Condom Rally

Sixth on 9th October 1992 - Travellers MCC

I suspect that most of you know exactly what a condom looks like. So I'm not going to support the introduction to this text with a photo showing one of those; even less with explanations about how it's used and what it's for.

On the other hand, as a complement to the previous articles devoted to this very special rally, I thought it would be interesting to provide a few aerial shots of the paradisiacal landscape where this motorcycling gathering took place, the first edition of which was held in 1987 and the last in this series - if I'm not mistaken - the thirtieth of the name, in 2016.

It's hard to find a more idyllic location for a motorbike rally than Mersea Island, nine miles south-east of Colchester. Covering seven square miles, the island and its fishing villages is home to almost 7,000 inhabitants

Let's go back in time to 1992! And more precisely to the dates of 9, 10 and 11 October, when the 6th edition of this meeting took place.

As shown here, in the traditional A4 format produced by the organisers and boasting of the good things awaiting participants, the programme was mouth‑watering.

A souvenir of this 1992 meeting survived for three decades. Here it is, a photograph of the event flyer.

It would be a miracle if a reader could tell us what was the purpose of what appears to be a ticket or voucher; it would be even more extraordinary if one of the organising members could remember the name of the person who came up with this drawing showing a couple of condoms dancing to the rhythm of the music around them...

When condoms shake, rattle and roll...

While the mood at the 1992 Condom rally was certainly upbeat for the vast majority of participants, it was much less so two days later for so many other British people.

On 13 October to be precise, when the government announced the closure of 31 of the country's 50 coal mines (>60%), causing the loss of 31,000 jobs.

- Jean-Francois Helias