Robin Hood

May 1970, in the parish of Arnold

Visual records of this notable rally's early years, from the late 1960s to the early 1970s, are difficult to find. Our research, however, has recently unearthed an informative document: the header from the Nottingham 41 MCC's 1970 flyer for its fifth rally.

The excerpt below reveals the exact location of the gathering.

NOTTINGHAM FORTY-ONE M.C.C. FIFTH ANNUAL ROBIN HOOD RALLY '70 DATE:- TO BE CELEBRATED ON THE 16, 17 AND 18th OF MAY IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 1970, IN THE PARISH OF ARNOLD. VENUE:- OFF THE A614 ~ NOTTM-OLLERTON ROAD. IN A GLADE HIDDEN IN'T WOODS 'NEATH BURNTSTUMP HILL, THE GLADE BEING PART OF THE LAND KNOWN AS BURNTSTUMP FARM. [FOR THE BENEFIT OF PREVIOUS ATTENDING MERRIE MEN THIS YEARS SITE IS FURTHER DOWN THE HIL ON THE ROAD OFF THE OLLERTON-NOTTM ROAD ~ NEAR THE BEND AT BOTTOM OF HILL] ~ FOLLOW SIGNS.

A close inspection of the upper right margin reveals a shrewd design touch: the number 41, representing the Nottingham MCC, is skillfully worked into the text.

Bonus lesson

Deeper within the rally flyer's text (see the scan of the extract below), the term "buckshee" surfaced; a complete mystery to me as a non-native English speaker.

GEN:- CONTROL OPEN FROM FRIDAY DINNER. DEFIITELY OPEN ALL FRIDAY NIGHT. BUCKSHEE COFFEE [FREE] ON ARRIVAL. DOUBLE DECKER STAGECOACHES TO PUB ON SATURDAY NIGHT. COST:- ENTRANCE FEE ~ 5/- PER MACHINE. ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP ~ 5/- (INCLUDING FREE BADGE)

My curiosity compelled me to research its meaning. The discovery is too interesting not to share. I've compiled my findings on its origins for LPMCC.net's non-native English-speaking readers who may also be encountering it for the first time.

So what's a "buckshee coffee"? Put simply, it's a free one. The term "buckshee" is British military slang for something "extra" or "free," adopted by soldiers who served abroad in places like Egypt and India. Its surprising origin lies in the Persian word bakhshish, meaning "gift." And so, to international readers, there's just been a free vocabulary lesson. No bakhshish required. It’s all thanks to LPMCC.net

We extend an invitation to any of our readers who participated in the 1970 Robin Hood Rally. If you have photographs or recollections from the event, we would be grateful if you would share them to help enrich this page.

- Jean-Francois Helias