Event Reports

Farmyard Party - Friday 19th - Sunday 21st June 2015

How giddy were we all for the FYP weekend .... Very giddy indeed was the answer !!!

Our intrepid adventure started on the Thursday evening for Lorna, Pingy, Ian, Geoff, Steve & Justine, who arrived at various parts of the day, but were all on-site by 7:00pm, pitch the tents then tuck into the fantastic BBQ Lorna & Pingy had prepared, down some beers, gossip like old women, abuse our fellow Yorkshire MAG members, and generally chill into the weekend. Blooming marvellous.

The following morning we continued our annual and now legendary tradition - a walk into Helmsley, a biker breakfast, quick look round Helmsley whilst the pubs open, then straight into the Royal Oak for a lunchtime drinking session.

The Carnival Atmosphere in Helmsley

Following several foaming pints of ale / cider and the now obligatory big fat cigars, we walked / staggered back to the rally site for a quick power nap prior to evening marshal shifts for some, or more partying for others. By this time the camping areas were looking a bit fuller than before, and the rest of our contingent had rocked up, found where we were camped and pitched next to us.

The site had filled up

The Friday evening shift in the Blues tent was a breeze, helped by the fact it wasn't that busy on account of the bands not being that good (well, some liked them, but not to my taste).

in the Blues Tent

The main arena had Badness playing and it was rammed and buzzing apparently.

Badness in the Main Marquee
Rammed and Buzzing in the Main Marquee

Saturday followed the same Helmsley pub visit for some, whilst Steve & Justine were completing the second of their double shifts marshalling the bike show. Despite the weather (sunshine and showers), the bike show was very busy, and the quality of entrants as high as ever.

Lots of entrants in the ever popular bike show

I didn't envy the judges but as it was BSH magazine doing the judging and not Wakefield MAG, we weren't bothered how difficult it was. The winning entrants were:

All show winners also recieved 2 free tickets to the rock and bike fest in Derbyshire (worth £80). A few surprises this year with the bike show winners, and the best in show certainly wasn't the blingiest, had the most money throw at it, or even the most innovative. This is excellent as it goes to prove that anything can win (so no excuse for not entering your own bike !!!).

Meanwhile that afternoon, the comedy show proved most entertaining (if somewhat rude).

Following a rather pleasant Roast dinner in the FYP Cafe, and a bit of rally retail therapy (£35 for some armoured Kevlar jeans !!), Steve, Geoff and Justine settled down to watch Oliver Dawson Saxon in the Main Marquee, who were rather good. Meanwhile, in the Blues Tent, it was a little busier for our intrepid marshals than it had been on the Friday evening. Lorna and Ian had to remind some well refreshed individuals not to dance on the tables ... several times and to the point where Ian was ready for calling security on the radio to have them ejected. This isn't killjoy stuff or trying to stop people enjoying themselves ... a similar incident happened the year before where someone had fallen off a chair (playing silly buggers as we say in't Yorkshire) and popped their knee cap ... net result, a trip to A&E, a rather painful injury (that could lead to permanent problems), and trying to find someone else to ride your bike home for you on the Sunday, as you certainly wont be. In short, listen to the marshals, they are not there to spoil your fun, but to protect you (from yourself a lot of the time !!!).

Come Sunday morning, it looked like rain so we took our tents down and packed the bikes up, then headed for breakfast in the food court. We all set off together and rode most of the way home as one, before splitting off on our seperate ways.

All in all, another brilliant FYP. A huge thanks to our interpid Blues Tent Marshals, all 11 of them. Attendance this year was around the 5,000-6,000 mark .... impressive, but a little short of the magical 10,000 that we very nearly hit a few years back. If there was a criticism of this years FYP, it was the food prices on-site. Prices had been hiked up from the year before, to the extent that the marshals vouchers (at £6) and supposedly enough to cover a meal .. no longer did. Regardless, the FYP is still an awesome event. If you have never been to the FYP you must, if the weather puts you off, don't let it, the FYP should be on every bikers bucket list, every year !!! It's also held in a rather lovely location.

Helmsley is very picturesque

The FYP also caters to sophisticated tastes.

The FYP caters to sophisticated tastes

See you at the FYP in 2016 !!!