Moonshiners MCC

"Unplugged"

A chuffin' good rally

17th - 19th  March.   2023

    Well it seemed like the river would once again be trying its best to put paid to our rally.  As luck had it, the river peaked at around midnight on Thursday, even so it was still only about two feet from coming onto the field.  The other thing that we had our doubts about was the ability to put up the control tent.  As a club, the Moonshiners are all growing older, and with no new blood joining, it didn't leave us with enough able bodied folks capable of doing the job.  Still, with much cussing and struggling then tent was eventually erected.  Now all we need are folks daft enough to be camping next to a river in flood.

    Of course, it wouldn't be the Moonshiners if something didn't go wrong.  Having got the tent up, and having set up the tea & coffee making facilities, we then started to book people in . . .  or we would have done if someone hadn't left the booking in book at home.  Ah well, someone who shall remain nameless headed back off home to retrieve it.  After that, things went as well as they should.  Once again I'm afraid the Severn Valley Railway let us down.  Although the trains were running from the first week of March this year, they were terminating at Highley station - some three or four miles down the line from us here at Hampton Loade.  Despite this, folks still found various ways of heading either to Bewdley or Bridgnorth.  As per last time, we had our own dedicated beer in the pub "Chuffin' Good Ale".  This went down well, in fact so well that they sold out of it by early Saturday evening.  The food in the pub was up to its usual good standard.  I opted for the chicken Jalfrezi, and very nice it was too.  So ended Friday.

 I had to escape from the rally for a while on Saturday, I had a fellow coming up from Shaftsbury in Dorset to collect a BSA frame.  Of course, in true Sod's Law fashion, the Saturday of our rally was the one day he happened to be up in the Midlands.  Ah well, I was back on site by around half past three - by which time the river had gone down by another two or three feet.  Saturday afternoon drifted into Saturday evening, and things were going well - which is always a good sign.  Following the raffle it was time to hand out the awards.

Long distance male went to Kenny McLennan who did 357 miles from Scotland.

Long distance female went to Shaz Walker who did 135 miles to get here.

The club turnout went to the Rampant Squirrels

Phil Kirk took the rat bike award - funnily enough on a bike covered in rats.

    "What about the best bike ?" we hear you ask.  Well that went to Spider's Harley, but Spider was still happily drinking in Bridgnorth when we handed the trophies out.  I can't fault him for that.  The rest of Saturday night was spent doing what folks do on rallies - namely drinking and talking bollocks.  The talking bollocks turned into singing bollocks when me and Andy got the ukuleles out.  I use the term "singing" very loosely there.  Following the musical mayhem, I wandered off to bed.

    Sunday morning, and the light bit of drizzle that we had first thing had all but gone by the time breakfast was finished.  We opened the sides of the control tent up and let the condensation dry out, then wrestled it back into the bag.  A bit of tidying up of the field followed, then it was a case of loading everything into the van before wandering back up to the pub to settle up.  I'd like to thank the folks that braved both the weather and the threat of a rising river for turning up - as good fortune had it neither the weather nor the river gave us much cause for concern.  A few items of lost property were handed in to us - a set of keys, which soon found their owner.  A red hoodie, which turned out to belong to one of the pub staff ( that will be sorted out during the week ).  And finally a small, maybe a child's size knitted waistcoat, which is still looking for its owner.

The tent always seems to go away easier than it goes up

If you recognise this, then let us know.  It's sitting safely at home.

Cheers

^..^