Guernsey Scooter Rally
There are huge rallies, big rallies and smaller ones. Guernsey, in terms of numbers, is definitely one of the small ones. In terms of atmosphere and enjoyment, however, this rally isn’t small and certainly punches well above its weight. After catching the early morning ferry from Poole along with a fair few other rally-goers, we arrived in Guernsey at lunchtime in glorious sunshine, so the omens were good for the weekend ahead. The rally organisation was first class from the start, with local scooter members meeting the ferry and escorting everyone to their various hotels, if they required assistance.
After checking into our hotel it was time to go to the local rally HQ for the weekend, the Thomas de La Rue bar, and register, get the goodie bag/patch, then start the serious business of music and some drinks. Friday night was a cracking atmosphere in what is a great venue, with the part continuing until the early hours. Downstairs was Northern Soul and Motown, with a wide choice of tunes and a very full dance floor. Upstairs was more Mod orientated, with punk and other scooter sounds to entertain the faithful.
On Saturday, midday was ride-out time and as ride-outs go, this was superb. Led by a splendidly restored Lambro, the
ride-out took everyone along the coast road, passing great scenery covering three-quarters of the Guernsey coast, before stopping at a picture-postcard bay called Petit Bot. After the ride-out and a short rest, it was time for the organisers to pull out their ace, and what an ace it was – a short boat trip to the island of Herm to be regally entertained by local Guernsey ska band ‘Sons of the Desert’, with many punters adorned in red Fezes. Then it was back on the boat and straight to the Thomas de La Rue for more drinks and sounds. A great non-stop day, brilliantly organised by Guernsey SC.
Sunday came, but instead of the usual time to pack up and go home in the morning, luckily the ferry timings meant that most rally-goers still had almost the full day to continue their fun. Some chose to explore more of the island, whilst a lot of hardy souls continued enjoying a drink and music at the rally HQ before heading home. Yes, number wise it is one of the smaller rallies, but in terms of quality and entertainment it’s up there with the best of them. If you haven’t been then you are seriously missing out on a great experience.
See you next year.
After the rideout and a short rest it was time for the organisers to pull out their ace, and what an ace it was!