Sitting about in the blazing sunshine, drinking beer and
talking bollox
Ah, it's a hard life :-)
Friday 27th July. Evening comes and we're all ready and raring
to go. The site had moved from Duncom Park to Pickering due to
foot and mouth so we attempted to at least all set off together
to simplify finding each other once there. Oddly enough this plan
actually seems to work which goes some way to explain why we're
shortly all regathering in Helmsley and giggling like idiots. It's
so nice when you get a clear run down the B1257, which utterly
fails to explain why some of them took the Sutton Bank route.
A few more, slightly sedate, miles and we're at Pickering and the
rally site. As per usual Farmyard the access route takes us
through the main drag and then into the camping field, which by
now is pretty full. It's not a large happy valley like Duncom
Park, just a large flat field with soil baked to a concrete like
consistency by the sun. The only space we can find large enough
to accommodate us all is near one of the woodpiles for bonfires.
We pray for good sense and pitch the tents, beers are opened and
the party begins and then continues late into the night.
Our own little herd of motorised bicycles.
A couple of things of note happen during the evening. Fueled by my consumption of large quantities of redbull and vodka, which has the interesting effect of leaving me both pissed and enjoying brisk bouts of insomnia, I manage to loose my phone. (Although it was found and a message awaited on my answering machine back home - good people bikers) ... and spent a couple of wasted hours stumbling about the tent looking for it. At some early hour in the morning I was woken by moaning and groaning from Gilly's tent. Fearing the worst I was about to leap out with a bucket of water (which may, or may not, have been appreciated) when I heard the words "Mmm, chocolate", followed by more moaning and slavering noises. Leave feeding Gillies alone if you value your life...
Staithes carpark, bikes and woman.
Some of our happy crew at the trough in the pretty part of
Staithes
(as opposed to the carpark...)
Saturday starts fairly early for most people. Once their tents reach a certain temperature, only the truely dedicated manage to sleep till midday. Initially there is much enthusiasm for a ride to Staithes and it looks like we're all going. This doesn't last and pretty soon it's down to Lindsey and myself, Andy, Jo, LTJohn, VFRJohn and a couple of miscellaneous WIMAs. The ride there is fun although we loose Andy early on, once his hangover receeded below a certain point a red mist decended and he fucked off with LTJohn in hot pursuit. After a lunch in Staithes we went for a play on the coast road to Whitby and then to Scarborough. It is a gorgeous road spoilt by the huge amount of traffic, mostly cars although the slow end of the Harley crew didn't help either. I think I managed to clear everything a couple of corners before Scarborough. Oh well ...
Brave man (on the floor), Very talented man (on the trial bike)
Like any coastal town on a hot day it was busy so after a
coffee and sticky bun it's back on the bikes for a final thrash
back to Pickering, we get fairly stretched out due to the volume
of mobile chicanes. Hot, dusty and in need of liquid refreshment
we return to the tents where the rest of the Darlington
contingent are already in full on party mode - you can tell by
the colour of the eyes and the content of the conversation.
We're just getting settled when a braaap sound signifies the
arrival of a muscular young chap on a trials bike. He's blatting
back and forth doing some amazing stunts leaving us all quite
impressed. The girls especially are showing interest, although
his motorcycling skills may, or may not, have had anything to do
with it. He's followed round by some marshalls with buckets
collecting money for charity - well worth a few coins.
Trial man doing his stuff.
More beer is drunk and then a gradual migration down to the arean to see the bands. Quite good actually, perhaps we're about to see the end of the "lets pretend" bands.
Sunday continues the major theme for the weekend, ie bloody hot, which see's us packed and off site before noon. It's sooo hot even Dav is awake by then. We stop at the pub in Great Broughton for lunch and a continued lounge in the sun. None of us want to go back home, it's been one of them weekends. Role on next year.
And just to prove I did make it down to watch the bands ...