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The Suffolk Centre's 1500th Celebration
Rally
July 2006
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The sun has just set at the end
of a most enjoyable weekend in
celebration of the Suffolk
Centre's 1500th rally.
I arrived "alone" at the rally
but departed having made many
new friends during the weekend -
seasoned ralliers and less
seasoned ones, like myself.
I've already booked another two
rallies as I've now definitely
got the "rally bug"!
I particularly enjoyed the
performance by the Caravan Club
Concert Band - they were
terrific.
Thanks again to everyone
involved for all their hard
work, in what was, at times,
unbearably hot temperatures, and
for making it such an enjoyable
and memorable weekend.
I look forward to the 40th
Anniversary celebrations next
year.
Janet
Mills
Lowestoft
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The weather had
been hot and sunny for about three weeks
before the 1500th Rally and the Suffolk
Centre Committee were hoping for the summer
to continue for the events planned over the
four days in July. The team had been
planning this event for almost a year and
many decisions had been made regarding the
dates, venue, entertainment and all the
other arrangements.
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Fair Exchange - Picture
courtesy of Trevor Smith |
The rally slips
had been coming in steadily and Janet had
been checking numbers. It was now time to
order the rally plaques, peg out the rally
field and draw a plan of where everything
was to be. The rally signs were placed in
the road, the stage and dance floor were
erected, the lights installed and at last,
the caravans and motorhomes started to file
onto the field. there were 129 in total and
it was quite a task to site them all and I
believe Tony & Alan shrunk by an inch over
the weekend with all the walking.
The optional first day, Thursday included a
quiz night with Dave and Tracy our
quizmasters. There was a number of teams all
playing their joker at the right time and a
few questions that caught us out too. How
heavy is the average human brain ??!!
Well maybe it depends who you are thinking
of..... haha
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The evening was
long, warm and relaxing. It eventually got
dark and the caravanners moved back to their
vans to the sound of The Caravan Club Band
practicing on the rally field. There was
just time for a couple of cool beers and it
was time for bed.
The second day was just as hot, with more ralliers arriving during the day. By
afternoon, the gentle sounds of the "Tea
Dance" music could be heard. The dance was
well attended despite the baking sun and
high temperatures in the barn. |
Robo the Clown - Picture
courtesy of Den Mattocks
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The children enjoy the entertainment -
Picture courtesy of Trevor Smith |
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After an
enjoyable barbeque, we got ready for the
evening entertainment by Fair Exchange. This
duet delivered a wide range of songs and
soon the dancing started again. The barn
became dark and the atmosphere relaxed as
the evening matured. It was a very enjoyable
evening indeed.On Saturday there was a very
full programme of events. In the morning, a
chance to wander around the shops, owl and
horse sanctuaries or play a round of golf. A
clothes stall had set up and the Sports
Officers had erected the volleyball net and
five-a-side football posts. There was a lot
of competition out there and all age groups
enjoyed the opportunity to burn off some
energy.
After lunch, Robo the Clown arrived and
performed twice for the juniors. Everyone
was watching him as he made fun and magic
for nearly two hours. Mums and Dads had the
choice of enjoying the show, or sneaking off
for a little afternoon nap while the
youngsters were entertained.
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The Caravan Club Band -
Picture courtesy of Trevor Smith |
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At 3pm The Caravan Club Band started their
concert. What an excellent concert led by
Julie. There was a good range of songs, some
of which we had heard during practice. The
sound was superb and it was difficult to
believe that the group had travelled form
all over the country, some as far as
Liverpool and even Cumbria, to entertain us.
Our thanks go to all the musicians for an
excellent concert and celebrating our 1500th
rally with us.
Another barbeque was due and we all feasted
on steak, lamb chops and the best bangers we
could find. Washed down with some cool beer,
the evening was kicked off by Steve Harley's
"Come up and see me make me smile" sung by
Mister Buss. They soon got us up on the
dance floor once again and the celebrations
were in full swing.
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Mister Buss -
Picture courtesy of Trevor Smith
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After an hour or so, a "Suffolk Old
Boy" took the mike and started his
little "rant". he moaned and groaned
about the new age travellers and
immediately we realised that he was
the evening cabaret. What a laugh we
all had. Gary and Dave were picked
from the crowd and tall stories were
told about them both. |
Suffolk Old Boy -
Picture courtesy of Steve Garrard |
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The roar of laughter was
followed by loud cheers as the Suffolk Old
boy left the stage and it was time for the grand draw.
Many prizes had been donated and one lucky rallier was drawn to receive there rally fee
back in full. We cheered (and a few cheeky
groans) when Barry and Lynn were picked from
the box. Well
done, the drinks are on you Barry !
Over £500 was raised for our nominated
charities. |
Flagpole with Grenville
Chamberlain
- Picture courtesy of Steve Garrard |
A Sunday morning walk was followed by
flagpole. Our Chairman David Totman and wife
Tracy were delighted to welcome our special
guests, Grenville Chamberlain, The Caravan Club
Vice Chairman with his wife Liz. Grenville addressed
the audience and congratulated the Suffolk
Centre for achieving 1500 rallies. This had
indeed been a tremendous celebration.
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Bethany was able to present
Liz a bunch of flowers as thanks for supporting our
celebration rally.
After some more chat and many goodbyes, the ralliers began to drift back to their vans
and all the packing up was started.
It took most of the afternoon to clear the
marquees and remove all the equipment. Soon
the rally field began to clear and the
1500th Rally drew to a close.
Special thanks must go to John and his team
for use of such an excellent venue, The Mid
Suffolk Showground, Stonham Barns. Also,
thanks to marshals Karen & Tony, Janet &
Alan for ensuring we were all shown to our
pitch in the searing heat.
There was a large team of helpers and
without them, the rally would not have been
the success it was. Well done everyone, you
know who you are. |
Picture courtesy of Denis Mattocks |
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