FROM the outside it just looks like a hair salon. But Antony and Patricia's, on Bank Street, Rawtenstall, is much more than that. The upstairs is the nerve centre for the biggest street motorcyling extravaganza in Europe.

It is from this office that Tony Winder and his team organise the phenomenon that is Rossendale Valley Motorcycle Show. In its sixth year, last weekend's show attracted enormous crowds estimated at 30,000 to the small market town of Rawtenstall. Tony, show chairman, put it in perspective when he said: "That is 6,000 more than the population of the town!"

The humble beginnings in 1992 were a much smaller affair -- for a start the show was organised in just eight weeks, compared to the 12 months that went into the latest event. Stalls were set up on Bank Street and a crowd of 2,500 came along, a figure which pleased Tony because none of the shops in the town had opened to complement the event.

He said: "We were delighted because we had run very little publicity and there was another bike show on the same day elsewhere in Lancashire. We realised then the atmosphere we had created and a lot of people asked if we were doing it again, so we did and we got 6,000 people.

"We started by just using the main street and Phipps car park, then on year two the Valley Centre. By the third year, 9,000 people came and we used the Astoria, then 18,000 in year four and we introduced a tattoo exhibition and camping facilities were provided. "Last year we took over Whitaker Park for the popular mini-moto racing and more exhibition stands and we had a ride-in when the Mayor of Rossendale, then Coun Peter Heywood, arrived at the show on pillion to open the event.

"This year we had four ride-ins with VIPs including the High Sheriff of Lancashire Anthony Brennan JP, Sir David Trippier and Lady Ruth, Janet Anderson MP, Steve Berry from Top Gear, Peter Armitage, alias Coronation Street's Bill Webster, TV chef Andrew Nutter and Mayoress of Rossendale Mrs Mary Lynch."

Last year was also the first time local lad Steve 'Speedy' Carr had the chance to wow the crowds with his Wall of Death stunt riding.

Steve, 18, from Burnley Road, Rawtenstall, joined Graham Cripsey's team initially as an assistant two years ago, but a few months before last year's show in his home town, Graham offered to teach Steve how to perform the stunts. Steve said: "I had ridden motorbikes before, but this was nothing like that. This year we introduced more acts into the show, including go-kart, where two riders are on the wall at the same time." And Steve has now been joined by his cousin, Ricky Troughton, 19, of Goodshaw Avenue, Loveclough, who has become an assistant helping to set the equipment up.

The bike show has three main aims: firstly to promote Rossendale; secondly to promote motorcycling; finally to raise money for charity. Last year, a survey of visitors was carried out and when the results were collated, 79 per cent of people who responded said they would like to visit Rossendale again.

The event is organised by a 15-strong committee who are already planning next year's event and have started coming up with ideas for the millennium.

Once expenses have been paid and a retainer taken to help towards next year's show costs, the three organisations which run the event, British Motorcycle Federation Nine, Rossendale Round Table and Rawtenstall Chamber of Commerce and the members on the organising committee select charities to benefit.

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