I was doing a live blog while travelling down in the night then from Exeter Services and Wooston. Great fun and will post Video on You Tube during the week. Seemed to go quite well unless you were in class 0 which was rather hairy! I see John has posted some pictures in the photo album already, thats super. How was your Exeter Trial??
Zoe and I had a great Exeter Trial and think congratulations and thanks are in order to the organising officials. It is always a challenging event and this year was no different. Especially with the extra "curved balls" which were thrown at them during the preceeding week and on the day. We were somewhat concerned when Anne Whellock and Esther decided to demonstrate their aerial ballet incorporating an Austin 7 Special right in front of us on the way from Exeter to Tillerton, but were delighted to find them safe and unharmed, and were pleased to help with a bit of fettling after re-positioning said item onto the 4 rubber bits again. It was even better to see them carry on and finish the event. Many thanks to all who stopped to offer help. Just one item of concern, which was a decidedly dodgy character seen lurking around Ilsington Village Hall, claiming "I'm really into Fairies !!! " We took a photo and have published it in the "Exeter" folder. The public have a right to be protected ! Lastly, John, is it OK to take a copy of the picture you took of us climbing Simms in Tweetie Pie (our yellow Liege) ? It's the first time I've managed to clean Simms in her so it's a bit of a special one. By the way, has anyone got any video of same ? All the best, SimonR
ReplyDeleteI had a great Exeter! I actually got to the top of Sims!! and managed to keep my eyes open all the way to the top of Fingle!! helped changed a diff ! I think that photo of Mr Groves is sums up the humour of the day!! I just want say thank you everyone for a great weekend! going to work is going to be boring next week!!
ReplyDeleteWe had a great event. The steep learning curve of driving an MR2 in trials took a positive move forward when I dispenced with letting down the tyres. This resulted in keeping my shoes clean and clothes dry most of the day. At Simms I thought a change of pressure was in order so we put the passanger side pressure up to by 2psi to 22psi. This giving my normal inbalance of pressures that I consider helps on this section. Thrilled to bits to get up! Pride does come before a fall. I modified the rear wing of the car on a tractor tyre at Slippery Sam. Tim Wellock was standing next to said tractor at the time. The way committee members keep Clerks of Course upon their toes is open to interpretation. My son Ross drove Rex which he is also learning to drive and brought it back undamaged. Words of encoragement and advice from others all helps - thanks Simon G.
ReplyDeleteHave added a lot of photo's from Tillerton and Simm's to: http://grassrootsmotorsport.spaces.live.com/ What do you think? Simm's seemed a little easier than normal as there was no leaf covering and looked washed out a little.
ReplyDeleteI have had some feedback from the Wooston Justy crew http://classicalgas.spaces.live.com/?_c11_BlogPart_handle=cns!9D45C19A8B93429F!1171&_c11_BlogPart_blogpart=blogentry&_c11_BlogPart_frompart=myspace&_c=BlogPart&_c02_owner=1#commentbody - Michael
ReplyDeleteMany many thanks to Simon and Zoe Robson for getting us back on our four rubber bits. I slid on diesel under braking on the downhill right hand bend off the A30 Cheriton Bishop slip road just before the T junction with the B3212. The rear broke away and the nsr wheel hit the kerb and the car tipped on its side. We fell out bruised but otherwise unhurt. Simon set about organising us to change the nsr wheel, remove the front wing and strap it on top of the spare wheels with a couple of bungies, tape and tie down the broken windscreen, top up the engine oil, start the engine and swig down a hot sugary coffee. Just managed it all in time for the Class O closing car to find us. We drove off and all seemed to be no worse than usual so we carried on. Wooston was closed for Class 0 by the time we got there and I failed to get round Penhales hairpin after the restart. So one failure and no medal. Happy to get a finishers certificate. We have a couple of bungies that belong to one of the many passing competitors who stopped to offer assistance. Tim drove the Austin 7 back home from Babbacombe Sunday morning and he assures me that superficial damage only has been sustained. We were very lucky.
ReplyDeleteFirstly apologies Michael. I see my phone was refusing to send text messages again. On the plus side a new one is on its way! A very good event. Anne's A7 and the Justy were unfortunate. The Justy was a mess but a strong car. I don't think the competitor refusing to move his car endeared himself to anyone at the time. Good to get a finisher certificate and the car got home ok too! Just need to find out why the wiring to the heater fan fried itself at Fingle. Mark
ReplyDeleteGood to see the escort out again Mark! The diesel/oil trail that Anne hit started some way further back. We spotted it first on the long sweeping 270 degree bend where you leave the M5 to join the A30. Fair play to Anne and passenger for getting back in and finishing . Re the other inversion incident please remember that people react to shock in different ways and without knowing all the details we should perhaps not be too critical. Credit to Alan Foster and the team for rigging up an alternative way in/way out rather than cancelling the section. Shame about your heater mark but as my passenger says 'heating's cheating'
ReplyDeleteHi Ian Heating is a "needed" as it goes with the roof Mark
ReplyDeleteAnne, the bungies were kindly donated by number 129, who was driving a sportscar with a luggage rack on the back, (possibly an MGB). I don't have the programme so I can't tell you his name, sorry. Glad to hear all is OK with the car, nothing that Tim can't fix fairly shortly. Once again great credit to Esther and yourself for completeing the event, including one "additional test" that nobody else did ! As trialists have always maintained, getting a finisher's certificate on an MCC Classic is an achievement in itself. SimonR
ReplyDeleteHi Duncan Excellent pictures on the grassroots website. Would there be any chance of purchasing a copy of the video stream? I think SimonR could be interested too!! regards Mark
ReplyDeleteJill Holliman. I was in the ill fated Justy. This was my first trial and I was having a great time untill the car rolled over. Everybody we met were great and really friendly. I didn't know what to expect when we started but it was really great fun and I feel abit fed up that we didn't finish but there was no way we could have carried on the car was a mess. I have read that the car behind us has been getting abit of stick for not wanting to carry on, but I want to say a big thank you to them for the help they gave us. They were first on the scene and knew exactly what to do and informed the marshals for us and got us the help we needed if it hadn't been for them I don't know what we would have done. I don't know who they were but if they read this or anyone knows them then thank you very much. We are definitly going to give trialing another go and hopefully this time we will get to finish. Thanks again for a great day. Jill Holliman.
ReplyDeleteYes I would be interested in the video of "Tweetie Pie" (the little yellow Liege) on Simms please Duncan. Thanks, SimonR
ReplyDeleteJill - Don't know if the driver had ever done a trial but I agree the first one is a shock, especially a Classic. The advise I always give is go along and watch or marshall first and ideally do a local PCT first when there isn't the pressure of people wanting to press on round the route. If its any concilation my buddies in Class 0 all thought the sections were smooth but the entrances and exits were rough, hairy or both. Michael
ReplyDeleteAs Ian says the diesel trail started a long way back. We saw a car spin on that long bend.
ReplyDeleteFor Simon R, Yellow Liege. No problem copying the picture. I have tried to email you a high resolution copy, but my computer rejects your Classical Gas email address. Can you confirm your address to me at fjohnsalter@btinternet.com. and I will re-try. If anybody else would like a high res copy of any of the images emailed to them, please contact me as above. I took many more piccies at Simms, but the camera, let alone me, did not like the weather and were either too dark or blurred. John Salter
ReplyDeleteJilly -
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you are OK and determined to have another go. Thank goodness
for the nice people in the MCC - it's very reassuring to know that there's
always someone behind you if you're in real trouble (even if it's only the
course closer). And the Marina crew who helped you were obviously very
shaken too.
I'm delighted to say that driving a sid4ecar outfit and therefore an earlier
number I missed the diesel trail that caught Anne Whellock out.
Celia Walton
Not a good event for the Fwd all stars team, one of our group is hell bent on going out the top on Wooston Steep! Can any one throw some light on the new signs that appeared about 50 feet from the start of the Exeter sections telling competitors not to leave there vehicles, I was getting worried about getting out and letting down my tyres when approaching the start line and getting penallised.
ReplyDeleteA good trial for Crris and I in my Troll until the top of Simms. Clean until then and cleaned Simms but a half shaft broke as we crossed the finish of Simms. Thanks to all those who helped manhandle the Troll out of the way and to Pete Hart who towed us down to the tarmac road to await recovery. I have had the Troll for 10 years with the same axel components in place so I guess its not bad to break just one half shaft in that time. Now frantically trying to get it all repaired for the Clee Hills. Stuart Harrold
ReplyDelete