Black Pudding Rally

Organised by Bolton 71 MCC.

The first Black pudding rally was in 1975. According to my diary entry the 1976 one was at the Toby Inn Edgeworth 7 miles from Bolton on the A666 and it cost £1 to book in.

They even gave me a longest distance award!

- Ted

Bolton was about twenty minutes away from Bradford by motorway (it takes a bit longer now partly due to the traffic and partly due to speed limit enforcement!) This meant that there was always a good turn out there from both of my Clubs (Dean Valley MCC and the Denholme and District.)

However it was a bit close to home for me. In 1975 I decided to call in after work on the Friday, have a bite to eat, see who had turned up, then set off down to South Wales to the Raglan Rally. As we all know, the best laid plans ...

I had only intended to stay for an hour or so, I knew I couldn't get to the Raglan Rally before closing time, so it would be a shame to entirely miss the Friday session! Every time I was about to leave someone else arrived who I knew and so it went on. Then the rain started. Common sense said put the tent up and leave in the morning, but when has that ever applied to rallying?

It was about midnight when I finally left, (the pub had closed!) The rain was torrential, but at least the motorway was empty. The highlight of the journey was being passed on the M5 by a Variety Club minibus. The sign on it said Sunshine Coach, but it didn't seem to be working!

After 200 miles of fog and rain at about 3 in the morning I was at the site of the Raglan rally, but there was a problem. Only two other tents were there! Yes the Rally had been cancelled!

A change of plan was called for, so after a few hours sleep, and now in dry conditions, I set off again across country to Pulloxhill near Luton and went to the Invader Rally (Suzuki OC). I had a walk around, but as you might expect it was mostly Suzuki bikes and owners, and I didn't know anybody there, all my friends were in Bolton, and that was now just another 250 miles or 4 hours away. So yes, it was back on the bike and up to Bolton.

Saturday evening saw me back where I had started, but this time I did put the tent up and I enjoyed my long distance local rally! They even gave me a longest distance award!

A few years ago, I was at the Spark in the Dark Rally and couldn't understand the feelings of Deja Vue. It was at Pulloxhill and the same site I had been to briefly about 25 years before!

- Ted Trett


Start of quotation I went to the 1975 on and have my badge.

Memory may be slightly incorrect but I am sure the Black Pudding rally in 1975 was held around the Golborne area or between that and Bolton, organised by Bolton 71 MC End of quotation

- Cfd