Thousands of scooterists descended on the Isle of Wight this weekend for the annual Scooter Rally, with the crowds making the most of the Bank Holiday sunshine and soaring temperatures.
Ryde became a hive of activity from late on Thursday as up to 5,000 scooters and their riders descended on the town and the campsite at Smallbrook Stadium – just as the clouds cleared and temperature started to rise to a sweltering 29c on Sunday.
The local economy has once again benefited hugely from the influx of visitors and spectators alike, who centralise themselves around the Union Street and Esplanade areas of Ryde. On Saturday, the town was packed full of people enjoying a night out with every bar alive with punters – a much welcomed boost for several establishments.
The weekend of fun accumulated with the traditional Sunday lunchtime ride out from Ryde Esplanade yesterday, which was, as always, enjoyed by a very large crowd of spectators both at Ryde and along the route to Sandown.
This year’s Scooter Rally, which has been running since the 1980s, draws to a close today (Monday).
PHOTO GALLERY:
https://www.facebook.com/wightwebcams/videos/880145852367496/?__xts__[0]=68.ARDnbuQuwSmsYvrSL4993aFlID0cNRUgeFqu6HTOqGvdHLmZe6QrsmetSEsh1QCwXRbNcRwayDaSBFepnHAWb3lRI_-fxoHVDocZ0rqx0CyziM_w2AyZqQS2iNwGr79dicygAllBrUOoom7AYr9txrVTCv7NHu8uwGLr8UVcl15uOK8FT05o79KIuHdOOLT_bgVQm9fm_VsMSItC4XAEck-oV2aZKbLsdp3-ffCay1RtN4Vy8DZtuXNMyLT984eh29ieOrWR7EnduXhHcegUjxa-SVpJkCv7r29rf3N4EzlP__W-fn5M5JdVtB1Yc1r_DOpCFPo13FpcM_Ps3XnXpAdRED-CSEPyxVtn&__tn__=-R
Photos by Chris Cornford for Island Echo. Video streamed live by Isle of Wight Webcams.
All the business it brings to the island and I see a horrible traffic warden giving a scooter a parking ticket (sad)
Good grief. No IoW parking warden is going to brave that lot and give any tickets out. Which is absolutely fine – as long as none were given to any motorists over the same period.
that is a classic demonstration of the real power that people actually have over the small minority of individuals that dictate where you can or cannot park.
To ensure that the rules they issue are followed, it requires the agreement of the majority. Without the majority agreeing and subsequently ignoring parking rules, as is the case over scooter weekend, the small minority who think they are in charge, hide away, as they know they cannot enforce their parking charges against thousands and thousands of people, all at the same time – they would get lynched, trying to give out parking tickets on Ryde seafront.
Yup. Even heard 2 parking wardens talking about this on Friday afternoon.
Could anyone tell me why over the Las 3 years the scooters have been directed down lower green Rd then lattimer Rd in st hellen when for many years the always passed along past the vine Inn we have watched then outside there for years its such a shame there down the bottom now, some of the oldies can’t get down there.
The ride out used too be organised by Isle of Wight scooterists I used too help Marshall it. The last 3-4 years it’s been organised and marshalled by bikers. Don’t know if that’s anything too do with the different route or not.