88 at the Area Rally 1988

Many thanks to Tom Cathcart for this memento.

It is thought the photo was taken on 29 October 1988, the night of the Fancy Dress Dinner, at the Area Rally in Buxton.

Left to right, from the top:
Back row: Martin Tetley and Neil Beresford
Next row: Ian Burnett, David Duggleby, Liz Beresford, Ros Gregory
Next row: Jane Duggleby, Julie Atkinson, Eddie Gregory, Tony Richardson
Next row: Jessica Cathcart, Barry Denton
Front row: Simon Ward, Richard Coulson, Belinda Denton, Suzanne Burnett
Bottom left: Tom Cathcart

Simon Ward says, “The 65 Special coming down the line’ at Buxton. Sue’s and my first Area Rally. Hell of a bun and soda syphon fight at the meal and a fire alarm in the middle of the night. We had to exit via a very slippery iron fire escape with two or maybe even three very young children and it was freezing outside!”

Martin Tetley says, “Taken at the Palace Hotel. Simon’s recollection of the bunfight etc is spot on, and, at the time, I think it was rumoured that the 3 am fire alarm was arranged by the staff who had to do all the extra cleaning up in the dining room.

The theme was a bit conflated. Topically, Phil Collins had just had a No.1 hit with a song from the film “Buster”about the Great Train Robbery. Thus the cops’n robbers outfits. Then there was the old ‘”6-5 special” sung by Don Lang which was meant to refer to York 65 Table.

I also recall Eddie in the bar afterwards, taking down from the wall, an ornamental French pushbike with strings of onions attached – and then riding it all around the ground floor of the hotel, in and out of the lounges, etc. Oh – how the staff laughed at that.”

Many thanks to super sleuths Simon Ward, Richard Coulson and Martin Tetley for confirming the details.