Old SOCS

How did Old SOCS come about? 

It started in early 2019. I had an idea of getting some of the older and longer serving ex-members of the SOC together to have a surprise ride-out for our dear friend John Storrie.

We had a private group on Facebook to handle details. John at this time wasn't a social media user.

That event went off really well in July 2019 and once over, we renamed the group to "Old SOCS". Tony Taylor became one of the admins and it was opened wider to ex-SOC members.

The first event to be planned was a weekend in summer 2020. A weekend of camping or B&B in the Lake District at Coniston. Víc Dunkley took over the running of it and arranged music and more.

I also liked the idea of Southern and Midlands meetings to give everyone a chance to attend.

Why "Old SOCS"?

Over the years the main rally for the SOC has been called the "Invader Rally". The Invader was the name given to the T200 by Suzuki in the late Sixties.

There was a second rally though, called the "Old SOCS" and so I nicked that name.

Back to the tale ..

And then Covid-19 hit the world. Lockdown for months. The Cumbrian authorities didn't want outsiders bringing it to them.

So we cancelled it for 2020. 

Around the same time Vic was taken seriously ill and it made sense that we had cancelled.

We have re-arranged it for the same weekend in 2021 - August 13th to 15th.

Hopefully Covid-19 will have gone and not become Covid-20 or 21.

As for the Southern and Midland events. These never got off the ground for 2020. Covid saw to that.

But from the ashes of 2020 hopefully 2021 will be better and the Midlands event is in the pipeline.

A one day ride in to the National Motorcycle Museum on April 11th 2021.

To help people from further afield attend I found a hotel in nearby Solihull that has rooms from £54 a night and bookable through http://www.booking.com/Share-Ck5wHV. The good thing is that it can be booked with free cancellation upto the day before and no pre-payment!

The hotel has a bar and two restaurants onsite so no need to go anywhere else.

I have already booked my room!

Fingers crossed that the pandemic is over.