After a hard day at work which seemed to drag on forever, I
was eventually released and allowed to go and play. As I'd taken
the bike in to work I zipped straight to Andy and Jo's to meet up
for the ride down. The roads from Darlinton to the Valley site
are excellant, however due to many people getting carried away
and crashing big style it's now quite heavily policed.
By the time we got they though we where freezing. Onto the site,
buy ticket, erect tent and party.
Quite a few faces where there, VFR John, Big Lisa and Huyahusband,
Tim, Big Jim, Brick plus various others. For a change the band
where brilliant doing a huge range of cover songs from the 60's
to the present. Far better than the pretend, sorry tribute, bands
we seem to have suffered recently, but true to form I've
forgotten their name. I did have a dance though....
Later in a introspective mood I looked round and noticed how the
average age of the rally goer is now mid thirties to mid forties,
including the bands. But then I thought "so what". We
have a great thing going here and if it lives and dies with this
generation then so be it. Perhaps we'll go down in history and in
the far future when archiologists excavate a rally site they'll
find fossillised tyre track, beer cans and perhaps the impression
of a drunken grin where someone has gone face down in the mud.
I awoke to that warm tent feeling that tell's you it's gonna
be a scorcher. After a leisurly breakfast I was eventually joined
by Andy and Jo who had been practicing for the long sleep in the
next olympics.
There was, supposedly, an organised ride out so we decided to go
check it out. Within 2 minutes of the site we had lost track of
VFRJohn and found no sign of any organised run.
So we went to the coast, through Bridlington and onto
Flamborough Head to drink coffee and feel hung over. Later,
feeling somewhat refreshed by the sea air, we rode up he coast to
Scarborough to do scarboroughy type things.
Having arranged to meet Lindsey at Helmsley by 4:00 it then
became necessary to "make progress" back along the A170.
Progress was hindered excessive use of double white lines and the
presence of numerous farm tractors. On the subject of traffic
management have you noticed how all the cars you zip past on the
open roads are immediatly up your tail pipe by the time you
halfway though a 30 limit village. Now, OK, it is now the done
thing to zap bikes doing excessive speeds on the open roads but
how about doing something about the cars speeding through
villages and towns? Anyway rant over.
Soon I'm in Helmsley, Lindsey has got there ahead of me and is
happily chilling out in the sun and showing off the shiney new
Sprint ST. Once we are all regathered we set off for a healthy
evening thrash back to the site. After several unsuccessful
attempts to find an open pub we settle on a cafe for tea on the
outskirts of Fridaythorpe. Not exactly a health food diet, but
well scrummy all the same. Highly recommended.
Back on the site we're surprised how full it's looking, we
later find out last year had about 300, this year was nearer 1000.
This rally is definitly on the way up. A few more of the
Darlington contingent have turned up including the inimitable
Dave Smith with whom we end up very drunk. The band are pretty
good, at some point in the evening a naked lady is seen caning a
naked man on stage.
Purely in the interest of impartial reporting I have a look.
Another glorious day. We're awake well early. After a chat with Giddy we pack up and head off for breakfast at the cafe and to plan the day's events.
The weather been so good we decide to stop off at site of the old medievil village at Wharram Percy for a look about. While lounging about next to the old fish pond we are approached by the local farmer proffering a pamphlet. I'm expecting many things from a village fair to a summons for trespass, in fact it's for a dyno and bike tuning service ran by his son. We talk about bikes, racing and the TT until he eventually returns to his landrover to continue farming. Only in Yorkshire ...
