Reckless Few 2005

Words and Pics (to follow) by The Rev

Left Aberdeen Thursday night with a plan to stop off at friends in Newcastle for the night (need to recharge the accent sometimes), leaving Friday morning picking up a passenger and heading for a pre-arranged meeting place on Sutton Bank, on the edge of the North Yorkshire Moors.

Mistake number one. Never trust the bloody online maps when they estimate time taken for a journey, arrived at meeting place a tad (1 ½ hours) early.

After usual greetings, we head off to the rally to see if we can get in early, they said gates open at 12, not before, but we thought we’d try at 11. Well, we ended up in the second section of the campsite because people had been arriving since about 9(talk about keen).

I was designated “Tent Pitch Area” finder, so picked a spot near the woods (for nature calls), a supply of water (for waking up in the afternoon), 100 yards from the food van (for obvious reasons, you’ve seen the size of me?) and the bar just the other side of a small fence.

Mistake number two. Make sure all small fences between you and the bar don’t have barbed wire on them.

After finding the “perfect” spot, we parked up and in good F3 rally tradition cracked open a can to celebrate. Pitching the tents happened fairly quickly and painlessly and we only consumed about 3 cans each during this task.(First time I set up my new tent, who needs instructions….) Once more of the crowd arrived, we helped them set up tents and shared more beer, it was about 2pm and we were all in high spirits, well, full of them at least.

Mistake number three. Make sure when you are working in a hot sun to keep new tattoo’s covered, sunburnt tattoo’s hurts.

We sauntered around the barbed wire fence to grab a quick bit to eat before trying to empty the bar (Never did succeed, they kept cheating by re-stocking). After a few more drinks (lost count) we decided to wander up to see what was on sale, after realising there was nothing much we wanted, we wandered back to the tents to partake of more falling over water, build a fire and try to soak people with the tap.

Time was getting on now, it was about 11pm and our supply had ran low so the bar was hit again, never did get to the music stage, managed to get back to my own tent at about 1 for fun with the campfire which was better than last year with a 5.30am arrival back at my tent in the morning.

Saturday morning, Sunrise is about 5.30am and when it’s up the tent gets very warm (My own personal sauna).Waking up with the soothing sounds of bikes being revved to their limits (I think at least 2 bikes had accidents during the night, well, they stopped revving after a load of shouts and a few bangs) I reviewed mistake number 2, I decided not to try and climb the fence for my breakfast (looking at the bits of cloth on the barbed wire, I thought I’d better walk around). Bacon butty, cup of coffee and ready to go back to bed, who invented mornings…

After getting up again at about 11, wandered round the site watching people trying to scale the climbing wall, looked at some of the wonderful custom bikes, listened to them testing bikes on the dyno machine and watching some poor young lass loosing her top on the bucking bronco, needless to say when I get the photo’s developed there should be one or two good pictures. When I felt I’d sobered up enough (at about 3) went for a ride to the local (25 miles away) supermarket for chicken etc. with Tim so he could make the “Rally Curry”, will see about doing one at the next rally where we can have a fire, was bloody good and a lot tastier than the burgers in a bun stuff, didn’t try the “half hog” option so dunno how good that was.

Drink was flowing, “Prison Hooch” is bloody dangerous, that’s what got me on Friday and also wiped me out on Saturday, wandered round in a daze, managed to catch some music by the tents and met up with some of the marshals that I knew from the rally. Not sure what happened after I gave someone a flag for their wife, good swap in my option….. but woke up on Sunday back in my tent, must have been the fabled beer scooter……

Sunday was hell, felt mega rough, trying to pack tent while wearing leathers in sweltering heat (was reaching 37-38 Celsius, mates clutch fluid boiled and caused no end of trouble), someone even suggested I should get an HGV license to ride my bike, don’t think there was that much on it, only 2 4-man tents, 2 sleeping bags, 1 double quilt, 1 double airbed,2 stools, clothing for 2 people etc. Well packed really.

Left the campsite at about 12, had a nice run back to Newcastle, got there just before the rain came in (What a rain as well, glad everyone who was left at the farmyard survived) stayed the night. Left on Monday from Newcastle to get home, had the bike blow a spark plug out 2 times on the way back, 2nd time unable to fix so ended up with bike strapped to the back of a truck for last 110 miles. Was good to be home though, now planning P in the Park.

Looking back at the devastation cause with floodwater, the way everyone pulled together to help and how hope rises, my hope is that the Farmyard Party will go ahead in 2006 as I will be there.

Farmyard Party 2005