Bulldog Bash

11th August 1989 - Hells Angels MC England

I had no intention of trying to race my BMW against other bikes this weekend, but many who went to the Strip would be. I was just there to watch, record and enjoy the party. I was travelling again with members of the Sovereigns MCC, (Woking), and we made it to the site in good time. The weather was quite warm, but a bit overcast.

A number of pallets were collected from the woodpile, but I cannot remember if they were intended for a fire, or to stand in for missing/forgotten tent poles. I don't remember if anyone lit a fire, but the mass of stubble covering the field would have made it a bit dangerous, in my opinion.

The camping was a lot closer to the strip than I thought it would be, right up to the grandstand structure. For the non-racing entertainment there was a stage, with a partly grassed area in front of it, surrounded by trade stalls. This was my first experience of this type of layout, but I am quite used to it now.

There was a fair few preliminary rounds of racing-type things on the Friday, and the music in the evening was enjoyable.

On the Saturday, the racing was pretty much all day and, at some point in the afternoon, quite a few women got up on stage and removed various amounts of clothing. I saw a few familiar faces amongst those assembled. Luckily, for the sake of decency, no wine bottles were introduced into the proceedings, as it had at a notorious Kent Custom Bike Show, run by the same people.

More bands played, but the racing didn't stop until quite late in the day, before it started to get dark, obviously.

On the Sunday, the sun was out and the final runs were completed and, (I assume - we had left by then), prizes handed out.

There was a traditional breakdown on the way home - not a Triumph, for a change - apart from which it was a good trip.

- Phil Drackley