A peaceful airfield will be transformed into a sea of gleaming chrome and creaking leather, as bikers from across Britain celebrate an annual musical gathering, writes Tim Hughes.

20,000 motorbike buffs are revving up their engines for this weekend's Bulldog Bash at Long Marston airfield, near Stratford-Upon-Avon.

Despite the area's historic connections, any reference to the Bard of Avon is likely to be drowned out by the blast of some top-notch rock acts, and the roar of high performance machines tearing along the site's concrete runways.

The event comes just two weeks after the massive Global Gathering all-nighter, which saw 25,000 clubbers descend on the airfield for a very-different musical experience.

Instead of garage and drum and bass, this weekend's festival goers can look forward to sets from Feeder, Reef, King Prawn and Terrorvision.

The highlight is likely to be a high-octane performance by one of the country's most enduring indie-punk rock acts, The Fall. Led by Mark E. Smith - a man once dubbed 'The Grumpiest Man in Pop', The Fall have released around 30 albums, since getting together in 1976.

If the vitriol and power chords get too much, there are regular displays of what the organisers describe as "exotic" dancing, the obligatory wet t-shirt competition, and of course, hundreds of gorgeous, shiny bikes.

Bulldog Bash spokesman Roland Hyams said: "It is a gathering of bikes, rockers and music lovers, and is as much a music and bike festival as a lifestyle event."

The 15th Bulldog Bash at the Avon Park Raceway, Long Marston, runs from Friday until Sunday afternoon. Tickets cost £35 are available by calling the ticketline on 0207 7712000.