Frequently asked questions
or
Everything you wanted to know about becoming a
Moonshiner
but were afraid to ask.
Updated March 2023 *
Are there masses of club rules ?
In a word - No. The last thing most
bikers want is someone 'telling them what to do', so the club is
run along those lines. We only have one rule, and that is,
we won't tolerate 'arseholes', for want of a better word.
Anyone who takes themselves too seriously, or who has 'attitude
problems', or generally brings the club into disrepute will be
asked to leave. So far, we have never had to ask anyone to
leave. If you like bikes, like a laugh, and can stand
having the piss taken out of you, then you are more than welcome,
but be aware, piss taking is the biggest club activity. When in doubt,
always refer to "Rule No 1"............ Always take the piss.
How much will membership cost me ?
The grand sum of £ 5 per year. Membership is
usually from February to February, so join early and save a few
quid. The club is not run as a money making venture.
Any money the club does make, usually from holding the club rally,
is spent on the members. This year we have all had
free club tee shirts, in previous years the club has paid for the
odd Xmas meal and the like. * To be
honest - I can't see the club bothering with membership fees. We don't
need the money as such - the rally keeps us solvent.
How do I go about joining ?
By far the easiest way is to pop up and see us one of
the Thursday nights. I mean, would you really want to join without meeting
us first ? Come to think of it, would you still want to join *after*
meeting us ? Moonshiners can also be found in some of the strangest
places. Try the Tame Bridge on a Sunday night, or the Fountain Inn, Owen
Street, Tipton on a
Monday ( or Wednesday ) night - it's amazing where those 'Shiners turn up. A few of us can
sometimes be found in the Barge and Barrel of a Friday night.
When you are sure you wish to part with
such a vast amount of cash, have a word with our treasurer, currently Nigel
Carter,
and he will gladly relieve you of your money. In exchange
you will receive the much sought after Moonshiners M.C.C. sew on
patch, and become the butt of much piss taking. *
See above - funnily enough, I seem to have been landed with the job of
treasurer. Maybe if we have a sudden rush of new members then some
new club patches will have to be made . . . we might even do some 40 year
anniversary ones.
Do I have to have a 'big' bike ?
Of course not. Whether
it's a moped to a monster - it's still a bike. We have all
manner of bikes in the club; tourers, customs, chops, sports
bikes, trikes, combos, trail bikes, retros, classics - both old
and new. The only thing we seem short of is scooters - so
come on you scooterists, we don't bite. { A couple of our members
were scooterists in the dim and distant past...........You know
who you are ! } As odd as it seems, we even have members
who don't have a bike. The club has no problem with this.
It's a club for bikers, not a club for bikes. { I know -
but how do you define a "biker" ? }
What's all this 'prospect' business ?
More of a term that applies to 'back patch'
clubs, rather than our lot. You will not be expected to act
as 'prospect' for X number of months. We would rather have
you 'joining in' on club nights, rallies, camping weekends and
the like as a member rather than as a 'second class club member'.
In short , turn up and enjoy !
Where do the Moonshiners meet ?
We meet every Thursday night at the Old Crown, junction of Whitehall Road and Sheepwash Lane. Great Bridge. West Bromwich.
Ah - that should read "used to meet at".
Yep, another pub closed down. For the time being, we have gone back to the Port 'N' Ale, which is less than a mile from the Old Crown - in fact they are at opposite ends of the same road.
Ah - that should read "used to meet at".
Oops - we now meet at the Tame Bridge, which is halfway along the road between the Old Crown and the Port 'N' Ale. . . but just to confuse you the Port 'N' Ale is now called the Top Star.
Ah - that should read "used to meet at".
Right - it seems we now meet at the Tipton Sports & Social Club, which is at the junction of Sedgley Road West and Coneygree Road . . . opposite where we used to hold our "Bogsate Rally"
Have I *got* to turn up for club meetings ?
Not at all.
Some members haven't been spotted at a meeting for months, they're
still alive and kicking, but they just don't turn up.
Personally, I can't see the point of joining a club and then not
turning up, but that's my opinion. Due to the 'laid back'
attitude of the Moonshiners no one will be 'told off' for non
attendance.
The first Thursday of the month is supposed
to be 'sort the following month out' night, where plans for the
next few weeks will be drawn up. In true 'Shiners fashion,
this never happens, our plans for the weekend tend to be drawn up
on the Thursday before we set off. The exception to this
seems to be for 'favourite' rallies, when the things get sorted a
few weeks in hand.
Can I attend club meetings without having to join the club ?
Yes, in fact we'd rather you attend a
few meetings before making the huge financial decision to
join the club. There's no obligation to attend on a
motorcycle, turn up by car, on foot, even use the tram.
Can non members order rally tickets through the club ?
Yes. There used to be a 50 pence 'surcharge'
for non members, mainly to cover postage and the like, but this
has been dropped. Just turn up and add your name to the 'rally
book'. The 'rally book' is usually in the (in) capable
hands of ( watch this space - It looks like Nigel Carter has taken on the job )
, the rally secretary. * Well I don't
think we have done a rally as a club since the early 2000s - the
rally book has not been seen for well over 10 years now.
Isn't the Moonshiners just a rally club ?
Despite rumours, no, the 'Shiners are
not rally exclusive. The majority of members choose to
attend rallies, but there is no obligation, and no one will force
you to go to rallies if you don't want to. Quite a few
members go camping most weekends, whilst others attend race
meetings, visit bike shows, or do a number of other things.
The club is about the people in it -
you do what *you* want to do, not what others would have you do.
It's pleasant to do things en masse 'as a club', but it's equally
enjoyable when just a few people with common interests set off
for the weekend.
* Well we
certainly ain't a rally club now. In fact we are more of a "social club
with an interest in motorcycles" these days.
How long has the club been running ?
Almost twenty years, it was founded in 1981, so there will be a few 'anniversary' things planned for 2001. We still have members that have been in the club since the start.
Well - we have just held our "30th Anniversary
party" - so you can see how much out of date this FAQ was.
* Our 40th anniversary rally should have been in
2021, but the dreaded plague put paid to that idea.
How many club members are there ?
Currently { July 2000 } we have 27 members.
Must have a re-count in the near future ( 12 Feb 2008 )
Oh dear - June 2009 and I still don't know how many members there are.
Right - as of 2011 we have 48 members.
Here we are in 2019, and we have 33 members.
* March 2023 and I ain't sure how many members we have . . . some have rejoined . . .others sort of ain't bothered.
I do know we ain't
really got enough able bodied members to put up and man the control tent on our
rally . . . . but let's see how it goes eh ?