My brother-in-law currently resides in Lakenheath, UK. (He and his family work for the DOD at a RAF base as teachers and summer in the States) My family will be visiting them the day after the school year ends, in June. We will be there for around a week, and be coming home to the states with them. My question is what Norton related sites would I be able to see and Whom should I try to meet up with while I am there to place a face to? I won't have gobs of time this trip, but they will be there a few years, and we plan on going back. I liooked at the National MC museam, but I think it's too far away for this visit. What is around London? Thanks for any help and I hope to meet at least one of you.

bwolfie wrote:What is around London?

[Edit] Answer: The biggest car park in the world = the M25 motorway! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M25_motorway

http://www.london-motorcycle-museum.org/

It could be worth keeping an eye on the UK NOC events lists?
http://www.nortonownersclub.org/events
http://www.cambridge.nortonownersclub.org/
http://www.nortonownersclub.org/branch- ... olk-branch

Go to the Ace Cafe IF there is a motorcycle-event, other than that it's pretty much a Diner/small truck stop. You can get there by using the "tube" and walking a little-bit (I did).

Vince

Yeah if your in London you've got to go to the Ace Cafe. As Vinnie says you can get there on the tube. Just get the train to Stonebridge Park. Get off the train walk down the ramp and turn right. Under a couple of bridges and your there. When I went there was a cafe racer day on on a Sunday. An all day thing with bikes coming and going. Saw 2 awesome Weslake twin cylinder engined specials. One in a featherbed and one in a Seeley. Sounded amazing. Check the Ace website for a calender to see what is on when.

Make time for a couple of Quick laps at the Isle of Man , too .

bwolfie wrote:My brother-in-law currently resides in Lakenheath, UK. (He and his family work for the DOD at a RAF base as teachers and summer in the States) My family will be visiting them the day after the school year ends, in June. We will be there for around a week, and be coming home to the states with them. My question is what Norton related sites would I be able to see and Whom should I try to meet up with while I am there to place a face to? I won't have gobs of time this trip, but they will be there a few years, and we plan on going back. I liooked at the National MC museam, but I think it's too far away for this visit. What is around London? Thanks for any help and I hope to meet at least one of you.

I was over there this summer. The National MC Museum is amazing (800+ British bikes) and worth a lot of trouble to get to. There is a small MC museum in London that is worth a look but was underwhelming since I went to the National first, would have been better to do them in reverse order. Dropped by the Ace Cafe but as was said was not all that great as there was not a bike event on that day. Brooklands is well worth visiting, a good collection of bikes and much more...cars, planes, etc....
it would be easy to spend an entire day there

http://www.brooklandsmuseum.com/

+2 on brooklands as you also have an aviation background. saw a lot of neat stuff there, the Whipple jet engine, a sleeve valve radial and what is left of the race track to name a few things. if close a MUST DO !!!

bill wrote:+2 on brooklands as you also have an aviation background. saw a lot of neat stuff there, the Whipple jet engine, a sleeve valve radial and what is left of the race track to name a few things. if close a MUST DO !!!

Also the IWM, Duxford is only around 30 miles from from Lakenheath: http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/

Don't forget that UK inter-city trains are fast (130 mph) and frequent (except on Sundays, when they do track maintenance). London to Birmingham is only an hour's train ride. London - Edinburgh is less than 4 hours. It'll probably take longer to get into London from Lakenheath than London - Birmingham takes. If you buy one in advance, a BritRail pass is well worth the money. You can't buy one when you're in England.

If you're interested in railways, the National Railway Museum in York is well worth a visit. There's also the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu, in Hampshire.

And the train station in Birmingham to the National Motorcycle Museum is easy and close (I think I took a Taxi but there was one sitting there waiting).

General London notes:
The London Eye was well worth the time, it's a cool-perspective on the city.
If/when you get hungry, find a train station and look for "The Upper Crust" (basically a British "Subway") good, cheap and fast.
Have some Indian-food, if you are a spicy-food-fan the term is "Vindaloo".
Hyde park was a good time and I'm glad I wandered around.
If "Cowboy-cool" beer does not do it for you order "Strongbow Cider", it's kept cold and it's really-good (beware, it packs a punch!).

Vince