YORKIES

The Troglodyte Rally

Well as you can see the weather forecasters got it rights at last. You can hardly see a thing with the rain and it was difficult for my camera to focus through the torrents of water just emptying out of the sky. It made sense to come by cars because as you can see it would have been dangerous to travel on bikes with all this terrible weather!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Did you notice the slight problem with the previous paragraph? I know its difficult to spot, but I am sure that you will get it in time.

As the weather was so bad & the distance was so great we all decided to quad it. A small group of Scrumpies managed to get to the Yorkies Rally on the Thursday to wring as much out of the weekend as possible. Getting there a day early means we get extra time for sightseeing.

Up went the tents & off to Morrisons for provisions, which as the last rally, seemed to consist mostly of salad. I have to say that we seem to be eating very healthily this year with salads being the staple diet. Obviously the food was washed down by a social drink.

I am not going to comment – if interested ask Jan or The Twins.

Guess who bought an i phone & had no idea why?

Stands up 9.30 on the Friday & off to where Dracula arrived in the UK from distant lands – Whitby.

Whitby figures quite centrally in a significant section of the novel Dracula. It is where the Russian ship "Demeter" comes ashore and is the location of the first encounters between Dracula and Lucy. The most prominent landmark in Whitby is the ruin of Whitby Abbey, which was sacked by the Danes. As Stoker writes, "It is a most noble ruin, of immense size, and full of beautiful and romantic bits.... Between it and the town there is another church, the parish one, round which is a big graveyard, all full of tombstones".

I work with a Yorkshire lady who recommended a good place to eat. She said that the Magpie Cafe had an excellent menu with great fish dishes, cooked properly. She said that there would always be a queue and we would have to wait.

I let my fingers do the walking and phoned in advance to book. Food was spectacular, and yes, those that did not phone waited – there was always people waiting.

After lunch then a tour around the town. Do we go by steam:

Or the usual way:

We learnt about Whitby and some of the views were great.

After Whitby we went on a detour before we went back to the rally site. Remember Heartbeat with PC Nick Rowan and Greengrass.

Well we popped into Goathland where they filmed the TV series – and had a drink in the pub. Yes it is like it is on the TV.

Back to the rally where a fifth Scrumpy had made it. We said hello to Andy.

As it was Friday night we all wore the ‘we are not advertising the Scrumpies Party t shirts’.

Others joined in having put in a special clothing order.

The bands were a bit loud so we spent a good deal of time outside where we could hear them but talk as well.

Saturday – Jan & Blacky packed up as they had to go to a family event the whole way across the country in Preston.

The remainder of us went to see Fountains Abbey.

Becks could not help but get up there to the pulpit to give us a sermon.  We though at one point he may not be coming home with us.

However he did not stay and back to the rally for the Saturday night. Every rally this year has had a theme. It is not compulsory to dress up and to be truthful the majority don’t. However, the Twins did !

welcome to

 The Troglodyte Rally.

Meet Bambam & Pebbles. Just so you are clear – Pebbles is the one without the hair on her chest.

The natives seemed friendly.

Even the Celts were there brandishing their things  - and it was a serious thing to brandish. And finally a picture to print out to scare your children with.

The beard is his. The hair is his. The rest of it all has to be his because no one else wants it.

As always the Scrumpies had a good time. We enjoyed the rally, the sightseeing, and spending time with friends.

Hope you can make it to the next one.

Take care

AJ