Miss Federation
Re-reading very recently on this website the text of the much missed Heather MacGregor, about the very first organizations of the BMF rally of the 60s, where moreover she had the honour of being crowned Miss Federation 1969, it tickled in me the desire to check in my archives to see if by chance I had material relating to these annual BMF rallies.
BMF RALLY 1978
For my part, I only had the opportunity to participate in this gigantic event once, more precisely in the spring of 1978, this rally being organized at the East of England Showground in Peterborough.
I have no souvenir photo of this gigantic and festival-like meeting, where one finds oneself willingly or unwillingly immersed in the hubbub of a crowd bath of several tens of thousands of people, and where I went on my faithful Norton Commando 850 Interstate Mk2A with Bernadette Blanchot riding as a pillion.
Bernadette 'Dedette' Blanchot in front of my trusty Commando, photographed here the following year 1979, at the 'Chevaux de Glace' invitational rally organized in Creuse by Daniel Soldat and his team
Apart from vague, hazy memories of the meeting, all I have left as evidence of my participation in it to this day is the commemorative badge of the event, my admission ticket, and a BMF machine badge that I had purchased on the spot for my collection.
Two memories of my time at the 1978 BMF rally: the BMF machine badge is so heavy that it would have had difficulty flying away; my admission ticket, which on the contrary could have, almost miraculously, was preserved and is still in my possession 46 years later...
Certificate of Club Membership
After combing through the documents in my archives, I ended up finding many documents relating to the BMF, and its various organizations such as its annual rallies and shows of the past.
There are far too many of them to share with you in their entirety on this page. I must restrict myself to selecting only the most representative and the rarest of them.
For example, this scan showing the front of an official BMF Certificate of Club Membership dating from 1979; note on the back of it the prices at the time for badges and other things offered by the BMF to its members.
One of the rare cloth badges
Unless I am mistaken, to my knowledge, since its foundation, the BMF has produced seven different cloth badges to date. This one below, which was - as its original logo confirms - produced in the 70s is a rare piece for collectors and enthusiasts of motorcycle memorabilia.
Linda Bick – Miss Federation 1972
Where are you in 2024 Linda Bick? Do you still ride motorcycles? Do you still participate in rallies or other motorcycle events? Are you still part of the illustrious Saltbox MCC, one of the legendary British clubs of the 60s, which is also widely mentioned on this website?
I wonder. I must not be the only one who is curious to know. So if you read these lines or if someone in your entourage informs you of them, it would be great if you made the effort to come here on this page to appease our curiosity; and why not, tell us your memories of having been crowned Miss Federation 1972 on the occasion of the annual BMF rally?
Transcript: 1973 MISS FEDERATION CONTEST The Miss Federation Trophy will be awarded to the lady rider (driver or pillionist) who, in the opinion of the judges, reflects the greatest credit on motorcycling. The judges will be looking for the girl who is the most beautiful (or should we say 'best looking') amongst the contestants. There will be two consolation prizes and a special Pillion award if the outright winner is not a pillionist. Caption: Linda Bick (Saltbox MC) Miss Federation 1972
Shelli Brennan – Miss Federation 1982
These same questions are also addressed to Shelli Brennan who, ten years later, on the occasion of the 1982 BMF rally, was as well elected Miss Federation.
Here she is, pictured below, riding her German flat twin (a photo that made the cover of one of the issues of the BMF magazine) and receiving her trophy.
We just have to be patient and hope to be able to discover together soon on this website comments from one or the other of these two 'queens' whose names are forever engraved in the history of the BMF rally.
- Jean-Francois Helias