☀️ RALLY REPORT: Scorching Sun, Secret Remotes, and Solstice Celebrations!

A Fantastic Weekend with the North Essex Centre 26th-28th June 2026

We arrived at the rally field at around 12:30 PM after a wonderfully trouble-free journey, greeted instantly by the jolly smiles of Mike and Bill, who quickly guided us to our pitch. Little did we know, we were about to endure a record-breaking weekend!

The weather was absolutely scorching, hitting an incredible, area-record temperature of 34°C. After slowly setting up the caravan and unloading the car in the heat, we retreated to the cool of the hall to sit with the marshals and enjoy a very welcome (and much-needed) cup of tea.

📋 The Battle of the Kitchen (and the Remote Control!)

By Friday afternoon, Lynne was already in full planning and organizing mode, locking in the schedule for Saturday night. To escape the heat, Sandy and I headed out for an evening meal at The Axe and Compass—a fantastic pub that we highly recommend to anyone visiting the area! Friday night concluded with a few drinks at the open bar before retiring to endure a very hot and sticky night's sleep.

On Saturday morning, the hall was already a hive of activity. Marshals and helpers John & Kath and Julie & Alan were hard at work laying tables and blowing up balloons (and occasionally bursting them!).

The delicious aroma of dinner was already wafting from the kitchen. With no air conditioning in there, I seriously thought Lynne was going to melt! But true to form, she kept everything—and everyone—completely organized.

Meanwhile, Bill and I were casually discussing our chances of catching the big England football match later. At that exact moment, I thought Lynne was going to explode! She firmly informed us that there would be no football and promptly confiscated the remote control. Message received! 🤭

To let the air clear, Sandy and I popped out to a lovely local garden centre with an excellent restaurant, where I thoroughly enjoyed a refreshing shandy and a slice of cake, before heading back to the caravan to get suited and booted for the big night.

🥂 Pimm's, Plaques, and a Miraculous Football Finish

The main event kicked off with chilled glasses of Pimm's on the lawn in front of the hall, elegantly served by Mike. Everyone looked incredibly smart!

Once inside, everyone took their pre-allocated seats. After I had the honour of saying Grace, a fantastic three-course dinner was served, accompanied by plenty of wine and water (though I’d had quite enough Pimm's by that point!).

Our entertainer for the evening was the lovely Annika (who looks remarkably like A Place in the Sun's Laura Hamilton). She absolutely brilliant, keeping the dance floor packed all night with hits from the 60s, 70s, and 80s.

During the interval, I was incredibly honoured to present two very special awards:

🏆 A milestone 300th Rally Plaque to Robert Maine
🎂 A big birthday card to John H.

Then, a minor miracle occurred: Annika perfectly wrapped up her fantastic set just in time for us to catch the second half of the England game after all! The night finished with an intense, dramatic thunderstorm outside—a perfect dramatic backdrop to a brilliant day.