Manky Monkey Motors

Might be a little late for this one -it happened 33 years ago.

Anyone remember the Kent Hells Angels' bike shows? Way before the Warwickshire based Bulldog Bash, but they grew to be almost as big.
They started as a very small event held in the lorry park of a transport café on the A20 in Harrietsham, with camping in a field on the other side of the road. Eventually the Angels bought their own land -Angel Farm on Romney Marsh & the shows grew bigger & bigger.
Back in '82 I was 20 years old & riding a Triumph. No internet, so no chatrooms or forums, or mobile phones, so the details of bike events were picked up from fliers at other shows or simply by word of mouth. Occasionally they might be advertised in the back pages of Motorcycle News or The Motorcycle Weekly.
Nobody had breakdown cover -that was for posh people or business reps with company cars, not for the likes of us. We rode mainly British bikes so roadside repairs were a regular feature of long distance trips & we'd carry a selection of tools, bulbs, fuses, bits of wire & nuts & bolts. Nobody tempted fate by berating anyone who broke down because there was always a good chance your bike might be next. Every roadtrip was an adventure.
I clearly remember this one, with a dozen of the local Basingstoke bike crowd.
I remember the sense of camaraderie as little groups of riders began to appear at road junctions, knowing they were on the same pilgrimage as us. There were banners around the café advertising a soon to be launched magazine, catering for the British custom scene. "Back Street Heroes". Never heard of it.
I remember laying in the long grass of the campsite, smoking cigarettes, (I gave up 30 years ago), & listening to the band as bikes rolled in. There was no accepted biker "uniform" back then & the average chop rider looked much more hippyish than today.
Rose tinted nostalgia? Yeah, probably, but there definitely wasn't the cynicism & hard faced world weariness you see today. It was all much simpler. We had fun. I'm glad I grew up when I did. Wouldn't want to be doing it now.
A few very fuzzy snaps, taken on an old Kodak 110 camera -remember those?

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That's my Triumph in the background.

Triumph & XS1100 Yamaha.

'82's a fair while ago.......... Didn't make it to the café show, but did get along to the '84 and '85 events, both times on a trusty XS650.

Will have to dig out some photos.

Great! I was beginning to think I'd imagined it!

i was born in "81

 :P thanks for that Ben!

happy to please

... and 5 years later...…….  found these during a clear-out

Just for Chewie  ::)

The show area (either '84 or '85)

Either '84 or '85

Either '84 or '85

From the Jockey Journal - Kent Custom 1985

https://www.jockeyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=560788

Wish I'd kept my enamel rally/show badges.

Enamel Rally & Show badges of yesteryear - Sounds like the theme of a new thread.....  ;)

 ;D

Still got a few of mine from Kent Custom, South and West and the Welsh Extravaganza.
Worked at the South and West, the Welsh Show and the Bulldog, Only missed the first Kent Custom and the last two.

I still have my exhibitors placard from The South West on my key ring.

Great days indeed, loved working the shows more than going as a punter.

Is the "South and West" you mentioned the Custom and Classic that was at the Royal Bath & West Showground near Shepton Mallet?
If so, I made it to the first one, poss 1985??

Update - found the programme for the 1st show, 5-6-7 May 1984. (just a mere 37 years ago.....)

Yes that's the one was run by Lizzie Morris with the help of the HA, I worked as night shift camp site Marshal along with a group of my friends for several years, Lizzie also ran the Welsh show at Builth Wells. Met many interesting people with some great old bikes.
One of the best bits was being able to go in the show halls at night to admire the bikes without being in the way of the general public.
and the Marshals party after the show closed.

Sadly Lizzie passed away a few years ago.

Damn I really miss those shows but went on to do the same job at the Bulldog Bash.

Did you ever wonder who was sat at the top of the aluminium towers dotted around the camp site and show ground, now you know.
We got it down to a fine art our towers had tarps wrapped around them with a tarp roof to keep the wind and rain out.
Lights, gas burner for tea and coffee, booze were all on hand bikes and my trike parked at the base.

Best tower at the bulldog was the trackside one which we tried to snag every year so we could watch the racing.