The Bulldog Run scooter rideout was the brainchild of Tina Hall from Midhurst Detours Scooter Club in 2010 after visiting the Bulldog Rescue and Rehoming Centre in Midhurst.
The Centre is run by Tania and Dizzy Holmes (of Detour Records fame and founder of the Midhurst Detours) and there are 4 members of staff and 80 volunteers who look after the dogs while they are nursed back to health and wait for a new owner. Tina rescued one of the bulldogs and came up with the idea of a scooter rideout to gather much-needed food and supplies to help out with the running costs. Since then we have been back every year to raise money to help the centre; their vet bill alone comes to £60,000-70,000 every year and they are entirely reliant on donations and fundraising to pay for the running costs. There is room for 8 bulldogs at Midhurst and they oversee a total of another 60 around the UK in other volunteer kennels.
If you want to visit their website to find out more about the dogs or donate then here is a link.
Like most years, there were separate meeting points for the scooterists coming from different directions. The Worthing, Bognor and Portsmouth contingents gathered in Chichester. The A5 and GU11 scooter clubs, with 31 scooters and a motorbike, met in Farnham and marshalled each other through the Surrey hills to get pole position as the first arrivals in Midhurst. We rode from Chichester via Goodwood and all converged on what had previously been a lovely quiet lane, bringing chaos and two-stroke fumes in equal measure!
Sarah and Area 51 SC took over the organisation from Tina a couple of years ago and it’s a massive task. Having marshalled the scooters to Midhurst they then hot-footed it to the tea tent to serve over 300 cups of tea and coffee, and slices of cake, to thirsty scooterists. They printed patches which were sold out on the day (but you can contact Sarah for one if you missed out), and Pete ‘Pompey Invasion’ Davies was selling stickers to raise further funds.
There was a long queue of scooterists eager to see the dogs in their kennels for a stroke and a hug, and the volunteers were on hand to answer any questions with a smile (and pose for photos). Speaking of which… My previous post about the Bulldog Run featured the people in attendance.
I did a tour of the lane to count the scooters, and it wasn’t easy due to (hilarious) people shouting random numbers at me while I was doing it. Honestly, you guys… Anyway, I actually counted 284. I know that some thirsty riders went straight to the pub and others left before I started (or arrived afterwards) so can comfortably announce that there were over 300. This is a record, as previous years have maxed out at around the 230 mark.
Thank you to everyone for coming and supporting this event, and for Sarah and her team for making it possible. Thanks to Dizzy, Tania and the rescue team for letting us take over your garden and see the dogs! We raised nearly £1700 in total which is fantastic. Can’t wait until next year!
Crusader t-shirts giveaway
But before we dive into the scooters, I’m really excited to be partnering with our friends at Crusader to offer email subscribers the chance to win one of their t-shirts! Crusader are rally-going scooterists who print most of the rally patches and crew t-shirts you see on your travels. Yes, that big guy who protects you in the wrecking pit at Woolacombe is probably wearing a Crusader t-shirt!
All you have to do to enter is join my mailing list below. I promise not to share your details with any third parties and will only use them to send out a monthly email to let you know about posts you may have missed or exciting future plans. The giveaway finishes on July 14th and you can read more about it here. Please note that the prize can only be sent to a UK postal address. Full terms and conditions are here.
Bulldog Run 9 : The scooters
I’ve tried to post these in rough chronological order, starting in Chichester, then the Rescue Centre and finally those at the Greyhound pub. There are some non-scooters in there too, but we welcome anyone on two wheels!
Just a quick reminder that if you want to see the lovely people who were in attendance then click here!
I’ve written lots of other scooter-related blogs, so have a click around if you’d like to see more photos and tips! They include Lambretta Choppers, Pink Scooters and Mod Scooters. On a more serious note, I’ve trawled the small print of scooter insurance to highlight some exclusions you should be aware of – read more here. And then if you’re planning to go to the Isle of Wight then check this out. There’s something for everyone!
If you’d like to keep up to date with new blogs and get exclusive discounts then sign up for my newsletter below. I promise not to share your details with anyone else and will only send out a monthly email rather than bombarding you daily! You’ll get an early head-up for the next Bulldog Run and all rally info.
Some photos supplied by Angus Young including the cute Bedford camper van, but otherwise all photos taken by me with my iPhone.
If you liked this then you may like some of my other blogs, which include these :
- Scooter Insurance Tips
- Isle of Wight Rally Tips
- Isle of Wight 2017 – write-up and photos
- Hayling Island Scooter Rally 2018
- Lambretta Choppers
- Mod Scooters
- Scooter Oddities
- Gorgeous Vintage Scooters
And here’s my blog about 80s custom scooters.
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Brilliant xx
Thanks for reading! x
Excellent. The weather always seems to be kind to this event too.
You’re right, I think we’ve had one bad day in 9 years which can’t be bad!
Always love your posts Ali but you did mention the part where you tried to pass me on the way home
Any time, Angus! We need a longer road!
We need a longer road Angus, I’ll take you on anytime!
Sorry didn’t mention