Good news I note that the BBC have signed a 5 year deal for the GPs.More viewers and another nail in the coffin for formula 1 cars

It IS good news, especially for folk without access to satelitte transmissions. However, I will continue to watch on Eurosport. They have it down to a fine art. The boys on there know their stuff and are enthusiastic. I enjoy the whole day feel about their broadcast. Using a DVD recorder with hard disk (sorry, didnt mean to sound flash!) its possible to watch, garden and avoid the ads! Great stuff. A long way from the meagre oferings that used to come from the Beeb.
As for F1 car racing? Oh my, what a bore!!

Mike

Until such time as they don't slot it in between marathon running (yawn) and Badminton Horse trials (zzzzzzzz) I will continue to watch on Eurosport.

Since packing in the fags which i had no choice i have saved a few bob enough to treat myself to Sky-digital, well i dont think its been turned off since it was installed and the coverage on Eurosport is brilliant,they even have scambling on as well.

Scrambling, Pykey - blimey, you're showing your age !!!

No....... SCAMBLING.....something totally different!

Mike

Might be good news but if it is anything like the last superbike round that was shown at 1.30am. If some other sport is to be shown the same day i bet good old beeb will move the bike racing

Dave yes those was the days a TV scramble every week and guess what we used to visit most of them in this area,in fact the Brian Stonebridge Memorial Meeting 50,000 turned up at Hawkstone Park but road racing is my 1st choice. But Scrambles and trials kept us going through the winter and for a great w/end there was The Dragon Rally which i believe is still held in the middle of February?

I love watching the GP on Eurosports the comentary always cracks me up.
Hans

I remember freezing my b**t off at the very first Dragon Rally at ?Bryn Bras. Camped next to Titch Allen and family. Too young to ride then, went with Dad on his Vincent outfit. He suffered from poor circulation in his right hand so used to ride it 'left-handed' in winter. Do they still hold the Dragon?

I'm the same age as the Dragon I did it for about 8 years in the late eighties and early nineties.
I still have all my badges and the bottles of whisky. I've camped in comditions so cold that the tent pegs were frozen into the ground and when it rained the whole site turned into a mud bath. Standing in a foot of mud and water frozen from the knees down and steam and smoke rising from the rest of me at the bonfire was "fun " too.
I loved every minute of my times at the Dragon I only stopped going after a personal tragedy ( nothing to do with the rally it's self).
Yes I think it is still run on the second weekend in Feburary one day I'll go back and do it again.

Bill i and my mates went to the Dragon Rally and remember the Bryn Bras one, later we went to GWYCH CASTLE (hope the spelling is ok} and i think they were held in February to prove you were a real motorcyclist. I had all the badges from those brilliant times but mislaid my hat with them on at Mallory some years ago but the event is still alive and kicking contact the Conway District Motorcycle Club.

The Dragon Rally web page is <A HREF="http://www.dragonrally.org.uk">www.dragonrally.org.uk</A> hope this helps.

There is another web site for the Dragon at

<A HREF="http://www.dragon-rally.org.uk/">http://www.dragon-rally.org.uk/</A>

I feel inspired to go next year

Thanks Cargo i thought there must be more sites and good luck to you this season and SAFE racing.

Hi Bill,
Hope you had a nice time in Canada, yes the Deagon is still held in Capel Curig.It was first held in the early 60's in Bryn Bras Castle, LLanrug.My mum used to live a few hundred yards away.It then went to the old RAF site at Glyn Rhonwy, LLanberis on land farmed by my dad.We had to shift the sheep every year to safer ground, not sure why though!!.I attended the rally a few times at Gwrych Castle near Abergele but then lost interest as it changed a lot.I do remember seeing many racing stars of the day attending the rally, Chris Vincent,Paul Smart,Nigel Rollason etc.Didn't Paul Smart fall off and break his leg when arriving one year?.Incidentally the LLanberis site was used on numerous occassions by Barton Motors of Caernarfon who used to test the Barton 3 cylinder race bikes there, they even tested a machine raced by Barry Sheene there once.
The rally went too big as one year 6000 came to LLanberis, a small village of 2000 people.The rally was 2nd only to the Elephant rally held in Germany which as far as I know is also still going strong.

Great memories Elwyn but i wondered if anyone has written a book on the Dragon Rally?

Over the last 45 years I have accumulated several unfulfilled ambitions, The Dragon Rally being one, plus the Lands End and Exeter Trials and The Talmag Trial.
Oh well, only 3 years and 3 months to retirement then I may have the time, if I am fit enough!

I'd swap all my Dragon Rally badges and all my other rally badges and every little trophy I've got to fulfil my unfulfiled ambition......................................................... a replica at the Manx GP.

This year I'll be trying harder than ever

Blimey Chris, that hit the memory cells! I have ridden to and in all the events/rallies you mentioned. The Talmag I dam'n near walked a 1931 fore-and-aft Douglas round with about an inch ground clearance. The MCC long-distance trials were really good fun, used to ride a Velo in it, winning quite a few awards. You're never to old to start this hooligan games.
Hi Elwyn, yes America/Canada was great, but getting a stomach bug for the two Classic days at Daytona was not funny. Met lots of old and new friends, introduced two guys to each other who started six numbers apart in the 1956 Clubman TT, Maurice Candy, later to race an MJC double knocker twin in the sidecar TT, and David Hagan.