Bluebell Rally

The first Southern Bluebells I did were organised by the Hailsham MCC and at a site near Hastings. Other than the ride down to one from the Panther Rally on my 400/4 with Martin Bickley, and Alan Bone trying to keep up, I can't remember much!

Sunday the Ace Café started their Rockers Reunion event to complete the weekend

- Ted Trett

The majority I attended were at a site in Hassocks, just down the road from Burgess Hill.

The campsite was on the lawn of one of the Hailsham Club members. It was a huge house and the lawns were large enough to accommodate several football fields! It even had a pond and resident swans!

The Hailsham Club always had silly games on site on Saturday afternoon, always good for a laugh and if you won you were presented with an impressive hand carved trophy.

The Rally used to coincide most years with Brighton Speed Trials, so it was a good day out on the Saturday. Then on the Sunday the Ace Café started their Rockers Reunion event to complete the weekend.

It was also not far from the South Downs Way. Walking builds up your thirst.

The Club always provided plenty of good food and of course they ran their own bar so that was reasonably priced and real ale.

The Antler Rally was usually the week before so it was nice to change direction and head south for some better weather!

I arrived there in 1997 with 00000.1 miles on the speedo of my R100RS BMW. I had to ride past and back again to make sure! It's a shame the Rally has finished because I should be able to do the same again this year! (2008)

One year I learnt that a Yorkshireman is no match for a pair of Scots; I had started Saturday evening down the road at the nearest pub. I was with Alan Bone and Spider. I had been talking to the landlord most of the evening and when it was time to go back to the rally I found Alan and Spider face down on the table. I got the landlord to organize a cab back to the site (about half a mile!) When we got back they both dived out of the back of the cab and into the marquee. I was left to pay, but to make matters worse they didn't get me a pint!

- Ted Trett

Start of quotation This info about the rallies supplied to me by Lesley Weston, a long time member of the Hailsham MCC.

The first ever HMCC rally was The Bluebell Rally held over the weekend of 18/19 September 1976 at the Bluebell Railway.

The rally ran for at least 25 years so there are more badges out there somewhere.

I really liked doing Hailsham MCC rallies & would have had more of the badges if they had not clashed with Shakespeare MCC rallies. End of quotation

- Dave Cooper