Falcons Easter Rally

Run by Falcons MCC at a site next to M1 J42, but there is no access from there! Near Outwood, Wakefield.

The first time I went there was totally unplanned. It's a bit near home for me. I was going to Orkney for the Raving Mad Rally. Work commitments meant an early start Good Friday, but all was going well, a bit of sleet on the A1, but very little traffic. Soon I was "making progress" up the A68. As dawn was breaking I could see the hills at Carter Bar, but what's this? They look white! Suddenly I was having to cope with large snowflakes and what had been sleet further south turned into a snowstorm here. It explained the lack of traffic. I was reduced to following the wheel tracks of a 4x4 as I pulled into the lay by at the Scottish border. It was snow for as far as I could see! (In between blizzards!)

The A68 was virgin snow from there on and I had to reach Thurso by late afternoon to catch my ferry. There I was doing 10 mph maximum! Reluctantly I decided to return home; more snow was forecast further north.

A few hours later I'm back home, and the sun is shining! Oh well, 300 miles done this morning on a trip to no where. I can't waste the weekend. I suppose I may as well have a ride over to Wakefield and the Falcons' Easter Bash.

Down onto the M62. Ten minutes later I'm there!

Camping is behind the pub. There is a large marquee for the band / disco. When I book in I am told that a barbeque is planned for Saturday evening and there will be a large bonfire every night.

It's only a short walk into Outwood and more "real ale" pubs and some good pub grub. So who needs Orkney anyway?

The Falcons put lots of effort into making the rally work but their problem was a shortage of rallyists. The East Leeds Lions were holding their Easter Rally not far away and it was hard to attract enough people to make it worth while.

It's strange, but I can go to rallies hundreds of miles from home and know nearly everybody there. But here I am about ten miles from home and I only know two or three people! I suppose it's my own fault. When you are away a lot it's easy to lose touch with what's going on locally.

I don't have a problem though; everybody seems friendly enough, even if I am on a BMW instead of a Harley or one of its Japanese clones!

- Ted Trett