video yesterday, great stuff! , not to be missed on the Friday night, it will put us in the mood for a great weekend of top quality travel stories and workshops.
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Last minute call for a Presenter
Hello all, as you can see we have a good line up for this year, but we have a 40 min slot available on Saturday morning for anyone who would like to give a talk about their travels or a presentation on any related subject, like packing/maintenance/photography/camping. If you are coming to the meeting, or thinking about it, and would like to get involved then please PM me as soon as possible.
Thanks. |
Hi, I'm not 100% sure I can make the event yet as I work away at short notice but if I'm able I should know by Sept 1st. Are you looking for some people to help run things ? Have worked as a cook, have my food hygiene certs, have lots of medic quals and also even my SIA badge to work on the door !
Brenden |
Salut Pongo,
Toujours possible de s'inscrire pour vous rejoindre ? (Désolé, pas moyen de t'envoyer un pm) ... |
Hi all, we now have our presenter, Maria has kindly stepped in to tell us about South America!. (Sorry i'm a bit late in posting, but other things got in the way!), so we still have a full schedule.
@ Brenden--- hope you can make it, please register ( reg form at the bottom of the announcement page). Even if you don't make it, we can put you on the list, it's better to be on the list so we know your requirements and pay on arrival. Thanks for the offer of help, always useful to know and I may find something for you if you turn up. @BouuuX--- Bien reçu votre inscription, pas de problème. je serais ravi de vous accueillir. |
venir sans reserver ?
Bonjour ,
E ne sais pas encore si je travaillerai ces jours la... Est il possible de venir et de payer ( participation et camping ) sur place...? Merci |
Bonjour, Jean 313
Il faut inscrire SVP si vous anticipez le camping avec tente, car nous sommes presqu'au limite du permis. On peut payer en espèces sur place, et si vous n'arrivez pas, c'est pas de problème, mais nous avons besoin de votre inscription en avance pour réserver une place. Merci et cordialement, Pongo |
Managed to break my arm while out trail riding at the weekend, so now won't be able to attend. Gutted!
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Got your message Nick, sorry to hear it. Hope it mends soon.
John. |
Message to Wayne aka Gypsy. ''Keep up Wayne'' you're posting on last years meeting thread:blushing:
I've posted the Lat Long cords you asked for on the thread but i'll repeat them here if you read this first> +44.55'4.70" Lat. +1.27'38.15" Long. bier |
Registration Closed
Registraton is now closed for our meeting. A quick count up shows we have 77 registered, so it's going to be a great weekend. Hope you all make it, and also please make sure that you have paid, ( except those who have already notified us about payment on arrival), as we have to settle up for the accommodation.
For those paying on arrival Please note, we do not have the facilities to take cheques or credit/debit cards, so payments in cash only please. Weather forecast looks reasonable. Comfortable temperature for camping, perhaps a spot of rain on Friday, but dry and overcast for the rest of the time. ( PS I'm not known for my forecasting, :rofl:so be prepared for anything! :innocent:). |
For all those coming to the meet:- Here is the proposed programme:- Please note we start on Friday afternoon a 5.00 PM.
_Friday 4/9/2015:- 5.00pm- RTW 2000-2004. Round the world trip ( RTW) with Simon Kennedy. ( English). 6.00pm- Normandy to Nordkap 2013. A video of Scandinavia by Roger Primout. Samedi 5/9/2015:- 9.00 am - Women on Tour . Ladies only workshop with Laurence Lousteau. 10.00am- South America. with Maria & Alistair Robinson. 11.00am - Health and keeping safe, with Laurence Lousteau. 12.00/1.30 Lunch - Workshop. How to lift your bike up after a fall, demonstration by Laurent Dozias. 2.00 pm- London to Mongolia ( There and Back) 2 x 125cc bikes bought on ebay, with Maria and Alistair Robinson. ( Français/Anglais). 3.00pm- Persian Roads ( Iran 2015). A journey in Iran with Jo and Marie-Helène Camblong. 4.00/4.30 pm- Interval. 4.30 pm Discover Through Me (DTMe) : An update by Jacques Albohair about his RTW educational project which begins in May 2016. ( French/English) 5.30 -6.30 pm - Cross Roads of the Worlds. A journey towards Mongolia, via Turkey Iran and the silk roads, with Thierry Floreck & Thierry Decarrre. 7.00 . BBq Sunday 6/9/2015:- 9.30- 10.30/11.00. Map reading. Practical workshop with Patrick Gillot. How to read geographic, topographic and geologic maps. Practical uses of all types. look forward to seeing you all next weekend!:thumbup1: |
will be there too. looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones :cool4:
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How do I get this lot on the bike?
We all Know Dave Lomax is the king of ''Packing Light'', but I think he might have a problem getting this lot on a bike. It is however all you need to set up an HU Travellers meeting in Sunny France and luckily I also have a 4 wheeled bike. See you all over the weekend.
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Enjoy!!!!
Have a great HU meet guys.... wish we could be there to meet up with old friends and meet new ones!
Gemma and Mark |
Just starting to recover from our meeting. At times it was a bit like the duck moving on the pond, all calm and serene on the surface, but sometimes paddling like hell underneath.
First thanks have to go to everyone that came , and had a great time whatever they decided to enjoy. It was good to see many from the previous French meetings. The presentation room was packed for every speaker, and despite one or two nerve wracking issues with duff software, the presentations were of the highest quality all round. Special thanks must go to Laurence Lousteau, not only for her excellent presentations on ''What about the Girls'' on the road and Health and safe keeping, but for coming to our rescue with some updated software we needed. Maria and Alistair went down very well with South America and the Mongolia experience, and the three videos, from Roger Primout, Marie-Helene & Jo Camblong and Thierry Floreck/ Thierry Decarre, were beautifully edited and presented. On the practical side, the workshops from Laurent Dozias on picking up a fallen bike and Patrick Gillot on Map reading were very well attended. Jacques Albohair gave us an update on his forthcoming RTW educational trip, and we wish him well with his Herculean efforts with UNESCO and sponsors. Next thanks go the volunteers , Lisa Payne and Guus Angerneind and also James Carter who helped with everything from manning the desk, putting up direction signs and just being available if anything needed doing. The camp site is just brilliant, well looked after, clean and very easily located for communication on the road network. The site owners really looked after us, and put on a fantastic spread on both days. Friday night's cold buffet was a huge choice of cold meats, cheeses, salads etc, all freshly prepared, and the evening was very lively and done in only the way the French know how to enjoy themselves. Saturday evenings bbq'ed Confit de Canard ( bbq'ued leg of duck) with salads, cheese and the richest chocolate tart going, was again all freshly prepared and delicious. There was a lot of this:-bier beerjeiger, and lots of good humour and serious traveller discussions amongst the experienced and the newcomers. We've been invited back next year, it's a no brainer! A small selection of photos, more will be coming. |
Thank you
As a "first timer" I have to thank you all for the warm welcome I received at this event.
I hope to see you all next year with full of new adventures to tell. :scooter: Alain Caspar :clap: |
Many thanks for these great days, we really enjoy presentations, discussions easy with experienced travellers and attentions of the camp owners.
It was our first HU event and certainly not the last ! and the Lot is a fantastic country : good food and wine, lots of bike roads. Olivier, Valérie and Jack |
Better and better MR JOHN
The first HU meeting, it has been a success (of course we had two minimeetings before to give you confidence). You have chosen the perfect site ,managed by the perfect and most sympathetic couple. You had a sleepless weekend while we were having the most restfull and lazy time. For the first time since ever you were blady right with your weather previsions. Everything went perfect like it was scheduled,(even better from my point of view). So i think i can tell you on behalf of the french bunch of happy fellows weekenders "MERCI MR JOHN (PONGO) WHYMAN ,MERCI" You are like the good wine, better and better.
Se you soon, ROGER |
Big thanks!
Hello All,
I was 2 years ago at the first minimeet. That was super nice (but a bit cold and wet). I met amazing travellers then. With some of them I'm still in contact frequenlty. Last Year I needed to skip. But this year I came back. Driving from and back Chez Moi (my house) to the campsite was great. The campsite and the owners are super. You organisations skills are good. It was well organised. And I met real amazing travellers again. Driving on old bikes, new _real_ dual sports bikes, amazing old sidecars, and driving in real 4X4's. The food was perfect, and we had running warm water in the showers this time:thumbup1:. I hope to see more "Real":clap: travellers again next year. I love to listen to their stories about traveling:palm:. I don't like the horrible stories about broken bikes who are to huge or over the top to do the work properly. Thanks John and thanks to all the HU members who I met. I enjoyed it. Maybe we meet again next year. But I'm never sure where I am at that moment at this beautiful planet. Adventure before dementia. (I got this life style quote from John) Bye, Guus |
Hi all
It was a real pleasure to prepare my speeches and meet you all. Thanks for coming out as many to listen to me. John thanks for your congratulations. When I do something I do it to the end by passion. Now that you know me a little, if you need me, contact me. Laurence |
Thanks John for an amazing event.
With Alistair, we had a fantastic time, and met with inspiring and great people. The location was superb, and the couple running the campsite are absolutely fantastic and the food too: The confit de Canard or the dessert in particular :D We will definitely try to come back next year if we are not on the road at that time. |
Im back in Portugal now, arrived home last night. The France meeting was a fantastic start to a great holiday. A massive thanks to John for doing a great job on organising and making the weekend run so smooth even if at one point I thought John was going to have a melt down lol. Also big thanks to the couple who owned/ran the campsite, a very hard working pair who made us all welcome. It is a beautiful site and hope I get the chance to visit again.
And finally thanks to all the new friends I've made for making it a good weekend. I've learnt lots of new things and now have new ideas for future travel and at the same time friends to travel with. After I left the meeting I visited the Millau Bridge and then on to stay the night at Mick's (the English guy with the yellow DRZ400) near Toulouse, then on to do a little trail riding in the Spanish/Andorra Pyrenees and had a great time. After that on down the east coast of Spain to Roda near Mercia and met up with Lisa to do a little trail riding. Then on across Spain and Portugal home. James. |
Very Many Thanks
I finally made it back to Wales late last night after my trip to the meet and on to Murcia. A HUGE thanks must go to John who organsied the meeting almost single handedly. Whilst a few of us helped on the day it was nothing compared to the work he had put in. He deserves a medal. :clap:
So, three cheers to you John - I look forward to next year. Lisa |
Hi all
I came back 03.00 AM Saturday morning from northern Spain, after the meeting I went down in Provence and then Camargue , lovely rides in the Spanish Pyrenees , Bardenas Reales and up to a lost village (10km of dirty pass in the mountain to get there) called Primout, like my family name (!) , followed by a visit in the Picos de Europa national park and back to Normandy via St Jean de Luz , very nice trip only :rain: in Leon and for the last 500 km .
Hope you all came back home safely and dry :mchappy:. Don't forget , you've got a home in Normandy at Dieppe (check on the list) See you all soon (well, only less than 50 weeks now bier ) Roger |
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