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.

Start of quotation 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". End of quotation

- 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.

Ron Rutherford Colin Townsend Ben Crossley Dave Smith Mick Ayriss Ron Bryan Peter Bryan Ron Rutherford John Beccles Trevor Evans Colin Townsend Bryn Sabin Ben Crossley Ron Rutherford John Beccles Trevor Evans Colin Townsend Bryn Sabin Ben Crossley John Beccles Alan Reid Trevor Evans Bryn Sabin Mick Ayriss Ron Rutherford 10 3 Dave Scrivens Diane Scrivens