Big Andys Scootering Site

.....We possibly were one of the first to arrive in Bridlington for the Final B.S.R.A Scooter Rally of 2006. We set of early and arrived around 11:15, but not being able to check into our digs that early we strolled down to Wetherspoons to get a bite to eat and our first of many alcoholic refreshments over the coming weekend. After a couple or three we got the phone call to tell us our Flat mates, Jamie & Phillappa had arrived and had got the keys to our flat, so we returned to the flat to chuck our stuff in. It wasn't long before we were back in Wetherspoons meeting other familiar faces as they arrived. We tried a few more pubs, saying our hellos to more folks, including a wander down to the Southcliffe Hotel to say hello to our friends in the Blues, before returning to the flat to greet our other flat mates, Joey & Heather who had also arrived, and to get ready for the nights fun & frolics.

.....We got a Police escort back to the Greyhound as Dawn had dressed up as a wpc for the night and we were to meet Dean & Ann (CSWSSC) as Ann had also dressed up as a wpc. We stayed in The Greyhound for a while, meeting a few faces from Scooterboy World.com amongst others, before staggering over the road to the Leisure Centre where both nights VFM do's where being held this year. The Spa, where normally the Saturday Custom show and night time do is held was under restoration, although having seen it, whilst down at the Southcliffe, it looked like it had been bombed out. Pint in hand, myself and Dawn went backstage to say hello to our old friends Basketcase, who were entertaining us on stage later. From this point on, my account of Friday night is very hazy and i can only say what others have told me. Apparently i spent the whole time Basketcase were on stage boogie-ing away, wreking with the best of them, so apologies if i was too drunk. I then spent over an hour looking for my beloved who apparently had told me she was going back to our digs to change her boots but i didn't hear her. I finally find her back at the digs where she had been sat outside waiting for someone to turn up as she hadn't got the keys.

.....Saturday morning we strolled down the road for a bit of breakfast, planning to go into the custom show after, but when we got near the leisure centre we were astounded to see the length of the queue. As we sat in a cafe just down the road having our brekkie we could see the queue getting longer and longer, so abandoned our plan of going in for the time being. Not only that, with it being ran by Kev Walsh and the LCGB i knew it would cost a minimum of £4. I wasn't prepared to queue for ages and ages and then pay over the odds to get in to see a custom show of scooters i've probably seen before anyway. We resorted to plan B and made our way down to the Southcliffe to meet up with the Blues (well those that managed to get out of bed before 2pm) and Earl, Tommy, Dean & Ann. Tommy was in top form again, giving Dawn grief about me looking all over for her the previous night. On the way back to our digs for a power nap we stopped off at Wetherspoons for a bite to eat (Dawn had developed a liking for their minted lamb burgers). Also in there were the ii crowd with the Lincoln twins upto their usual pranks. Also in there where the Slackers who were sporting very jazzy light blue knitted cardigans.

.....After our power nap, Jamie, Phillappa, Dawn and myself made the short walk to the Leisure Centre as we were all working that night, Dawn & Phillappa in the entrance booth, Jamie and myself in the main room. Tonight was a complete sell out and was ticket only, although a few got in a bit later on by paying cash. First on stage that night were Skaville UK and seemed quite good although the room was hardly busy whilst they were on. By the time the second band, Glambusters, came on, the room had filled up nicely. Glambusters are a 70's tribute band and they went down a storm. I missed quite a bit of them as we were dealing with a small incident out the back, but i returned to find the dance floor packed to the sounds of Mud, Sweet and the like. The usual VFM DJ's then saw out the night playing all the rally favourites.

.....Sunday morning we awoke quite early (and yes we did remember to turn our watches back an hour), packed up our stuff and chatted to the mob from Birkenhead who had been in the flat above us. They told us of the problems that had arisen down at the Southcliffe during the previous night. Apparently there was quite a bit of trouble so the owners kicked everyone out that wasn't staying there. We said our goodbyes and set off for home. Before we got to the M62 we stopped at a cafe for brekkie and were soon joined by a few other scooterists. We were told about several outbreaks of trouble on Saturday night including a friend of ours being given a right kicking by a gang of other scooterists when he went for a bite to eat at the end of the night. If what we were told was 100% accurate then they must have been very brave to do that to a guy who besides his wife was on his own, kicking the shit out of him even when he was unconscious on the pavement. Are we returning to the bad old days of the late 80's, early 90's? It certainly looks like it as more and more outbreaks of trouble are occurring.