And of course the best one of all, and longest running in the UK, HUBB UK 2019! All the details here.

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Grant Johnson
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I'm sure there'll be plenty organised, advertised in other media. Speak with your manly bread baking homie down the road from you. Bring your adventure bidet when you next go to one I'll bring mine and we can compare notes

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All of those - including the Hay HUBB meeting - are for me, (and for want of a better term) 'reflection' events, where I go to see what others have done, soak up a bit of overlanding inspiration, pick up some new ideas etc. They're the travel equivalent of meeting up with friends in the pub and someone going 'hey, haven't seen you in a while, where've you been'.

Go along to the HUBB or Overland or ABR and pretty much no matter what you've done there will be someone there who makes your trip seem like you've just nipped down to the shops for some milk and someone else who thinks you rate just below the moon landings. What they're not (imho anyway) are travel in their own right. They're a chance to reflect on what you've done, have a pint or two, and decide what direction you want to go in the future.

If you want to avoid the 'celebs', the marketing and the trapped in a shopping mall feel that sometimes pervades the bigger events there's plenty of 'a field, a tap and a fire if you're lucky' type rallies going on all year round. There's a whole series of well known endurance events going on throughout the winter - the Elephant in southern Germany with its 'about to re-invade Russia' feel, the Dragon in Wales with its 'muck and bullets, back to the trenches' setting (every time I've been on it anyway), the Krystall in Norway if you've done Antartica and can't live without snow and a whole load of others. I've done a fair few of those over the years and I've yet to meet anyone in the 'celeb' category (those who drift around these hallowed pages notwithstanding ).

The whole concept of what makes someone a 'celebrity' at events like the HUBB is interesting. Is it someone who's been first (not many 'firsts' left I would've thought), gone faster / further / tougher? Maybe it's a personality thing or good marketing and self promotion, a kind of the trip's only the raw material for the book, the DVD and the lecture tour approach. All of which reminds me I must sign up for the 2019 UK HUBB, finish my latest book and start some detailed planning for my next overland event. Us celebs in our own lunchtime have certain standards to keep up.

Chris I am sure there will be some mini meets at some point this year. The point of the original post was as Ted said there used to be more mini meets posted faster than you could ride there. The corporate meets are great if you like that type of thing and more power to the organisers of them. But... the mini meets do seem to have died a death for all of the reasons mentioned in this thread.


At Dennis's birthday bash this year I was charged with organising a mini meet in Scotland for 2019. Stan's plan, apparently. I have not had much luck with trying to find a bike friendly campsite smack bang in the middle between Inverness and Carlisle at a time when most of the "Northern Tribes" are able to attend Ted is currently busier than a really busy guy at the busiest time of the year.


Hence the bump

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I was thumbing through a copy of Overland mag at Stanstead airport a little while ago while waiting for a delayed flight and noticed that they were now putting on a mid winter mini meet, in mid Feb iirc. Sadly, following it up on my phone revealed it was all booked up. As a substitute I'm now considering the Alte Elephant which I think is on the same weekend.

I don't know, having never done it, but I would think that taking on responsibility for a small winter meeting must be a bit of a thankless task. I notice some of the comments that the person arranging the ABR Dec mini meet in Devon made about some of the unrealistic expectations that a few attendees have and the flack he gets for not having anticipated their every need.

I suspect that if you're doing it on a small scale as a social 'service' rather than a profit centre you're only going to take so much before you call it a day. Maybe we're in that phase where all the people willing to put the effort in to arrange a mini meet have all had enough.

Glad to hear Ted's 'just' busy. As he hasn't been posting much recently I was starting to worry he'd gone off to join a monastery or something.

Don't come to this site much very often anymore and as described in post #11, I won't arrange publicly available events because of the minority of prats with their pita demands and needs. Running your own *free* event gives you the right to control the guest list. Social media makes the invitation process muy facil.

There must be a Scottish resident who can arrange a Scottish mini meet, Stan!

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I'm determined to try again this spring in the hubb. Just for old time's sake.

I'll post one up in the spring.

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Did some trips.
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Can't say anymore.

You are all welcome to come and see me for a mini meet in Cornwall, Falmouth exactly.
We have pubs and i can provide a field with the luxury of running water for you!
And it has some mx jumps for you to try out as your entertainment.

How about another Highland Mini Meet - for old times sake ? Speaking with Angus about it today - probably May bank holiday.

That would be BRILLIANT Chizz.

The last one in Cannich was a great meeting. How long ago was that now ??

Five years ??


Also a great excuse to carry on and do the NC500.


There are two bank holidays in May though.


6th May 2019 Monday Early May Bank Holiday
27th May 2019 Monday Spring Bank Holiday

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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

Ok we will get this going for the first weekend. Watch this space. Chizz

Chiz, Angus. Just checked it was may 2011 when I was first there.(the year of the first Cannich bull run , (news of which has since gone global). It was 2013 when me and Ted turned up in a van (naturally as you do to a motorbike event). The first bank holiday weekend of May sounds great to me. Looking forward to catching up and hearing about your travels. Is the big pub still shut or have new owners come to the rescue? If it comes off I really cant wait to have a pint with you and Angus

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BC your location says NZ, when are you in the UK? A meet for a few s and a good ole chinwag sound great. Have you any idea on dates for this? Looking forward to some more info when you have it.

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I'll pencil it onto my calendar for the first May bank holiday. Friday 3rd May..

I'll see if I can take a decent wedge of time off and make a proper Scotland trip out of it.

I'm watching this space

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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

So are UK mini meets now to be posted in the events around the world instead of UK events? Sorry for the confusion but at my age senility is now starting to set in

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2012 Kawasaki W800
1997 NX 650 Dominator