Bridlington_2018_111800

 

I remember the first Bridlington rallies back in the early 1990s, in fact Col gave us a great nostalgic look back at 27 years of Bridlington rallies in this feature last year. Back in the 1990s it was predominantly a campsite event based at South Shore with tug of war competitions and an all-dayer in a pub next to the site, Leisure World being used as an atmospheric night time venue and an NSRA organised pool party giving us a rare chance to wash away the grime. There were no showers on scooter rallies back then. Fast forward and I’m riding the familiar roads up to Bridlington for the last time, or at least the last time for a while. 

 

Nursing two freshly built scooters to the coast, mine having just had a new crank and Linsey’s a new engine, as featured here.  A couple of minor heat seizures for Linsey’s cast iron barrel saw her watching the temperature on the SIP speedo like a hawk. We both made it ok though and were soon in the Greyhound for a welcoming pint before we checked in to our 1970s squat. 

 

IMG_3440800

 

We dodged most of the main pubs in town in favour of the quieter back street boozers and had a good few drinks before heading up to The Spa later on. The place was busier than usual for a Friday, The Smiths United pulling in a crowd, or maybe an increased sense of loyalty as the fate of this town (as a National rally venue) was hanging in the balance. Either way it was good to see because The Spa takes more filling than the fat bloke in Speedy Peppers on the way home.

 

Bridlington_2018_040800

 

Hail the new dawn

 

The following morning brought with it heavy rain and cold winds, which would deter many day trippers. It also turned to a massive hailstorm, just as I was walking the mile from our squat to the custom show. Golfball sized hailstones bounced off my bald head and huge ears, those things really hurt (not ears flapping in the wind, golfball-sized hailstones) and there was no shelter. I felt sorry for the scooter riders who were just arriving to half an inch of hail covering the roads, slippery and cold. It didn’t deter a few lads from P.R.A.T. SC who camped on the green in town on Friday night, before being moved on by the police and given a warm floor in a flat for the rest of the weekend. Hardcore.

 

 

Bridlington_2018_017800

 

Time to Wake up

 

As usual, the LCGB organised trade and custom show was packed out, you were literally carried around the venue by the movement of everybody else, there was no way of hurrying around. The show itself was good, lots of new scooters and of course what will be the one and only showing of newly restored Jeremy Howlett classic custom, Wake. Owner Jason Stephenson has really done an outstanding job to bring the various craftsmen together to put that back to its former glory. A well deserved best of show winner and we’ll have a full feature on it very soon. If you went to the corner to the right of Wake you’ll have been glittered to blindness by a display of Riding Dirty Customs scooters, metalflake is back in a big way in Leicester, although the lighting in The Spa didn’t do them justice. We’ll be featuring one of Rich Coveney’s latest creations on here in a week or so. Another eye-catcher was Stellify (pictured above). 

 

All in all a good show, even if it was slightly down on numbers this year. We’ll publish the full results at the end but it’s worth mentioning that a minute’s applause was given before the trophies, a nice touch for Paddy Smith, Ian Frankland and Kev Walsh. Three icons of scootering that sadly passed away this year. 

 

Thankfully Elvis has left the building Thankfully Elvis has left the building

 

Dirty old town

 

Rather than stick to the same tired old pub route we’ve done a million times we headed down to the Old Town, an area of Bridlington I’d not visited until last year. It’s a great part of town for a drink with a load of friends, no wall-to-wall ska compilations, no queuing ten deep at a town centre bar and the pubs themselves are cool as well. Not that it was in any way normal down there, I walked into one pub where the hippy landlord was more bladdered than the clientele and worked barefoot. In fact barefootedness seemed to be a theme in there as a shoeless lady relaxed in front of the open fire whilst Elvis sucked her toes and ten lads wearing gentleman’s attire smoked pipes whilst supping their ale and watching on in amusement. Strange things happen in the Old Town and I’m not sure if it was a good thing or not but my camera memory card decided to corrupt itself in that hotbed of corruption, meaning any photographic evidence from that point on was destroyed. Thankfully Col, Big Andy and Giacomo have sent photos in to help fill in the gaps. 

 

20181026_234425_resized800
20181027_230213_resized800 2

 

Bad Manners

 

Like any good reporter I made my excuses and left, turning up at The Spa just before tonight’s headline act, Bad Manners took to the stage. It cost just £6 for an advance ticket, or £8 on the door. Sadly I’d missed seeing Basketcase, who judging by the photos went for full-on Halloween for their ever-energetic set. Bad Manners didn’t disappoint though. Whether you like 1980s ska or not you can’t argue with the fact that the main room was rammed and bouncing like crazy. It’s also worth noting that whilst the crowd has got fatter over the years, Buster Bloodvessel has shrunk. That’ll teach you lot for bullying the fat bastard for all these years. Even so, he rocked the place like not many bands on the circuit can. 

 

Predictably the main room emptied significantly after the band finished, whilst the smaller side rooms, (Northern, Darkside and Sounds & Pressure) kept busy. In an ideal world after the band finishes one smaller room would be a good way to keep an atmosphere for the people who don’t like to go to bed. We ended the night darting between rooms for the final tracks before being swept out by the cleaners with a few other stragglers in the Darkside room.

 

Col loves his nostalgia and took this photo before closing the Bridlington door on his way out Col loves his nostalgia and took this photo before closing the Bridlington door on his way out

 

Homeward bound

That’s it, Bridlington is over for 2018 and after the Number Ones meeting on Saturday it was confirmed that the last rally of 2019 would be at Southport. This change isn’t a bad thing as far as I’m concerned. We had a cracking pre-season at Southport last year and have enjoyed a few good Nationals there over the years. One thing is for sure, Southport will be put on by the same scooterists who have organised (or been part of) the rally in Bridlington since 1991.

 

Lots of people have said they’ll still go to Brid no matter what, the pubs are promoting it as a ‘Scooterfest’ and no doubt it’ll be busy, although I doubt too many scooters will be at the ‘fest’. The idea behind moving towns is to help shake the calendar up a bit, not to divide scooterists (the same with Cleethorpes). It might be comfortable for you in Yorkshire but occasionally you need to get out of your comfort zone and see the wider world, there are many roads to ride… 

 

Words: Iggy

 

Photos: Iggy, Col, Giacomo, Big Andy

 

P.S make sure you click through to page 2&3 for more photos…

 

Giacomo’s rallery

Rallery by Col

Iggy’s photos before the memory card was destroyed…

Basketcase & Bad Manners by Big Andy

Custom show winners and sponsors

A big thanks to all those that supported the event, in particular

 

  • The Trophies & Sponsors – Rob Miller & Affiliated LCGB Scooter Clubs
  • The Judges – John Ronald, Norman Ronald, Nick Pegg & Chris Matthews
  • The Show Marshalls who worked all day from 7 am until 4 pm
  • Casa Lambretta & BGM for donated prizes that we given out to trophy winners
  • The Entrants – 79 scooters were on display for all to see (from 85 scooters entered)

 

The winners of each trophy listed below are shown by:

Scooter Name – Registration Number – Owners Name

 

  • Best of Show – LCGB *(Plus £75 cash Prize)

Winner: Wake – GWC 32H – Jason Stephenson

  • Best Ridden Scooter – Andy Francis Scooters

Winner: Stelify – PVL 219V – Ian Westmorland

  • Spectators Choice – Rob Miller Trophies

Winner: Stelify – PVL 219V – Ian Westmorland

  • Best Custom Lambretta – East Lothian SC

1st: Wake – GWC 32H – Jason Stephenson

2nd: Brassy Bitch – DBU 108V – Russ Watson

  • Best Custom Vespa –  Colchester DVLC

1st: A Way of Life – TUM 483W – Andy Hill

2nd: Vespa GS 160 Mk1 – USL 371 – Anthony Gotts

  • Best Custom Street Racer – Lincoln & Newark SRC

1st: PX-orcism – BDD 670Y – Neil Johnston

2nd: Absynthe – KWX 62N – Andrew Preston

  • Best Custom Engineered Scooter – Leeds Central SC

1st: PX-orcism – BDD 670Y – Neil Johnston

2nd: Hard to Handle – LBR 786G – Nigel Smith

  • Best Custom Scooter with Accessories – Ready Steady Go SC

1st: Witches Brew – NBB 32L – Tessa Abraham

2nd: Vespa GS 160 Mk1 – USL 371 – Anthony Gotts

  • Best Custom Chopper/Cutdown – Scooter Nova Magazine

1st: Top Banana Re-Peeled – PLM 366W – Darren Simmonds

2nd: Hard to Handle – LBR 786G – Nigel Smith

  • Best Custom Lambretta Pre 1959/Series 1/2 –  Lambretta Club of Wales

Winner received a signed book from Vittorio Tessera / Casa Lambretta

1st: Peaky Blinders – 921 UHE – Paul Douglas

2nd: Series 1 Frame Breather – 735 FJH – John Wake

  • Best Custom Lambretta Series 3/SX Range –  First Kick Scooter Collective Morecambe

1st: Li 125 Special – PUA 185D – Kevin Bainbridge

2nd: The Great Space Race – EAS 154 – Keith Newman

  • Best Custom Lambretta GP Range – Brum Runners SC

1st: Oh You Pretty Thing – GDT 74J – Neil Grace

2nd: Wake – GWC 32H – Jason Stephenson

  • Best Custom Lambretta/Vespa Small Frame – Keighley SC

Winner received a signed book from Vittorio Tessera / Casa Lambretta

1st: Vespa 50 Special – OMY 135P – Alan Moxon-Waddel

2nd: J50 De Luxe – KSA 278F – Darren Clark

  • Best Custom Vespa Pre- P Range/T5 – All or Nothing SC

1st: Witches Brew – NBB 32L – Tessa Abraham

2nd: Vespa GS 160 Mk1 – USL 371 – Anthony Gotts

  • Best Custom Vespa P Range/T5 onwards – Louth Scooterists

1st: Top Banana Re-Peeled – PLM 366W – Darren Simmonds

2nd: A Way of Life – TUM 483W – Andy Hill

  • Best Custom Paintwork – Stone SC

1st: Oh You Pretty Thing – GDT 74J – Neil Grace

2nd: Brainfreeze – SHR 459G – Gary Dickenson

  • Best Custom Chrome/Engraving/Plating – Crawley SC

1st: Wake – GWC 32H – Jason Stephenson

2nd: Hard to Handle – LBR 786G – Nigel Smith

  • Best Ridden Lambretta – Darlington SC

Winner received a Casa 185 Cylinder Kit from Vittorio Tessera / Casa Lambretta

Winner: Scum – NDT 186K – Neil Grace

  • Best Ridden Vespa – Orgasm Addicts SC

Winner: The Sentinal – A218 MCL – Gary Wickham

  • Best Ridden Lambretta Street Racer – Selby Moving Targets SC

Winner received a Close Ratio 4 Speed Gearbox from Vittorio Tessera / Casa Lambretta

1st: GP – EPA 118V – Sean Pedelty

2nd: Torque of the Town – MXG 182L – Dene Longstaff

  • Best Ridden Vespa Street Racer – Exit 17 SC

1st: Northern Powerhouse – B47 WKX – Philip Duck

2nd: Rossi Replica – S823 RAG – Toby Taylor

  • Best Ridden Engineered Scooter – Smugglers SC

1st: GP – EPA 118V – Sean Pedelty

2nd: Arthur Francis Crankcase Induction – TMA 45J – Daz Westgarth

  • Best Ridden Scooter with Accessories – Small Faces SC

Winner received a signed book from Vittorio Tessera / Casa Lambretta

1st: SX200 – PUA 361D – Paul Carter

2nd: GS Bill – NSJ 839 – William Morton

  • Best Ridden Chopper/Cutdown – LCGB

Winner received BGM Silent Blocks and Cable Set from BGM / Scooter Centre

1st: Pretty Green – VRH 822W – Andy Pycraft

2nd: Evil Twin – FWE 143H – Richard Page

  • Best Ridden Lambretta Pre 1959/Series 1/2 –  Bristol Lambretta Club

Winner received a signed book from Vittorio Tessera / Casa Lambretta

1st: AVP Concept – 249 UYU – Grant Odell

2nd: Taranto Express – 479 YUY – Lee Abraham

  • Best Ridden Lambretta Series 3/SX Range – Derby Central SC

Winner received Big Box Exhaust from BGM / Scooter Centre

1st: Li125 – 25 VTG – Nigel Smith

2nd: SX200 – PUA 361D – Paul Carter

  • Best Ridden Lambretta GP Range – A19’s SC

1st: Scum – NDT 186K – Neil Grace

2nd: Atomic – PFJ 91G – Gareth Gadd

  • Best Ridden Lambretta/Vespa Small Frame – Frontline SC

Winner received a signed book from Vittorio Tessera / Casa Lambretta

1st: Vera – HWL 699F – Ann Walker

2nd: Penelope – TKC 68G – Brydic Carrington

  • Best Ridden Vespa Pre- P Range/T5 – Manchester Lyons SC

1st: Vera – HWL 699F – Ann Walker

2nd: Tucano Urbano – N724 HGT

  • Best Ridden Vespa P Range/T5 onwards – Doncaster Hunters SC

1st: Rossi Replica – S823 RAG – Toby Taylor

2nd: Northern Powerhouse – B47 WKX – Philip Duck

  • Best Ridden Paintwork – Relaxed & Happy SC

1st: Stelify – PVL 219V – Ian Westmorland

2nd: Pretty Green – VRH 822W – Andy Pycraft

  • Best Ridden Chrome/Engraving/Plating – Scooter Restorations

1st: Scum – NDT 186K – Neil Grace

2nd: Once A Soldier – MKW 265W – Mark Grace

  • Best Mural – SRP Road & Race SC

1st: Oh You Pretty Thing – GDT 74J – Neil Grace

2nd: Pretty Green – VRH 822W – Andy Pycraft

  • Best Auto Engined Scooter – LCGB

1st: Eminem – Slim Shady – W733 CVW – Karl Russell

2nd: Sin – Y634 RVR – Michael Street

  • Best Vinyl/Graphics – LCGB

1st: Oh You Pretty Thing – GDT 74J – Neil Grace

2nd: Stelify – PVL 219V – Ian Westmorland

  • Best Un-Restored Scooter – Scootermaniacs SC

1st: Lambro 550M – 503 CBY – Paul Stringer

2nd: Cometa – WTG 895J – Paul Kirby

  • Non-Vespa/Lambretta – LCGB

1st: Sin – Y634 RVR – Michael Street

2nd: Eminem – Slim Shady – W733 CVW – Karl Russell

  • Best Indian Scooter – Essex Lambretta Club

Winner received a signed book from Vittorio Tessera / Casa Lambretta

1st: Route 66 – UTU 812V – Paul Moore

2nd: Stelify – PVL 219V – Ian Westmorland

  • Best Spanish Scooter – Wigan Bluebeats SC

1st: POB 73 – POB 961M – Paul Atkinson

2nd: Jet 200 – JUX 174V – Hayley Barker

  • Best Individual Display – New Forest SC

1st: AVP Concept – 249 UYU – Grant Odell

2nd: Top Banana Re-Peeled – PLM 366W – Darren Simmonds

  • Best First Time Entrant – Modrapheniacs SC

1st: Stelify – PVL 219V – Ian Westmorland

2nd: Ligier F1 – ABW 36D – Mark Kendall

  • Best Club Display – Dunfermline SC – In Memory of Steve Cunningham

1st: Luna Owners Club

2nd: Lambro Club

 

Visit the SLUK Shop

BSRA #9 Bridlington National Scooter Rally | FEATURE

 

I remember the first Bridlington rallies back in the early 1990s, in fact Col gave us a great nostalgic look back at 27 years of Bridlington rallies in this feature last year. Back in the 1990s it was predominantly a campsite event based at South Shore with tug of war competitions and an all-dayer in a pub next to the site, Leisure World being used as an atmospheric night time venue and an NSRA organised pool party giving us a rare chance to wash away the grime. There were no showers on scooter rallies back then. Fast forward and I’m riding the familiar roads up to Bridlington for the last time, or at least the last time for a while. 

 

Nursing two freshly built scooters to the coast, mine having just had a new crank and Linsey’s a new engine, as featured here.  A couple of minor heat seizures for Linsey’s cast iron barrel saw her watching the temperature on the SIP speedo like a hawk. We both made it ok though and were soon in the Greyhound for a welcoming pint before we checked in to our 1970s squat. 

 

BSRA #9 Bridlington National Scooter Rally | FEATURE

 

We dodged most of the main pubs in town in favour of the quieter back street boozers and had a good few drinks before heading up to The Spa later on. The place was busier than usual for a Friday, The Smiths United pulling in a crowd, or maybe an increased sense of loyalty as the fate of this town (as a National rally venue) was hanging in the balance. Either way it was good to see because The Spa takes more filling than the fat bloke in Speedy Peppers on the way home.

 

BSRA #9 Bridlington National Scooter Rally | FEATURE

 

Hail the new dawn

 

The following morning brought with it heavy rain and cold winds, which would deter many day trippers. It also turned to a massive hailstorm, just as I was walking the mile from our squat to the custom show. Golfball sized hailstones bounced off my bald head and huge ears, those things really hurt (not ears flapping in the wind, golfball-sized hailstones) and there was no shelter. I felt sorry for the scooter riders who were just arriving to half an inch of hail covering the roads, slippery and cold. It didn’t deter a few lads from P.R.A.T. SC who camped on the green in town on Friday night, before being moved on by the police and given a warm floor in a flat for the rest of the weekend. Hardcore.

 

 

BSRA #9 Bridlington National Scooter Rally | FEATURE

 

Time to Wake up

 

As usual, the LCGB organised trade and custom show was packed out, you were literally carried around the venue by the movement of everybody else, there was no way of hurrying around. The show itself was good, lots of new scooters and of course what will be the one and only showing of newly restored Jeremy Howlett classic custom, Wake. Owner Jason Stephenson has really done an outstanding job to bring the various craftsmen together to put that back to its former glory. A well deserved best of show winner and we’ll have a full feature on it very soon. If you went to the corner to the right of Wake you’ll have been glittered to blindness by a display of Riding Dirty Customs scooters, metalflake is back in a big way in Leicester, although the lighting in The Spa didn’t do them justice. We’ll be featuring one of Rich Coveney’s latest creations on here in a week or so. Another eye-catcher was Stellify (pictured above). 

 

All in all a good show, even if it was slightly down on numbers this year. We’ll publish the full results at the end but it’s worth mentioning that a minute’s applause was given before the trophies, a nice touch for Paddy Smith, Ian Frankland and Kev Walsh. Three icons of scootering that sadly passed away this year. 

 

Thankfully Elvis has left the building
Thankfully Elvis has left the building

 

Dirty old town

 

Rather than stick to the same tired old pub route we’ve done a million times we headed down to the Old Town, an area of Bridlington I’d not visited until last year. It’s a great part of town for a drink with a load of friends, no wall-to-wall ska compilations, no queuing ten deep at a town centre bar and the pubs themselves are cool as well. Not that it was in any way normal down there, I walked into one pub where the hippy landlord was more bladdered than the clientele and worked barefoot. In fact barefootedness seemed to be a theme in there as a shoeless lady relaxed in front of the open fire whilst Elvis sucked her toes and ten lads wearing gentleman’s attire smoked pipes whilst supping their ale and watching on in amusement. Strange things happen in the Old Town and I’m not sure if it was a good thing or not but my camera memory card decided to corrupt itself in that hotbed of corruption, meaning any photographic evidence from that point on was destroyed. Thankfully Col, Big Andy and Giacomo have sent photos in to help fill in the gaps. 

 

BSRA #9 Bridlington National Scooter Rally | FEATURE
BSRA #9 Bridlington National Scooter Rally | FEATURE

 

Bad Manners

 

Like any good reporter I made my excuses and left, turning up at The Spa just before tonight’s headline act, Bad Manners took to the stage. It cost just £6 for an advance ticket, or £8 on the door. Sadly I’d missed seeing Basketcase, who judging by the photos went for full-on Halloween for their ever-energetic set. Bad Manners didn’t disappoint though. Whether you like 1980s ska or not you can’t argue with the fact that the main room was rammed and bouncing like crazy. It’s also worth noting that whilst the crowd has got fatter over the years, Buster Bloodvessel has shrunk. That’ll teach you lot for bullying the fat bastard for all these years. Even so, he rocked the place like not many bands on the circuit can. 

 

Predictably the main room emptied significantly after the band finished, whilst the smaller side rooms, (Northern, Darkside and Sounds & Pressure) kept busy. In an ideal world after the band finishes one smaller room would be a good way to keep an atmosphere for the people who don’t like to go to bed. We ended the night darting between rooms for the final tracks before being swept out by the cleaners with a few other stragglers in the Darkside room.

 

Col loves his nostalgia and took this photo before closing the Bridlington door on his way out
Col loves his nostalgia and took this photo before closing the Bridlington door on his way out

 

Homeward bound

That’s it, Bridlington is over for 2018 and after the Number Ones meeting on Saturday it was confirmed that the last rally of 2019 would be at Southport. This change isn’t a bad thing as far as I’m concerned. We had a cracking pre-season at Southport last year and have enjoyed a few good Nationals there over the years. One thing is for sure, Southport will be put on by the same scooterists who have organised (or been part of) the rally in Bridlington since 1991.

 

Lots of people have said they’ll still go to Brid no matter what, the pubs are promoting it as a ‘Scooterfest’ and no doubt it’ll be busy, although I doubt too many scooters will be at the ‘fest’. The idea behind moving towns is to help shake the calendar up a bit, not to divide scooterists (the same with Cleethorpes). It might be comfortable for you in Yorkshire but occasionally you need to get out of your comfort zone and see the wider world, there are many roads to ride… 

 

Words: Iggy

 

Photos: Iggy, Col, Giacomo, Big Andy

 

P.S make sure you click through to page 2&3 for more photos…

 

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