The Pickering Rally
Tuesday 10th – Sunday 15th September

We arrived at the Black Bull Caravan Park where we were warmly welcomed by our Marshals Roy and Cheryl and Trevor and Soraya. We were presented with a very comprehensive guide to all things to visit and do around Pickering, details of the events planned for our group during our stay and a list of the 19 vans attending the Rally. We noted that there were a few new members including an Eddie and Mavis in a Pilote 44 – surely that can’t be our “old” members we thought, but to our surprise it was and it was great to meet up with them again after their “vacation” from the Pilote Club having recently rejoined. They send their best regards to all who know them. At the evening welcome party Trevor gave us a detailed talk on the rally programme for the next four days and welcomed our new members to the Club. Wednesday and first on the agenda was a bike ride to Pickering and Thornton le Dale where we stopped for an hour for a look around this very pretty village. The Yorkshire Motor Museum was a popular place to visit and I had trouble in getting Arthur away from it! Most of us chose the alternative route back which meant a few miles of very bumpy rough track which was interesting! Others had caught the bus outside the campsite or walked into Pickering. At 4pm we were invited to join our Rally Marshals for Tea and Cake so another chance to catch up with friends old and new. Thursday was Steam Train Day so we walked or took the bus into Pickering Station. Trevor had booked a carriage for our group so it was good to be all together. Once at Whitby we did our own thing which I think for most people included a Fish n Chips lunch. The town was very busy some of our group walked up to the Abbey we walked up to the Statue of Captain Cook and the Whalebone Arch. We all agreed it had been a good day out. On Friday morning Trevor had organised a walk of about 5 miles we were unable to go on this, bit too far for me, but all those who went said it was an interesting walk especially when some tried their hand at rope swinging over the river. Friday evening we had a superb sausage sizzle,cooked by Trevor and Roy with a little help from friends. The weather was good sunny and warm. During the evening Trevor did a Quiz, bit different to the norm but people seemed to enjoy it, it certainly caused a few laughs! Ifor with his keyboard then entertained us with a medley of sixties and seventies music we didn’t like to sing along too much because of others on the campsite (don’t think we had any complaints) However The “Pilote Supremes” did make an appearance but don’t think their rendering of “A Few of my Favourite Things” is going to make Top of the Charts!
Saturday some took buses to further afield i.e.Scarborough some went on another walk and some went another bike ride planned by Trevor. Nine of us set out on our electric bikes, just 18 miles with a stop for lunch at a pub, no rough ground just nice quiet roads, perfect we thought, that’s before shortly leaving the campsite we had our first puncture. Soraya was the first victim of the thorns some thoughtless person had left covering the cycle/footpath when trimming their hedges. Fortunately Trevor had the magic gunge which seals the hole so we were soon off again only to shortly stop as Barbara and I had punctures, more sealing and pumping up followed but before long the next victims of the thorns were Dave and Trevor! Trevor had now run out of sealant but thanks to Arthur’s little foot pump we managed to keep going until we reached the Sun Pub where we had a drink and sandwich whilst Arthur and Dave repaired punctures! Then it was an easy ride back to camp, definitely a bike ride to remember 9 cyclists 5 punctures, It was so unbelievable, we just laughed the whole way round. Back at the campsite it was time to wash and brush up for the evening meal at the sites pub The Black Bull. After the meal we were entertained by a very good singer and some of us that stayed to the end enjoyed a bit of a bop.
Sunday and time to say goodbye to all. We had really enjoyed the Rally, it was fun, and lovely catching up with old members and meeting new. A big thank you to Trevor Soraya Roy and Cheryl for organising. Jenny and Arthur.