REPO: SLADES FARM JAM, DORSET UK

Photos: Adam Frame
Words: Tim March

Anyone that’s tried to put a jam on this year more than likely will have had the words ‘cancelled due to poor weather’ as part of their patter that would have to have been relayed to all crews travelling to various parts of this rain sodden island this summer. The Stephen Murray Benefit Jam at Slades Farm in Dorset this year was no different. Leroy from 5710 and Dead End bikes had done his best to put this event on earlier in the summer but two cancelled gigs had already gone down before he managed to finally coax the ‘Shining One’ out on Saturday and we had our Cake and managed to eat it too. Darryl Charles MC’d for the day there was a fly out comp in the bowl and a best trick comp as well as the usual shredding that all and sundry attempt whilst full of lager, chips, crisps, burgers and hotdogs. Thankfully there were no fatalities but someone did get a peg poked up their nose in a skin trimming exercise gone wrong. There were nearly some fights but everyone seemed to be in such good spirits that they fizzled out like a cheap damp firework. The surrounding grass banks were full of friends and family for a wall of sound atmosphere when someone tried a stunt and pulled it, or not as the case maybe. Lewis Monks (freshly kicked off Vans) won best trick with a backflip off the 1 foot kicker: quids in for £30.  A bunch of cash was made in the raffle so that will help Stephen pay for some of his medical bills and upkeep and everyone who came seemed to be happy enough just to be riding on a sunny day in Dorset in one of the oldest skateparks in the UK.