After spending a weekend in Barcelona with the Harley Davidson Experience it was quite a relief to party with some real bikers again. The Sewer Rats MCC are just across the valley from me, and when I found myself with a free Saturday on their rally weekend it was too good an opportunity to miss.

The rally site is high on the Yorkshire moors above Keighley, and has one of those small but intimate atmospheres that makes it easy to circulate and chat in the sun whilst slowly getting out of it. And speaking of sun, this years event coincided with the hottest heatwave on record. Glad I took my shorts then.

And it was while I was pitching the biggest tent in the world that a man in a hat came over an insisted I put my Harley in the bike show where it stayed for the rest of the weekend, eventually standing alone but for a single GS1000S in the middle of the field. There were much more interesting bikes in the show than mine; Franks amazing 1935 Ariel special taking trophies for best classic and best Brit. And I was enamoured with a wicked little purple GSXR600 chop which, unless I dreamed it, belonged to a stunning young lady called Jo from Consett. Get in touch Jo, we need this bike in 100% Biker magazine.


As hot afternoon dissolved into sultry evening the bands took the stage and the usual silly rally games began. I have to say its the silly games that's always put me off MCC culture, but these weren't too excessive. Just one poor sod being led around on a leash, trouserless, because he was something called a "Rally Virgin". Hmmm. Harmless enough I suppose, and he didn't seem to mind.


The lack of trousers, also modelled by Donkey Dick Bob of the Bridge Rats MCC, did seem to encourage some of the girls to lose some kit too, or maybe it was the hot weather. Certainly I could understand the young lady in the PVC nurses uniform needing to get some fresh air to her skin, it looked very sweaty in there.

Thanks to the Sewer Rats for a really great weekend, to Nigel and Tina from York, Gus and his missus from Jarrow and all the other folks I spoke and drank with including the gorgeous Linda, still playing hard to get. And nice to finally meet up with Loiuse Limb from BSH too.

Dr.Rod.