Ides of March Rally
78-80
To further complete the series of reports and comments concerning the Ides of March, one of the oldest rallies on the British motorcycle scene, here are two photos below taken at two different meetings, by Phil Wilkinson.
The first, according to the photographer, dates from 1978 and bears witness to the harsh winter conditions that the participants had to face, once again, that particular year.
Ides of March 1978
There is no doubt that among our fellow citizens who have never ridden a motorbike or participated in a rally in their lives, many must consider that you have to be a bit crazy or masochistic to find pleasure in riding a motorbike in such freezing winter conditions...
The second photo below, dating from 1979 (according to Wilkinson), shows two of his jovial friends having a good time getting drunk; as was the custom at the time for a large majority of rally participants.
The badges worn by the smiling mustachioed guy on the right reveal that he was active in the late 70s; among them, those of Magnet, Twistgrips & Spanners, Goose Fair, Penny Farthing, Monkey Hanger, Crooked Spire, and Clipper
The scene of this boozy evening captured on film took place inside the Moorcock Inn, a traditional country inn in Littleborough, chosen by the organisers of Salford Centurions MCC as the setting for their reunion.
A venue that was originally a farmhouse built in 1681 and first licensed in 1840.
These Ides of March meetings of 1978 and 1979 are of course far behind us as we approach the New Year 2025.
They are nevertheless an integral part of the history of this rally which has become over time, and since 1964, a true legend in British motorcycle touring circles. Its longevity over time places it in the same elite of the oldest rallies in Great Britain, alongside the illustrious Dragon rally.
- Jean-Francois Helias
Ides Of March Rally 1979
Our next adventure took us to the Ides of March rally, an esteemed event organised by the Salford Centurion's MCC at the Moorcock Inn. This rally was reputed to be the oldest continuously run rally in England. However, this particular rally posed a unique challenge as severe weather was forecasted. My girlfriend, deciding to err on the side of caution, opted to stay behind this time. This was the rally where ten feet of snow fell, closing the M62, a road they had said would never be closed.
Ides Of March Rally my second year 1980
Following the blizzards that plagued last year’s Ides of March, we hoped for slightly better weather this time around, whilst cold and wet, we were spared the snow.
The Moorcock Inn is one of those pubs that is just unforgettable, it is now a country pub, & restaurant, but in the day it was not so pretentious, and even let a motorcycle club hold a rally or two.
The previous year, the police had closed the M62 due to sever snow and ice, the news footage showed police running and sliding down the middle carriage with jackknifed lorries around them after their rolling lorry clearance solution had failed.
As I recall, beer was in plentiful supply, the pub was warm and welcoming, if a tad over filled, the rally had been required to reduce the numbers this year and so this was an invite only rally.
- Phil Wilkinson
(From Phil's intro to the Ides of March 1979 passage in his book "It's Only The Dirty Ones We Don't Want.")