The Great Bustard Run is an annual event hosted by the Marston Sunbeam Club. It aims to bring together Sunbeam automobiles for a sprint around the countryside of Wiltshire, with a chance to see the magnificent Great Bustards on Salisbury Plain.
We were unable to make the run this year, so here is a quick run down of the day from Reg Ayre who was present on his 1913 Sunbeam 2.75hp – the second oldest known survivor, and probably the most well travelled.
— words by Reg Ayre —
I felt I had to attend the Great Bustard Run since it started only 40 minutes away from home, and it was a Marston Sunbeam event. I arrived early to be met by Richard, our Marston Sunbeam Rally Organiser, who had not planned the route but was offering to follow the route with his trailer to pick up stragglers.
The motorcycles arrived mostly in vans and began to line up on the hard standing in front of some barns. There were about 15 motorcycles arranged in two groups, with two foreigners, a Norton and a Laverda, parked around the back.
The briefing asked us all to ‘sign on’, take a route card, and help ourselves to tea/coffee/cake for a small donation. On returning, we would be able to hitch a lift in a land rover with a guide, who would take us to where the female Bustards were nesting.
Most riders followed someone else, even though the tulip diagram route was very clear. Being the slowest Sunbeam, an age thing!, I almost travelled alone until I came across a waiting rider who tagged on behind me. Further on, I noticed that I had gathered six other riders. At some point on the second line of instructions, I realised that the next tee junction was missing an arm but turned right anyway before coming to the next tee junction about half a mile too soon. At this point, several cars on the run went past on the main road with some Sunbeam motorcycles in between them. The riders following me sped out and followed the pack. Ungrateful lot!
Back at the finish, we lined up our machines and partook of more tea and buns – all home made and terrific! Several volunteers arrived in land rovers and most people went for a guided trip to where the female Bustards were nesting, maybe as many as seven or eight, and with the binoculars provided, we were able to see the focus of our run. Back at the barn, there was a brief prize-giving for the car and motorcycle that caught the eye of the organiser’s wife.
Many of us then made a break for home because the weatherman had promised a really wet afternoon.
I did wonder why the organiser had flown the County flag of Wiltshire, before being reminded that the emblem on the flag is a Great Bustard!
Make a note of the date for next year, and let us see more machines and visitors to the
native flock of birds.
What Reg has not mentioned in his report of the event, is that he won the Bustard Shield with his 1913 Sunbeam, and here he is having received his well deserved award, in addition to a photo of his 1913 Sunbeam which was taken at the VMCC Giants Run in Dorset.
Thanks to David Waters for taking the time to put on a top marque-specific event.
an article by The Girder Club – words by Reg Ayre
If you would like to be kept up-to-date with the latest news and information on vintage motorcycles, feel free to sign up to our newsletter, which we aim to ping out each month.
Leave a Reply