UK National Tandem Rally
Kettering Rugby Football Club
Waverley Road
Kettering
Northants
NN15 6NT

August 18th. 2012- August 25th. 2012

The Event
The rally took place in the grounds of Kettering Rugby Football Club with campers pitched on high ground overlooking the marquee, clubhouse and pitches.

The Area
The market town of Kettering lies on the River Ise some 80 miles North of London and some 50 miles East of Birmingham. In the 19th. and early 20th. centuries the town was noted for its boot and shoe industry with such famous names as Dolcis; Freeman, Hardy and Willis; Frank Wright and Timpsons having factories there.
Frank Bellamy (1917 - 1976) was one of Kettering's notable inhabitants and for a short period was the illustrator of the Eagle's Dan Dare comic strip.
Wicksteed Park was a short walk away with 147 acres and a mixture of rides, attractions, fishing, synthetic ice rink, countryside and wildlife.

Rides
Each day we were offered a choice of three lengths of route. The rides all had interesting stops for coffee and at lunchtime a park suitable for families. Early arrivals were able to take a short ride via Grafton Underwood, Geddington and Newton Dovecote. Pretty villages with memorials to the airmen who flew from nearby airfields during the Second World War. Newton Dovecote is one of the largest in the country.

On Sunday we cycled to Brixworth Country Park and circumnavigated Pitsford Water with some visiting Lamport Railway. To complete the day a fly past by the Red Arrows just for us. (Yes really!)

Monday was the Velocio Trophy so competitors and non-competitors had to work out the route to the hill climb at Little Addington. Even the tea ladies in the village hall had a try.

A visit to Rothwell and the Bone Crypt in Holy Trinity Church started the Tuesday ride with lunch in Welland Park. Here we found an amazing collection of unusual playground equipment for the children to play on. After lunch we had the experience of travelling through two long railway tunnels on the Brampton Valley Way.

After visiting the Triangular Lodge, depicted on the rally badge, on Thursday some of us stopped for coffee at the local funeral directors. They were holding a coffee morning in aid of a children's charity and must rate as the most unusual coffee stop of any rally. On to West Lodge Ruraul Centre with children's play area and tractor/train rides. Lunch was taken at East carlton Park with lots of activities for both children and adults.

The last ride of the week on Friday took us out to Earls Barton with coffee at Sywell Airport and museum. For lunch we had a choice of Sywell Country Park or going on to the Jeyes Museum (of Jeyes Fluid fame) in Earls Barton.

To end the rally we had the traditional barbecue/picnic with music by Sonny and the Honeydippers an eight piece band playing Jump Jive, Swing and 50s Rock and Roll