Motorcycle Action Group
Bury St Edmunds & District

"The Moo Crew"

Mad Cow Rally 2008

It has been a few days now since the Mad Cow Rally and I have recovered enough to write some form of account of the weekend’s proceedings. Like all events the actual weekend is the “tip of the iceberg”, 75% of the work having already been done. That does not mean that we can cruise the weekend but it makes it far more fun for all and much less stressful.

Midday Friday and the set up had started and there were already a good few tents on the well drained and not too muddy field. The only thing that caused concern was the strength of the wind that at times made putting the new marquees up more like extreme kite flying. After a couple of hours we had most of the set up done and it was now time to go home in the car and get the bike and tent. Back on site I could now play my own smaller extreme-kite-flying.

Friday evening’s entertainment was enjoyed by our friends from the local SCOPE group who were entertained by Herb and the disco before they left. Further entertainment was provided by Men You Might Know and very good they were too and had the place rocking till the hall shut. Out side Bob, Ray and Heather were prepping the BBQ to feed the peckish masses now exiting the hall and a raffle was in full swing with some of the tickets winning tins of refreshment. OK, all the tickets won. All that was left to do was to stand around the fires so keenly stoked by the kids and talk varying degrees of rubbish. Next thing I knew it was morning, sunlight filling the inside of my tent. Ow.

For those who wanted them cooked breakfasts were being supplied in the club house by the staff of the British Sugar Sports and Social Club whose staff worked stoically all weekend. We can’t at this point say “worked tirelessly” because they were knackered by the end of it. Some folk chose to wonder into town for a lunch time bevy others went on the Green King brewery tour and some brave souls went on the ride out. As the weather was dry and warm with only the wind to contend with it was much more pleasant than the summer rally (when in chucked it down). So we trundled off to Red Lodge Cafe for a brew and a butty and then beetled back in plenty of time for the silly games.

The games have over the years have been less and less well patronised so we were determined to reverse the trend. It started with the “rolling a Quid at a bottle “game which netted a further £22 pounds for the MAG fund and a bottle of Smirnoff for Dan.

The Drinking game came next with pair teams being supplied with belted baby bottles. These were filled with beer and tied around one person’s waist with the other on their knees to suck out the beer in the fastest possible time. There were some interesting techniques being used, hand on the back of the head, hand on hip; thrusting motions ….you get the drift.

Next game was in keeping with the beach party theme, limbo dancing. Just as well we had a stall in the traders’ area which did massages. Strangely the game was won by a very small person of the genus: child.

The main event was the full-contact space hopper race. A figure of 8 course had been set up the rules explained (and ignored) and they were off. What ensued was more like an all-in wrestling match. I will always remember the attempt made by Cat Man from Havoc to barge Cluffy out of the way, blissfully unaware of Cluffy’s background in marshall arts.  Pure poetry. So, after a crunching encounter on the scale of the World Wrestling Federation the winners were a mixed team partly Suffolk Coasters, so they get the credit. We then cleared the hall of body parts and got ready for the evening entertainment.

Stevie and his mandolin played a wonderful set and took with good humour the numpties on a beach towel ensconced in front of the stage. Dirty Trix played next and performed a stonking set to one of, if not the largest crowd ever assembled under the banner of a Mad Cow rally. Trophies were given out in the interval and the raffle done.                                 
The raffle sponsers were Equire motorcycles, Maxmoto, Redshift motorcycles John and Kalie, Eccles Racing, Grumpy, Nighthawk Leather, Emerauld Tattoos, Darkside, Naturally Crafted, Cave of Delights.

Entertainment over it was back out side for the fires and refreshment raffle to see out another Mad Cow rally. Sunday arrived way too early and the Sunday morning rally dawn chorus of coughing (but much less than in past years) started, followed by the sound of mastication at the alter of the fry up.

So we hope you had a wonderful time. You made it the best Mad Cow ever both in terms of money raised for the Motor Cycle Action Group and for fun doing it. Our thanks go to our patrons, sponsors, the staff of the British Sugar Sports and Social Club and to Herbs Helpers. Have a wonderful years biking and see you for the Moo Summer rally

BSE MAG MOO CREW