The weather forecast had predicted rain for the entire weekend. And with a cloud having (literally) been cast over our first ever National Rally, I found myself in damp spirits as we approached the turning to the stately home of Weston Park.
Accompanied by my travelling companion and his girlfriend, we exchanged plenty of stories of what to expect. Thousands of caravans, arenas of sports competitions, pageantry and pomp, and some of the friendliest people in the caravan community. Yet nothing had prepared us for the sight that greeted us as we approached the hill leading to Weston Park.
A sea of caravans spread across the rolling green as far as the eye could see, heralded by wave upon wave of flags from every corner of Britain. Caravans grouped 
into mini-villages, with pennants proudly proclaiming the region or county represented.
Families happily milling about between these white islands greeting each other while sampling barbeque food under awnings. For complete newcomers like us the sight was both fascinating and overwhelming. Luckily for us, one of our first encounters was with a group of Scots who were more than willing to take us through the basics of rallying.
Rallying under a flag
Walking happily amongst the rows and rows of caravans at the Rally, we first stumbled upon the Scottish Caravan Club. They were not tricky to find. A large saltire pennant proclaiming “Scotland, The Brave” flew proudly from the entrance to this corner of Scotland at Weston Park, accompanied by the gold and red of the Royal Standard. And soon we were greeted warmly by none other than Scottish Club webmaster Morris Whitehead and vice-chairman Ian Bennett who led us to the beginnings of an impromptu barbeque.
Over some beers and nibbles Morris began to explain the concept behind rallying. Groups of like-minded caravanners are brought together by region, and enjoy organised weekends away together for reasonable prices. The Caravan Club contains regional sub-groups called Centres which arrange rallies and special events throughout the year, and every Club Member can register with a Centre by contacting the membership department and stating their region. Ian Bennett explained further the system behind rallying in Scotland. “You don’t have to be registered with a centre – if you’re a Caravan Club member then you can turn up and we’ll be happy to see you.”
“And it’s a great way of meeting new people” Maurice added with a smile. After an hour happily spent chatting with the Scottish Caravan Club we could certainly attest to this.
Fun and games for all the family
So you’ve found your area, pitched up, spent an hour or so deploying the awning and set out the furniture – what’s next? Well we soon discovered that the National Rally is perhaps the closest thing Britain gets to a national village fete. Scores of stalls offered tasty produce and classic British fayre, while the arena featured everything from traditional pageantry in the official Opening, to a stunning exhibition of dog handling with obstacles such as burning tyres.
Yet one of the most striking aspects of the Rally for a newcomer was the tournaments taking place around the fields of Weston Park. Imagine the equivalent of a giant school sports day, but with all ages from across all regions of the UK taking part, and you’ll begin to get close to the experience of the Rally Games.
As we approached the final of the Tug of War it was clear that from the sweat and graft on display that regional pride was not to be trifled with! And politicians concerned about the erosion of community would do well to visit a rally or two, where youngsters spoke to us with bursting pride of representing their county at the sports events throughout the year.
We finished the day so happy and exhausted that we almost didn’t notice the rain. And neither did the thousands of caravanners in attendance at the 83rd National Rally who showed us exactly why come rain or shine they return each year for this unique caravanning experience.
