Cops & Robbers Rally
6th - 8th May 2011
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Once England II had announced a camping and caravan rally, I was hooked. We hadn’t done one before, so once the booking form for the “Cops n Robbers” Rally was out I booked our tent in. Then later, I had to change the booking for a caravan as we recently acquired one. The rally was being held at the Sandwich Leisure Park, Sandwich, Kent, so I made contact with Jill there and arranged to arrive early and leave a couple of days later. Well, we didn’t want to go for just the weekend.
Thursday 5th May soon arrived and off we headed in beautiful sunshine for Kent. With stops, it took us a little over five hours and with the SatNav taking us down some beautiful country lanes just before our destination, I was ready for a drink! Being as though this was only our second outing with our caravan, I did not take us long to set up in the rally field and get the awning sorted. It was like a home from home. We were a bit tired, so into Sandwich for a quick tour (it’s very compact, but beautiful) and a chippy. We took fish and chips back to the caravan and watched a dvd – with a drink. Bliss!!
Friday morning saw the England II organisers arrive and it was meeting old friends again. They soon set about getting everything straight in the marquee and gazebo – I did help…….. unload the beer! Tina and I decided to go into Sandwich and walk around. It truly is a historic and beautiful town and minutes away from our site. We found shop keepers so considerate by giving us water for Buddy, as it was so hot. We managed a cup of tea and cake in a local tea room before continuing the walk. I took lots of photo’s of the buildings as they were so nice. We also took an alternative drive back and discovered a local vineyard and not wishing to be rude, we went in, had a look around and bought some lovely wine. That’s the way to go!
Back at the site we saw our Chapter friends Roger and Nic arrive in their motor home towing the Triumph Speed Triple on a trailer.(mmm, can I two my Pan behind the Caravan?????????) We four were representing England XIV at the Rally. It was teas all round then.
Food was laid on by a mobile kitchen run by a friend of England II, who had Curry’s, Burgers and Hot dogs etc. He also did all the breakfasts. So Friday’s meal was meeting old friends again and catching up with all the latest news. There was a band laid on for both nights and everyone enjoyed them.
There were two ride-outs on the Saturday – a scenic and a long one. I saw Roger and Nic off on the scenic one which took in the Battle of Britain Memorial at Capel le Ferne and the Museum which was apparently very good but needs a day to go around seeing everything. Tina and I took the car down to the coast to see Deal. It was wonderful in brilliant sunshine and we had a good walk around.
The evenings band started and they were good – the JJ’s. The drinks flowed and our friend Pierre Bracke had arrived from Belgium IX having missed the first day =due to a family wedding. We were soon catching up, bust I missed him leave on the Sunday.
Just over sixty people attended the rally including a few from other clubs and it was a well run and thoroughly enjoyable weekend. Soon it was all over and Tina and I said our goodbyes as everyone left, leaving us all alone on the rally field. It was quiet! We spent the afternoon walking in Sandwich, having a meal at the Crispin Inn with Buddy before returning to relax still bathed in sunshine.
Our final day was spent at Chatham Historic Dockyard. If you haven't been, its well worth the visit - we need to go again to see things we didn't get a chance to look at. Tina wanted to meet one of the researchers as her Great Grandfather worked at the shipyard. She was lucky; he was in and was of great help, even showing her the records room. We then went across to visit the submarine "Ocelot" which was the last Deisel/Electric submarine built for the Royal Navy in Chatham.
Wow, what an insight that was. I have been on a deisel submarine before, at Gosport, but this was a much newer one and definately not built for tourists! Getting through the hatches was quite an art, I can tell you! Buddy was with us, but it appears that although secure with water, he was well attended by people making a fuss of him whilst we 
were in the sub.
Then having refreshed ourselves with a lunch at the reastaurant, we visited the RNLI Museum with its display of old and new lifeboats. That is another great exhibition gallery within the dockyard. Unfortunately, we did not have time to do the tour around the Ropery, but next time.
The whole weeknd was great, and I know that Roger and Nic enjoyed their first ever Blue knights Rally, so why not join us at the next, you won't regret it!
John Cooke
Chapter Secretary/Webmaster
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