11th "Stags and Slags" rally.

    Hednesford M.C.C.   

29th, 30th April - 1st May.  2005.

        Blimey !   Was it really back in 1995 that I did the first Stags and Slags rally ?   Had it been ten years since I met up with Lefty from our local MAG branch -  and Tim's old B.S.A.  A 10 made it's maiden voyage ?   That's what it says on the badge so it must have been.  That first rally was not held on the Bank Holiday weekend, otherwise it would have clashed with the Moonshiners now almost ritual ride to the Isle of Wight.  Once again, in breaking with tradition, I  missed the Isle of Wight this year and decided ( out of necessity )  to stay local.  In keeping with the 'something different' theme, I used two wheels instead of five - the little green Guzzi taking the place of the trike and 'dog  kennel'.   

    A grand total of seventeen miles later and I rolled up at the site - the same site as the first rally, may I add,  or if it wasn't, it bleedin' well looked like it .  Talk about déjà-vu - one of the first folks I happened to see was the aforementioned Lefty - along with Fidd, another fellow I also hadn't seen for the best part of ten years.  Still, when you get to my age, all fields start to look the same.   

    I soon found our lot  lurking towards the edge of the field, and pondered over putting my tent up, or just stopping for an hour or so.  In the end I decided to put the tent up, then, if I did return later I could stay the night, or if I chose not to then I could either run back over on Sunday morning, or phone one of the club members and ask 'em to bring it back for me.  Having put the tent up I then had to make the journey back home, attend to 'necessary business' then ride back over to the rally - you can now see why the Isle of Wight was out of the question this year.

    I got back to the rally site by about nine at night, and wasted no time in grabbing something to eat.  A most excellent curry, with copious amounts of chips, followed by a couple of pints, and all damn good value for money may I add.  After feeding I wandered back over to where 'our lot' were camped and sort of sat around talking, we could hear the band playing in the background and they sounded pretty good, playing a good selection of different types of music rather than just a rock / blues cover band.  Sadly, I never did get the band's name.  Speaking of entertainment, we were treated to a most magnificent light show at around three in the morning, accompanied by rather loud thunderclaps.  Now if there's one thing I love, it's a good thunderstorm, and this one was a cracker.  Just when it seemed like it was all over, and the storm was moving away - there was one almighty flash followed instantly by the loudest BANG you ever heard. . . . . . . having removed the turd from my sleeping bag, I lay there and carried on enjoying the show.

   I wish I could write more about the rally itself, but sadly, I didn't really spend that much time there, but what time I did spend there was most enjoyable.  Well done to Hednesford M.C.C. for laying on that thunderstorm for our entertainment, I thought that was a classy touch ;-)   Maybe I can nag some other Moonshiners to give their version of events.

Cheers.

^..^

Back to

2005