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HOG-POD motorcycle podcast speaks with the Rutland HOG Chapter Director, Ian Gornall, about everything from riding Harleyd, to British go-kart and touring car racing champions, to recently gaining his wings wings as a pilot for his 'Harley-Davidson in the Sky'.

Great interview with details of the 2025 Horse Shoe Rally, the Rutland Chapters annual rally, as well as plans for their massive ride-out calendar, and riding Northern Ireland for the Game of Thrones.

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Interview with George McGuire - A.K.A Mr Thunder in the Glens

One of the minds behind the growth and development of Thunder in the Glens rally, George McGuire, spends the afternoon with Ben Vale, to talk about all things motorcycle, Harley-Davidson, Harley Owners Group and HOG Chapters.

Wide-ranging interview and a trip down memory lane as George recalls, Scotlands first every Harley Chapter, the first Harley dealership, life as part of Dunedin Chapter and of course, the story behind the UK and Irelands largest motorcycle event, Thunder in the Glens.

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This episode we are joined by Phil Stickings, a life member of HOG and lifetime motorcyclist.  We talk motorcycles, how a charity ride at Thunder in the Glens turned out to be the best £4 spent in his life and how a chance PSA test help him beat prostate cancer.  

f you don’t know what a PSA, a DRE is, and you are male over 50 and ride a motorcycle, or are close to a male over 50, then you’ll find this episode a potential life-saver.

Websites – 

https://prostatecanceruk.org/

https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/prostate-cancer

https://www.justgiving.com/page/philip-stickings-1722539368054

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/m0020s52 - Jon Holmes says the C-Word

https://www.hwam.com/

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This episode we are joined by Allen Glasper, the Director of the Geordie H.O.G Chapter.  We hear about Allen, the Chapter & plans for 2024, including the aim to circumnavigate Ireland in September.  The Geordie Chapter is well versed in their desire to raise awareness of different charities, as well as their love of travelling to Europre for motorcycle rallies.

We are also joined by former Big Brother winner (2005), Anthony Hutton, who now runs the 'Never Throw in the Towel Project', a mens mental health support network.

Anothony shot to fame after winning Big Brother, but as the inevitable coming back to earth occurred, he found himself struggling with hi smental health, which at times, found him contemplating suicide. 

#harleydavidson #harleyownersgroup #motorcycles #uk #itsokaytonotbeokay #suicideawareness #mentalhealth

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For the many familiar with the H.O.G Chapter (UK & Ireland) calendar, the Cider Rally always sounds the horn for the rally season to commence. From it's humble beginnings as a small get together of Harley-Davidson owners with tents, through to what they now bill as the greatest show on earth held in Pontins, Sands Bay in Weston-super-Mare. 

For this episode of HOG-POD, we are joined by Gill Mogg, better known as 'Moggy', the Director of the Bridgwater Chapter, and fellow Chapter member Robert Twycross, probably better known to you all as Portland Bill. In this episode, find out why you should not be missing this rally, share the great news that you can still get involved for the 2024 rally coming up in early May. 

We also take a trip down memory lane as we talk the early days of Bridgwater Chapter, Harley-Davidson ownership from pan heads to the Revolution Max, three of the old paper magazines and plans for Bridgwater in 2024.

Visit the Bridgwater Chapter Website -
https://www.bridgwaterhog.co.uk/

Book tickets for the Cider Rally 2024 -
https://www.trybooking.com/uk/events/landing/46186

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What an incredible story to encourage an epic ride. Following the loss of his son in 2016, his wife being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022, Jonny Doyle, aka The Lad With The Beard, is set to raise monies for three special charities by riding his HD Pan America over 10000km from his home in County Cavan to the northern most ponit of mainland Europe, Nordkapp in Norway, and back home again.

If there are still questions over the Pan America still, surely a trip like this will provide the answer.

As if not already a challenge, Jonny is set to do this SOLO, and will be camping the and cooking the whole trip. No hotels, no restaurants, just one man, his motorcycle, and anything he can pack to take with him.

A moving and engaging story, covering difficult subjects, which ultimately inspired this epic 19 days challenge.

All monies raised will be split between the three charities…

Stillborn and baby loss support - https://feileacain.ie/
Cancer support - https://www.cuancancercavan.ie/
Suicide prevention and support - https://sosadireland.ie/about-us/

If you want to donate a cup of coffee to the charities, you can do so by clicking through to this link……https://www.gofundme.com/f/cavan-to-nordkapp-10000km

You can follow Jonnys progress via his instagram…https://www.instagram.com/theladwiththebeard

More motorcycle riding by Jonny can be found via the links below

https://www.youtube.com/@theladwiththebeard
https://www.facebook.com/theladwiththebeard

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There has been many different kinds of reactions to the introduction of a registration process for the Ireland BikeFest 2024.

We are joined by Shane O'Driscoll, Festival Director and Fiona Carroll, Motorcycle Operations to fill us in on the reasoning behind the new process.  HOG-POD has followed the social media response and they have been put to the guests to clarify whats really going on.

Of course, we also asked about whats in store for 2024, how they see the new 'biker centric event' developing and how plans are going as May 31st fast approaches.

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Nene Valley H.O.G Chapter in the UK has been an 'orphan chapter' for many years.  In late 2023 and early 2024, a number of UK H-D franchise dealerships closed suddenly, leaving a number of H.O.G chapters orphans.  HDRC-GB do not rely on, nor do they have any links to H-D dealerships, but for many H.O.G Chapters, the dealership is the 'base' from which they operate.  

This interview with Simon Barron, Nene Valley Director ( Feb 2024) finds out a little bit on how their chapter adapted to being an orphan, including some advice on who to carry on with the seasonal ride-outs, socials and attracting new members.

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SOME USEFUL LINKS

https://thedavidsonlegacy.com/

https://roadskin.co.uk/blogs/news/the-davidson-legacy-the-scottish-cottage-that-is-part-of-motorcycling-history

https://roadskin.co.uk (Use CODE TDL during checkout on any basket order and 10% is donated by Roadskin to the Davidson Legacy

https://angusalchemy.com/product/motor-moonshine/

https://www.facebook.com/DavidsonLegacyPG/

The American Dream is personified in the Harley-Davidson brand.  Having just celebrated their 120th year, the innovations of three Davidson brothers and William Harley are still going strong to this day.

But for many Harley riders and owners, the Scottish roots of what would become Harley-Davidson, has simply passed us by.

A little cottage in Angus, Scotland, is the ancestal home of the Davidsons, and has been visited by Jochen Zietz and Bill Davidson, to name just two, as part of a pilgrammage back to the very roots of the HD story.

A derelict cottage was saved from destructoin by three Harley enthusiants and through a labour of love, they have restored the cottage back to its full glory.  This little cottage is now a Mecca for Harley riders as they visit from right across the UK and Ireland, and also from Europe and further afield.

Mike, one of the original cottage buyers, and Nyree Aitkens, Chairperson of the Davidson Legacy Preservation Group, join the HOG-POD to share the story, where they are today and the plans for the future.

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The founder of Ride to the Wall (RTTW) joins the HOG-POD to tell us a little bit about himself, his connection to Harley-Davidson and how, as the founder, the Ride to The Wall is now an annual motorcycle event that touches the lives of tens of thousands of people.

From the humble beginnings of just a handful of bikes, the ride To The Wall has grown year on year in both size, popularity and importance to tens of thousands of people known as 'Wallers'.  They join together to remember the  of the lives and sacrifices of the men and women that have been lost their lives in service of our country at the National Memorial Arboretum, the Wall.

Ride to the Wall received the Queens Award for Voluntary Service, recognising the effort of both Martin, and the now 300 strong team of volunteers which make this event possible each year.

Now 16 years strong, Ride To The Wall has, in Martin's words, 'remained pure', with no commercial or corporate element involved.  On purely the donations and purchases of RTTW merchandise by the growing family of Wallers, the Charity remains dedicated to it's core values.

You can find out more about this amazing charity through the links below and you can also join them in 2023 and become part of this unique family.

Link to the National Memorial Arboretum

https://www.thenma.org.uk/

Links to the Ride To The Wall Website

https://www.rttw.org

https://www.rttw.org/scroll_of_remembrance.php

https://www.rttw.org/rttw_code_of_conduct.php

https://www.rttw.org/clubs_attending.php

https://www.rttw.org/start_locations.php

You can also instantly donate to the Charity and be part of the £1m+ raised for the upkeep of the Arboretum

Text RTTW08 £5 to 70070

 @nationalmemorialarboretuma1749 #ridetothewall #rttw #harleydavidson #charity #armedforces #britisharmy #royalnavy #royalairforce