MAG MOTORCYCLE ACTION GROUP Yorkshire 20th FARMYARD PARTY 2006 |
The Motorcycle Action Group
20th Farmyard Party
This write up is dedicated to the Volunteers and Marshals who worked their bollox off to make a great rally
It’s been a very long time since
I last attended the Farmyard, and to tell you the truth I'd forgotten! Forgotten
what a damn great rally this is! Firstly as you may have already guessed,
we were no longer in the river valley, and I very much doubt if it will ever
return. I recon the carnage of the previous years flood would deter any insurance
company. Still, with the backdrop of the Duncombe house, and the fact that
this campsite couldn't flood if it tried, nay it would struggle to get muddy,
it has all the makings of a really great rally site.
There was those who voiced the opinion that the site
lacked some of the atmosphere of the valley, but as to me, I think it's the
people that make a rally, and the mood across the whole weekend was one of
good humour and smiles all round. Despite the fact that the way in on the
Friday, seemed a bit of a rally, as we made our way around the dusty track
to the rear or the site. Our campsite was in fact a lot closer to Helmsley,
making the Saturday trip to the local boozers less of a trek than in previous
years.
Its difficult to judge just how many people had turned
out, as it was impossible to see the whole site, even from a distance, but
I guess it was somewhere between eight to ten thousand. The sea of tents just
seemed to drift off into the horizon and making our way from our own canvas
shack, all the way to the events field was quite a hike. The events field
was well laid out, and thanks to a little map contained within the programme
we were given with our black bags, easy to find your way about.
Food stalls were everywhere providing everything from burgers and curries
to pasties and of all things noodles? In addition to this a cafe was provided
under canvas complete with knives and forks. O why did we bother to bring
the gas thingy? The stalls sold the usual rally fare, everything from t-shirts
to camping gear and bike bits, but by far the most popular shops were selling
a brownish yellow frothy liquid.
If there is one thing which is especially great about
these MAG rallies is the entertainment and at the Farmyard they pull out all
the stops. On the main stage was a wide range of excellent cover bands. Everything
from Thin Lizzy to Pink Floyd and Deep purple were presented to a very appreciating
crowd. The main stage incidentally is very impressive, not quite Knebworth
but good non the less. For those with more excellent taste in music, the Blues
tent provided some great sounds from bands such as the Los Yobos, the Swillbillies
and the Hoochie Coochie bands. O if you think I'm being dead knowledgeable
there its thanks to the afore mentioned programme. For those with less taste
or more alcohol the dance tent provided a more techno techno form of entertainment.
The 100%Biker tent gave us everything from laughs to some great rocking sounds
from various bands and entertainers. Sorry I couldn't tell you more, as the
place was always so popular and packed we couldn't get in, but those that
did reported it was ace.
Did I mention wandering into Helmsley? Not exactly a gentle stroll but well worth it to soak up the atmosphere. There was the constant stream of rumbling bike engines as bikers visited the town or rolled down from the rally site. The town square was wall-to-wall bikers, bikes, or those who were locals and tourists who just came in to take in the spectacle. The only thing to spoil it was the cars, vans and mobile Police station all parked around the square. You'd really think that on one day a year they could close the square to other vehicles. There are other car parks that had lots of room for other vehicles. The police even asked one of the local pubs that were offering a Hog roast to remove their tables to let cars park. Crazy! I work in the tourist industry and recognise the value of these events, that do so much for enhancing the rural economy, and maintaining much needed jobs in these communities. One of the local shopkeepers told me that they make more money in that weekend than they do at Christmas. The sun shone all day long, and was so hot I had to break out the shorts and sandals. After a long morning wandering around in the heat taking piccies, and chin wagging, with only the beer to cool us down, I joined the many down by the beck and cooled my feet off in the very inviting clear running water. Big mistake, and I’m still watching the burnt skin peeling from my poor feet.
I made it back to the rally site just
in time to wander the Back Street Heroes Custom Bike Show. There were a great
range of bikes and trikes in the show with some fantastic paint jobs. One
complaint that I have about many of these shows, from the point of view of
a photographer, we can get much better shots of the bikes if we didn't have
to avoid photographing a plastic bag containing an A4 info sheet.
A special mention and word of thanks to all the Marshals
who worked tirelessly throughout the whole event. All had paid for their own
tickets and volunteered their time for free. They were everywhere sorting
out problems, organising, and clearing and cleaning up. They were even wandering
around Helmsley litter picking. Well done to all.
A reminder to everyone that the Farmyard is "a party with a purpose " and all the money made from the rally goes towards protecting the rights of the biker. So if you are not already a member join, if for no other reason than to help maintain the sterling work that they do to make sure you can enjoy what you like best BIKING
AND FINALLY
Well done to my other half Kim, who after being my pillion for such a long time has now bitten the bullet, passed her CBT and got her own little bike. This was her first rally on it, and she even negotiated Sutton bank. Go for it Biker Chick!
Willy