Excalibur MCC

 Sword and the stoned rally. 

   

 

    This was to be another local rally, only 40 miles down the road at The Ostrich Inn, near Alkmonton . I have to say near Alkmonton 'cos I don't know where the hell it is really. I think the powers that be must have been putting something in the water because every driver on the road was acting sensibly, even the Volvos !

 

    The most noticeable thing on the site was a huge bonfire. Well they told me it was a bonfire. I thought it was a scale model of the North face of the Eiger and had to be dissuaded from scaling it along with a couple of Sherpas who happened to be passing. Why anyone would take Sherpas up a mountain is beyond me. Transits hold more and they are cheaper. Still, enough of the mountain jokes, but I can't Alp it!! For October the night was mild enough to sit outside so I did - sort of an evening at base camp, so to speak. The rest of Friday night crept past in a drunken sort of way, just as it should do.

 

    Saturday morning arrived, well it didn't arrive, it was already there when I awoke. I had business to attend to up at Alfreton so off I jolly well went, as they say. I love riding on those mild Autumn days where the trees have more shades of brown than a rusty Cossack outfit. This was a perfect excuse for riding just for the sheer pleasure of it. The Trike, normally pulling the mobile Dog Kennel, also realised this was a day of fun and lunacy. No point having a big engine if you don't use it occasionally. I returned to the Ostrich after 110 miles of enjoyable riding. Saturday night was even milder than Friday so I wandered about between the bonfire and the pub generally talking and drinking. The awards were presented at 11 o'clock. The club turnout was won by a Dutch club called Excalibur MC. The long distance was not won by some intrepid foreign tourer but by a Scotsman from up near Elgin, perhaps he'd lost his marbles? The second band of the night started up and seeing as the pub had shut, everyone was in the marquee or around the fire. I wobbled off to bed and slept like a log, all be it a somewhat misshapen log.

 

    Sunday the sun is out, I don't have a hangover, what a perfect excuse to go home the scenic way. I meandered along little unclassified B roads, dodging the horse turds, dodging the horses, and trying to dodge the tractors, who all seemed to be going the opposite way to me. Has anyone ever fitted a Zl300 motor in a horse?  That would make a very interesting special. Must try it someday!

 

             

 

 

^..^

Lone Wolf.


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1996