I remember going to the last three proper Malverns Fat Tyre Festivals, including the sad one where someone was killed. I had been on a MTB about 5/6 years before that. I remember my brother (peterpoddy) didn't ride his bike after that and IIRC it was a very long time before he did again.
Great times, remember first seeing a pair of Rockshox RS1's at a race I was doing.
Wasn't it a lot hotter and drier "back in the old days"?? I'm sure it was…..