Bulldog Bash

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Bulldog Bash
Location(s) Shakespeare County Raceway, Stratford-upon-Avon, England
Years active 1987 – present
Founded by Hells Angels
Date(s) Annually in August
Genre(s) Motorcycle Festival & Rock Music
Website Bulldog Bash

The Bulldog Bash is considered to be one of Europe's most popular, annual, motorcycle festivals with a reported attendance of 50,000 people in 2007. It takes place over a weekend in mid-August, at the Shakespeare County Raceway, which is situated outside Stratford-on-Avon in England.

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[edit] History

The event started as a small gathering organised by the Hells Angels motorcycle club for bikers. Since 1987, the event has grown to one of the largest motorcycle festivals in Europe, with a record 50,000 people reported to have attended in 2007.

It is believed that the popularity of the event is due to the organisers' philosophy of hosting a festival that meets all the criteria of their own 'perfect party', organised by bikers, for bikers.

The festival has been hosted at the Shakespeare County Raceway in Stratford-on-Avon in England since 1987, and always takes place in mid August. Since its inception, it has followed largely the same format (though expanded for larger crowds and more recently included bigger name bands): providing entertainment aimed at the motorcycle riding fraternity, including live rock music, beer tents, motorcycle racing, drag racing & stunt riding demonstrations. Adult entertainment traditionally features high on the bill, including Wet T-shirt contest, erotic dance shows and topless bike wash.

The event currently runs over four days, gates opening on Thursday, and running through Friday and Saturday and wrapping up on Sunday.

The USA equivalents on a much larger scale are Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and Daytona Beach Bike Week.

[edit] Security and crime

Despite the general public's connotation of violence and crime with the Hells Angels, the Bulldog Bash has a consistent record of causing the Warwickshire Police little trouble, compared to other events of this scale.

There are no police patrolling the site (though they have a small base just off site), no personal searches conducted by police - the Hells Angels maintain security inside the festival grounds themselves.

Inspector Dave Patterson from the Warwickshire Police is quoted to have said about the 2006 event: "There was just four crimes reported on site and only three arrests during the four day event. Although traffic to and from the Long Marston site was greater than normal, the traffic plan worked well." [1]

The four crimes recorded on the Police Media Portal were all theft related.

[edit] In the press

The event has enjoyed varied media attention over the years - from specialised motorcyclist magazines, to national press coverage. It also has press coverage in 1996 in regards of Eddie Kidd's stunt riding accident.

[edit] 2008

"Police in Bulldog Bash objection". BBC 30 April 2008

[edit] 2007

[edit] 2004

[edit] 2003

[edit] 2002

“The Bulldog Bash is in a league of its own, easily ranking among the best festivals in the world, if not actually taking that crown and sticking a nitrous kit on it to see how fast it will go.” Nick Ruskell, Kerrang! August 26, 2006.

Bulldog Bash 2007

[edit] References

  1. ^ Houlder, Di."Bulldog Bash - Police Overview" The Police Media Portal

[edit] External links