In a word - fantastic.
As in: fantastic weather, fantastic scenery, fantastic sections, fantastic marshals, fantastic navigator. Fantastic. And the sausage, chips, two eggs and peas has to be the best I've had anywhere, ever. Fantastic.
No idea where we came, or how we compared to the rest of the class - but who cares with weather and secnery like that.
And very nice chatty locals (we had occasion to speak with them a time or two . . . see below ;-) )
Fantastic!
Bri
(okay - I lied about the navigator . . . but an excellent tow car driver ;-) )
I've been singing the praises of this event since we did it for the first time last year. It gets better though. I agree, a great event. Well done Fell Side. Nigel Jones..........Skoda
ReplyDeleteTop Marks for the Northern!! If you missed it, its your loss. The weather, the views,sections, parking, the people - all fantastic!! A big thank you to Fell side club and all who helped. (nice to see Fell side club getting the Keswick Rotary club involved thanks to them also.) Rhodsey still can't read the route ( don't ever follow him!!) Bri you must be a saint to put up with him in a car. See you next year at the Northern. Good to see Dave Cook had travelled up to take some photos can't wait to see them. Cheers Steve & Caroline No 35 Red Liege
ReplyDeletehee hee - Excuse No1 - there was a good brekkie buttie van up there? Or, if you don't believe that: No2 - it was a ruse to install a lack of confidence in following triallers navigators? I've got used to surreptitiously taking a look over his shoulder at the route instructions . . . can normally spot when he misses a line . . . paragraph . . . page . . . or reads the same one twice . . . An earlier trial this year was a good one tho - it was the scene of the record for getting lost from the start . . 600yards . . . later in the trial it took me ages to realise it wasn't actually John getting it wrong . . . (I can nearly smile about it now . . .) And we nearly didn't have a fifth gear report on the Exeter - they, and their film crew, were following us pretty closely at one point - they wisely carried straight on after we took a detour for a scenic scene John particularly wanted to look at in the pitch dark (so he said at the time anyway . . .). Drives a good tow car tho . . . :-) And we do meet some very nice people - on foot, on bikes, in gardens, on road junctions, walking, dog walkers, Texas Rangers, CHiP officers etc when we stop to "check" the route with them. So, if you spot a Yeller Dutton in the rear view . . . slow down and let me catch up . . .please . . . ;-) Bri
ReplyDeleteBrian, Please, Please, Please, ........... tell me what Rhodsey teaches, ....... is it Geography ?? Hee Hee again ! SimonR
ReplyDeleteYes it was a great trial for most of the things mentioned previously. The breakfast at the start was, I think, the biggest and the best I have ever had. But for us class 8 boys the combination of difficult restarts AND high tyre pressures was a little too difficult. It was also a shame that the marshal on Sanddale refused to carry out any tyre pressure checks. The second special test (autocross?) was fantastic and a great end to a hard trial. For us staying in Carlisle and having a look at the goings on in Botchergate on a Saturday night has to be seen to be believed. We will be back, for the trial and Botchergate! Stuart Harrold
ReplyDeleteJust to add to the existing comments - I also thought it was an excellent trial, a little dry on the day but the organisers seemed to stop most (maybe all) of the classes somewhere or other. I think the Fellside Club has to have some of the most enthusiastic members I have every come across. I've never seen so many marshal enjoy themselves so much! As regards Tyre Pressures on Sandale I was there when the organisers found out the marshals hadnt been checking and they were not best pleased. What disappointed me however, was hearing that some competitors upon hearing they wouldnt be checked, then decided to lower them. Surely, if tyre pressure limits are set then whether they are being checked or not should not have a bearing on what the driver sets them to. To me this is the same as putting in a limited slip diff for the day, because the competitor knows there is no diff test. Even if the driver has had a terrible day and is at the back of the class, on a hill such as Sandale, they may driver out the top on lower pressures and therefore clear the hill for later cars which otherwise wouldnt have made it. I hope it was just a bad rumour as I would like to think we all have more integrity than this, but perhaps whoever it was just didnt consider there actions to affect anyone else. As it happens that sort of thing can lead to a section being cancelled and if it had on Sandale, it would have been a real shame. Anyway, I don't want to dwell on a negative, what a great event, great weather on the day and stunning scenery. Thanks to all the organisers and marshals - looking forward to next year. Giles
ReplyDeleteSimon,
ReplyDeleteI did double check on saturday . . . luckily for the nation's youth, o r at least Halifax's, maths.
I just hoping on his Africa trip, they don't give him a map!
Bri
(sorry John . . . ;-) )
Truly a stunning trial, and one which I hope I'll get back to next year.
ReplyDeleteSadly the rumours of competitor(s) taking advantage of no checks on tyre pressures are fact. I saw at least one class 8 car do the hill with what was an estimated 6psi in the rear.
This was seen by several people who all tried to get the driver to use the correct pressure.
What irritated me most was being called 'Stupid' for not taking advantage of the lack of marshal interest!!
Have to agree with Stuart though, Bothchergate on a Saturday night is an education.
Chris
I'd also like to congratulate the Fellside Auto Club for a great trial.The start/finish venue was ideal with plenty of space for trailers and cars.The scenery was amazing (s**t I think I'm getting old!) and the weather was great.I'm certainly not a fan of wooded sections but these were brilliant.Varying types of surface from ice to dust!?As Stuart said the tyre pressures combined with restarts made life difficult for class8 but I suppose that's what happens when a class8 car wins the trial the previous year.(watch out next year Giles)We had a very good day enjoyment wise apart from hitting the slab on where eagles dare and stopped dead resulting in Alan cracking the screen with his head.My only grumble of any kind was the route card which was "vague" to say the least a few times.As the trial is a long way away for us I decided to enter just so that we could say at least we have done it.But such a good event probably means we may just have to come back!Well done on the provisional result Giles and the marshals did a cracking job! Nick
ReplyDeleteYes I enjoyed the Northern, my first trial since 1969. I thought the Class O runners had the roughest of the hills after the more powerful cars had done some ploughing!, No criticism here, but at nearly 70 the bones got a bit of a hammering! If you noticed me, some of my padding has now been bounced off. Unfortunately the Dellow back axle gave out on Widow Hause and I need another one! Any ideas from anyone would be gratefully accepted. The only drawback is that I have entered the Lands End, again Class O, and I live some 35 miles south of Aberdeen but don't let that stop you from replying. I will be eternally grateful to those individuals who towed me off the section and back to Wigton. Robin Barlow. robin-17_bar@tiscali.co.uk
ReplyDeleteHi Steve, and everyone else. Like everyone else I had a great day, sorry to have missed you at two of the sections I covered, but if you will go round at the start of the field, I can't be everywhere at once. The Photos can be found here: http://hoits.smugmug.com/Classic%20Trials/465069 I hope you all enjoy them, let me know if you want copies. Dave Cook
ReplyDeleteHi Dave, Thanks for coming up and some great photos. Sorry we missed you later but had to get the kids. Will you make the trip again?? Are you local for the March Hare? Shame we missed you during the trial but we where first through most sections,slight box problem on Where Eagles Dare but soon sorted. Cheers Steve
ReplyDeleteI think that good old Rhodesey is OK. His navigating is fine, it's just that he saw a sign for a village called 'Bothel' and turned in out of habit. All the other alternative routes taken were due to play in the steering. Signed, A Wellwisher. (My real name, honestly).
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