Pilgrims Rally

48th Pilgrims Rally, August 2025.

Early in the morning on Friday 1 August 2025, Walter Trappe (R1200GS) and I, Hans Mondorf (BMW K100RS), met at the church in our village and drove towards Calais. Axel Bodeit and Bettina Bodeit (BMW K100LT with sidecar), and Thorsten Bodeit (BMW R1200GS) made their own journey via the Channel Tunnel.

As in previous years, Walter and I met up with our motorcycle friends from Trier, Heiko Werner (KTM 1190 Adventure) and Kurt Remmel (BMW R1200RT) at the St Ghislain motorway service station in Belgium. Together we drove to Calais to catch the ferry. Almost at the same time as Axel, Bettina, and Thorsten, we arrived at the Pilgrims Rally's large camping area.

The usual procedure: set up the tent, freshen up a bit, and then head out for some fun with the Mayflowers and friends.

On Saturday morning, after a leisurely breakfast, Walter, Heiko, Kurt, Thorsten, and I first drove to the Can Hill Locks near Rowde. We were lucky, and some boats were travelling downhill and using the locks.

From here, we drove to Avebury and the stone circles. After a brief tour, we refreshed ourselves at the nearby Red Lion pub. From there, we drove to Swindon to the Steam Museum of the Great Western Railway. All of the participants were impressed by this magnificent museum.

After the short drive back to the Pilgrims Rally site, we even managed to buy some homemade cake, coffee, and homemade jam from the local women.

A lovely evening followed, first outdoors, then with a live band in the hall. I received the Long Distance Overseas award that evening.

On Sunday morning, Walter and I were up early from our sleeping bags, packed up our tent, and loaded our motorcycles. We said goodbye to our motorcycle friends and drove to Chippenham for breakfast.

Our motorcycle friends drove partly on the motorway and partly on country roads to Brighton. There, they took a long break at the pier and refreshed themselves. From there, they drove to the hotel in Dover. They rounded off Sunday with a extented dinner and a few pints at a nearby restaurant.

On Monday morning, after the obligatory final full English breakfast, they headed down to the ferry and continued on toward home.

Group photo on the camping field from left to right: Heiko Werner, Kurt Remmel, Walter Trappe, Hans Mondorf, Thorsten Bodeit, Bettina Bodeit, Axel Bodeit
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Walter and I set off on our journey from Chippenham on this Sunday morning. We had planned a tour through Wales. Our route took us towards Bristol, over the old Severn Bridge to Tintern Abbey, as far as possible along the border between Wales and England, over the Gospel Pass to Hay on Wye. From there we took the smallest roads over the Black Mountain Pass to Aberaeron on the west coast.

There we spent the night at a farm campsite. It was a very stormy night, with heavy rain. We stayed in our tent until 11am when the rain stopped.

On Monday morning we continued along the coast to Porthmadog. Unfortunately there were no rooms available in the hotels there, so we had to spend the night in Caernafon.

On Tuesday morning we drove back to Porthmadog. We had tickets for an extended steam train tour into the mountains to Blaneau Ffestiniog.

For the next night we returned to the hotel in Caernafon. On Wednesday morning we followed the coast to Holyhead for a short break at the marina.

We then continued to Liverpool for two nights. Among other things, we visited the artwork "Another Place" by Sir Antony Gromley at Crosby Beach and the football stadium at Anfield Road.

Friday morning from Liverpool to Macclesfield via the beautiful A537 to Buxton. Our next destination was the LPMCC Big End Rally in Hinckley.

- Hans Mondorf