The Bulldog Bash

Bulldog Bash 2009 — didn’t manage to get in to see the event itself, but why should that minor detail stop a Qype review? Reason was that £55 entrance fee too steep — (OK, this would be a very fair price for a weekend of head banging — Motorhead thrown in for the ultimate bleeding eardrum experience — boozing and V twin harmonic earmashing, but the price is OTT for a quick nose around just to clock up some Qype points) — did give it a go to get in cheaper for a quick mooch but the tattoed (but friendly) gatekeepers not impressed — reckoned they wouldn’t see me for the next 2 days. No good arguments worked — even offered to leave them with the Brompton as colateral — they just laughed and said it had no engine and was worth nothing — huh.
So, make do with watching the biking cavalcade arriving — amazing — from all over Britain and Europe — all sorts of bikes and trikes — some weird, some menacing, some normal, some so shiny and pearlescent, should wear welders goggles to look at them direct on — a fantastic sight and sound — don’t need to be a biker to appreciate all that.
A perfect location too — middle of nowhere — an old airfield — even sounds like squadrans of B52 bombers coming in to land.
Downside — a lot of fuss made by the local fuzz — even stopping pedal cyclists from following legitimate National Sustrans cycle paths for no clear reason other than seemingly to show their authority. Speaking to the locals round Stratford, general comments were that police appear to be out of touch with the community that supports them.
How to get to the Bash? Bike it, obviously. Or, if at all worried by your carbon footprint (tyreprint?) then a return train from Birmingham Moor Street is around £8.50 — a great price for a direct journey to Stratford, just about 1 every hour, on the half hour — take a bike (bicycle, not your Harley Chopper, silly) on for nothing with plenty of room in the special carriages — or hire a bike in Stratford for the day.
Cruise around the town on pedal power, head down to the river front, have an early breakfast or perhaps make a massive decision to choose whether to have a Costa or a Nero Americano with hot milk — tough one — maybe take it down to the barge front and sit watching the people, ducks and swans in the early morning sunshine before the crowds arrive — nice.
Follow the river bank on the theatre side where it’s possible, towards the hauntingly beautiful riverside graveyard of the Holy Trinity Church, to best appreciate the georgeous tree lined river views.
Then back round to the ‘Stratford Greenway’ (
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This was a railtrack and is now a perfect, easy cycle highway into the countryside south of Stratford — wonderful country and river views and meeting lots of friendly walking and cycling folk, just like you and me of course.
There are even 2 railway carriage cafes along the route to provide essential refreshments and bike hire if required (
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And, what do you know — this path takes you directly towards Long Marston airfield and the Bash, where the story started. Not very far — gentle, flat, cycle ride — just do note that due to possible obstructive policing, you might be forced to take a more dangerous road detour to reach the entrance to the airfield.
Retrace steps (pedal backwards maybe) to get back to Stratford or shoot along the heavily trafficked B4632 (quicker but probably not recommended on bicycle
… (
)).
Fantastic day out — highly recommeded.
Hope this is useful.