Guernsey Press

Biker festival Chaos pulls in the punters

BIKES, bands, beer and the risk of sunburn were the order of the day at the 15th annual Chaos Festival at Pleinmont over the weekend.

Published
Picture by Stacey Upson 29.06.19 Motorcycle enthusiast Phil Ozanne at the fifteeth Chaos Motorbike Festival at Pleinmont. (25087953)

The Greenman MCC’s event has run annually since 2005, often with almost 2,000 people attending.

‘It was originally a one-day party in a field but evolved to two stages, three days and a bike show,’ said Chaos Events director ‘Ozy’ Chris Chadwick.

Punk band Subhumans topped the bill on Friday night while UK-based local acts Joe Corbin and Robert J. Hunter took centre stage on Saturday.

Many people said they attended each year.

‘Slick’ from West London said he had visited Guernsey three or four times a year for 40 years. This year he bought his 1993 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham hearse complete with spook coffin.

‘I’m terminally ill and this will be my final ride,’ he said.

‘I want my coffin sprayed black so people can chalk all over it,’ he said.

Some believed the motorcycle display to be possibly the biggest yet. Builder Les Le Prevost, 59, was showing his Suzuki Bandit 600 custom/bobber.

‘The frame was jigged and welded in the UK and I built it here,’ he said.

‘It’s stripped to the bare minimum and there’s nothing on it that doesn’t need to be there. Building this type of machine is my passion and it keeps me out of the pub.’

Retired motor engineer Phil Ozanne had his 1951 Triumph Thunderbird 650, identical to the one that Marlon Brando rode in The Wild One.

‘I bought it about three years ago in Newcastle when it was a bit of a mess and I’ve rebuilt the whole thing,’ he said. At the recent Stafford International Classic Motorcycle Show, which advertises itself to be the biggest event of its type in the world, the bike won the best post war machine class.

Mr Ozanne said the Triumph is 100% authentic. He was delighted recently to track down a rear light on eBay from an Austrian seller. He said the part was very rare and it had taken several months to find.

Finance worker Sarah Le Feuvre and friend Steph Le Lion come to Chaos every year from Jersey.

‘My hubby and I are bikers,’ she said. I think there are more bikes this year and the weather’s beautiful. We’ve been going to bike events for about 25 years now and you always find good camaraderie and there is no trouble.’

Rudolf and Gwyneth Tredoux are originally from South Africa. They moved to Guernsey from the UK about five and half years ago and both work for Freelance.

‘This is the third time we’ve cone to Chaos for the Saturday,’ said Mrs Tredoux.

‘The atmosphere is always good. There’s a good crowd with good music and we tend to go to the Peace Tent as the music’s a bit quieter.’