Paddy Smith’s Sun Run 6 | RETRO RALLERY

The man behind a million patches.

Who: Paddy Smith & friends

What: Sun Run 6

Where: Allemans Du Dropt

When: 10th-12th June

Why: Meeting up with friends

Paddy Smith is a man of the cloth, well actually a man famed for printing ‘the’ cloth rally patch back in the day. Even now the official scooter rally patch is known as a ‘Paddy Smith’ to many, even though most of them aren’t printed by the man himself any more. 

Paddy emigrated to the Bordeaux region of France 12 years ago and has been holding a small event there for the past six years. We’d been wanting to do this intimate scooter rally for a few years but so far hadn’t found the time in a busy scooter calendar. Sun Run has attracted a regular core of British Euro travellers and a smattering of locals to the one-bar village of Allemans Du Dropt and this year it finally fitted in with our plans to ride back from Vespa World Days in St Tropez.  

Scooter boy humour never dies…

Sun Run is a great name when the weather is nice but we arrived in torrential rain and if we were in a musical we’d have been starring in Les Miserable. Thankfully le rain stopped just after we’d put our tents up and remained dry for the rest of the weekend. Talking of putting tents up, Sunday Sport S.C member, Flea was a little perturbed to find that Slacker had secretly spray painted his tent for him before he left. A giant cock plus some anti-French graffiti and his mobile number were all done in typical scooterist humour – even the French found it funny.

Around 70 people were at the rally, like I said it’s a small affair but there was a good mixture of UK and French scooterists, all with a very similar outlook to enjoying themselves. We didn’t need bands, stalls, catering vans or all-mod cons but everything that was important for a good weekend was there. Hot showers, toilets, a nice campsite and a gentle stroll to the pub – perfect. 

Being a one bar town meant the owner had a monopoly on beer sales but he gave a bit back by providing a generous free buffet on the Friday evening, all al-fresco beneath the ancient village shelter. Later on the evening entertainment was held in a local hall with Paddy and his family running the event and bar with DJ’s from the UK and Europe. Paddy also provided breakfast the following morning on the campsite, fresh crusty French bread, jam and coffee perked us all up ready for the ride out.

Ride out

This particular ride out was a tour of the local area, we also popped into Paddy’s farm before ending up at a chateau for a fantastic paella lunch, washed down with the local vin. A raffle was held with the top prize being a pair of shoes from The Brogue Trader (won by Tracey from the BIG 7) as well as Brutus shirts, IOW and Venlo tickets.

After the ride out a small custom show took place in the village square before the fun and games started in a field adjacent to the campsite. 

Taff demonstrates his wanging face (yes we did say wanging)

Fun & games

Last years entertainment ended in casualty with Bob breaking a shoulder, so things were slowed down considerably. A slalom course and slow ride were the two hotly contested motorised events, both done on a Lui 50. French scooterist, Dennis blitzed the opposition in the slalom and I managed to regain some British honour in the slow ride. The final event was a well fought tyre wanging competition with some good throws from both countries, I believe the UK won that one as well.

On to the last nights entertainment and it was a a slow start due to Anglais playing at football. I could understand the Brits being interested if it was England playing but I’ve never heard of Anglais. Anyway they won, or drew apparently.

It took a while for the do to get going and with only around 70 people at the most there, most of whom stood outside in the courtyard it never really got full but we still had a good time. The fun & games continued inside with an impromptu inter-country game of ‘stick the SLUK sticker’. Basically it was a jumping competition that got out of hand, you had to try and stick a sticker as high as possible on the A.R.S.E banner. The French were taking it as seriously as the English and did very well but then the girls started cheating by stacking chairs up to stand on and it all went a bit wrong when 2o-odd stone Lobby stood on a stack to take an advantage but thankfully nobody died and Anglais won fairly and squarely in the end, although it was a very close fought competition.

Another crusty breakfast the following morning (that’s French bread rather than a diet of New Model Army fans) helped to soak up the excess alcohol before we packed up and headed the 650-miles or so home through France. A great weekend with likeminded friends in a friendly welcoming village. I’d like to thank the Smith family for their hospitality and for looking after us all so well during the weekend.  

The man behind a million patches.

Who: Paddy Smith & friends

 

What: Sun Run 6

 

Where: Allemans Du Dropt

 

When: 10th-12th June

 

Why: Meeting up with friends

 

 

Paddy Smith is a man of the cloth, well actually a man famed for printing ‘the’ cloth rally patch back in the day. Even now the official scooter rally patch is known as a ‘Paddy Smith’ to many, even though most of them aren’t printed by the man himself any more. 

 

Paddy emigrated to the Bordeaux region of France 12 years ago and has been holding a small event there for the past six years. We’d been wanting to do this intimate scooter rally for a few years but so far hadn’t found the time in a busy scooter calendar. Sun Run has attracted a regular core of British Euro travellers and a smattering of locals to the one-bar village of Allemans Du Dropt and this year it finally fitted in with our plans to ride back from Vespa World Days in St Tropez.  

Scooter boy humour never dies…

Sun Run is a great name when the weather is nice but we arrived in torrential rain and if we were in a musical we’d have been starring in Les Miserable. Thankfully le rain stopped just after we’d put our tents up and remained dry for the rest of the weekend. Talking of putting tents up, Sunday Sport S.C member, Flea was a little perturbed to find that Slacker had secretly spray painted his tent for him before he left. A giant cock plus some anti-French graffiti and his mobile number were all done in typical scooterist humour – even the French found it funny.

 

 

Around 70 people were at the rally, like I said it’s a small affair but there was a good mixture of UK and French scooterists, all with a very similar outlook to enjoying themselves. We didn’t need bands, stalls, catering vans or all-mod cons but everything that was important for a good weekend was there. Hot showers, toilets, a nice campsite and a gentle stroll to the pub – perfect. 

 

Being a one bar town meant the owner had a monopoly on beer sales but he gave a bit back by providing a generous free buffet on the Friday evening, all al-fresco beneath the ancient village shelter. Later on the evening entertainment was held in a local hall with Paddy and his family running the event and bar with DJ’s from the UK and Europe. Paddy also provided breakfast the following morning on the campsite, fresh crusty French bread, jam and coffee perked us all up ready for the ride out.

 

 

Ride out

 

This particular ride out was a tour of the local area, we also popped into Paddy’s farm before ending up at a chateau for a fantastic paella lunch, washed down with the local vin. A raffle was held with the top prize being a pair of shoes from The Brogue Trader (won by Tracey from the BIG 7) as well as Brutus shirts, IOW and Venlo tickets.

 

After the ride out a small custom show took place in the village square before the fun and games started in a field adjacent to the campsite. 

Taff demonstrates his wanging face (yes we did say wanging)

Fun & games

 

Last years entertainment ended in casualty with Bob breaking a shoulder, so things were slowed down considerably. A slalom course and slow ride were the two hotly contested motorised events, both done on a Lui 50. French scooterist, Dennis blitzed the opposition in the slalom and I managed to regain some British honour in the slow ride. The final event was a well fought tyre wanging competition with some good throws from both countries, I believe the UK won that one as well.

On to the last nights entertainment and it was a a slow start due to Anglais playing at football. I could understand the Brits being interested if it was England playing but I’ve never heard of Anglais. Anyway they won, or drew apparently.

 

It took a while for the do to get going and with only around 70 people at the most there, most of whom stood outside in the courtyard it never really got full but we still had a good time. The fun & games continued inside with an impromptu inter-country game of ‘stick the SLUK sticker’. Basically it was a jumping competition that got out of hand, you had to try and stick a sticker as high as possible on the A.R.S.E banner. The French were taking it as seriously as the English and did very well but then the girls started cheating by stacking chairs up to stand on and it all went a bit wrong when 2o-odd stone Lobby stood on a stack to take an advantage but thankfully nobody died and Anglais won fairly and squarely in the end, although it was a very close fought competition.

 

Another crusty breakfast the following morning (that’s French bread rather than a diet of New Model Army fans) helped to soak up the excess alcohol before we packed up and headed the 650-miles or so home through France. A great weekend with likeminded friends in a friendly welcoming village. I’d like to thank the Smith family for their hospitality and for looking after us all so well during the weekend.  

Scooter boy is in the blood rather than nationality

Things got competitive on the sticker jump

Defacing the A.R.S.E. banner was amusing and addictive

Flea gets bitten by the SLUK sticker bug

Girl's are cheats...

Honorary British scooter boy

The small but perfectly formed campsite

The only bar in the village

The only hotel in the village

Daz was told to elevate his damaged limb, of course friends helped

Snappy dresser

Tyre throwing competition

This was more of a wang than a throw

Unusual style for Marcus in the slow ride

Banana bar in action

Little Lui was well abused

Nice graffiti on Flea's tent, the English sense of humour

Everybody loves a humorous foreign road sign

Company C beer cooler

Slipped on a banana skin

The camp dog, effeminate hound

I'm not sure who is more disturbed...

Best classic scooter winner

Bill Mac's Scomadi 200, long distance test coming soon on SLUK

Lovely S1

French 1980's style cutdown

Best mad creation

That's some picnic

Paddy dishes out prizes

Proper paella all you can eat lunch

Paddy's farm

Paddy Smith, source of a million patches

Breakfast time on site