MOONSHINERS MCC

        "UNPLUGGED"         

A chuffin' good rally.

10th - 12th March.  2006


    Is it that time of year again ?

    Here we go again - load all the various bits and pieces into various vehicles and head for the Severn Valley.  This year, for a change, it rained, and it continued to rain all the while until the control tent was set up, then, once we were all wet and cold, it stopped.  Things started looking promising - even a few bikes started arriving, and tents were springing up all over the show.
    Now this year we were using a 'new' control tent seeing as the old one expired last year.  Much head scratching and swearing later, we finally managed to work out how the thing went together, and before long the tea and coffee making facilities were up and running.


 

bikes and a tent - it must be a rally

All very jolly

    Folks continued to arrive throughout the day, and despite the rather gloomy weather forecast, most of the 100 people who had pre-booked arrived.  The remainder of Friday was spent in the pub, which comes as no great surprise.  I indulged in a little "torture by banjo" for a few hours before feeding my face and joining in the general banter for the rest of the evening.


Get your tickets here.

    Saturday morning saw most people heading for Hampton Loade station and the steam train ride into Bridgnorth.  Most years we've been lucky enough to coincide with various events held by the Severn Valley Railway, this year, I'm afraid to say, saw a normal weekend service.  Still, at least the trains were running, so it wasn't all gloom and doom.
    Having done the shopping, eating and drinking bit, folks made their way back to the site for some more eating and drinking.  The evening's entertainment was provided by Paul Snook, who continued to entertain until the wee small hours.  Luckily the pub has enough rooms so that people who want to sit and talk could do so, whilst those who preferred things a bit louder and more lively stayed in the other room.  The usual rally things such as the raffle and trophy presentation came and went, and the night carried on as all good nights should.


    Sunday morning, and the world looked somewhat different.  Well, it was a different colour to start with.  White seemed to play a prominent part in the landscape.

Oops 

It appears the weather forecast was not far out.                    A good couple of inches of snow had fallen.   

                                   

   Snow ?                                                                 What snow?


    Fortunately for us, the snow didn't really stick, and by noon most of it had gone, along with most of the ralliests.  One or two bikes were a bit reluctant to start, but on the whole most folks didn't have much bother. 
    We spent a while walking up and down the field cleaning up, then set about taking the control tent down, and, more to the point, wondering how we were going to dry the thing out.  It was decided that we'd just have to go away next weekend, purely to dry the tent out . . . . there would be no drinking involved.  Ah, if only life were so simple.


I suppose over the years we've been more than lucky, weather-wise.  It had to happen sooner or later.  There again, it's always the rallies that were more of a challenge which tend to stick in the mind.  It ain't a bad thing when we "out-dragoned" the Dragon Rally with regards to the weather.
    To all the people who braved the weather - thanks.  If it wasn't for you, then there wouldn't be a rally.


Cheers

^..^


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2006