Show Report: Wet-by
The weather gods didn’t smile on this season’s opening rally at Whitby but that didn’t put a stop to the fun.
Did we mention it was cold? Whitby kicks off the first National, and despite the inclement weather, it was a great start to the season.
Few will disagree that the North Yorkshire Moors have some of Britain’s most beautiful scenery. With roads that either wind thorough forest and moorland or hug its rugged coastline it’s a true riders’ paradise. That’s if the weather holds – if it doesn’t it can be a cold and forbidding place. Due to the aftermath of ‘The Beast from the East’ causing the Rugby Club to call a halt to camping at fairly short notice, it was fair to anticipate a cold weekend ahead. While icy sleet, driving rain and freezing temperatures may have created treacherous riding conditions, it didn’t stop scooterists coming out of hibernation for the season’s opening rally in Whitby.
Riding over the moors into town was either gruelling or magical depending on a rider’s point of view. To my eyes the small lagoons of standing water were treacherous but to others riding through low cloud, with no road in sight, it was ‘like flying’. One thing’s certain, there were more scooters parked up than cruising around town. Fortunately VFM’s event in the Pavilion more than made up for the lack of two-stroke fumes by providing a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
Although there were plenty of pubs in town providing warmth and refreshment, both Friday and Saturday night’s ‘official’ entertainment was well supported. Given the atrocious weather this was particularly rewarding for the VFM team who, as always, had done their best to provide a good cross section of music. That so many chose to leave the comfort of a cozy pub
Fortunately VFM’s event in the Pavilion more than made up for the lack of two-stroke fumes by providing a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
and make their way up one of Whitby’s many hills to the Pavilion bodes well for the coming season.
In spite of, or perhaps due to, the ride out being cancelled, Saturday’s trade fair and custom show drew in scooterists by the score. Although there were only a couple of dozen entries the quality more than made up for quantity. First time entrants demonstrated that there’s no shortage of fresh ideas while some old favourites had been revamped over the winter. Generating enough debate to keep pub conversations going for months was ‘Cerberus’, a gorgeous Lambretta chopper. Visually stunning there’s no doubt that it’s a ground breaking machine but given the amount of engineering involved can it still be considered a scooter? The show judges certainly thought so as it took both Best in Show and Best Engineered.
Also paying dividends was close examination of some well-established favourites. Midnight Oil has a newly applied Cheshire cat grinning through the flywheel cowl while the crowd-pleasing Peaky Blinders has acquired a ‘machine gun’ stand and a fresh set of panels to celebrate the show’s fourth season.
With the weather forecast veering from bad to awful many chose to head home early but most would agree that as a season opener Whitby was well worth the effort. It takes more than a spot of bad weather to dampen scooterists’ spirits. Words & Photographs: Stan