Jack Tar Rally

It is an invite only rally (but only so that numbers attending can be predicted).

The Rally has a bit of a military theme because the past few have been held at the Army helicopter training base at Middle Wallop, which is also home to the Museum of Army Flying You could spend all weekend in there; it's not a huge museum, but there are all sorts of things and even motorbikes in the displays! We were lucky in '07 because the museum had some VIPs visiting and they put on an air display of First World War fighter planes for them, and of course we all got to watch too!

I usually get to meet up with friends from the Solent MCC, and others from the south and west, who I don't get to meet so often.

The Bar and the evening entertainment, (Disco/ Band) are all housed in modern military marquees; they are not like the canvas circus style tents they used to have! The big advantage is that all beer etc is at NAAFI prices so it's not worth walking off to find a local pub!

Saturday evening kicks off with a barbeque, cooked by the RNMCC and FREE.

The club always have a large canvas swimming pool on site (filled by the airbase fire engines!) this comes into play when the lads introduce new club members to one of their traditions, an enforced ducking in the pool! Rank counts for nothing at the rally, they all seem to mess in together!

I always like to have a look round at the bikes, although most of them were modern Japanese things! There was a nice Harley 45, restored, but used; very nice!

There is plenty of scope for runs out on the Saturday, with Thruxton circuit just down the road, Stonehenge and Salisbury plain not much further. All in all one of my favorite summer rallies.

Ted Trett

This is a very popular rally held by the Royal Navy Motorcycle Club in July at an army air base in Middle Wallop.

The camping area is flat grass and the navy personnel run the bar in an army tent.

There is a separate tent with a disco (Spike from the Solent Rally) on Friday and the disco and a band on Saturday.

The navy also do a very large free (to the rallists) BBQ on Saturday afternoon.

- Dave Ranger

Nice pics, trad sounding sort of do, plus all of the add-ons to see in that area.

Nice clear and informative text with a good selection of pictures