Aegir Rally

Clouded in the mists of alcohol, this rally was somewhere along the Trent or Humber and is named after the tidal bore which runs up the river with the neap tide. I bet that paints a picture.

This rally was organised by the Gainsborough and District.

Ian Goodson remembers more about it:

Start of quotation This rally was organised by the Gainsborough and District and was one of the earliest I attended.

It was so cold John Staples and I slept in the clubhouse - or at least tried to. Some prat was talking and smoking all night. It was also the first time I saw a BSA Rocket 3. End of quotation

- Ian Goodson

For a report of the 1976 Aegir Rally as recorded at the time by Steve White go to the Megaphone report.


Start of quotation Held at the Park Drain Hotel, to the east of Doncaster, in the summer months, July or August.

I was on my 650cc Triton/Monza with Andy Hawthorn 500cc Velo Clubman & John Wall 350cc Velo M.A.C.

One of my early ones. I was still at the stage when you were asking people "When's the next rally?"

"Hey up old lad, 'tis the Aegir at Park Drain Hotel, Doncaster. Right graidley do young 'un. Don't e' miss it."

So I made an early start and rode up on Friday evening on getting near to Doncaster a fog or rather smog was hanging in the air. Something that I hadn't smelled for years. I got my bearings from some chap in the street and was going hell for leather to get there as it was getting close to closing time. At last I could see the place off to my right. I turned right and drove down the road for a few hundred yards and screamed to a halt. A glance at my watch said 10.30pm. I sprinted inside, ran to the bar and ordered 3 pints of bitter and two bottles of light ale. The first pint was downed in one before the second was pulled. "What's the hurry lad?" "Closing time." I said "Nah, that's at eleven around here." "Any way where is everybody?" "Everybody Who?" "The motor cycle rally!" "Rally? Rally? Oh that's next weekend!"

Have you ever wanted to disappear up your own backside ...... I have ...... The landlord let me pitch the tent on the grass at the side of the pub and the next morning I set about trying to stop my mates from setting out for the rally. I sent a telegram to Andy but he had set out before it got to his home. I couldn't get word to John apart from sending Andy to stop him. I set off home and stopped Andy in Derby as I saw him coming the other way. Poor old John went all the way and broke down on the way home.

We attended the following weekend and kept our heads low.

I did another one a few years later, same pub but different site. Blazing hot weekend. Could have been 1976 I can't remember. Too much anti-memory juice.

End of quotation

- Les Hobbs


Start of quotation The Aegir Rally was my first ever rally, 1974 I think. It was right behind the Park Drain Hotel and a railway line. I went on my 250 Honda XL trail bike with Christine on the back. I followed Jimmy and Ronny Southward, BSA A10 combo, and Velo respectively.

I remember a big, high, back room, with a flag suspended from the ceiling by the four corners. During the evening a pie fight ensued, with a lot of pies aimed into the flag so the weight pulled the centre down to a point.

Next year was the red-hot year. The flag still had a weight in the centre but the moisture must have dried it out because the sag was much less pronounced than the previous year.

I still ride, not many rallies now though, Stormin, Into the Valley, Farmyard.

Good mates were The Woffs, Ian and Jim, Dave and Chris Honneyman, Roy the Boy, Big John Emery, Stewy Taylor and Teado, Big Keith Hunwick and little Val his wife, and on and on. Apologies if I left anyone out, I don't know how much space they will allow me. End of quotation

- Paul Elliott, Tees Tornadoes.


Start of quotation I went to the Aegir Rally from 1972-1976, along with other members of our club, the Tees Tornados, so my memories of it span that time scale. I couldn't say for definate that a certain event was this year, or that year.

I do remember it was a fantastic rally and the weather was usually good and at least one year it was absolutely scorching. I seem to remember a group of us going for a swim in a pond ... anyone out there remember more on that?

We did witness an horrific accident that year, a Norton Commando rider came to grief when a car pulled out in front of him. He was riding down one of the many long straight stretches of roads that surrounded the Park Drain Hotel. These roads were perfectly flat and straight for miles. Because of the red-hot weather there was one hell of a heat haze, so visibility was limited to a few hundred yards. A car pulled onto the road from a house at the side of the road and the bike ploughed into it. He didn't stand a chance poor lad. The bike caught fire and there was molten aluminium on the road, such was the heat of the fire. The rider was thrown down the road. I don't think he survived.

I think it was the Rally in 1973 that Smiv n I met a Japanese guy who like me was riding a 350 Honda twin. He told me he'd decided to see the world and figured out his easiest, cheapest option was to do it by motor bike, even though he'd never riden one before. He passed his test a couple of months before setting off. Brave man! He'd riden right accross Asia and Europe, and said he was making for America next. He was writing a report of his journey and sending it back to a Japanese newspaper or magazine and they were subsidising his trip. After he'd crossed America his plan was to take his Honda 350 to a major Honda dealer and persuade them to give him a new one in exchange for his stories and the bike that had just gone round the world. I wonder if that came off ... answers on a postcard please.

Does anyone out there remember "Festus", a guy from the Nottingham club? He gave a full recital of "Eskimo Nell" in a small room at the Hotel. It seemed to go on for ages and gratified listeners would wander off and come back to supply the mantlepiece Festus was leaning on with fresh pints of ale. The Japanese guy was amazed at all of this, and loved every minute of it.

Other memories are of Kev Dixon falling down a drainage ditch after a session, and me being run over by a sidecar outfit on the way back from the pub to the site. I remember walking back with a group of rallyists, hearing a bike, looking round and seeing a headlamp, then thinking he's got loads of room ... bang ... and and I'm on the ground. I looked up to see the two lights of a sidecar going away from us ... never did find the culprit, the little tinker.

It was a great rally, the Aegir. End of quotation

- Dave Honneyman


Start of quotation This was run by the Hub-spinners MCC of Gainsborough although a lot of us were from Scunthorpe.

My first of many was in 1968 at Gringley on the Hill where some idiot was showing how fast his Commando would go down the road. It moved sites a few times as did the club meeting place, gradually moving north until it ended up next to Scunthorpe at Keadby and I think the last guy running it, who has the ultimate say in the name, is Pete Ross (Rossie).

Only myself (Stef) and Snowy are still faithful to bikes all these years later. Not seen Snowy now for about four years though. End of quotation

- Stefan Gats KKS69MCC


Start of quotation I was at the Aegir Rally in 1974. My name is Andy Town and I was a member of the Denholm and District MCC.

I found this site by accident after a flashback. A buddy of mine mentioned Doncaster so I Googled Park Drain Hotel. I was riding my BSA A10 sidecar outfit with my friend Rod Bower in the chair.

I belive that this is where I first met the Tees Tornados. Does anyone remember the brothers Ben and Dav from Darlington?

I did alot of rallies and they've all run into one, but the Aegir stands out because out back where I wandered there was this guy who said "50p in t' 'at for a good show" and when I looked around I saw a large young lady stood there in the rain wearing a bush hat and glasses. I can't remember if I put anything in the hat, seems unlikely I

only had 5 pounds. I say "only". That five pound note paid for gas, registration and beer.

I went to the Aegir a few times; I only have one bar on the badge and it says 1974 so I cant say when the others happened exactly. What I do remember is a lot of fun, unusually friendly people and that odd building, the Park Drain Hotel.

One more thing. When the song "Runaround Sue" comes on the juke box, do all the members of the Brighouse and District MCC all shout "SHIT THE BED" and if so why? End of quotation

- Andy Town


Start of quotation I'm Dave Jackson, the idiot from Hub Spinners who always started the sing songs. Reading these stories brings back lots of memories.

I think the guy who said it was cold and tried to sleep in the club house was at our February rally, the Snowman. Nobody got much sleep that night as we were all laughing and joking with the Notts 41 Club Big Ivor, Tom Carr and the lads.

Someone mentioned the accident at the Aegir. It was my friend Roger Hanat who sadly was dead on arrival at the hospital.

The first Aegir I went to was Grinley on The Hill 1969. We moved to Park Drain Westwood site the year after.

I also joined D.D.M.C.C in 1970. Anyone out there remember Dave & Sheila from Scunthorpe?

I also read somewhere on LPMCC.net about the Stag Rally. My first ever one was 1969 Stamford. I seem to remember it being on an old railway embankment. I got that pissed I was hooked on rallies for years to come.

The Hub Spinners Club House used to be in the Becket Arms Pub At Corringham nr Gainsborough and held every Thursday night. I was a member from 1968 to 1976. The two main guys who did the rallies were me & Tees (Mal Ford).

I could sit on here write for hours about all the rallies. Anyone out there remembers us get in touch on here.

For all those guys out there who rallied with us, thanks for the great memories. All the best to you all. End of quotation

- Dave Jackson


Start of quotation Andy Town asks "does anyone remember Ben and Dav?"

Ben (real name John Richardson) still lives in the same house he has lived in all his life. Dav is still in Darlo, but separately.

I see them most years at Stormin the Castle. Ben's wife and daughter Mary helps to run the custom show there. End of quotation

- Paul Elliott


Start of quotation We went to the Aegir in 1974 and 75 with 41 club; one year it rained cats and dogs - never seen rain like it before or since - the other year bright sunsine.

Festus is Tom Carr's nickname. Funny thing is we saw him only last Thursday night at the regular bikers night at the White Hart bikers pub Lenton, Nottingham. He turns up about once every 6 months or so, now lives in Peterbourogh.

We had first baby in '76 so we no longer did the rallies although we did manage to get to Robin Hood that year for a couple of hours in the afternoon with our baby son and for a couple of hours at the Man of Trent on our own while a friend baby sat for us.

Remember the pie throwing incident or could be that it was a regular event. Always remember the pub and the huge veranda on the back. I always used to carry my musical beer stien with me to rallies and the landlady always wanted it. I used to drink rum and black at the time and it only held a quarter of a pint, just big enough to get a double in and some ice.

My name was Babs and I was one of 41 club girls who always went round selling the raffle tickets at the rallies. My husband was Piggy, did not rally as much as I did as he was in Royal Air Force from '69 to '74 but I would often travel on the back of one of the other 41 guys; Bob Brown, Mick the Noo, Jonny Sefton, Bruce, Leslie and Graham Fulger were good friends and Big Mick Marriott.

Still see a lot of them at the White Hart every week. End of quotation

- Barbara Piggott


Start of quotation My husband Ginner Kettlewell, Norton 650ss, designed the Aegir rally badge & we & the commitee of the Hubspinners organised the rallies. We ran the Snowman rally also. End of quotation

- Pauline Kettlewell


Start of quotation Hi, my name is Chris Smith ( Cisco ), Scunthorpe born and bred.

In the early seventies I used to go to a lot of rallies sometimes two in the same weekend. I often travelled with Tees and many others.

Once went to a rally and had terrible toothache so borrowed a pair of snipe nosed pliers and pulled it out myself.

Would love to hear from friends. End of quotation

- Chris Smith

We have Cisco's email address and will put you in direct contact if you send us your contact details.