Echt, Holland 2010
Mini Pan Gathering
A weekend away in Holland seemed very appealing when the invitation to join the Dutch pan owners in Echt, southern Holland arrived. Having relatives out there would help with accommodation costs so I might even stretch it to a bit of a long weekend. Sounded good to me.
The Pan Gathering was on the Saturday, but what to do on the Friday and Sunday?
My uncle is a mechanic on a Dutch car racing team so that was Friday taken care of. Pit lane passes were the order of the day plus
some ear defenders. A brilliant afternoons racing at the Zandvoort race track on the western coast of the country.
What to do on Sunday? A search of the internet showed that there was also a rally organised by CPEN (Club Pan European Nederland) taking place on the Sunday with a big ride out. Great I thought, contact them, introduce myself and go for a ride with them in the true spirit of motorcycling. I sent of my email to be told it was 
a members only club. I was not a member so I wasn’t allowed. Stick your ride out up your exhaust pipe, Hope it rains!!!
Saturday morning arrived and off we set to meet up with other Pan riders and head south to Echt. The group got bigger and bigger at every petrol station until a group of about 30 bikes from the west met up with about 30 bikes from the north and rode together to Echt. A very impressive sight. 
The venue was Motorport, a large motorcycle dealers, in Echt which had plenty of parking and demonstration bikes to try out. The price of bikes in Holland is extortionate. A 2005 Pan with 32,000K on the clock for 13800 euro’s (£12,000 approx)
There was an official count of the bikes and a grand total of 154 bikes had attended. I was approached by a couple of riders who said they were coming to Chorley and seemed very excited about it.
Julie and myself were then called to the marquee where the organisers gathered everyone together to make an presentation. The owners of Motorport presented Julie and myself with a fantastic Honda maintenance package for having travelled the furthest to get there. It was very unexpected but greatly received.
The kindness and hospitality shown by our Dutch comrades was quite overwhelming, something I know that will be reciprocated when they come here.
The weather was brilliant, 36 degrees. Just to show you that there is a god, it rained on the Sunday.