Rising Moon Rally

This Rally was started in the 70s/80s by Stalybridge MCC, but has now been resurrected by Rising Moon MCC based in Oldham.

The first of the new series of rallies was in 2007 and was held at a cricket club on the outskirts of Oldham.

I will have to see about having this radar guidance fitted, it must be an optional extra.

 

I was talked into going in 2007 by Roy Watkinson (Tees Tornadoes) who got hold of a flyer for it somewhere. I thought as I hadn't done it for about 30 years why not?

We decided to just go for the Saturday (its only about 30 miles from home for me!) Roy called in on his way down from Darlington so we could ride across together (not allowing me to change my mind!) The weather was quite mild for April and we went on the A640 through Outlane and across the moors. Just before Denshaw we got passed by a couple of sports bikes really out to prove something. There are a nice series of bends down the hill and then over past a reservoir. There was a group of bikes gathered there who seemed to be holding their own unofficial track day! I was not too surprised that a 190 mph+ 170BHP missile could manage to overtake an old BMW loaded up with camping gear, but I was not impressed that it involved overtaking on a blind bend on the wrong side of double white lines. I will have to see about having this radar guidance fitted, it must be an optional extra.

We got to the rally OK and I managed to talk my way in past the heavy gate security (I was not pre-booked).

The camp site was fine; being a cricket club it was all flat and well mown. There was a food van on site and, besides one or two local pubs, we had the use of the Clubhouse, which had a bar area and a concert room for the bands. At the risk of sounding like a BOF the bands were a bit loud for me so we stayed in the bar. All in all we had a good time, with the lads from RMMCC making sure everyone was happy and everything went smoothly.

The 2008 event went more or less the same, but as it was a bit colder this April there weren't any sports bikes playing out at Denshaw! The entry into the rally was a lot easier because I pre-booked, and the rally catering seemed to have been taken over by the cricket club; it was much better and cheaper!

The two force ten tents looked a bit odd surrounded by all the wildly flapping nylon dome tents. I know which I prefer!

I can't comment on the bands, because we missed them. This year turned into a pub crawl round Oldham as we met up with Alan and Sylvia Giddens and took advantage of their local knowledge to visit several of the better class pubs in central Oldham ...

- Ted Trett