Emu Rally
1st April 1983 MRA (GB)
- Phil the Spill
When some people said that the old Three Spires MCC was not a real club, just a business that ran rallies for profit, opinion was divided on the matter. When they changed their name, taking it from an Australian organisation, it became a bit clearer. The Motorcycle Riders Association (GB) ran four rallies, one at each corner of mainland Britain (North, South, East & West). They also ran the End-to-End ride, (Lands End to John O'Groats). I am not sure if there was already a group that organised these things, but the MRA swiftly 'took it over' and declared any run that was not done through them as 'unofficial', though what that actually meant was unclear.
The rallies were also named after successful Australian rallies, they even copied the original badges, complete with organisers names on them.
The Emu, this one, was at St.Juste in Cornwall, actually ever so slightly further south than Lands End. (The most northerly was at Dunnet's Head.)
It was quite a cold weekend, there was even a heater in the marquee, but this didn't stop people starting small bonfires inside it! I can't honestly remember if there were any proper games organised, but this made sightseeing more popular, even though the weather didn't encourage it.
There were a lot of people I knew from the rally circuit in attendance, but this just didn't get the feeling of a rally I would want to go to. Impromptu mud-wresting matches broke out around the marquee one night, but this, again, didn't help with the atmosphere.
There didn't seem to be any organisers in sight when the generator broke down on Saturday evening, so it was left to us to get it running again!
I was unimpressed with this rally, so I never went to any subsequent MRA events.
- Phil (the Spill) Drackley