We arrived at the East of England Showground on Friday afternoon so that we could make sure our marquee and display materials were ready for Saturday morning when the main gates open to the public. The organisers had erected the marquee itself for us and supplied us with a number of trestle tables and foldaway chairs so it was just a case of all hands to the pumps to unload the van and cars and get things into place. It is quite amazing how much stuff is needed at these events. 

We set out the tables and chairs and raised the Club flag and banner. Once they were up the place felt more like it was OURS and we concentrated on getting the fridge, cooker, washing-up equipment and food up and running. Then we put up things like the photo-board and the Club sales goods such as T-shirts, badges, mugs, caps, stickers, Club magazines and membership forms. The photo-board goes with us to each event but we change the pictures around every time. The pictures are a pictorial record of the people who have contributed to the Club in many ways over the years. There are black and white pictures and more modern colour ones. Among the pictures are some of Father Bill Shergold, who was the founder of the 59 Club, and other folk who played a part in setting it up back then. Other photographs are of the really important people, the members who are the ones that made the Club the great organisation it was and remains to this day. Next time you join us at an event, take the time to have a good look at the boards. You never know, your picture could be there. And if you have any photos from any event, club dance, club night or any other occasion it would be great to have a copy to add to our collection.

The weather on Friday afternoon was fine. As you can see in a couple of the pictures on this page, the sky was blue and fairly clear and the sun was bright. In the late evening we went to the rather posh restaurant on the showground and had dinner and then returned to the marquee for a late night-cap and chat. Unfortunately the sky was perhaps a little too clear, as Friday night the temperature plummeted to 3^o and we all retired to our tents to the sound of chattering teeth. Some people seemed oblivious to the cold (Guinness is a great warmer I am told) and they soon dropped off to sleep. The rest of us knew this for a fact as we could now hear teeth chattering as well as loud snoring. I think I need to pack a few extra sets of earplugs for the next event.

Saturday morning arrived and the weather was even better that Friday. We all had a good cooked breakfast thanks once again to Mr and Mrs Hall who did us proud with bacon sarnies and hot tea and coffee. We then sat back to watch the world go past. In fact most of the world seemed to be going past in the direction of the camping equipment stands and then coming back laden with extra sleeping bags. See, I told you it had been cold. After the main gates opened at 9:00 we were able to start welcoming visitors to the marquee. This is what going to rallies is all about. Meeting old friends and making new ones. Seeing people that you may not have seen in ages and swapping tales of derring-do. It is sometimes easy to forget that not everyone lives close enough to the 59 Club headquarters to be able to get there regularly. Some folk live so far away that they simply cannot get there at any time normally. So it was wonderful to see so many at the BMF Rally.

Unlike some clubs who seem to actively discourage visitors, we call our marquee The 59 Club Hospitality Tent and we welcome everyone. Members can get a free hot or cold drink, a piece of cake or Sandra's famous bread pudding, biscuits and fruit. There are plenty of chairs for the weary visitor and we are more than happy to provide a place for them to leave helmets, jackets and anything else to save having to lug them around all day in the heat. And both Saturday and Sunday were hot. And naturally we love having the youngsters there too. Kids are the lifeblood of the club and will hopefully grow up to be the new generation of members in their own right. In any case, if we banned kids how would we get in ourselves since most of us are just big kids anyway and act the part most of the time too. Saturday evening we had another meal in the showground restaurant and then back to a slightly warmer night followed by another hot day on Sunday.

The BMF show itself is great. Most of the major shops and manufactures have stands there including Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Yamaha, KTM, Triumph, BMW and may others. Clothing, equipment and a huge variety of accessories are on sale at knock-down prices. As I may have said last year, if you did not get to the BMF this year, do try to get there next time.

Once again the time to pack up came round far too quickly but we all enjoyed the weekend and are looking forward eagerly to the TT Races in the Isle of Man and our 59 Club bar-b-que. After that we are hoping to see you all at the Hop Farm meeting in Kent next month. Check out the diary pages on this web site for details.

So until then, we would like to thank you all for attending the BMF Rally and for visiting us there and also here on the Club website. Enjoy safe and happy biking and we will see you all soon.