Arse In The Grass Rally

30th March 1990 - Iceni MCC

By the 5th Arse in the Grass Rally, I was learning my way to Mersea Island in the salty bit of the Thames estuary and I easily negotiated the causeway, and the farm that enclosed the track to the Youth camp where the rally was based.

Several people I knew were there already and members of my club arrived occasionally through the afternoon.

The group that played on Friday night were a fairly good folkie-rock based ensemble, who seemed a little nervous. After their set, while visiting the food van, I chanced upon them packing their vehicles and told them what I thought of their set. They seemed mightily relieved at having survived the gig, and said they were worried about playing to a bunch of drunken bikers, relying on the public's perception of us, rather than the reality. The disco played on thereafter, and the usual jollities occurred throughout.

On Saturday, there was the usual mucking about in a field, with the bonus of having a proper cookhouse providing fairly priced meals. Games were held, causing a few bruised egos, and a drink-based chess match took place, causing a couple of confused players.

A few people were dragged across the beach to the estuary and some got covered in noxious fluids - presumably first timers.

Later, some sidecar drivers decided to show they could lift their chairs if they wanted to. John Hinckley from the ABC decided to light up his stove, known by the whole club as the 'Fire Hazard' due to its tendency to emit a huge ball of flame before settling down to a useful heat source.

Eventually the bar opened, and we installed ourselves in some seats not too far from the action. I seem to recall the music was up to standard, but have no photos until some young women, (and one not so young), started taking their clothes off, with the slightly more mature one showing the others how to win that sort of competition. The evening seemed to continue thereafter quite enjoyably.

On the Sunday, some tents were revealed to not be up to the rigours of this type of camping, but the cheap thing I managed to get from Argos, only slightly larger that the little blue zit I had been using over the winter, was well up to the task, if a little warm inside, due to the silvery lining of the fly sheet. It had the added strength of having all the sections of the tent interlinked.

The fine weather led to a pleasant ride home.

- Phil (the Spill) Drackley