Along with a number of other Gassers I en-larged my Edinburgh Trial by starting at The Rugby Truck Stop and turning up to the Moto Sevices in Mini Convoys. Wow, Moto Services must win the prize for the most boring start ever. It needed at atmosphere injection! The scrut was great, just MOT and reversing light. He must have known some of us were going to back down Bamford in the dark!
Agnes Meadow was a bit of a shock when I saw the cars in front diverting off to the right, sending me scurrying for my tyre pressure gauge, only to find that class 4 didn't have to do it!
I thought Clough Wood was a bit rough this year, lots of loose boulders as there were on quite a few of the other sections. It started to drizzle before Litton Slack and we arrived to see everyone failing, The queue was building as competitors were coming back down the main track which was wasting a lot of time. However, this was changed by the time we had our go and we were directed down the grass at the side after stopping just before the A boards!
We saw John Parsons blast up and were told he was the first clean, then he was followed by the guy in the ex-Greenslade Reliant and he cleaned as well.
There was plenty of grip on Great Hucklow but boy was that deviation rough, I had to beat my rims back to shape afterwards. The penalty for low pressures!
I had a little nap in the queue before the control, which was manned by the guy (sorry can never remember your name) who upset the MCC committee by not having a front seat in his Beetle and after fitting one upset them even more by painting a face on the front! He was telling me he has a Marcos now and plans to take it sprinting and hill climbing. The desent to down to green lane to the main road was pretty rough. Did the Class "0's have to go down there?
We spent another hour at bottom of Bamford and in the absence of any sign of authority Mike Pearson and I helped re-organise the queue so one of the locals could get his van and trailer out of his house. The organisation was creeking a bit here but it was good to see C of the C Graham Weekes smoothing things over with competitors at the foot and personally asking everyone about the event.
I though Bamford was great, rough and slippery. We failed of course, spinning to a halt on the greasy slab towards the top. Thats where a lot of failures were and I added to the delay by taking ages on the long reverse down. I enjoyed Haggside as usual then it was off to The Poachers Arms for our compulsaty rest halt. We were scheduled at 13.11 and got there at 16.40, three and a half hours late! We weren't surprised when the last three sections were cancelled.
I really enjoyed my Edinburgh despite all the delays its still my favotite event.
How was your Edinburgh?
Michael
I think Chris and I had a good Edinborough, we signed off only 2 hours late, claimed a Gold and I was quite pleased with my special test times. The Brooklands event certainly gave me some practice for the S.T.'s. Things started badly as we overslept and our run to the start from Ross-on-Wye, M50, M5, M42, was at engine revs. never priviously used on the Troll to travel on ordinary roads, but we were still well under the speed limit. The good thing was very little trafic about especially HGV's and we even overtook some. I was amazed when we got to Litton to see how difficult things were but it now occurs to me that as the access to the hill is gated to prevent 4 x 4's and it has not been used for 2 years allowing things to grow it was going to be a bit more difficult than usual. We actually made the climb, I think only the fourth car up and running at 189. I must say I felt a sense of achievment at the top. Some of the other hills seem to have got a little rough and rugged after the 2 year layoff, I felt a little sorry for those on less than 15 inch wheels or with not much horsepower. Special mention here must be the track after Putwell 2 restart, perhaps a load of gravel to fill in some of the holes is needed? Great Hucklow really is evil after the restart and I have a number of new big wheel rim dents front and rear, good job we were on 18 p.s.i. Bamford was no problem as I can ease off over the brows then get the power down again and we had no problem with grip on 15 p.s.i. One good thing about our mandatory 18 p.s.i. on most hills was that there was no need to pump up after a hill so we overtook lines of cars hence we were only 2 hours late at the finish. Pity about the weather as we missed most of the beautiful views and the countryside is a key reason for Chris and I to do the Edinborough. We both think there should be better W.C. facilities at the Bently Brook, for better read 'more'. The new lunch halt was fine but I would have prefered to chose indvidual items rather than the buffet. Cannot say much about the new finish as we only stopped long enough to sign off and, whisper, load the Troll onto the trailer. It was just after 6.00 p.m. and we wanted a bath, beer and meal so it was a rush to the Buxton digs. What time did the last competitor sign off? Stuart Harrold, Troll 189
ReplyDeleteAs I hadn't entered, my Edinborough was spent marshalling at Litton Slack with girlfriend Lesley and parents and then spectating at Black Harry. We arrived at Litton shortly after 6.00am as the section was being set up in the pitch black. As there is nowhere to park at Litton we were advised to drive down the Class 'O' Section and through the gate to park in the field. This was sufficiently 'interesting' in the rain in a Renault Megane Scenic that I wondered how we would get back out later on - for those of you who haven't taken this route there is a hell of a steep drop down to the section proper. You'll notice that I said in the rain - fairly heavy drizzle from 6.30 right through to the end of the bikes. This made the grass very slippery and caused problems for quite a few of the bikes and combinations. As a car driver I always find the bikes good fun to watch - some roared up in second or maybe third gear, others trickled up virtually on tickover. The 'falling off' award was jointly won by a guy who got through the gateposts at the bottom, cracked the throttle open and dived horizontally to his left into the bank and a guy on a large modern bike who fell off near the 'A' boards on his way up and at least a couple of times on the way back down! The most spectacular climbs came from the combinations and the three wheelers. The white, rear-engined Reliant cleared to a generous round of applause - I'd never seen one of these on opposite lock before! At least conditions were consistent for the bikes. By the time the first cars arrived it had stopped raining but the grass was very slippery and the bikes hadn't really cleaned much of it off. So the first 30-50 cars had a pretty tough time of it. Arthur Vowden, Brian Partidge and Dean Partington all had good attempts without getting far beyond the 'A' board. Then John Parsons stormed up in his smart ex-Graham Marshall, ex-Dave Thompson buggy, followed by the Harts who worked hard in their Marlin and just made it. The rain held off and once the grass had disappeared the hill was on for pretty well everyone as the ground was bone-dry underneath. I think by the end someone from every class had cleaned the hill, including a guy in a very standard-looking Sierra! All too quickly it seemed the course closing vehicles appeared and gathered eveything up. As if on queue the rain started up again as we walked back down the Megane - Dad didn't seem to keen on my idea of driving his road car up the real section so we returned up the Class 'O' Section after a bit a of push to get the thing moving. All in all a very good day out although as Lesley said it felt a bit weird being at the finish in smart clothes without having done the event. Not sure I'd bother with the dinner again though - the food was tasty it just took a very long time coming!
ReplyDeleteThe last car signed off at 9 00pm The golf in the event suffered a lot of damage and is now in the bodyshop on a jig, the triple went on Hucklow along with the o/s susspension and Bamford finished of the n/s wishbone,shock absorber and removed the steering rack from the bulkhead and pushed the chassis leg back. Three smashed wheels 4 tyres wrecked the roughest event I have done in 10 years. Many many thanks to all those who waited for us to come along and to Pete Chantler the closing car who suffered with us. Dave....
ReplyDeleteDave, sorry to hear of all your damage. I did have the feeling from all the bumps and bangs my Troll received running about 60 cars down that some of you poor saloon guys were in for a rough run. Stuart Harrold
ReplyDeleteSo it wasn't my imagination that this was the roughest Edinburgh in years. The problem that the MCC, and therefore by default most of us as well, face is the number of 'major' sections which require a significant amount of work. Tackling one a year might be possible but needing to tackle Great Hucklow and Bamford at the very least, plus probably Haggside and possibly Putwell 1 as well, will put a huge strain on the MCC resources. But taking no action is not an option - if Dave H's Golf broke then it must have been ROUGH and we can only assume the sections will deteriorate still further in the next year. We managed to finish (in a Marlin) without mechanical problems but there were moments when I wondered how the car held together. Andrew PS - Dave. If you manage to repair the car before Ebworth, you deserve a real medal!
ReplyDeleteGreat Hucklow and Bamford were pretty rough on a bike, so I can well believe the damage that occured to some of the the cars. My arms got pumped up riding the bucking bronco up Bamford, not recovered in time for Haggside I could only just hang on at the top. Had to do the restart as a route amendment- always a problem coming up to it on my road roller as slowing down to check out the restart box area tends to cause a foot to drop following a wobble or two. Seems that the concrete on Bamford is OK -but rough. I think the old steps were kinder on a bike as you could choose the take off point. Putwell 2 could be started further up maybe as the bottom is very easy ,but some people take an age to go up it We could have been sent up Haydale at thirty second intervals as it to was easy.At Bamford we were allowed to pass class O (they kept appearing in front at every section, but should have been behind) I think I enjoyed the trial but it seem to go on for ever! Certainly seemed that we had a night run on the bikes. No feet down and no damage I might have beaten the club ( it is they who we compete against, and it certainly feels like it sometimes). I enjoyed the club supper , yes it was slow but they were under a lot of pressure, my beef , soup and crumble was really good and was served with a smile, we were there for a chat so the time didn't worry me too much. No 86.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for your kind words,as of today the golf was being jigged, the n/s chasis had moved back by 30mm and both the inner sills had moved upwards and been crushed. The n/s door wont open and the o/s door you can reach inside without being open.Tomorrow the welder will be working overtime and with a lot of help from Paul and Mike the suspension will be replaced on Friday evening, so fingers crossed Ebworth here we come. Its good to talk, and I feel a lot better now than I felt on Sunday and yes it was a bit rough, but it didnt help matters when the lights failed on Bamford and I didnt see the big hole at the top. Thinking ahead the Exmoor and Port Lane, Iwill be saying my prayers at the bottom. Dave.........
ReplyDeleteIt was certainly a different Edinburgh from the one I expected. With the loss of the night run, the dry September and the good weather forecast I had assumed it would be a rather easy event, quite the reverse. We already had a night run as I opted to drive the Marlin straight from home to the start. A puncture on the way made it seem like part of the event. The drizzle and the effects of a wet summer were very apparent on the sections. Litton had dried sufficiently by the time we arrived for a relatively easy although enjoyable ascent. The top of Putwell was evil especially as once we got some grip off the restart (after some excellent bouncing) we picked up a lot of speed. Hucklow didn’t give us much difficulty although I nearly bounced out of the car and have the bruises to prove it. However it did for the transmission on Derek Reynolds Volvo. The worst bit was the holding control on the moors. 2 hours out there in the drizzle took its toll on a number of competitors enthusiasm and they left for the finish. The problem was Bamford with many failing high up with a long reverse to the layby. Haggside was rougher on the approach than in the section. The one hour ‘lunchbreak’ was a joke as we got there at about 6.30pm, fortunately we were allowed to leave straight away. All in all through gold tinted specs it was a great event. I have the following (hopefully constructive) comments: The loss of the night run was not a major problem although a second start a little further north would be appreciated. If possible the one hour stop should have come earlier in the event and perhaps be combined with the holding control for Bamford as a long wait at the Poachers Arms would have been infinitely preferable to the stop on the moors. Some work will have to be done on some of the sections as too many well-prepared cars came to grief. The finish and the meal were an excellent addition. Many thanks to the Marshalls and organisers. Tony
ReplyDeleteYou can read my report over on Classical Gas by clicking on this link http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/MLeete/Gas02111.htm It's not complete yet - I haven't added any info gleened from the posts here. I would love to get more info, snippets, opinions or picures, You can post here or e-mail me on mleete24@hotmail.com You can read some official notes on the MCC site by following this link http://www.ukmotorsport.com/MCC/MCC_news_of_the_week.htm (I have just checked and the Edinburgh stuff is not there yet but John A sent me a preview so I know it will be coming soon. Michael
ReplyDeleteEdinburgh Questions Did anyone else see the fearsome woman stalking up and down with a torch at the exit from Agnes Meadow onto the road? At first I thought she was a marshal but there was a glare rather than a friendly greeting. I also saw flickering torches coming down the road towards her so being brave we fled. I guess she must have been an irate local. Did the class "O's" have to go down the green lane (sic!) from the Elmore special test/Bamford holding control? What did the class 0's reckon to the event. Is it right only 8 finished? Thanks for your notes John. Has anyone got any more biker notes and some bike pictures would be really welcome. Looking forward to hearing from you Michael mleete24@hotmail.com
ReplyDeletePosted on behalf of John Rhodes - John For Marlin stuff check out Andrew Browns site http://www.wheelspin.org.uk/ Hi all,
ReplyDeleteExcellent Edinburgh, much drier than last time and, for us spectators, more enjoyable. The mud bath that was Litton last time was deceptively slippery until the track dried out then became much easier. My buddy, Brian and I saw just about all the cars through Litton and Bamford although this time I forgot my camera so sorry no piccies.
This wound us up sufficiently to look round for a Marlin to buy, we do loads of PCT's and scatters so more esoteric machinery is not appropriate. Anyone able to suggest technical details that may come in handy for the prepping, please email me at breakfree@blueyonder.co.uk. Things like which four pin pinion carrier to use in the diff etc will be helpful. We have all the required facilities, machining, folding, etc. so can make most things but it's much easier to just get the bits from a donor vehicle like everyone else does.
Has anyone bothered to put such details into a list anywhere?
More anon, I'm sure
Rhodesey
This message has been deleted by the manager or assistant manager.
ReplyDeletePosted on behalf of RossnNuten Just a Short note on the trial. Running on 201 we had a good if not wet day. Very surprised at the condition of Bamford this year. Will it require work for future trials? Although rather terrifying in its extreme - it was, I have to say, a great hill! As with most people, we were running very late after Bamford, and the MCCs wonderful choice of holding area (Derbyshire bleakness at its best..). We were quite pleased to hear that the last 2 hills were cancelled as the weather pulled in and darkness began to fall. Overall a fair mix of hills - from really quite simple climbs to hugely challenging ones. I guess that makes for a good trial when there is now such a wide range of cars/bikes/abilities. Hopefully there is something for everyone (including class O), while still making it a challenge for the 'specials' and purpose built vehicles. As ever, we are grateful to the huge work put in by the organisers and marshals. Luck was with us (and good bouncing*) and we are claiming a gold. Ross Nuten and Maureen Chattle*
ReplyDeleteJust a quick note to explain that the message I deleted was my first attempt to Cut and Paste Ross Nutens message. As it was e-mailed to me from AOL it had some rather strange formatting so I deleted it and did it again properly. Even if we are not so popular (in joke) there is no censorship here at Classical Gas Michael
ReplyDeleteClass 0 Did the class "O's" have to go down the green lane (sic!) from the Elmore special test/Bamford holding control? We were diverted at the last minute from this area, I think the first few had found some deep pot holes. What did the class 0's reckon to the event. Is it right only 8 finished? I thought the event was great, following the main trials route but avoiding the damaging sections is what I think Class 0 should be about. There are plenty of road rally we could enter if we didnt want to do any trial sections. The first few hills in the night required some carefull driving to avoid the deeper ruts. Using parts of the tougher hills e.g. Bamford was a good idea aswell, Im sure we had enough steam to get to the top but I wouldnt have liked the results of the bomb hole at the top. Unfortunately with the time schedule class 0 had it meant we were always catching up with the bikes which meant delays for us while we let them through at the starts of sections. Thanks to all the marshalls and the organising team, please keep Class 0 on the main trials route. Best Regards Kevin Barnes - Singer ADU 263
ReplyDeleteKevin, I'm glad you didn't have to go down "the grand canyon" I was thinking of you and the Morgans as the Derbysgire rocks were grinding my floor away! I am interested that you used part of Bamford. How did that work? How far did you go up and then did you come back down again or was there a diversion? If you have the time I would love to hear a little description of each hill. Michael
ReplyDeleteJust sent of my form to Graham Weekes - this is what I said:- Starts - Multiple Mileage - More Quantity of sections - Same Tyre Pessures - OK Finish - Buxton Excellent Sections - Litton, Bamford, Haggside the other sections I put good apart from Great Hucklow! Start and Poachers Arms - Poor Michael
ReplyDeleteFrom Stuart Cairney ....Enjoyed reading the Edinburgh report, one minor correction - on this occassion David Child was driving his Pop based special (the one that looks like an estate car, reg DMP 10 I think, ex Mike Furse?) I believe he still owns the Pop which, I asssume, was being driven by one of his mates. Incidentally the guy I used to bounce for was the late John Simmons-Hodge who owned the Pop prior to David Child.
ReplyDeleteI was dismayed to read that the Manx trial may not take place - I enjoyed it last time and was hoping to enter. Is it in the balance or doubtful do you think? Regards, Stuart