Journal Entries
Rock'n'Blues
Posted Aug 5, 2003
July 28-31
Pentrich Showground, Derbyshire.
Run by an established International Motorcycle Club, this one attrcted numbers well into 20,000 plus and the event reflected the obvious problems of getting that many people fed, watered and entertained.
The site is in idyllic countryside, nestled at the bottom of the Peak District.
The music came from three areas and while undoubtedlt providing bikings best musical event, finishing the music at 1am was a bummer in any language and well worth remembering if you fancy going next year.
The bike show was a good one, although by this part of the season, most of the offerings have been seen around by now, but it made an amusing diversion on the Saturday en route to the beer tent.
As is the way with large events, bikes were coming and going all weekend, and the obvious and seemingly uncontrollable influx of the car-dwellers was also a feature.
In short, if you enjoy Glastonbury, you'll enjoy this but if bike rallies are your thing, you might consider the Badger Bash which is on the same weekend and caters for far less (but more genuine) punters.
Oh, and the hosts actually ride bikes at that one too, not trawling about like the Taliban in 4X4s all weekend.
The weather did its best to ruin Friday but we're a hardy lot and it didn't spoil the proceedings and I wasn't punished for forgetting my waterproofs!
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Latest reply: Aug 5, 2003
Farmyard Party
Posted Jun 26, 2003
June 20-22 Helmsley, North Yorkshire.
This one has been running for many years and is a well-established event in the traditional style of turn up, pitch up and get wrecked.
Run by the Motorcycle Action Group, there is a strict no-car rule on site (although pre-bookers can get a pass for a car if it's for a disabled person but the car must be parked off-site in a designated area), bonfires are allowed (a rare thing in England these days at rallies) and is held in the most beautiful valley I've ever camped in, among the stunning North Yorkshire Moors surrounded by stunning roads (for those sober enough to enjoy a ride-out to on Saturday).
The view up the valley as dawn broke on Solstice morning (Saturday 21st) with the remnants of dozens of campfires was well worth the determination required to stay awake to witness it.
There was a comedy session for the site-dwellers on Saturday afternoon, although I prefer a comedian who can take a heckle, and doesn't look like he just crawled out of a petri-dish. Oh, and some funny material would have been an improvement too, a good idea though , just the same.
The bands were a mess, the music clashed, with two seperate tents having live music at the same time, but I don't go rallying to discuss the relative merits of a rock band and the overall 'noise' of the weekend was most excellent, although I don't consider it worth the £25 price tag on the ticket (the most expensive this year by far).
The beer was outrageously priced on site so we were glad we brought ours with us.
As a rally as long as it doesn't clash with Solstice, I might go again but otherwise I'll save my money and go to the Cowpat rally in Derbyshire, the following week.
This was my first rally on a solo bike after losing my leg, so it's definitely going to stay in my mind as a landmark event.
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Latest reply: Jun 26, 2003
Fetish, Fun and Frolics
Posted Jun 5, 2003
May30-June1
Where to start with this one, if the title hasn't put you off then read on...
This was run by the Perverts in Leather Rally Club near the river Trent in Leicestershire.
After being given a coating of oil over me and the bike by the trike I was following, we arrived Friday evening and pitched the tents in a lush, flat field and proceeded to the indoor bar area for a swift libation or several.
The bands at this one were very competant, keeping the mood going well on both nights with continual music between bands.
The weather was hot, dry and sunny all weekend and the site had a fair mix of bikers there for a party, fetishists being flamboyant and generally everyone showing how silly they can get at parties.
There was no organised bike show, the organisers preferring the traditional method of wandering about the campsite seeing what had actually ridden to the rally and giving prizes accordingly.
'Best Trike' went to a guy in a wheelchair with a motorised front wheel and handlebars attached.
Not an event for kids or the easily offended, the partying went on through both nights and we were having such a buzz, a few of us relocated to Humberside on the Sunday to invade a birthday barbecue.
When we got there, I realised how far from reality I'd been all weekend!!
Roll on Solstice weekend and the Farmyard Party...
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Latest reply: Jun 5, 2003
GURT GALLYBAGGER RALLY
Posted Jun 4, 2003
May 2003
This one was the trike's first rally of the year, the other two official outings both being to funerals, so the focus was on making it count.
The rally is organised by the Wight Riders MCC and held at a Chalet Park on the Isle of Wight with its own beach and has been running for 13 or 14 years now.
Four of us set of from Sheffield into a drizzly Friday morning and headed South, the least said, the better, we arrived onsite, enough said!
Tents were erected in a force 8 gail on a clifftop by the sea, then we got very drunk and partied until the excellent music stopped around 3am.
Saturday became drier and warmer and the rest of the weekend got better and better.
I met more people than I realised I knew and smiled at most of them, well I was at a rally.
There was a bike show on the Sunday and I dragged the trike over knowing I had no chance of winning but siezed the opportunity to talk engineering with the owners of the best kit on the site.
Music excellent all weekend, as were the facilities, apart from the plastic toilets that blew over on Friday night!
I'd not done this one since 1993 but will be back next year, despite the weather on the way down.
The ride home made it all worthwhile.
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Latest reply: Jun 4, 2003
East Leeds Lions Easter Rally
Posted Jun 4, 2003
May 2-4 2003
I was invited to this do by a pal in Sheffield who owns a leatherwork business and had a stall at this event.
The weather started out hot and sunny but by Saturday morning it had degenerated into the usual British summer weather of wind and rain.
At most other 'social gatherings', people would have got the hump and gone home but this was a bike rally and the partying got harder for the weather worsening.
There were about a thousand people there, someone got married there on the Saturday and had the reception in the beer tent, most excellent.
The music continued all weekend and there was even plenty to occupy kids who weren't gawping at the plethora of machinery around the site.
Bikes, Trikes, Specials of all kinds were represented.
A 'must-do' event for me next year, might even by a ticket!
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Latest reply: Jun 4, 2003
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