Piston Broke Rally

The Piston Broke Rally was organised by the Wheelwrights MCC. I went to three of them and they were all at the Wayside Inn, Marshbrooks, Nr Church Stretton.

I have no idea where they got the sheep from, but it didn't seem overjoyed at being zipped into a tent.

- Ted

The campsite was to the side and to the rear of the pub, and there were outbuildings used for control etc.

On the Saturday evening one year I went back onto the campsite and saw a group of people acting very suspiciously near a small tent that appeared to be moving about on its own. I asked them what they were up to and they told me they had put a surprise in the tent for one of their club members to find when he came back from the pub. I have no idea where they got the sheep from, but it didn't seem overjoyed at being zipped into a tent. I can imagine the surprise the tent owner would have got, because as far as I am aware, sheep are not house trained and this one sounded very upset!

This rally introduced me to the A49. I discovered that, from Bradford, I could use the various motorways and get myself just to the south of Warrington. I was then free to enjoy the A49 South from there to various rallies. It's far more fun than the M6 and I still use it quite often. It bypasses a lot more towns now, but it's also a lot busier so you don't gain much!

The last time I went to the Piston Broke Rally, the site and the pub were really overcrowded Friday night. On the Saturday, along with a group from the Potteries Phoenix club, I moved to a campsite behind a pub in Bishops Castle and we had our own rally there!

- Ted Trett


Start of quotation This was my first rally. It was here I met the Rising Moon MCC and the joy of rugby songs.

There was a pond with ducks and geese on the Friday night/Saturday morning, but although the pond was still there on the Sunday the only wild life was in a police car looking for the ducks. End of quotation

- Chaz


Start of quotation I went there in about 1978. I was there on my 75 Triumph Trident. I remember a T150 cafe racer howling up the road. Great sound.

My mate Bob was riding a reliant norton, which he emigrated to Australia with. End of quotation

- Pete Hardy