After a break last year the popular local Cornish “Run from the Scum” rally was back with a vengance for 2017 at a different Town and different venue, would the new rally match up to it’s successful predecessors in Newquay? Roving rally reporter and SLUK contributor, Bill Mac takes up the story.
History
OK folks so the back story – Run From The Scum is a Cornish seaside scooter rally, which is a local club venture run jointly by The Troglodytes, Section 8 and Southern Templars Scooter Clubs. For a number of years it took place at the ever popular resort of Newquay, overseen by the Trog’s no 1, Alex Anderson.
Fleeced
I’ve always loved it but after the last one the holiday park they used were getting greedy, they not only wanted to charge more for the venue but also to take a percentage of the door money. Not only were they getting money from scooterists for renting their caravans, profiting from mega bar sales and venue rental but they also wanted to bleed us dry. Alex chose not to continue…. there was no rally last year and the future didn’t look too good.
A gamble on Looe?
Anyway congratulations to Alex and co, on the 19– 21st May this year, The Run From The Scum was back but in a new town and at a new venue. Would the gamble pay off? After all Newquay is a famous rally resort? They had moved the venue to The Ten Creeks Holiday park, just outside the Cornish seaside town of Looe. Now Looe is on the southern Cornish coast, just across the Tamar and not as large or “touristy” as Newquay but it is a cracking classic Cornish seaside port and a very friendly spot too. Alex had been worried about the move to the new venue but I think it worked well being new, it was for many people a new adventure and it quickly showed in the numbers coming to the rally.
Rainy A38, Emmetts and Grockles
I quickly blatted down the A38 over the Tamar on the Friday, two up with the wife pillion on my scooter and through some pretty torrential rain. On at least two occasions I was nearly taken out by idiot drivers pulling out in front of me or cutting me up… it seemed like every four-wheeled imbecile was heading to Cornwall that weekend. I have been told it’s the same every Friday as all the “Emmett’s” head to Cornwall in Droves or “Grockles” as the Devonians like to call them. Once at the site and having found our caravan, we quickly changed into some dry clothes and headed up to the entertainment hall for some rally necessities namely, food and beer.
The Castaways
Very quickly it was filling up and by 9pm the entertainments hall called “The Castaways” was pretty rammed and everyone was having a friendly drunken blast. There were visitors from France and Belgium as well as Brit scooterists from as far north as Nottingham and Birmingham and even one chap who flew in from further north. The Dj’s were doing a fine job, keeping the floor filled and at 10pm the band took to the stage. Now I am not a fan of bands, for me unless they are ace or funny they tend to just clear the dancefloor but on the Friday night I was pleasantly surprised. Alex had booked The Dastardly’s and they proved to be truly ace. They played a mixed set of classic covers and they were really good. I have listened to various bands in the past trying to play classic northern soul hits and most couldn’t do them justice but these guys were really good. Take note rally organisers! Anyway the evening passed by with lots of reunion hugs, much drunkenness and japes it was a great success.
Saturday
The Next day they were doing a breakfast buffet in the main hall and outside there were dealer stalls, a scooter display area and a campsite run bus service into town. It was a bit like Woolacombe, with a double decker bus driving down winding tiny roads with steep drops on either side but the bus at Looe seemed more modern and the brakes seemed to work! For those brave enough to not mind the often heavy showers that seemed to quickly flash through for a few minutes then pass on to be replaced by sunshine, there was a scooter ride out to nearby Seaton. We opted to get on the bus and explore Looe. Besides which, several people including Brad and Jonah amongst others were celebrating birthdays that weekend and I thought it would be rude not to accompany them to town to wish them all the best. As I said Looe is a friendly little place – well it had to be, Johnny Coombs came from there and now I know why he is the way he is! There are a lot of special people in Looe… (smaller gene pool I was told) but it is a cracking place.
Saturday evening the do kicked off about sevenish and another fun night was had by all with the Mighty Offbeats doing another stomping set and the birthday party atmosphere going on to well past 1am.
Homeward Bound
The next day the sun kicked in and we enjoyed a pleasant ride home after a very successful rally and I gotta say well done to Alex and Tracey and all the Trogs, Templars and Section 8. To move a successful rally to a new venue and town on a different coastline, is a gamble, but it paid off and Looe was a breath of fresh air. See ya there next year folks?
Words and Pics: Bill Mac
As a small footnote I gotta say that Alex told me he wants to thank everyone who helped him and in particular he wants everyone to thank Simon Annear’s who did a lot of the negotiations with the campsite bands and for the PA….So Thanks Simon