We have been meaning to do a ‘proper’ rally since we opened. Visiting other people’srallies for years and hosting events here gave us ideas about what might do, and listening to moans some hint about what to avoid ! We wanted plenty to do, a runout with an accurate direction and map, Saturday night entertainment – instead of an endless quiz – and an all in price so that everyone joined in Oh and food on site to avoid lugging half the kitchen. Incidentally sorry cost wasn’t announced beforehand, I rather miscalculated the magazine dates ! Everyone who has commented thought it was good value. The best laid plans etc.. We picked this date with daffodils in mind not Arctic wind and snow !! We avoided actual snow and it was sunny Still all things considered and with over 100 people on site, albeit a few of then shivering, it went really well. Most people arrived on the Friday, we checked them in . We served over 50 people with meals on the double decker and then more again for breakfast rolls on Saturday. The runout was one of our usual ones with stops for coffee at Woodall Spa before arriving at the Aviation Museum at East Kirby, this has expanded over the Winter and now has a lot of wartime exhibits rather than straight aircraft. The escape section is new too. The only major breakdown on the Saturday runout was actually us ! Our turquoise Schmitt, veteran of runs to Switzerland actually gave up the effort ten miles from home. Still after a tow we shoved it back into the Museum and are at present putting a new engine in. Everyone arrived back for the hog roast then Snowy entertained, here perhaps I should elaborate for those of you who missed it, Last year we hosted a Vintage Scooter Rally, they asked if someone, Snowy, could sing in the evening, we were asked to go and listen and we wandered up the paddock latish on in case it was a bit X factor ! We were amazed by Snowy and were still in the marquee at 1.30 in the morning. So we asked him to do our rally and looking totally the part sang until after midnight. The cold was no help but lots got up and had a bop and kept the blood circulating that way.

On Sunday we did a short local run through a couple of the pretty villages and ended up at a coffee stop. We counted the judging slips and awarded the furthest driven to Mike Shepperd who arrived in his Goggo and best car to Julian Haycroft with his blue Trojan The quiz was won by Micromaniac John Horth’s super little Grandson.

RELIANT CLUB RALLY MAY 2/3/4

The Reliant rally was a three day event with all the usual suspects present. The weather held really well, so much so that several Reliant members stayed for nearly a week.

The club attempted a run out to Skegness via some villages and not too much main road. It was great to see a lovely girder fork truck arrive under its own steam and also the Eddie Stobbart lookalike Reliant.