The Isle of Wight was bracing itself for possible disruption as 11,000 Mods arrived on the Island for the August Bank Holiday scooter rally of 1983 – but thankfully things are much calmer nowadays.
The previous year, Medina Borough Council had been landed with a £5,000 clearing up bill after damage to the Smallbrook sports complex and had intended to refuse the Mods access to the site again. However, the Police had made it clear that it would be impossible to control the scooterists unless they were mainly confined to 1 site and warned of serious consequences otherwise.
The Council considered using their powers under the Isle of Wight Act – brought in to control the Pop Festivals of the late 60s and early 70s – to move the Mods on.
A spokesperson for Hampshire Police Authority said a large Police operation had been mounted and that a considerable number of officers and vehicles would be deployed to the Island before the Mods arrived.
The spokesperson added:
“We can’t discuss manpower levels, but they will be sufficient, and we do have contingency plans. The public will have no worries.”
A ‘Mod’ was quoted in local newspaper Isle of Wight Mercury, saying:
“Most of us are not Mods, just enthusiast scooterists, who come to the Island for a good time, not to cause trouble. The real problem are the skinheads on scooters who string along … “
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The event did cause significant disruption. The pavilion at Smallbrook was badly damaged in the scooterists’ quest for firewood. Around half a dozen windows in Ryde were smashed. There were several incidents of violence, including one in which several policemen were injured. 64 Mods appeared at Special Courts charged with criminal damage, theft, drunkenness and public order offences.
Publicans on the Island were generally happy, however.
Mr T. Howes from the Marine on Ryde seafront said:
“They were wonderful: I could not have wished for a better bunch. They would be welcome here any time. If I could have several weekends like this Bank Holiday, I would not have to worry in the winter months.”
M. Dixon – Editor of Scooter Mania said:
“If the Island can’t cope with events like this, it shouldn’t be in the tourist business. We have as much right to come here as anyone else.”
Is that the year they doused Swanmore Mini Market in tomato sauce because they refused to serve scooterists?
Hahaha
I remember the 80’s when they used to be along forest road and watching 1000’s ride. Should be at forest road now things are different now think it would be great
Green isle. My ****. Oil deposits from them old bikes. Dismantle them.
Horrible Nasty Scooterists, so polluting, everybody should have a big BMW diesel 4×4 like wot ive got
You say you have as much right as anyone else to be here, on our island so treat it with respect?? If not you are not welcome,. Stop driving like idiots, getting drunk behaving like idiots with families with kids around. You come here for a weekend, we live here 24/7. If you love our island that much RESPECT IT.
Well said, I agree. Damn noisy and polluting too. Keep the mufflers ON the exhausts.
They’re called SILENCERS here in Great Britain
I’m not happy to say this but omg the noise, tooting their horns, the smell from the exhausts, bad driving, I was in front of about 10 of them today, no one owns the roads, I’m not going to go into details. It’s not fair on us that live here 24/7. Yes come here have fun, but what’s with the childish behaviour???
“If” you were in front of them:
How could you smell their exhausts?
How could you observe their “Riding” .
Are you not going to go into details because it never actually happened, you just felt the need to complain and created an excuse?
Have you thought about changing your name from Lover of Life to Misery Guts?
I have many happy memories of the Island being invaded by scooters, mods, skinheads, rockers, punks, and new romantics. And not a rainbow flag in sight!
Just be grateful it is not travellers arriving here to live, or those who turn everywhere they settle en-masse into crime ridden ghettos.
Whilst we have increased crime and anti social behaviour, it is nothing compared to many other areas, and if you don’t know the difference, you must never leave the Island.
Mods are like football supporters, a few bad ones but mostly good people.
The former sadly have those roles vice versa hence many people moving here to escape such ruination of their once nice lives.
Go and look at Brading downs they are there now.
Funny how no one mentions the stink, pollution, undertaking, riding on pavements, bad driving. Car drivers are being told they are polluting etc etc, but with these it seems most peoples brain cells go crazy and seem to love them, perhaps it’s the fumes.
There always welcome always have been!!
You are so wrong.
Many thousand of pounds are spent around the island, in pub’s restaurants, take aways, and super markets etc what’s the problem, on an island that needs holiday season to exist
Have they learnt how to ride their strimmer powerd clown bikes properly, or are they still the flaming menace they have ways been?
Let’s have a few rockers sort them out, knock some sense into them.
I think it’s a great tradition having all the scooters over here.
Pity though that we have so many old people over here who have so little in there boring
lives except moan moan moan
Scooterists are great for the climate.
Keep up the good work lads, always look forward to seeing you all
every year.
Hi you all moan about it but you all make money from it