Tykes Rally

The 1973 Tykes Rally was held at the Hill Inn, Chapel-Le-Dale Yorkshire

Les Hobbs recalls every detail as if it was only .

I saw Alan disappearing over the off-side wing of a car!

 

Word got around of the Tykes Rally. Can't remember the organisers and it was where all the regulars would be that weekend. We tended to go to more northern events and this was one not to be missed.

I set off from Wolverhampton Friday evening on my 1948 Ariel Square Four outfit and made it up to Alan Giddens' flat in Oldham, where I crashed out for the night. Saturday morning came and one by one the regular group gathered; Dave Wood, John Davenport, Mike Shepherd and a couple others and so we set off for another memorable weekends drinking.

We left Oldham on the A671 to Rochdale, Alan leading at a pace that I could hardly keep up with through the mid-morning traffic. I was second in line and I kept glancing back to see if we weren't getting seperated. I can still see Dave Wood's head shaking from side to side. As we entered Rochdale I again turned to see if the others were keeping up and as I turned back I saw Alan disappearing over the off-side wing of a car!

Well, we had to stop and sort this out and prevent Alan from having a go at the driver. The next thing you know we had the police and an ambulance there. Ambulance what for? Who for? It was a low speed bump. We then saw Alan's female pillion being led from a nearby shop. She had head butted the back of Alan's helmet and broke her nose. So after a trip to the police station, the hospital and throwing all of Alan's kit into the chair we carried on, leaving his bike at the police station and organising a taxi to take the poor girl home.

From Rochdale it was an uneventful trip until we turned off the A65 at Ingleton and onto the B6255 (old Roman road running up the valley side towards Ribble Head and on to Hawes) We were now on a straight road along the south side of the valley. Five or six miles from the rally site the road undulates, dropping down and rising, giving many blind summits past the White Scar Cave. Two bikes came hammering towards us. We waved, no wave in return. We thought that strange until we came upon a site of another accident (they were going for a phone to get an ambulance) A young woman not holding on had fallen from the back of a bike, hot weather, tee-shirt.

We arrived and pitched the tents. Most of the regulars had made it. John Jocys, Tony Cormack, Sid Beaumont, Phil Hogg, the lads from Stoke on Trent. We hade a great time. I remember someone letting a smoke bomb off in the disco which caused a little fun, and I seem to remember something about a hose pipe being threaded around the lounge in and out of the spoked wagon wheels that were forming part of the decor. But the one thing that cause a stir was Pete-the-Snuff riding past the pub on his ES2 Norton stood on one leg on the saddle with outstreched arms. I'm convinced that there was more than just snuff going up his nose.

Yet again another fine rally and good company.

- Les Hobbs


Start of quotation Can't add a lot to Les's report, but I think the organisers were the Highwaymen MCC from Leeds.

I made the mistake of going into the pub before erecting the tent at the first Tykes Never again!!!

I remember the B6255 for a couple of reasons:-

1/ Going to the rally my 500/4 Fully loaded 70ish just had the front wheel going light on the humps in the road, but after unloading the bike and heading back down to Ingleton for supplies at about 70ish! I completely left the road and found out what a motocross rider experiences when you miss judge a series of jumps,New fork seals and a set of Koni dampers fixed it!

2/ Do not attempt the same speeds on Sunday morning after a diet of burgers, cider, Newcastle Brown ale and Theakstons Old Peculiar! I nearly made it to Ingleton before having to stop!

The humps in the road were filled in and the road was levelled in the 80's because the wagons from the local quarry were loosing too much of their loads when they tried to wheelie! End of quotation

- Ted Trett