OGRI MCC members converged on the 12th Dead End Rally, put on by Furness MAG, in Dalton in Furness.
A massive thank you to the Travellers Rest staff at Grasmere and all the Emergency Services involved for their help and assistance.
Over to Mark, our Scottish rep to recant the numerous tales from the weekend !
Woke up on Friday morning to to glorious weather
1 brother inbound to mine (Gandalf), meeting up at Abington services with 2 other brothers (Stuart and Jim, now known as the Flying Scotsman) from way beyond the wall. Mac was so thirsty he set off an hour before us and was meeting the other areas (including the last heathen supposed to arrive but was the second of 3 (James) at the site in the Dalton in Furnace. It was the Heathens nominated rally so we should have all been there
I should have guessed the day was going to go the way it went, as I was, most unusually, 2 min late at Abington. However, off we set into what was promising to be a fantastic weekend, the weather was very hot and dry.
40 minutes later, there was a Fiasco
- Stuart entered Gandalf from behind on the bikes, and then thought it would be good to try sliding up the road.
- Both bikes were unrideable.
- RIGHT let’s get this sorted .. called the prospect, who was still at work, to pick up a hire van and come get them .. all sorted.
- Jim n I said sorry, the other 2 were getting left behind…..also by this time we were very thirsty .
We were having a great ride down through the Lakes. When we stopped at some traffic lights, we decided next available place we would stop for something to lick or drink.
2 miles up the road was a beautiful Lake District pub so let’s stop here ….. next thing I know the Flying Scotsman (whom must have been either very thirsty or keen to get to the bar) passed me and in his dry stupor mounted the grass verge and threw himself on a pebble … you know … the kind they use to stop cars parking on the verge painted white..
Ohh fxxk I thought .
Stopped and pulled the bike and his partner Shona, and it looked bad enough and there were bystanders, I should keep my gob shut..
Both up and about ..phew..
The Flying Scotsman is in some pain. By this time, the guy in the pub had phoned all and sundry , and before long the Blues and Two’s turned up .. all being watched over by a dozen people in the beers garden. The road was closed and helicopter arrived with proper doctors and I was ushered away whilst ambulance crew dealt with Shona. Turns out it’s worse than I thought …
The doctors have got Jim’s lung cavity open and are reinflating his lung. And off to Newcastle in the helicopter he went, Shona deemed fit to go..
So off we go, but feels kinda like I’m in a Final Destination movie, so ginger riding it was . Eventually made it to site, somewhat relieved.
Said hello to the guys who had made it much earlier than I, ….BEER then tent..
After much piss taking, we had a rather enjoyable night – Furnace MAG know how to do a rally !.
Woke up Saturday and ooooo badger had done the usual and made us all the most wonderful brekkie and proper coffee, while we decided our outing for the day would be Hardknott Pass .. 😀..but James had to get home as he had grandad duties to fulfil (since heard he had a trying ride home in the heat)
Off we popped around 11 am, stunning weather for most but me being from the far north, a touch too warm. We reached said area and blimey it’s busy – wonder why ?
Few miles later, ahhhh BLOODY ESKFEST, a music festival at the foot of the Hardknott Pass, with cars everywhere on what was the hottest day of the year .. we started climbing most made it to the top including Michelle who was on an entirely unsuitable bike.
Josh, unfortunately succumbed to the gradient and camber, so Chris dutifully parked his bike up on the steepest part of the hill and rode Josh’s bike to the top where Bowser kindly took Chris back down to collect his bike .
Upon setting off, Chris’s bikes clutch went, so I set off with oooooo badger to see what we could do, whilst sending the rest off as no point of us all hanging around at the top…
After much spannering and pushing and towing we got ….nowhere.
Decided to turn the bike round and free wheel as far as possible then jump ship …abandon the bike and head to the music festival where we noticed a pub to wait on recovery.
29 pints of fresh orange juice (ok 4) and lemonade and the sun had me beat and I was failing, so decided myself and oooo badger should ride the hour and 20 min back before I failed completely, so we left Chris to wait, with a pizza ordered and 2 pints of aforementioned beverage to see him through.
Made it back to site at 19:00 having stopped and picked up a curry .. I don’t think I have ever enjoyed a drink that much!!!!!
Chris made it back, so time to relax the band were great ! Josh won a trophy for youngest ralliest and the Club won club turn out as they counted the fallen as they
had set off for the rally..
As before, it’s a great rally with great people in a great site .
We all had a dry uneventful ride home .
ML&R Mark (the Scottish one)
