It would be a brave person who would say on this web site that one MCC trial is better than the others but with all the experience of one Exeter and five other non MCC events behind me, this year’s Land’s End has to take some beating. Just the plain logistics of organising the event are mind boggling to a newcomer and to end up with a finished product as satisfying as this reflects huge credit on all concerned. It seems usual to recognise the efforts (mostly voluntary) of organisers, officials and marshals at the end of a piece like this so, just to break with tradition, let me start by offering my thanks to everyone who contributed to Land’s End 2004.
It is clear even to a relative newcomer that there is some disquiet around at the moment. I don’t want to contribute to that debate as I don’t know enough about the issues to make informed comment. What I would like to say is that something right is happening for such a minority sport to attract 450 vehicles, drivers and passengers to an event that certainly gave me a lot of pleasure and, by the look of the faces at the top of Blue Hills 2, did the same for a lot of other people.
Anyway, enough of the contentious stuff and lets get down to the trial proper. Along with my passenger Adam we arrived at Anthea’s at about 8.00 pm in plenty of time for scrutineering and signing on. Anthea’s is a great spot for breakfast – even mid evening.
I’m a founder member of the Cornish Bug’ers Trials Team and so was sad that one third of our number wasn’t able to make the start. Andrew Rippon, whose 1914cc Baja Bug is always likely to be a strong scorer had been struck down by a ruptured appendix three weeks previously and it will be some time before he can drive a car on the road, much less up Warleggan! The third member of the team is Jon Mildren who, like me, drives a class 4 VW 1303. Jon arrived just after us with his father Sid. Sid first competed in the Land’s End on a bike in 1953 and so knows a thing or two about this trial. He even brought along his programme from that first trial to show us while we were drinking tea in Anthea’s. As things turned out we were not about to pose a threat to hot shots like the FWD All Stars but more of that later.
We left on time and had a leisurely drive through Devon via places that easily roll off the tongue of someone born in Torrington Cottage Hospital – places like Holsworthy, Black Torrington, Sheepwash and Hatherleigh all loom in my particular legend. The only disappointing feature was the state that Devon County Council has let some of its main roads fall into. We checked in at the Devon route check and then had an uninterrupted run to North Petherton. One question that interests me is that on the Exeter one can pick the route to the start proper – why can’t this happen on the LE? Is it to do with equalling out the mileage?
We made it to Graham’s Transport Stop in good time. I used to be a regular customer here more than twenty years ago so this trial was turning into a bit of a trip down memory lane. Scrutineering seemed bear a remarkable resemblance to what had happened 98 miles previously – the lights were checked and that was about it. Not even a check to see if there were two return springs on my carb. We signed on again and then it was in to the café and another breakfast for those who could manage it.
By the time we left Grahams at 01.58 the car park was virtually empty. We followed the route card (another excellent feature of the trial) for 28 miles to Felons Oak and got the first section out of the way with, I hope, a minimum of bother. I say “I hope” because I am writing this before the results are published and don’t want to take anything for granted. This first section seemed fairly straightforward apart from the restart boards which seemed to me to be about three feet apart and with just enough room to get either a front or a back wheel between them. On leaving the section we made our only slight navigational error which meant that we did a half circle before picking up the correct road. On this half circle we passed Jon and Sid, their heads buried under the VW’s deck lid after it had just died on them. The fault was eventually traced and repaired but by this time the closing car had caught up with them and they were left with no option but to head back to West Cornwall.
We met up with Giles Greenslade in the queue for Stoney Street. One of the things I most appreciate about trialling is the support and advice that the experts are prepared to share with novices like me. Giles is one of the best for this and, given his record over recent years, we would have been foolish not to take notice of what he was saying! The advice worked and we shot up the section in good style although I couldn’t help but be aware that in the past it has had to be cancelled when a marshal drove his four wheel drive over the sheer drop on the left. I didn’t have time to look but Adam said it was pretty serious. Probably a section that is best driven at night.
We then encountered the toughest part of the trial, which didn’t involve any observed section. Rather the drive over to Culbone Inn and from there to Beggars Roost in a thick Exmoor fog. This required top concentration as the visibility was very poor and the lanes narrow and twisty. The Culbone provided a very welcome coffee and bacon rolls for those who could manage yet another breakfast. From here we carried on through the mist and fog nearly all the way to Barbrook and the famous Beggars Roost. The route card was explicit about stopping to do tyre pressures on the road and so this is what we did. The section was claiming a number of victims which meant that the delay was about an hour. The effect was that every few minutes twenty or so cars would fire up their engines to move forward a few yards. If any of the residents of that street happen to be reading this – I’m sure that all the drivers who were around at about 5.30am would join me in hoping that we didn’t cause you too much disturbance.
I have to own up to a touch of complacency on Beggars Roost born partly from having cleared the section on the Exmoor trial in January and partly from reading the reports from last year’s LE when conditions were much different. I paid the price of only lowering my pressures to 15psi when, with a good position on the restart, my wheels span and, struggling for grip, I slid elegantly the wrong way. Expletives followed and we returned to the start and joined the route at the bottom.
The run over to Riverton was much better as it was light by now and the fog had cleared although we were over 90 minutes behind our due time. We caught up a bit without breaking any speed limits and soon were queued up under the bridge awaiting our go at one of the best hills on Exmoor. This was another one that I’d cleared on the Exmoor but, given my performance on Beggar’s Roost, the confidence had been a bit dented and I needed a good climb to patch things up. Although I’d got up here before it was hardly in the best style especially on the left hairpin where I’d had a coming together with the top bank and only just managed to rectify things and get through to the end. This time we set off round the right hander, up the rough bit to a muddy sharp right and then on a gentler gradient to the hairpin. This time we got it all set up spot on, got the tail swinging out and put the power down to get a good line. The section doesn’t end here though and there is still some work to do before you arrive gratefully at the “section ends” board. All in all a satisfying climb and a good confidence restorer.
Feeling pretty cheerful we set off for the Torrington holding check, got our control card signed and set off trying to make up some time but mindful of the ¾ rule which I think I understand having read it through many times now. From here the route took us right through my old stomping ground, past pubs where I learnt how to drink (and occasionally how not to) down to Sutcombe. The friendly marshal at the start told us that most cars were getting up with no trouble. With a minimum of delay we were off on the straightforward climb to the restart placed high up the section. This time we got a good position and 12 psi was enough to get the grip we needed to get away cleanly. A thumbs up from the marshal at the top confirmed our success and we pulled up to inflate the tyres.
One of the main reasons that I have got involved in trialling is to do with a near life long obsession with air cooled VW’s in all their various forms. It was an added bonus then that from here on we travelled much of the way with Phil and Tina Pontin in their bright yellow Chenowth rail and Ed and Steve Nikel in their red buggy. By the time we had got to Blue Hills I knew that the rail had been in and out of Phil’s family for many years and that of all the class 8 cars it is probably the most user friendly in inclement weather – it even has heat! Ed built his buggy in the mid 70’s and used it a lot before putting it out to grass. In the last few years with the encouragement of his family he has pulled it out of retirement and produced a highly competitive car in that most competitive of all classes. Both cars run pretty much standard 1600 twin port engines and it was a pleasure to check them out and chat with their owners while waiting in queues.
Darracott is another famed LE section that I’d a lot about but nothing can ever really prepare you for the reality. First though we had to wait for the travelling marshal before being led down to the start of the section proper. Without the restart I don’t think it would be too testing but we struggled to get away. I think we went a bit sideways before we did get going. Rumour has it that the restart marshal hereabouts is a hard man to convince so I’ll be interested to see if this section put paid to our chance of a medal. No time to worry about that though as it was straight on to first timed test. We had made a clear decision that we were going for accuracy and that any time between ten and thirty seconds would be just fine thanks. Even so I managed to miss first gear on line ‘B’ however I think we were OK.
From the top it was on to Widemouth check and then the best road section of the route. The route card tells you to “Follow minor and hilly road for 3.9 miles”. Too right. Much of this is steeper that the Class 0 route at Blue Hills with some hairpins that wouldn’t be out of place on a WRC stage – good fun.
We reached Crackington in the company of some none competitors in Peugeots who thought that they would tag along to see what all the fuss was about. When they saw where we were going they pulled over and decided discretion was the better part of valour. A lot of thanks here to Paul Bartleman for his ready advice about the best way to tackle this hill in a class 4 car. Put succinctly it went something like, “keep your foot to the floor and stay in the ruts”. Thanks Paul – it worked. What a great section and a real buzz to get to the top.
Treworld was picturesque rather than taxing. Gently down into the stream which was quite deep, get the power on and then a fairly straightforward climb through the gate to the top and that’s the North Cornwall bit completed. A short run brings us to Hallworthy cattle market and a one hour compulsory rest stop. Time to check the oil, fill up with gas and, you guessed it, eat another breakfast. Collect the control card and away – we are on the final leg now and should make up a bit of time. Drive over Bodmin Moor down past Colliford Lake on the way to Warleggan. I marshalled here last year and as far as I can remember only one car and one bike failed. Should be fairly straightforward – so why are a dozen or more cars being very efficiently marshalled at the bridge. When we eventually get to the start of the section proper we discover that the rain has taken its toll and it’s much rougher than before. The nearer we get to the start and the more cars I see coming back the more air I let out of the tyres until we are just off the minimum pressure. When it comes to it we take off smooth to the right hander and then the ruts and rocks start and go on, and on and we can see how Warleggan used have a reputation as a stopper. Still we clear it and head off for one of the major tests of any Lands End – wet or dry. Before that though we realise, slightly sadly, that the highway persons we had been led to believe would be extracting money from us seem to have got fed up waiting and gone home for tea.
We are on home territory now and head towards Cardinham and another go at Hoskin. So far the score is Hoskin 1, Pete 1 so this is anyone’s game and I for one wouldn’t bet on the result. At the bottom there is a short wait and we are greeted by the smiling face of Greg Thomas who has been at the section for eleven hours by now. A brief chat with Greg before we go for it. We get a good start and build enough momentum on the first slope to get past the yellow restart, then the red and just make the whole section. Grip is at a premium and in normal circumstances I would have been four or five psi lower but hey, who cares, we got up there.
Pump up and off to Bishop’s Wood where we have the second timed test followed by a section that I know ruined many a chance of a Gold last year in the higher classes with its evilly placed restart. On the test we follow the same principle as on the first test and complete it accurately in 25 seconds – that’ll do us. The first part of the section to the track is straightforward and good fun. Then we get to the ramp. I’ve got far too much speed on but and have also read too much about how cars were stopped here last year so decide to go for it. The result is that, as my skateboarding sons would say, we “get air” – lots of it in fact and really fly. This is all good fun but probably doesn’t make for arriving in Newquay with an undamaged car. Next year I’ll be a touch more circumspect. We pile out of the end of the section with the marshal there struggling to see our number but still on for an award.
We are now on the final run to Blue Hills and stop off at the Perranporth route check just to get our card signed. I’d been to Blue Hills as a spectator before but nothing can really prepare you for the sight as you come down the other side of the valley. Even though it was late the sections were still packed with spectators and the track leading to Blue Hills 2 makes a dramatic scar picking out the route.
Down at the bottom we were greeted by the friendly face of Graham Brazier. Graham was checking tyre pressures as one of the BH 1 team headed up by Dennis Greenslade. Graham is on of the real characters of trialling and other forms of motor sport. His ’59 Beetle is used for historic rallying and is a beautifully prepared car. He also keeps threatening to return to trials with a supercharged Beetle – we are waiting! Over at the restart things were being managed by Nigel Allen who has done most of the preparation of my car as well as being responsible for Giles’ and a number of other well known names in VW circles. This added an edge to the section for me as Nigel does a fantastic job and I certainly didn’t want to fail in front of him. We gingerly picked our way round the loop and slowly put on the power as we approached the cobbled ramp through some fairly thick mud. A bit of wheel spin up the ramp but we had enough momentum to get up the top and the sharp right turn isn’t too much of a problem as the track at the top is quite wide. Through the gate where we were waved on to the section ends board by Dennis.
That was the taster – now for the real thing. I don’t mind admitting to all you experienced people that I was pretty pumped up by now and had used up about two weeks adrenalin ration. Because we were towards the end of the field there was no queue and little time to think about the final section. We had lots of advice from other class 4 competitors about keeping the pressures up for BH2 and this went completely out of my head. Firstly I pulled up at the wrong start line and having been waved on by the marshals any thought of stopping to put air in just went. I’d dropped the pressures quite low to get up the ramp on the previous section so the result was that on that rocky and fairly dry start I just got too much grip and blew it big style. Martin Harry (another VW aficionado) fixed us onto the winch and off we went, still to some applause from the crowd which was a buzz. We knew by then that Giles and a number of other class 4’s had made it so next year I’ll be back, certainly one year older and hopefully (but no guarantees) wiser. To say that the tow up on the winch was an anti climax is the understatement of the weekend but we were cheered up by being met by fellow Cornish Bug’ers Andrew and Lorraine who had stayed for hours waiting for us which was much appreciated. We looked around for the promised marshal to sign our control card so that we could prove we hadn’t dawdled at the top but there didn’t seem to be anyone. Mindful of the organisers’ concerns we got going anyway and headed back to Newquay to sign off and claim a bronze having definitely failed Beggar’s Roost and BH2 – just that nagging doubt remains about Darracott so roll on the provisional results!
Whatever the final result that was a great 24 hours. The added bonus for us was the short drive home from Newquay to be followed by food (no bacon, eggs, chips, beans etc!), quite a lot of wine and a lapse into unconsciousness.
Thanks then to Adam the passenger (whose motivational skills played a major part in us doing as well as we did, to say nothing of how quickly he learnt the art of finding grip), all the people who were so kind with their advice (especially Giles and Paul), Andrew and Lorraine for that long wait at Blue Hills and again the organisers and marshals. Next year the Cornish Bug’ers will be a force to be reckoned with!
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