Bikers1 - Farmyard Party 2002

"We're leaving at 9:30am???!!!", 'kin 'ell, was the reply from me missus, when I suggested a leaving time. It usually takes about 6 hours, including stops, to get from Central Scotland to Helmsley. I figured, let's TRY and leave early for a change. It's likely to be busy. No shit sherlock!. We left at 10am, arrived at 4pm and the site was burstin' at the seams already!. Far into the second field we found our usual spot by the trees. The rain, having twatted it down all the way to Gretna, thankfully had a rest and gave us some time to get the tents up in the dry.

Ahhhhhh!, the Farmyard again, our 8th year, what can I say, what does that number plate tagline say "If I had to explain you wouldn't understand", Meaningful words indeed. If you were there you'll know, if not (that includes the 50 plus rocket boys we saw on the '66 on the way home) then ye missed yerselves. We decided this year, for mostly financial reasons to do as many wee rallies as close to home as poss this year. 'course that intention was blown into touch as we'd already been to I.T.V. This is as far south as we're goin' this year, Is stormin' further north mum?.

Ye get all of these things at the Farmyard.

Hat's off to Yorks MAG and all the FYP Marshalls, it's a big gig and they all seemed to be workin' thier socks off.

Wandering about the stalls, with the sounds of slingshot slingin' CD's into his decks, waheey loadsa Levellers.

Seems you can spend hours with a beer just watching the assorted bikes coming in through the road which the stalls line.

Arriving at 4pm on Friday all of the wood from the pile in the second field was gone, minor gripe the later wood drops were all at the front gate. Several ingeious folk, most with trikes were tying up bundles and dragging them into the field. Past years have seen more drops, so maybe next year ;-)

The campfires really add atmosphere, the pillars of smoke rising over the tents are quite bewitching as you stagger back to your tent, if ye can remember where it is.

A favourite spot is down by the river near the stage, folk falling/being pushed/paddling/peeing in the river.

On Saturday the sun decided to put it's best hat on and give us all a long big grin.

Traditional Scot "blueskin" me of course got burnt to a crisp.

Lobster anyone?

A walk into Helmsley saw a much needed big fried plate of carbohydrates and fat snorted through a straw, I was starvin'.

Still, it cured me hangover.

The Bands...

In eight years i've never come to the Farmyard to see the bands specifically, judging by the racket the audience made though they went down very well. Nuff said.

The village of Helmsley is taken over by us lot for the weekend, with several pubs and cafes who are now well used to the activities of this weekend enjoy the crescendo of ringing tills and and bagpipes adding to the atmosphere in the square. I don't think the co-op sees so much business all year.

There was a good turnout for the cutom show, the usual mix of old, new, mint, rat, flashy painted bikes & trikes.

Some lovely engineering, most ridden, some appearing in a van ;-)

Don't ask who won what, 'cept the furthest travelled who was from East Germany on a 2 stroke scotter thingy.

I think it's a safe bet that "Destiny's Vision" , painted by the now infamous Percy would have won Best Paint.

Bloody Luvverly, though I'm no longer sceptical about it being ridden far with those gorgeously painted shock springs, Spanner at Bikersweb tells me it was ridden the 190 miles to the rally.
I'd like to know how the paint stays on, the detailing was superb, ah well I'll need to keep the lotto tickets goin' ;-)

Of course I had to include a pic of me mate Kev's bike, resplendent in new Pitstop paint job, I'll have a feature on this when the bugger a). gets round to washing it after this weekend and b). arranges a suitably scroching day to photograph it ;-)