Pumpkin Rally

29th October 1982 - 79 MCC

Another damp weekend, but no noticeable rain came down upon us.

I went down with a local group of bikers and it took us ages to get through Reading, due to road works on the Ring Road. One guy's machine deciding it didn't like the slow progress, and it wasn't the Brit-bike!

We eventually arrived and set-up, then the evening fell into the usual Friday night pattern of low-level alcohol abuse and off-letting of steam built up from a week at work.

On Saturday, many people joined in the run-out to wherever it was, but I wasn't concerned with this.

Paul Baker of the Moonrakers MCC fell foul of the rather large hump at the entrance to the field and fell off the pillion of the bike he had cadged a lift on, scratching his helmet and flattened his tankard! (See lower)

During the day, the bike that had caused problems on the trip in was given a bit of a thrash up and down the road outside the field just to make sure it was OK. The wheelies on one of the other bikes with us was just testing the suspension - honest! Thereafter there were suitably exerting games, combined with excessive drinking, followed by music and something approximating dancing, with a brief interval for first-rally initiations and more drinking.

As far as I can recall, nobody took their clothes off, (in public, anyway), and we still had a good time.

The ride home was uneventful, if a bit damp, and we made sure to avoid the town this time.

- Phil (the Spill) Drackley

---

Arrived on the Friday afternoon and downed a few beers only to find my mates were all heading to the pub. Rupert blagged a lift on the back of Banzai's Bee Em and I got a lift on the back of Doctor Bob Durnford's Guzzi special.

On leaving the pub Bob and Banzai got into a bit of a race. After turning off the main road there was a cattle grid on the lane. Bob opened up the Guzzi after crossing this and promptly spat me off the back.

Must of been impressed as I've been riding Guzzi's pretty much ever since.

- Paul Baker