Thursday - we all met up at David and Gwyneth’s ‘van for vegetable soup and French stick. David made his welcoming speech and everyone met up with new and old friends. Thelma was released from hospital that morning so was able to join us.

Friday - we all met in the school hall. David welcomed everyone. Thelma was there with her world famous tombola and bookstall. At 9pm the committee disappeared for their pre-AGM meeting. After the meeting everyone left the hall and disappeared into each other’s ‘vans.

Saturday - first time ralliers Elaine and Steve Evans from Shrewsbury joined us just as the kettle was boiling. Hazel made a lovely cup of tea; Steve was celebrating his 60th birthday and had bought a cake, which he kindly shared. Thank you Steve it was delicious. At 7pm we all gathered in the school hall. The theme for the night was white so everyone went in their best white outfits. Hazel Stoneman surprised everyone by going as a ‘negative’! The Elddis Fairy joined us for the evening. A ploughman’s style meal was served to the tables. There was sausage roll, cheese, grated carrot, lettuce, onion and a bread roll and butter. Gwyneth and her helpers had plated it up ready to serve so that we only had to supply knife and forks. Everyone supplied their own drinks. After everything had been eaten and cleared away, two cakes were brought to the front one sporting the original club logo and the other with the present logo. Gwyneth and David supplied both. Derek and Eileen Jackson and Jim and Janet James had the honour of cutting the cakes. Derek made a speech then the cakes were cut and served. They were really delicious.

After, we played the Elddis Krypton Factor – plenty of quiz questions and a table with folded carrier bags to identify. Then we played the Coronation Street game everyone had an envelope contacting a character from the show. There were 3 chairs at the front and when your character was called out you sat on one of the chairs. If someone was already sitting on one you had to ask them to move. The last 3 sitting had boxes under their chairs and only one contained a bottle of wine. Carly won the wine (for her Mum!). The winner of the best white outfit went of course to our Elddis Fairy who looked lovely in his tutu and had his own fairy walk! (Well-done Ken Wootton). Several people stayed back and helped clear tables and put the chairs out ready for the AGM on Sunday.

Sunday - 10 am and the doors opened ready for the AGM. At 10.30 am the AGM started promptly. After the election of officers etc Gwyneth and David were presented with a bouquet of flowers as a thank you for running the rally. Thelma was thanked for running the tombola and bookstall. We had been issued with A4 paper with our packs on arrival to make paper aeroplanes and at 2.30pm we all took our aeroplanes behind Gwyneth and David’s ‘van. The competition was to be the nearest to the Elddis caravan target. Stuart Fox won for the adults and Daniel won for the children. Well-done both!

That evening taxis arrived to take those that were going to the dinner dance to The Cedar Hotel. The 3-course meal was lovely. After Jim James made his speech most of us got up and danced. The taxis took people back to the rally field when they wanted to leave most stayed until the end.

Monday - at 10 am we had the raffle and then flag, which was when the trophies were presented. Brian Smith was awarded with the David Bain Trophy. All the helpers were presented with certificates of thanks. After flag some ralliers headed off to their destinations. Jamie-Lee Stephenson won the Junior Trophy (see photo)

Tuesday - those who did not leave on Monday departed today.

Approximately Twenty vans arrived and were welcomed with afternoon tea served by Sue and all her helpers. Not only the tea was magnificent, so was the weather, which was to continue for all twelve days.

For the first Saturday social we were served with a four course meal that was excellently prepared and served by Sue, Peter and Assistant Marshals. After the meal, plaques were presented to Sue and Peter and the Assistant Marshals by our Chairman and David and Christine Rhys received a shield for their 100th Rally. The Chairman also admitted that the site and the weather were smashing (he didn’t think it would be so good in the North). This was followed by Peters’ quiz to round off the evening.

The second Saturday saw another excellent meal, how do they manage to keep up such a fantastic standard and also lay on good weather to match? The Rally was excellent from start to finish and all credit goes to everyone connected for the work they put in. I am sure one wants to know when the next rally will be.

Just outside the walls surrounding the Woburn Estate is sited The White Horse Pub and its rally field. This was the site chosen by Clive & Doreen Gott for their ‘Zoo Trek’ rally. The 6 ‘Vans and 1 Motorhome attending all arrived on the first day, so Clive had a full house for his evening welcome meet with the traditional tea, coffee and biscuits.

The weather was sunny for the majority of the rally with only some rain on the Sunday night. This meant that everyone could make the most of the area, some went shopping in nearby Milton Keynes, some explored Woburn Abbey and other local stately homes, whilst some were happy just relaxing on the field.

Saturday evening was scheduled to be a communal bar-b-que but Clive offered to cook seafood paella for those interested with a small fee levied to cover the cost of ingredients. The finished product was superb and a happy good natured evening was enjoyed by all.

Flag was held after the meal with Lea Sapsford officiating. Sunday lunch was taken in the Pub but some had to leave the rally during the day. Gerry and Betty Morris headed home to Dorset having been away from home since before the Harrogate A.G.M. Martin and Lesley Hill resumed their journey south to holiday in Cornwall and Brian and Jean Smith made an early start for home in Kent to avoid the M25 traffic jams. These three couples must have known something the remainder of us did not. Namely the game Clive had planned for the last evening. Cards with music titles were given to each person in turn and the objective was for one of the couple to hum or la-la the music for the other to guess, after a couple of rounds this degenerated into a poor quality but very humorous Pub sing song, great fun!

Regrettably, Monday meant we all had to make our way home but it was a rally to remember, well done Clive and Doreen, more please.

A bright breezy day saw us descend onto the Rugby Club ground at Darlington - for those of us who had traveled from the South very easy access. Roy was there to greet us all in his pleasant unflappable manner, nice flat pitches made setting up very easy. By the end of the day most of the workers (poor souls) had also arrived bringing the total up to 16 Vans.

We had the use of the Rugby Clubhouse for the social on the Saturday and all were served with a super meal having pre ordered from a choice of 4 dishes. My chicken in a mushroom sauce was delicious. A pleasant evening was had by all.

Darlington and surrounding area is blessed with many visitor attractions. Nearby Barnard Castle with its famous Bowes Museum is well worth a visit. Raby Castle is also nearby but the Entrance fee of £9 per person was a bit off-putting. Unfortunately the Railway Museum in Darlington was closed for refurbishment but promises to be open in the spring. The walking in this area is extremely good, a fact that 6 of us took full advantage of.

Sunday came all too soon and as usual half the rallier’s disappeared having work to do the following day. The remainder of us enjoyed fish and chips on the Monday evening organized by Roy and collected by Tom and Mattie. Unfortunately it was too cold to sit outside to eat so we retired in groups to our Caravans. All too soon Wednesday came along so onwards 13 miles To Bishop Auckland and the factory rally.

Thanks Roy Tom and Mattie for another great Rally in the North East.

Three caravans and one motor home attended the rally this year. Elddis being part of the club section of this massive campsite of around 4000 units, we were closer to the show and entertainment than those parked in General Camping. We, as Marshals, arrived on Thursday morning, however the show organisers, Warners, had not told their Marshals where some of the clubs were located. We eventually located where we were. We then phoned everyone to tell them where to find us. For those who think its only motor caravans on display, there were around 200 other stands selling everything from gas bottles to handbags. Wandahome also chose to display their new range of Elddis Liberte tourers for the first time at the show. Although the Liberte 21/6 model did have a Compass logo as well as Elddis badges, hopefully this is a one off.

Entertainment included X Factor runner up Andy Abraham and Bobby Davro, all in one of the biggest marquees you have ever seen. Apart from running the Elddis rally, we were also helping with another club we are members of as their Marshal could not attend. One of the Yorkshire Friends Ralliers arrived on Thursday, the other four on Friday. As we had the boiler on, some of the YFR members came over for coffee on Friday night. Our caravan played host to the Elddis flag and then later the YFR flag on Sunday Morning. We won’t be running the rally next year, however, if any member wishes to run the rally, please contact us and we will tell you who to contact at the organisers, Warners Publications.

This was the second rally to be run at this site this year but this time it was with a different Rally Marshal, this time it was Steve Borg’s turn to run the rally. He was ably assisted by his wife Andrea and children Alyson and Laurence. Everyone arrived on Friday which was a lovely sunny late summer day and by Flag we had eight caravans gathered on the field. Steve welcomed everyone to the rally as we all enjoyed the usual tea and coffee, with the most enormous plate of biscuits you have ever seen. There were enough for eighty vans let alone eight.

Saturday was a free and easy day and some people chose to go shopping to Merry Hill Shopping Centre (or Merry Hell as it is locally known) whilst others stopped on site. There was a gathering in the Marshal’s awning around midday where Midlands committee members were plotting next years AGM. Things must have gone well because no one came out with any sign of injury. Saturday evening ended with a gathering in the Marshal’s awning again but this time the drinks were of a stronger variety.

Sunday morning Flag came only too quickly and we were joined by Charles and Pauline Bayliss who dropped in to say hello to friends. Steve presented birthday cards to Paul McArdle and Janet Giles, then let it slip that it was Pauline’s birthday in the following week, from where he got the information I don’t know but there were several people denying all knowledge of telling him, including poor Charles who almost choked on his tea when it was mentioned.

The quiz was won by Lyndon and Ruth Wigmore and van prizes were drawn out and awarded, but all too soon it was all over and it was time to pack up and go home.

Five vans and one motorhome attended Janet & Chris’s rally at Nantwich. This struck me as surprisingly low considering it was held in a field adjoining a public house!!!! The rally officially kicked off on the Friday with tea and coffee being served in Janet and Chris’s awning. Fears of the cold were unnecessary as hot drinks and hot air kept us all snug well into the evening when the tea and coffee were replaced with wine.

The weather was reasonably kind to us on Saturday and ralliers were free to do as they please. A Food and Drink festival was being held in the town which proved a big hit for those not watching their waistline. Dagfields Antique and Craft Centre is located just ¾ of a mile from the site and this really was a little goldmine and hours could be spent rummaging around amongst the treasures both old and new.

A pub meal was held on Saturday evening which was attended by all ralliers. This was followed by a pub quiz, now I’m not saying it was difficult, but even Einstein would have had to phone a friend, so congratulations to Moss and Diana Owen who won the quiz with a whopping 9 out of 26.

Flag was held on Sunday morning with cakes and cards in abundance as we were celebrating birthdays for both Pauline and Charles Bayliss, not forgetting their wedding anniversary. This will explain them booking the extra night on the field to continue with the celebrations. All in all, another successful Elddis rally. A great site, superb Marshals, and fantastic company. I very much hope this site makes it into the rally book next year.