Just a week to go until we're due to head home and Janet was feeling the effects of a bout of 'flu, "I'm going to stay home and keep warm, you go." she said and I didn't need any more encouragement, I had "googled" my destination; Ace Cafe and found that it was only an hour's drive.
If you're a biker like me, chances are you have heard of the Ace Cafe and I was dead keen to visit and immerse myself in the history of the place. It started in 1938 as a transport cafe but with the advent of the motorcycle culture in the '50s and '60s it became a notable venue in Motorcycle culture, especially withe the then popular "Rockers".
Young men would strip their bikes of all "non-essential" accessories and parts and do tune-ups to try and get the magical 100mph or "the ton" and from there the term "Ton-up boys" originated, they would race their stripped down bikes from Cafe to Cafe on the ring road and there also was derived the name "Cafe Racer" which is still used today.
The Ace Cafe carried on the same until 1969 when it closed down but re-opened in the original site in 1997.
In 1959 Father John Oates founded the 59 Club as a youth club and after a visit to the then notorious Ace Cafe and a meeting with the "Ton Up Kids" the 59 Club was formed and thousands of young motorcyclists joined, the club continues to this day and is supported by the Ace Cafe to the extent that the cafe provides full support, membership administration, regalia and other areas of Ace expertise.
The Ace Cafe carried on the same until 1969 when it closed down but re-opened in the original site in 1997.
It's a busy cafe, I was there on Tuesday but there were still ten or twelve bikes parked outside and a lot of tourists (non-bikers) visiting too, there is a souvenir shop where I purchased a couple of cloth badges for my leather vest to show I'd been there.
The food was bloody good too, this was my pork spare ribs which I thoroughly enjoyed. The Ace Cafe seems to be going in the right direction with many organised bike and car events on a regular basis and I was really happy that I had had the opportunity to visit that historic place.
We're heading back to South Africa on the weekend so my next post will be from there, I still have a lot of photos that I haven't shown you yet, Castles and old churches, pubs and food, snow and rain and beers and wine but I will do some more posts. I'll be back with my club soon so there will be more of those photos too, stay safe people.
7 comments:
Jealous! I am glad you took the opportunity to see it since you were so close. On our bucket list as well.
Safe travels back home. Hope your wife is feeling better too.
It was certainly worth the visit and I can imagine that place being crowded with bikers on a sunny weekend, I really hope you two get the chance to visit.
We're both a bit flu'ed up, coughing etc., back to sunny SA!
Was not even aware of this place! Would've visited when I was over there a couple of years ago. Still "need" to see the museum close to Selma in the Sates though.
Thanks for the share. Its great that the group has been around this long. The Cafe looks like that make some delicious food. Good luck to you in the future.
Greg Prosmushkin
It's a great place Gerrie, biking history. Visiting the States is also on my list, hopefully I'll get there too.
Thanks for you comment Greg, good to hear from you and good luck to you too. The meal that I had at the cafe was excellent so I assume the rest is, unfortunately I only had the chance for one visit.
Post a Comment