The weather on Thursday, 21st May, was sunny and hot when we arrived at Statfold Country Park for the 63rd National Rally.
We were greeted by our marshals. Irene and Robbie and Caryn and Gary, and after parking up, we were invited to gather at the hosts van for punch and conversation. Irene had provided a free lucky dip for the ladies who won a selection of green items (our theme colour for the group) as the punch and conversation flowed and the sun shone. Eventually, all our 15 vans arrived, and the punch finally ran out!
The first night's entertainment in the large marquee was preceded by a session of bingo, followed by a brilliant solo male singer (who was a stand-in filling in for the main act). The main act was a Meatloaf tribute act, which I loved but Marie didn't, proving that appreciation of the nightly entertainment is a matter of personal taste. There was live entertainment on each of the 5 nights which most members seemed to really enjoy.
Friday was again hot and dry, and the highlight of the day was the Banner Parade. Our banner was proudly carried by Sandy and Lowry, to cheers and great applause from the assembly. Even during the evenings, the temperature inside the marquee was too much for some and many members spent the evenings outside on the grass or by their vans. We were lucky to be allocated a group site very close to the marquee, and we had easy access to the entertainment, the catering wagon and the bar. After last year's concerns by many about the ban on bringing in own drinks to the marquee and the bar prices, it was very welcome to see this had been addressed, for example, a pint of San Miguel at £5 was a very popular choice for many! Free water and ice were also supplied and greatly appreciated.
The main event on Saturday was the AGM and members meeting and the AGM itself was concluded in just 16 mins, a welcome record given the temperature in the Marquee. Our members were the only group in uniform, and we certainly stood out in the crowd. During the members' meeting, we pointed out that the NI members support the National Rally in large numbers every year, and it was about time that we were rewarded with our own National as it had been a long time since our previous one. This was a very popular suggestion and was taken on board by CoM, so we'll await further news.
Saturday night is traditionally party night, and each group was allocated a colour (ours was green), as a theme for costumes and decorations. The colour theme was beautifully interpreted by Caryn, who handmade coasters, framed Irish popular sayings and table decorations to create a stunningly attractive group table which a great many thought should have won the 'Best Decorated Table' Competition. 34 people enjoyed the evening at our table, including several suspiciously large leprechauns!
Sunday dawned and, as we had come to expect, the weather was again extremely warm. Many members took advantage of the free shuttle bus into town, which ran every 30 minutes until noon. In the morning, our members submitted their Homecraft Competition entries. Everyone had responded magnificently to Marie's cajoling and encouragement, and we consequently had a very large number of entries covering most categories.
Sam set up the charity Tombola stall, with all prizes generously donated by members, outside the marquee, which proved to be a masterstroke. There were 2 other rival tombola stalls, but they were inside the oppressively hot marquee, and everybody had to pass our stall first and Sam is difficult to ignore! The stall raised a brilliant £477 donation for the Children's Hospice.
Our quiz Team also competed in the Inter Group Quiz, a highly competitive annual event. During the evening, our well-travelled mascot Humphrey, despite the handicap of having Sam as his handler, won a highly commended rosette in the Dog Show. The highlight of the evening's entertainment was a brilliant Whitney Houston tribute act, and she was every bit as good as the real artist.
Monday was the last full day, and we gathered for the prize-giving ceremony, hoping to emulate last year's success. In the event, we surpassed this by winning the Group Entry, the Homecraft Overall and the Inter Group Quiz. There are too many people to thank individually, but it was an outstanding effort by our crafters, so huge thanks to everyone who contributed.
After our continued success in the competitions, we will surely be the group that everyone will be gunning for next year, so bring it on! Gary and Caryn proudly carried our banner for the closing ceremony, and, after a relaxing afternoon, our group got together for a barbecue and a few celebratory drinks. Unfortunately, Marie and I had to leave to join our family before this, but judging from the photos, a brilliant time was enjoyed by all. I understand that the evening entertainment was very good, but attendance in the marquee was a bit sparse due to the heat as many chose to listen from the grass area and around their vans.
Lovely weather, a well-organised site with excellent facilities, great entertainment and the wonderful spirit and camaraderie of our fellow Northern Ireland members made this a very memorable and enjoyable National Rally. It is impossible to include everything that took place and to thank everyone by name, so this is only a summary of the whole event. Why don't you join us next year and experience the real thing? Very best wishes to all,
Peter and Marie.