Each year, at the August Bank Holiday, the BMW Club for Motorcycles organises a national rally. We all arrive on the Friday night, set up either in tents, caravans or in the accomodation blocks and check in to get our rally shirts, and goodie packs (if we are lucky). We will be camping as it is the cheapest option but also means you get to congregate round a cup of tea in the morning or a bottle of drink in the evening and is usually a source of amusement trying to find the tents when you need to go the toilets in the middle of the night.
Meeting up with other members, both from our Section which is the Midland area, and all the other 12 sections of the club gives us a chance to catch up with all the news of what they have been up to on their bikes from previous years.
There is also a chance to ride new bikes during the weekend brought by a local dealer, me I'm too short to feel safe on anything but my bike so I watch with envy. Though there will be some rideouts to see the local scenery as well with many people opting to go and ride around by themselves rather than in a crowd (That will be me as I don't like riding in big groups).
Saturday night is normally bar night and this year we have the Yetties doing two sets so should be good for a laugh.
Sunday is a skills competition, I have never had the courage to do this on my bike though I do tend to watch those that have the skill to do it, but it is played for laughs though some have a tendency to take it seriously. It involves riding under an arch while popping balloons which filled with water so you can get very wet.
Sunday evening will be the final night of the rally and we have a raffle and any prize giving (best bike, furthest rider etc to be followed by a disco.. hopefully it will allow some of our creaking joints to join in as the BMW club is fondly nicknamed the pipe and slippers club as we are more for comfort than for speed.
Monday we will return home, ready for the week ahead and our next weekend away making it three in a row.
3 comments:
"Pipe & Slipper Club"! I love it! Think I might fit in! The whole event sounds like tons of fun! I'm not much for huge crowds,so I could spectate from the sidelines or Hey! Through your photos! That will be good! The camping part sounds wondeful too! I've always loved to camp, just don't have the opportunity much
I love walking around the campsite in the middle of the night (usually on a run to the toilet block) and the closeness of the stars can make you feel really insignificant. I have slept outside without a tent, but that was in a heatwave and it was the coolest place to grab any sleep as the house was too hot, but you risk being bitten by midges and the like.
Yep, I'd definitely want to be a member of the pipe and slipper club. Sounds like a fabulous weekend.
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