Northern Centres Rally History and Formation

The ‘Northern Centres” originated in 1958 when the first “Rally of the North” was held at Boulmer in Northumberland. No fewer than 394 vans attended and the local inhabitants of the village still recall the event with pride.

In 1970 seven Northern Centres of the Caravan Club; South Lancashire, North Lancashire, Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, Cumberland and Westmoreland, Durham and Northumberland formed a Joint Liaison Committee and in 1972 it was suggested in the Liaison Committee that the Centres should combine to organise the Northern Centres Rally. The intention was that each Centre fully participate in the preparation and organisation of the Rally. A separate Rally Sub-Committee was formed to produce the format for the Rally.

It was decided to hold the first event at Newby Hall on the August Bank Holiday Weekend. The result was beyond the wildest expectations of the Committee with an attendance of almost a 1000 outfits. Thus began the Northern Centres Rally which has run ever since on August Bank Holiday Weekend.

There have been several changes in the Constitution of the Northern Centres and indeed at the time the first Rally took place, the North Lancashire Centre had ceased to be represented on the Committee. The Centre was however well represented at the Rally and took part in the organisation on site. By 1973 North Lancashire was fully involved once more and became an integral part of the organisation.

In 1974 the Cumberland and Westrnorland Centre became the Cumbria Centre. Then in 1975 the East Yorkshire Centre was formed from the East Group of the Yorkshire Centre and the North West Group of the Yorkshire Centre became the Yorkshire Dales Centre bringing the total number of Centres to nine.

On the first of January 1985 the last three groups of the Yorkshire Centre became Centres in their own right as Mid West Yorkshire Centre, Yorkshire Pennine Centre and South Yorkshire Centre and thus the eleven Centres became the Northern Centres we know today.