I’m not sure when I first found out about the Before We Forget Tour, but I’d heard that it was being organised by a lady called Alison Bowen and would be a fundraising mega-ride around the UK to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Society.
So I introduced myself to Alison at a Solent Cougars do and picked up one of her leaflets, and from then on I’ve been keen to support this brilliant project, particularly as it’s raising money for a cause which resonates so deeply with us all. Most of us have witnessed the impact of dementia on someone we know, and for Alison and her partner Henry it was his Mum who suffered from the condition before she passed away in 2021.
As well as the 2500 mile ride, there are raffles planned and Alison will be shaking a bucket at any scooter events she attends, to top up the funds. I’m hoping to join the tour when it starts in Brighton and ride with Alison, Henry and the rest of the gang for a few miles towards Margate, their first stopping point.
There’s lots more info on the Before We Forget Tour website including a donation link, but if you’d like to find out more about Alison then I persuaded her to share her first rally story and tell us about how she got into scooters in the first place.
Name : Alison Bowen
How did you first get into scooters?
I had an older brother who was into the Mod Revival scene in the early 80s and who had a Vespa smallframe. Mod clothes didn’t really suit the more generously proportioned me, but the scooter did!!!
What was your first scooter rally?
Morecambe 1982.
How did you get there?
I went on the train – on my own. And I managed to get the wrong train! Stoke to Crewe; Crewe to Blackpool; Blackpool to Crewe, Crewe to Morecambe.
What job were you doing at the time?
I was 15 going on 16 (or 37) and just about still at school. I had a job as a receptionist at an Engineering Company lined up so did Saturday jobs for money. I skived off to go to Morecambe.
Where did you stay when you were there?
I was a good girl – I went home the same day (on the train – without getting the wrong one).
Were you in a club at the time?
Nope. I am not a massive fan of clubs. Too much politics and bullshit.
Do you have any memories of the rally itself?
I had met some guys from the Bolton Spartans SC, mainly because they were asleep in a bus shelter and there was a dog pissing on one of their scooters, which made me laugh and I woke them up and one of them offered me ‘a lift home’. To this day, I don’t know if it was a good thing or a bad thing that I turned him down and went home on the train. Ha ha ha!
Was the journey home eventful?
Not as eventful as the journey there…
Do you remember what your favourite rally anthem of that period was?
I was always into Northern Soul – I had friends at school who were older than me, who had been to Wigan Casino and one of them passed away; having the Fife Piper by the Dynatones playing at his funeral kind of set the tone for my life.
Lovin’ Is Really My Game by Brainstorm is top of my list but not commonly played on rallies.
Lady In Red by Ronnie Dyson was much more likely to be played. Likewise The Sisters – Love Don’t You Go Through No Changes On Me, Janice (Don’t Be So Blind To Love) by Skip Mahoney or He’s Coming Home by Beverley Ann.
What was your favourite custom scooter of that era?
I remember fan-girling over a bloke from Stafford who had a nice scooter. Didn’t know anything about him but liked his scooter!
Do you still have a scooter now?
Yes. I ride a GTS 250 ie for everyday stuff but kind of have a collection of weird and wonderful stuff: a 1961 Lambretta Series 2, 1992 Vespa T5 Classic, 2006 Vespa GTS 250 ie, a 1961 Heinkel 103-A2, a 1956 TWN Contessa and a 1969 Agrati Capri 150 Super. I also have a Vespa VBB project and a nice shiny new Malossi 200 engine that, if/when combined, could either be a marriage made in heaven or my version of a wolf in sheep’s clothing!
There’s a good story about my T5 – I bought it brand new in 1992/3 and I’ve sold it once, given it away once and bought it back twice! Essentially it’s the most expensive scooter ever as I’ve bought it three times!
What do scooters mean to you now?
Pretty much everything. Scooters have been part of my life for 42 years (over 73% of my life so far, for the statisticians amongst us). I didn’t even learn to drive a car until I was 39 as I had a number of scooters and motorbikes and rode everywhere. I met most of the people I call friends through the scooter scene and and even my partner Henry, as we were friends long before we got together.
All about the Before We Forget Tour
Henry lost his lovely mum Joan in 2021, after battling with Alzheimers, and 2024 is the 40th anniversary of him buying his first Lambretta. We decided to celebrate both his mum’s life, his Lambretta purchasing anniversary and our mutual passion for scooters, by combining a ride to a national rally; nothing unusual in that for us, but we are going to take the long way round – visiting all of the towns that hosted National Rallies in the 1980’s and ending up on the Isle of Wight – raising funds for the Alzheimer’s Society on the way.
We are also holding or attending a number of events where we are shaking collection buckets, we are holding online auctions through a dedicated Facebook page and of course, doing the 2500 mile ride itself where we will be fundraising at each stop.
We even have a friend running a 23k race to raise funds as part of our epic adventure.
For more information please have a look at our website: www.beforeweforget.uk. If you wish to donate, please feel free to do so through our JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/GrassSkirtsTour