Baildon Harley Davidson Weekend - 2013

Hundreds of Harley Davidson bikers took part in a mass ride out from the village of Baildon on Sunday, part of a weekend gathering organised by Shipley Harley Davidson Club. The event, which raises money for the Bradford Hospitals Childrens Charity and other charities was started 34 years ago and draws riders from all over the UK and parts of Europe.  It's a great event with crowds of onlookers lining the streets. 
(I did notice that some of the Harley riders are starting to look quite mature and distinguished, so I've chosen a picture with a mature and distinguished machine in it - just a note from your mature and distinguished photographer)!

St James Church - Baildon

This unusual timber framed church (unusual as we don't have timber framed churches in this area) stands beside the main Shipley to Otley road.  I have not had a proper look at the church in quite a while, and I had not really noticed these palm trees when driving past.  We don't really have palm trees around here, so it's a case of  unusual trees in front of an unusual church!

Baildon Scarecrow Walk 2012 - Acoustic Trio

I quite enjoyed listening to this acoustic trio performing at the Scarecrow Walk in Baildon at the weekend.  They go by the name of 'The Broken Hearts Club Band', they were very pleasant to listen to, and who needs amplifiers anyway!

Baildon Scarecrow Walk 2012 - Scarecrow Choir

There was some very nice singing from this choir in the grounds of St John's Parish Church on Saturday, with choir members dressed as scarecrows.

Baildon Scarecrow Walk - 2012

Baildon hosted its annual Scarecrow Walk on Saturday and there were plenty of visitors to the village, many of them young children clutching leaflets showing the locations of the scarecrows.  This years main themes seem to have been the Olympic Games and the Diamond Jubilee, not surprising really.  I didn't see all of the scarecrows, but there were some quite clever ones, some very colourful ones, some that were quite bizarre, and some that just put a smile of your face!

Trike - Harley Davidson Weekend

From the Harley Davidson weekend at Baildon, I wish I had taken more portraits on the day.  I think the trike is based on a Honda engine.

Work Of Art?

Can an engine be a work of art? I don't know, but I think something like this comes pretty close.  Taken at the Harley Davidson weekend at Baildon.

Harley Davidson Rally, Baildon 2012 - Mr Grumpy

Harley riders from all over the UK and some European countries converge on the village of Baildon for their annual August Bank Holiday meeting.  The bikers tend to be older, more mature guys (and girls), they still party a bit, and enjoy the odd pint of beer, but tend to be on the whole, just nice people.  At mid day the bikers congregate in the main street which is closed to normal traffic and then leave an hour later in a mass convoy to deliver toys to a local Childrens hospital.  The event raises money for charity and draws a big crowd to the village to watch the riders leave.
I like photographing the badges on motorcycle jackets, I thought this one was a bit unusual!

Cafe Racer

There were quite a few unusual machines at the Baildon Harley Davidson weekend. This bike made me smile, it looked at first glance like a 1950's cafe racer, but it actually has a modern Japanese engine and disc brakes, the owner is telling me that the bike is not worth a picture as it is not a Harley!

Harley Davidson Weekend - Baildon

It was the annual Harley Davidson meeting at Baildon this weekend. Hundreds of Harley owners from as far away as Holland and Germany spent the weekend in the village of Baildon. On Sunday afternoon the main street of the village was closed to normal traffic and the bikers gathered together for a mass ride out to deliver gifts to the children's ward of a local hospital.

Some of the bikes were absolutely superb, including this one ridden by local Harley enthusiast Paul.