National Rally
The one run which took members all over the country on roads which were not radial from Leicester was the National Rally. In its original format it was 24 hours long.
Working out the checkpoints to find a route providing maximum points we started one rally from Dave Scrivens' place in Winkobank, Sheffield. On the run up we were passed repeatedly by a motorist and each time he waved. On the last pass he held up a piece of paper at his window which Alan Reid leaned over to read. It said "YOUR PANNIERS ARE ON FIRE"
At Dave's place we dossed down in his sitting room on the first floor. Late at night a light came on across the road Big John sat up to look. We didn't believe him when he claimed that a woman was undressing with the curtains open . . . until we looked. Half an hour later the show was repeated at another house. That's why we all passed out with tiredness at the end of the next day's 24hour rally!
Trevor Evans recalls the year when it rained all night.
Do you remember riding in the rain and then lifting your visor to say something similar to "Sh**, I thought I was following a white line but it was a scratch on my visor".
Do you remember riding in the rain and then lifting your visor to say something similar to "Sh**, I thought I was following a white line but it was a scratch on my visor".
- Trevor Evans
Dave Smith wrote a report capturing the National Rally's character in 1977 and it is transcribed from the old July/August 77 Megaphone.