Nick Cleal wins Allen

Victory so nearly went to Steve Potter in his Trojan

With insurmountable restarts for Classes Seven and Eight on the Ubley Woods sections it was Classes 1,2 and 3 that battled for the overall win. At one stage it looked like Steve Potter may have taken overall honours in his Trojan but that slipped away just before the lunch halt. In the end it was Nick Cleal who took the win after being faster than Bill Bennett on the Special Tests.

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It was very cold, with a touch of snow on the ground, as competitors joined the queue for scruitineering. It stretched a long way down the narrow street. Not sure the locals will have enjoyed all those idling engines outside their windows when they were expecting a Sunday morning lie in! The first few sections still had a bit of ice and the rather gentle Tog Hill stopped a couple of the Front Wheel Drive cars. Alan Holly was one of these in a rather low Ford Ka, prepared for endurance rallying rather than trials. Despite the front of his car scraping the ground everywhere he carried on to finish the event. Lets hope he enjoyed himself enough to stick with the sport. 

Bitton Lane was not Front Engine Rear Wheel Drive Friendly 

For classes three to eight Bitton Lane is all about a restart on polished stones, sited on a left hand bend. This was definitely not class five friendly as none of the four competitors could get their cars away. It was clearly a front engine, rear wheel drive issue as 40% of Class three failed as well, including Aaron Haizelden in his Mexico liveried escort which is surely too nice to trial?

Only Trojans Clean Big Uplands 

Big Uplands had an experienced team of marshals from Stroud and DMC. Classes 7 and 8 bypassed the section in the morning and would return for their attempt late in the afternoon. There were some big holes mid way up the section and these were a problem for some of the lower slung cars, including many of the Escorts. The big problem came after the ninety left corner, the momentum lost rounding this was sufficient for most to come to a halt, apart from two cars that is, Steve Potter and John Wilton in their Trojans. The ground clearance certainly helped but hats off to the skill of both drivers to coax their wonderful machines to the summit of this difficult section. A mention to the best of the rest who got to the two. Bill Bennett (MG J2), Dick Bolt (Ford Escort), Reg Salway (BMW), Brian Alexander (Suzuki X90) and Matt Facey (1976 Beetle). Also reaching the two were four competitors in Class One, Nick Cleal, Dave Haizelden, James Shallcross and Charles Knifton. 

Retirements at Guys Hill 

The historic Guys Hill was next. There are no corners but its polished stones and tree roots are more than enough to trap the unwary, especially with a restart for class six and higher. This was another hill that proved problematic for classes three and five although Keith Sanders (Reliant Scimitar SS1) made amends for an eight on Big Uplands to go clean. In Class 4 Michael Leete left the start with wheels spinning and paid the price, stopping at the five. The other Class 4 competitors all went clear although Colin Perryman was to go no further, retiring with unknown problems, as did Matt Facey in Class 6. The restart for the higher classes saw many of their clean sheets disappear as the old hill did its work. 

Past Chew Valley Lake and bypassing Burledge the route went onto the A368 and up Cleeve Hill to Travers. The section wasn’t too much of a problem if you didn’t have to restart, but it was a different matter for those that did. Ian Davis, in his nicely rebuilt VW Buggy, lost his clean sheet here. 

Steve Potter leads the Trial in his Trojan before loosing it on Ubley Woods 3 

The three Ubley Woods sections were just up the track and these were to determine the result of the trial. The Yellows and Reds had to restart on Ubley Woods 1 and only Tris White (Troll) and Nick Farmer (Cannon Alfa) managed to go clear. Then, like everyone else, Tris failed the Class Eight only restart on Ubley Woods 2. This left Steve Potter in his Trojan the lead of the trial with the only clean sheet. Sadly he was to loose this on Ubley Woods 3 where he dropped three marks. It was possible to get up in a Trojan though, as John Wilton proved when it was his turn. 

So, as competitors made their way back to Chew Valley Lake for the rest halt, the leaders were all on two. They were Nick Cleal and James Shallcross in their Peugeot 205’s, the omni-present Dave Haizelden in his familiar Golf, Bill Bennett (MG J2) and Dick Bolt (Escort). 

Nick Cleal and Bill Bennett tie for the lead. Nick wins on Special Test Times 

These five were reduced to three when neither James nor Dick could get away from the slippery restart on Burledge. Then at the first of the two sections in the Lakeside Complex Dave Haizelden didn’t get all the way out of the bomb hole and lost one mark. That left Nick Cleal and Bill Bennett in the lead on two marks and the situation remained that way till the end, victory going to Nick on Special Test Times. 

Whilst this was going on the Yellows and Reds went to Big Uplands for their attempt, with Class Eight having a restart. Most of the leading contenders went clear but after Ubley Woods this didn’t impact on the final results. 

Another successful Allen Trial 

The trial had its traditional finish at John Walker, a wonderful blast through the mud in the gathering dusk to conclude another excellent Allen Trial. Pete and Carlie Hart, Mark Tooth and the team are to be congratulated on preserving the traditions of the Allen Trial even though they have lost many “real lanes” over the years. In particular moving the Lakeside sections to their present location has been a great improvement and are a welcome addition.

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Difficult Edinburgh

Rough Sections, Delays and Cancellations made this years Edinburgh a Difficult Trial

After last years medal feast there were no Golds awarded on this years Edinburgh, the only clean sheets going to John Kenny (Beta Alp) and Murray Montgomery-Smith (Marlin) who received the premier awards and Michael Weeks (MG Midget) the Class 5 award.***

 It was a difficult trial for both the organisers and competitors. With old favourites like Haggside, Great Hucklow and the traditional Litton Slack unavailable it was a very different route to usual. However, rain in the week leading up to the trial caused further problems and Grangemouth was cancelled at the start and Litton after the bikes had gone through.

Most of the severely diminished entry enjoyed the trial although there was a feeling that some of the sections were too rough for an MCC event.

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After a wet few days it was dry without much wind when competitors gathered for the start at Tamworth Services. Unfortunately, despite the clubs warning, a few arriving to early got a nice surprise a few weeks after the event when they got a parking ticket for staying too long!

After a main road run to Ashbourne there was a holding control at Carsington Water before the first section. There were some delays here, giving Michael Weeks time to sort some issues with the exhaust of their Midget.

The first section at Haven Hill had a common restart for all, omitting last years controversial deviation. This didn’t cause any problems for the main trial but some of the lower slung cars in Class 0 had problems with ground clearance causing a few delays.

Rileys Rise was a new section this year. It was slippery, which caused problems for some of the motorcyclists who found difficulty staying on their machines. The section itself wasn’t to troublesome for the four wheeled brigade, but getting to “Section Begins” was a problem for some and there were long delays for later numbers. 

Classes C, E, 0 and 1 didn’t attempt Rileys Rise and went directly to a special section for them, Deep Rake, the first of three sections in the quarry complex south of Stoney Middleton. There was a restart on slippery grassy bend but this didn’t cause too many failures.

The Deep Rake Special Test was just up the track. A figure of eight with a very large puddle just before the end. This produced a few failures with competitors over-running the line. John Parsons was one of these. John’s VW Buggy was not running well and running later and later he retired a few sections after, only to have the transmission fail just before home.

There were many miles of nice green laning though the quarry complex to get to Black Harry, where a 10mph speed limit was in force on the section. Everyone, including Class 0, had to restart before exiting the summit. Trojan driver John Whilton was mashalling the start, warning of a big rock just round the corner where some lower slung cars had grounded. In the main trial most cars went clean but the experienced Nick Farmer, didn’t get away in his Class 1 Astra. The restart proved a challenge for Class 0 and Verdun Webley (Rickman Ranger) was one of many to loose his clean sheet here.

While Class 0 went for their breakfast at Bull I’th Thorn the other classes went to the horror that was Putwell. Sadly this much loved section, with his magnificent views across to Monsail Head, has become rougher and rougher and is reckoned by sum to be past its sell by date. Michael Weeks had two punctures on his way to cleaning the second section, although the results show a fail, depriving him of a clean sheet. (This was amended in the published final results***) Michael and Colin were appreciative of assistance received from Duncan Welch, Brian Alexander and John Parsons that enabled them to finish the event. Steve Kenny was one of many others to puncture here but the delay between the two sections enabled him to change both a wheel and a tube.

Litton should have been after the break. It was for the motorcyclists but not the traditional section which is not available. The hill was approached through by turning off the main road at the Anglers Rest and following the river valley to Litton Mill. Then, from approximately the usual start line, the hill went up the normal approach road before picking up the grassy Class 0 section and finishing in the usual place. The bikes were OK and so were the initial experienced competitors in well prepared cars. Unfortunately the earlier delays meant that some Class 0 cars were running towards the head of the four wheeled brigade. Several had problems getting to section begins and nervous of PR issues the Chief Official called a halt to proceedings. Julian Lack and David Bache were amongst the lucky few to get an attempt and reported it was a good section.

Later numbers were diverted from breakfast directly to Bamford Clough, where there were more delays for later numbers. This is inevitable for such a long hill, surely the highlight of the trial, and competitors are used to waiting for their turn. This was another section reckoned to be rough, caused by water eroding the loose material where the concrete patches end, creating “steps”. There was a restart as well for the higher classes and this claimed many victims. When Dudley Sterry fails a section its got to a be a tough one!

After Bamford the main trial headed south to join class 0 at Calton. Everyone except classes E and 0 had a restart on polished stones and around 40% of the cars couldn’t get away. Some in Class 0 had issues as well and neither Mike Westbrook (Dellow) nor Verdun Webley (Rickman Ranger) had enough momentum and stopped.  John Beaumont had transmission problems with his rear engined, A series powered Reliant. It took John a while but he worked on the car on the windswept summit and went on to finish the event.

After tea and cakes at Hollinsclough Village Hall the main trial went to the short Rakes Head section while Class 0 went direct to Excelsior where, unlike the rest of the trial, they didn’t have to restart. The section comprises exposed rock and toughened up as the day went on and the loose covering material was burnt away. Steve Lister was giving his ex Geoff May Dellow its first outing and was one who spoilt his clean sheet on those polished stones.

Class 0 had their own section at Moneystones with MCC Secretary Peter Lawley in charge. This is a super section for Class 0 who appreciated Peter and his team standing out in the cold just for them.

With the section at Grangewood inaccessible after the rain and cancelled before the start the route followed an unfamiliar path to Darley Bridge and the Clough Mine/Clough Wood complex. There was some confusion here as the “Enthoven” sign isn’t visible from this direction and a lot of people missed the turn.

The two sections at Clough Mine were muddy affairs. Everyone did the first one, in front of Dave Cook’s lens. Dave was the MCC’s official photographer for the event and as I am not sure of the arrangement he has with the club I have not used or linked to his pictures here. The nature of these sections was different to the MCC’s traditional Derbyshire Fayre but with all the problems with officialdom may well have to feature in the future if the old favourites are denied.

The main trial then used Clough Wood while Class 0 went directly to the Dudwood Complex on private land.

Dudwood 1 was a muddy horror and the A boards came into the reckoning for all accept Class 8 where Robin Preedy went clear in his special.

Dudwood 2 went up into a wood and was attempted by everyone. After a gentle start it became rutted and rough. It was possible to blast up but it was far to damaging for Class 0 which was a shame as the rest of the event had been ideal for those who like to be gentle on their pride and joy.

And finally we came to the Dudwood Special Test. A simple blast round in a circle, only it wasn’t so simple as it was on heavily rutted loose material. This caused a lot of problems to Class 0 and cost Richard Andrews his Tin. Clean up till now, even though he had done some damage to his Dellow on the last section, Richard floundered in the mud and that was the end of his medal hopes.

For once there was very little wind back at the Bull I th Thorn finish, so competitors could stand outside and chat while they watched the stragglers drift in, some quite a few hours behind time.

The day finished with a club supper in Buxton. Once again this wasn’t very well supported, and with no words from the management, provided an anti-climax to the event. Trialling in Derbyshire has a special atmosphere but with a thin entry list and problems obtaining the use of the old sections it is becoming an organisational challenge. Lets hope the MCC can rise to these challenges so the event can continue.

*** amended to reflect changed final results. Michael was previously shown as failing Putwell B

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Moss’s Mechanics

Ian Moss had a conclusive home win on the Stroud & DMC Mechanics Trial

Ian and Josh had a near flawless run in their 1200 Imp, putting up the best performance on all the hills except Greenway Lane 3 where they failed the restart. Tony Underhill was second overall, with Jade Bray in the passenger seat, in their Triumph special. Competing in Class Eight they did have a couple of extra restarts, including a real horror on Greenway Lane 3. Special well done to Steve Potter for winning Class 2 in his Trojan.

Ian and Josh Moss clearing the final bank on Mini Hoskins (Picture by Dave Cook)
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Organisers Carl Talbot and Tim Smith had an entry of 43 assembled in the spacious surroundings of the SKF car park for the start of Stroud’s Mechanics Trial. There was one non-starter. John White had a call from his passenger at 5 am saying his injured foot had swollen during the night and couldn’t come on the event.

The First Special Test

The route headed west from the start to the first section, a special test in a very muddy field. It was an a stop astride line B, back all four wheels over, round a bollard and back to stop astride C affair. C was the same line as B so this area got a fair amount of use and it became stickier and stickier as the morning went on. There was a six mark penalty for a failure and three or four competitors found them on their score sheets.

Tyre pressures had been free on the Special Test but there were high limits for the rest of the trial. Clerk of the Course Carl Talbot was worried about getting a result and had imposed the high tyre pressures and quite a few restarts. The early sections were old roads, mostly with restarts and there were some fantastic views on offer. The first observed section, Tin Pan Alley, an old Falcon Guy Fawkes section, was a nice gentle start, with a restart for everyone apart from Class 2. Everyone went clear here but that was to change at the next section, Alf’s delight, where the majority of the entry failed to get away from the restart.

It’s All About the Restarts

Crossing a golf course, and passing the exit tracks from Crooked Mustard and Axe, Boxwell was approached via a remote track, winding down through a wood, where the section started beside a lake. It almost made you want to start painting! Once again the hill was all about the restart, situated on a 90 left at Tee. More clean sheets disappeared on this slippery rocky surface, including Beetle drivers Giles Greenslade in class four and eventual Class six winner Gary Browning.

Wood Lane was approached via Nailsworth town centre. Everyone went clear here, despite the restart but like a few sections things would have been different had it not been so dry.

Delays at Mackhouse

Later numbers were waited more than three quarters of an hour at Mackhouse. There have been many variations over the years here and competitors were relieved the section more or less straight up the exit track, rather than use the versions where you risked understeering into the trees or drove along a ditch filled with dinosaur eggs. Even so there was a twist, the route deviating off the rocky track where there was one of those restarts that were very much a feature of this years Mechanics Trial. The main track is pretty rough and very long. When there were problems they took a long time to sort. Reg Salway had the misfortune to retire his BMW here. A reversal of fortunes after his class win on the March Hare the previous week. Dave Haizelden was a notable failure here, putting James Shallcross into the lead in Class 

If You Go Down to the Woods One Day….

Up until now all the sections had been on public tracks, but the character of the event changed with the five sections in Catswood. The first three were situated at the bottom of the wood and were all very similar, starting on the track and deviating up amongst the trees onto the mud. They were all sub-divided and it was here the results of the trial were pretty much decided.

The first, called Infinity and Beyond, was a real stopper and only Ian and Josh Moss (Imp) and Tony Underhill/Jade Bray (Triumph Special) got as far as the one marker.

Angela’s was cleanable and several did. However, there was a horrible tree at the bottom, just in the right place to hit if you understeered at the bottom. Several did, or backed off before they did, including James Shallcross putting Dave Haizelden back in the lead in Class One. Sapsed’s Surprise was another stopper, the leading contenders all spinning to a stop at the 4 marker.

James Gets a 12

Mini Hoskins was a long section up a forestry track, with a deviation and a restart at the top where Dave Cook was taking photographs. There were quite a few cleans here, but also some 12’s where drivers couldn’t get grip off the start. Unfortunately these included James Shallcross and Dave Haizelden went on to another win in the Astra borrowed from passenger Nick Farmer.

Don’t Blink, familiar from the Cotswold Clouds, was the final section in Catswood. This is a real horror, tight, muddy and deeply rutted, with a restart for class eight which stopped them all. Pete Hart got to the three, Ian Moss to the five and amazingly James Shallcross a zero. However, most everyone else floundered at the nine.

The track out of Catswood (the one you use to get to Merves Swerve on the Clouds) was rough and wet, it was a shame we didn’t go up it as a section! King Charles Lane was just across the way, with John Blakeley on the restart flag and being a nice man didn’t fail anyone!

Greenway Lane

Greenway Lane is a rough track which had been made into three sections. The first one was on the track, deviating off onto a grassy area which would have been a problem had it been wet. The second was a pure PCT affair in an adjacent field. It was back on the track for the final one with a wicked deviation, especially for the class eights who had a special one through a very deep hole. 

The first section had a restart for classes 6 to 8. It was achievable but tricky and when Tony Underhill failed it more or less meant Ian and Josh Moss had won overall unless they made a silly mistake, which they didn’t.

Ian Fails a Restart

The third section had difficult restarts with Colin Perryman on the flag. It was difficult for classes 1 to 7. Most of the class leaders negotiated it successfully, except Ian Moss and Pete Hart. Both failed but their lead was such it didn’t affect the final result. Class eights had to negotiate a horrific hole but amazingly Dave Wall (Dellow) was the only one to pick up a penalty.

John Bell’s nice MG TD was suffering by now, earlier he had carburation problems, had a collapsed wheel in Catswood and now the exhaust was broken. Fortunately it was after the silencer so he removed the broken bit and carried on.

Bulls Bank – Inspired by Longville?

The Second Special test was at the familiar Bulls Bank. This was very much like Longville on the Clee. It was important to concentrate on getting a clean first and a time second. The trial finished with Viaduct, a blast across a rutty, muddy field and it was a shame it was so dry and competitors who stayed on to watch saw only a couple of failures.

Well done to Ian and Josh Moss for a great drive, especially in Catswood, and a deserved victory. This years Mechanics was very much a trial of three parts. Public Tracks followed by Catswood and a finale at Greenway Lane. It was a shame it was so dry, perhaps next year Stroud will arrange for a few more localised rain showers!

Best OverallIan Moss (Imp)16
Class Winners
1David Haizelden (Vauxhall Astra)31
2Steve Potter (Trojan 32
3Stuart Deacon (Ford Escort)33
4Giles Greenslade (VW Beetle)36
5Stuart Roach (HRG)34
6Gary Browning (VW Beetle)35
7Pete Hart (Marlin)27
8Tony Underhill (Triumph Special)24

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Northern Trial

Simon Woodall won the Northern Trial by one mark

Simon Woodall won Fellsides Northern Trial by the slimmest of margins, dropping a solitary mark to finish one point ahead of Dean Partington in his DP Wasp, Tris White, driving his Troll and Dudley Sterry in his familiar MG J2.

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The start was at The Stocksman, Wigton, the site of a market with plenty of room for parking and no problems to accommodate trailers and tow vehicles. Plenty of food was available and there was a nice place to sit down. John Blakeley was at scruitineering, as a competitor as Chris Veevers had kindly made his Beetle available for John to drive. 

There was a long run of 30 miles to the first section, down the A591 on the east side of Bassenthwaite Lake to the outskirts of Keswick and back up the other side of the lake on the A66. The Liege’s were delayed when Kevin Barnes had his alternator fail but was able to continue with some help from his team mates. 

Section 1 – Black Hole (Restart for 7 and 8) – Like all but the last hill this section is in forestry. As with a lot of the hills clears had to reverse back down as there was no exit track, and it wasn’t possible to turn at the top. There was plenty of grip though, and most competitors got to the top or very close to it, apart from the three Marlins, all of who failed at the eight, just after their restart. 

Setmurthy Special Test – Pat and Jonathan Toulmin were in charge of this nice simple affair on a smooth forest track. It was to be a deciding factor in class seven though as Julian Lack picked up a fail in his Leige and to make it a double went on to fail the second special test as well later in the trial. twelve points lost on the Special tests! 

Out of the forest it was back on the A66 for a few miles to the Wythop Plantation Forest Complex where there were four sections. 

Section 2 – Routen Romp (Restart for 7 and 8) – A nice smooth forest track which didn’t present any problems for the triallers who didn’t have to restart. The restart wasn’t class seven friendly though and Julian Lack was the only contender to get away. 

Section 3 – Big Cockup – It was a good few miles on smooth forest roads to the next three sections which were all situated together. Big Cockup really should have been called Quagmire, such was the mud at the bottom. There was some confusion here. The start line marshall was allowing some competitors to start some way back from the line. Then they moved the start line back. It seems that when Clerk of the Course Dave Miller came along he cancelled the section but not before Dean Partington went airborne and scored an 11!

Section 4 – Little Cockup – Not so much mud here. Dave Cook was taking pictures and there was an exit track at the top. Most of the experienced triallers got to use this but there were exceptions, including the low slung Midgets of Colin Biles and Steve Kingstone who bottomed out, Steve right up at the one marker. Nicholas Cross had been put in this class in his big engined Beetle and with more ground clearance was able to get to the top. In Class Three Kelly Thomas (Escort) was the only driver not to clean the section, which would be significant later! 

Section 5 – Lothwaite Side (Restart for 7 and 8) – The last section in this complex is a glorious long stony track, passing some fascinating rock formations before emerging through a gate onto a moorland full of grazing sheep. Julian Lack maintained his form and was the only re-starter in Class 7 to get away. The class eights faired better, but Alistair McVittie lost his clean sheet in his interesting Suzuki bike engined, ex Dean Partington, Cannon. 

Section 6 – Lowry’s (Restart for everyone) – After a nine mile road run it was back into the forest at the Hobcarton Complex. Everyone had to restart and this was to really shake up Class 1. First Dave Haizelden didn’t get away and picked up a 6. Then James Shallcross went straight through without stopping, scoring 6 as well. This put Charles Knifton ahead of both in his Peugeot, a lead he held to the end of the trial, the first defeat for the mighty Dave for a fair while! 

Section 7 – Long Crag – A stony track with plenty of grip, hence tyre pressure limits for all. It was another of those sections where cleans had to reverse back down and there was an unfortunate tree to catch the unwary if they came out of the ruts. There were a few failures here and Nigel Jones lost his clean sheet after fixing a water leak before Big Cockup. 

Section 8 – The Grotto – A very muddy, rutted track with no restarts. It needed the tyre pressures pretty low to find the grip and this caught out a few people including Nigel Jones, Colin Biles and Nicholas Cross. 

Section 9 – Ladyside – A grassy track that became very rutted on the upper reaches. It was possible to drive out the top, but all but a few of the Class 8 supermen got stuck at the two facing a tricky reverse under the supervision of a marshalling Thomas Aldrian. 

It was back onto the road again, but for less than a mile before turning into The Whinlatter Visitor Centre. The sections in this complex were high above the lakes and the views of Lake Bassentwaite were truly magnificent. 

Section 10 – Lords Seat (Restart for 7 and 8) – Mark Simpson was in charge here. There was a restart for 7 and 8 but lesser mortals could blast straight through and most managed this successfully. In class seven Steve Kenny picked up a six while the other Lieges went clean. 

Section 11 – Ullister Hill – You have to back down if you fail this rough track which gets very rutty at the top. Phillip Middleton (Marlin) and Simon Woodall (VW Buggy) got to the one but most failed at the two or three. Dean partington (DP Wasp), Tris White (Troll)and Dudley Sterry (MG J2) all dropped two. For Simon, Dean, Tris and Dudley these were the only marks they were to drop all day and this is how they finished in the overall standings after Special Test times were taken into account. 

In class four Nicola Butcher got her revamped Beetle to the two, one further than Michael Leete’s VW, securing her the class win. In class Seven Steve Kenny had the top front A arm bolts snap on his Liege. He was able to continue with the front wheel flopping about a bit and won the class. 

Section 12 – ’24’ – This section wasn’t to bad once you got round the 90 right over a steep muddy bank at the bottom. This wasn’t friendly to low slung cars and Colin Biles and Steve Kingstone both grounded their Midgets under the watchful eye of Fellside’s Myke Pocock. Myke was probably glad he wasn’t driving his Skoda when he saw Nigel Jones do the same thing. 

Section 13 – Sheepfold – Rough and rutted, there was plenty of grip but an awful lot of tree roots. Kevin Barnes saw the possibility of a class win slip away when he couldn’t get going and scored 12. Julian Lack did exactly the same thing, putting Steve Kenny into a class seven lead, despite failing Lords Seat. 

Section 14 – Sandale (Restart 7 and 8) – It was a long road run of 20 miles to Sandale, a section with a very different character to all the others. A track through farmland it relies on ruts and mud rather than gradient to be competitive, but competitors really enjoy the challenge, or should I say the blast. John Blakeley certainly did, going clean in Chris Veevers Beetle to the delight of June and Alex. The family really enjoyed their trial and it was super to see them taking part. The low slung cars had problems on this one, as did some of the 7’s and 8’s who had to restart just where things got really sticky. Steve Kenny dropped three, but still went on to win class seven despite Kevin and Jules going clean. In class eight only Boyd Webster picked up points and it was a 12 for him.

Greenrigg Special Test – This was a nice blast across a muddy field. Kelly Thomas (Escort) and Colin Perryman (BMW) were equal on the hills at this stage. However, Kelly had a howler of a special test so it was Colin that took the spoils. 

With no results on the day, and a long way to travel home, many competitors skipped the excellent meal available back at The Stocksman. However, consensus was that this was an excellent trial, spoilt a little by the number of hills with no exit track at the top. This meant a lot of time wasted in some long reverses so competitors were rather spread out at the end. Fred Mills took time to talk to as many competitors as possible as they went round, explaining that Fellside had lost quite a few sections due to logging and the weather had prevented them doing as much work as they would like prior to the trial. But all in all a good event in a very nice part of the country.

Best OverallSimon Woodall (VW Buggy)1
Class Winners
1Charles Knifton (Peugeot 205)6
2Bill Bennett (MG J2)4
3Colin Perryman (BMW 2002)5
4Nicola Butcher (VW Beetle)6
5Nicolas Cross (VW Beetle)15
7Steve Kenny (Liege)26
8Dean Partington (DP Wasp)2
0AAlan Smith (Marlin)13
0CJohn Kenny (Beta ALP)3

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Work Wins Clouds

Duncan Stephens Reports

Mike Workman won The Cotswold Clouds after beating an equal scoring Tris White on Special Test Times. Kelly Thomas was third in Paul Bartleman’s Troll only one mark behind.

Cotswold Clouds Winner Mike Workman spinning to a halt on Merves Swerve(Picture by Dave Cook)
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Sunday 7th February, and seventy five crews travelled to the secure parking area and start of the Cotswold Clouds near Stonehouse. Each of the classes were represented, five and six been the smallest with four in each. The Clouds saw the début of two brand new cars in experienced hands. Nicola Butcher in her long awaited swing axle 1300 Beetle, and Paul Allaway in his even longer awaited Nova GTE. Nicola was to have a very trying day as the engine didn’t pull very well, but was awarded the Ian Moss trophy for best presented car. 

The first section was Crawley, just down the road from the start, where you pass the finish on the way to the section. The road sweeper and marshals were busy keeping the main road clear of mud, although it was a bit disconcerting to find the tractor heading towards you as it kept the road clean! Passing the sensitive houses at the bottom with great care and onto a gently meandering section with three gutters running across. These are no normal gutters as they had been built up in big speed humps with sand bags! A slow approach was needed but five competitors were adjudged to have stopped whilst traversing them which had a huge effect on the results. 

A short run down the road to Dursley where Crooked Mustard awaited. Whilst waiting it soon got round that the hill was on top form, especially for the early cars. By the time Dave Haizleden arrived in car 37 only a handful of class 7’s and 8’s had been successful. Dave was the first “saloon” up the section with Duncan Stephens passengering so far forward he cracked the windscreen with his head somewhere on the section. He never worked out where as couldn’t find a bruise!! Made of hard stuff these sporting trial guys!! Special mention must also go to Giles and Keith Sanders who were the only other saloon cars to be successful on the day. Classes 7&8 had a much easier time of it though, with twenty two climbs, the majority been class eight. Dave Cook was here once again catching cars at all angles round the bends! One of these included David Shaylor who had borrowed Gary Brownings trial winning Beetle and went onto win the class.

A short loop to get to Axe on the other side of the road, with a holding control beforehand. With a deep area of clay half way up this proved extremely hard for the first twenty five cars with very few successful climbs on an clean/fail basis. Phil Tucker was one of the early successful climbs, his Escort Estate revving hard. 

Next was another historic section, Nailsworth Ladder, with Ross & District Motor Club marshalling. It’s great seeing local motor clubs supporting each other in marshalling section in each other’s trials. The ladder had two restart lines for all classes but 1&2. Bruce Aitkin continued to have a very challenging day in his low slung AX, and the Trojan were the only other non-stoppers to fail. Bill Bennett continued his heroic acts in the J2 getting airborne twice on the step!! Dean Partington was in full confidence mode, backing right off even before the front got to the step. The higher re-starters generally didn’t have too much trouble provided they moved off the restart with some pace. 

Ham Mill was just across the common at the top of the Ladder, with a restart on the right hand bend for some classes on polished rock, but with plenty of width to choose your line. The section ontinued to finish on grass. The restart caught approximately half the stoppers, including Nick Farmer who was unfortunate to have a puncture, costing him the overall win. 

Wicked Juniper came next, gradually works its way further and further into the woods on lots of leaf mould. Just for an extra challenge a restart was in place with a nice long box to choose from. Bill Bennett, Keith Sanders and Emma Robilliard were the only saloons to climb, the latter two with a restart. Carl Talbot had a wheel fall off his Anglia which resulted in a 30 minute job to get him out of the way of the section. 

Pheasant Run was a new section in a huge wood complex. You had to go past the section, turn round and come back to it. The early runners started on the track, but this soon became starting straight. The first few feet didn’t see much grip then loads before a slight bends with trees keeping you steady, and then another restart. Bill Bennett continued to excel with another clean, Dave Haizelden was persuaded he should have climbed it afterwards! Giles dropped a three here, but was out-climbed by Bill Rosten’s Imp and Nigel Scotford’s Skoda which cost Giles the overall win. Class seven saw Tubby, Rick Neale, Norman Tonkin (who must have shot gunned the trailer before Ryan or Ben) the only ones away and out of the top. 

Following a long trip through the woods and across a horse training ground Merves Swerve was next, with 7&8 having their normal restart just before the bend. Dick Bolt used all his Duratec power under the watchful eyes of the noise meter to be the first climb. Dave Haizelden, Nick Cleal, Bill Bennett, Dick Bolt, Carl Talbot, Giles Greenslade and Keith Sanders were the only saloons to climb this year, as not much grip could be found up the first bit. Various re-starters tried to get out of the tracks but failed and the only way was flat out off the restart. Mike Workman failed to move far, Tubby was the only seven to climb it with Claire working hard in the back. Kelly Thomas using Paul’s Troll this week, Nick Farmer and Dean Partington were the only successful eights. 

Into the Highwood complex for the two special tests and two sections. The two special tests were short all forwards simple tests which generally suited early numbers before the mud was brought onto the track, or the brave. Worky and Nigel Moss was fastest over these. Onto the sections and Highwood one was on fine form catching a few unwary at the top bend. Highwood two was a real stopper as normal. Nick Farmer was best with a one, but a trip into the trees on the previous section cost him dearly.

Climperwell was next running up the side of a country lane with a restart for all, and a couple of deviations on the way to slow you down. The restart caught all that came rushing up to it and inconveniently parked with the wheels against a tree root! Under the watchful eyes of South West Chairman Paul Parker. 

Next were the two fearsome Blue Banks sections and their tricky restarts, which have caused so much heartbreak in the past, costing many an overall win. Who were they going to stop this year? Keith Sanders failed the second costing him overall, Norman Tonkin failed both, possibly due to never seeing them before, but Dean Partington didn’t have that excuse but was struggling selecting second gear and rolled back on each.

The finale was at Station Lane, with many competitors parking up and watching after theyfinished. Tim Whitney caused a few issues in his Imp repaired after the Kyrle, as reverse had broken. Then Neil Robins high revving BMW finally broke its diff, but there wasn’t much of a hold up, despite the length of the section. As time went on it got a little easier until the ruts got deep. Nick out climbed Dave in class one and was the only clear. Bill was once again in super determined mood and climbed out of the top, having been on valve bounce all the way. No class three looked like climbing due to ground clearance issues. Giles and John White were the only fours up, Keith the only five, as was Dave Shaylor in six. Late on Tubby got stuck in the ruts, and despite lots of bouncing which got the car moving again he had stopped for a four which cost him the trial. Next up was his Troll which had been leant to Mark and Mandy Hobbs for the day who had big grins at the finish having competed for the first time in many many years. 

Very fittingly Mike Workman won overall with his grandson passengering. Next were the “if only club” competitors of Tubby, Kelly, Giles, Keith and then the extraordinary Bill Bennett’s MG.

Best OverallMike Workman (GVS)7
Class Winners
1David Haizelden (VW Golf GTi)11
2Bill Bennett (MG J2)32
3Carl Talbot (Ford Anglia)27
4Giles Greenslade (VW Beetle)9
5Keith Sanders (Reliant Scimitar)11
6Dave Shaylor (VW Beetle)30
7Tristan White (Imp)7
8Kelly Thomas (Troll)8

We have been publishing stuff about Classic Trials on the Web since 1995 and always appreciate feedback. Comments, Corrections, Criticism & Concerns are all welcome. You can leave a comment to have your say here on this web site or our Social Media

Clouds in a Model Y

The Cotswold clouds in a new perspective

Ian and Josh Moss forsook their usual Imp and took their Model Y trialling on The Cotswold Clouds, the third generation of Moss Model Y Triallers! -By Josh Moss

The Moss family Model Y at the Start of the Trial
The Model Y tackles Crooked Mustard

Just about climbing out of bed and slinging the overalls on, we made it to Terry Coventrys house where we met to go to the start. On route we were passing dad’s business ‘Moss Motors’ and doing the usual check we spotted a white van with blacked out windows which as you can imagine is not the best thing to see. But on further inspection it turned out to be car 78 a red midget immerging from a trailer. 

Finally to the start which was at what’s becoming the usual start venue SKF. After passing scrutineering we went to sign on and receive the route card and competition numbers (28). After a quick bacon roll and a chit chat it was time for the off.

Crawley: The first challenge of the day with its large drainage channels and slightly slippery surface. We new in the old Y Type we had a challenge on our hands. Letting the tyres down to 10psi I thought we would fly it. With not a lot of traction of the line we were unable to back off much for the first drainage channel, Hitting the first corner with as much speed as possible we scrabbled are way to the top of the section. 

Crooked Mustard: With no pressure to climb the hill (as there is with the Imp) we eased the Y of the line and settled for a respectable 8 ‘That will do’ we said. Very well done Dave Haizelden for doing yet another miracle with that front wheel drive Golf. 

Axe: A very long surprisingly steep muddy lane, ‘our challenge’ hill as we named it. It was hard and showed just what a challenge pre war car are, so yes we had failed, but it was a fair attempt. Phillip Tucker in his Escort Estate made a very good climb here as he was a early number (21). 

Nailsworth Ladder: A very old section that we feared failing because of the pure embarrassment of all the people witnessing your failure, But luckily we flew up there all 1172cc’s singing-‘Result’. 

Over the valley to- 

Ham Mill: Another very old hill that would be a doddle in the Imp. Was a full throttle challenge and was great fun. After quickly putting some air in the tyres we were back on the road again. Nick Farmer lost the trial hear with a tyre spinning in the wheel 

Wicked Juniper: A fairly steep, very slick and generally not to suit the Y section but we gave it our full effort, We waited and had a chat to Jim Scott and his gang from reading who were doing a very fine job managing the section. 

Pheasants Run: A new section which was steep and muddy with a nasty corner and a tree staring you in the face. Hear we had a much better climb than we anticipated, bouncing and revving as hard a possible. In fact, bouncing so much that the engine note was being stalled I had the instruction of dad to stop bouncing and let the engine recover a bit, a slight dip of the clutch and we were soon attacking the deadly corner. Turning in and hoping for the best we grabbed a 5 stopping just inside the restart box. Nigel Scotford was my climb of the day hear in his Skoda. 

Merve Swerve: We knew that we had no hope of cleaning this little devil of a section which also saw many over cars fail including eventual winner Mike Workman. Creditable climbs hear went to Dick Bolt, Tris White (Tubby) and NickFarmer, all having disadvantages with either having to stop or being an early number or in nicks case an early number and having to stop. 

Highwood Special Test 1: Starting on (A) left of a cone and astride (B), only taking it steady we had a mid range time. Highwood Special Test 2: Again starting on (A) going in between two cones which were very cleverly placed and stooping astride (B). 

With the special tests done we moved onto- 

Highwood 1: With the ever cheerful Bristol team, we had are tyres checked and were ready for the off. Starting down hill we fired of the line and hit the ruts, gaining a 3 ‘we were happy’, a quick yank from a Bristol Land Rover and we had access to-. 

Highwood 2: Very steep, very slippery and this year proving un-climbable, we managed a (8), maybe we could have gone a little further but are main concern was coming back down the gradient. 

Climperwell: The first restart of the day. A muddy track that winds through the trees, we pulled away looking for the restart and more importantly where to stop. It was located on a very rooted patch, we thought we had stopped perfectly but as we were soon to find out we did not move an inch. After revering behind the restart box and having a run at it we realised some nasty chicanes had been added, which snatched a few class positions of people one being Bryan Phipps, His Marlin decided it wasn’t going to steer into the chicane. 

Bull Banks 1: With a restart for classes 3-8 we new we should be alright. On approaching the restart box we decided that it was particularly evil this year and would claim a few class positions and so it did, Nigel Moss in his Blue Troll lost second class position hear. 

Bull Banks 2: we had our second and last restart of the day here, a surprisingly steep section that has a marble like surface claimed yet a another failure out of the old ‘Y’, we moved but not quit far enough to get over the dinosaur eggs. 

The last section of the day-.

Station Lane: As described by somebody as the marmite section ‘You either love it or you hate it’. Personally I think it’s a good section that suits some cars and not others e.g. Beetles storm up there Imps ground out, BMW’s fly up there Escorts ground out. Bill Bennett, failing just before the section ends board (about a yard) but what a climb none the less. We stopped just before the 5 marker here, which we were very pleased with. On are way back down I hoped out for a watch of the rest of the entry and soon got back to the pub to sign off, get a drink and listen out for the results. 

A Fantastic day that made me realise what a challenge class 2 cars are. Very big thanks to the marshals I think they did I great job and I think you will agree.

We have been publishing stuff about Classic Trials on the Web since 1995 and always appreciate feedback. Comments, Corrections, Criticism & Concerns are all welcome. You can leave a comment to have your say here on this web site or our Social Media

Simons Clee

Simon Woodall wins Clee Hills Trial after Dean Partington fails Longville Special Test

Simon had a narrow victory. After dropping five in Meadowly Wood Simon slipped behind Dean Partington on the observed sections. However, Dean lost three marks when he failed the excellent, but infamous, Longville Special Test, giving Simon the overall win by one mark.

Long time Clee Hills Trial Organiser Simon Woodall storming Flounders Folly on his way to an Overall Win (Picture by Dave Cook)
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There was a new Clerk of the Course this year, Simon Woodall and Jonathan Toulmin handing over the reigns to Adrian Tucker-Peake who had Graham Austin to assist him. There were some changes to the route. No Alez Oop, as agreement couldn’t be reached with the landowner. This meant taking the long way round to the Priors Holt sections but this was more than compensated for by the lower classes having Castle Hill introduced for the first time.

Adrian kept the double loop system, where the route is two circles, forming a figure of eight with the start in the centre. The entry is split according to class. So 7 and 8 do one loop first while the other classes do the other. It’s a bit more complicated as class 0 have some unique sections and omit some used by 1 to 6, while 7 and 8 also have some unique sections. Why am I telling you this? So you understand that as a competitor in class 4 I didn’t see all the sections and this report starts at section 10!

There was no Penhale’s Puzzler Special Test this year so Classes 0 to 6 started proceedings at Section 10 – Flounders Folly, while 7 & 8 went over The Long Mynd via Castle Hill to Rattlinghope, although they bypassed the new section itself. Flounders Folly is a slippery affair though the trees with a more difficult route for the higher classes which stopped all of them. There were a few cleans for the lesser mortals, including the amazing David Haizelden in his Class 1 Golf.

Section 11 – Harton Wood – John Sergeant was in charge here, for this track through the woods, which was Class 0 only this year, although John was able to give a wave to the other competitors as they drove by the foot of the section. Richard Andrews and Nick Woolett both went clear in their Dellows and it was shame that Nick had failed in the gate area at Flounders Folly as they were to be very close for the rest of the day.

Longville Special Test – Adrian Tucker-Peake reintroduced this old favourite, which was to decide the winner of this years trial. This section is as much a restart as a special test. After going all four wheels over line B you have to reverse all four wheels back before going forward again. The problem is this is on a slippery slope and its very difficult to get going forwards again. Drivers have to decide how far to back down past the line. Go a long way back and it takes time but you get to clear the section. Back up just a bit and you will get a good time, if you get away. If you don’t you get a 3 mark penalty. This is exactly what happened to Dean Partington and it cost him the trial.

James Shallcross was another one of many to fall foul here as well. That was a shame as he was running David Haizelden very close on the other sections. Its only a matter of time before James triumphs over the all conquering Dave.

Section 12 – Easthope 1 –  This is in the same complex as Ippikins Rock and Majors Leap.  It’s a muddy track with some pretty deep ruts, despite some work by the club during the winter. There were only four clears, all in class eight, Simon Woodall and Andy Curtis in their VW Buggies, Dudley Sterry in his venerable MG J2 and Dean Partington in his self constructed Special. Outside of class eight most people came to a stop when they ran out of ground clearance, somewhere between the seven and nine.

Section 13 – Ippikins Rock – Only the lower classes tackled this nice little section which is all about a very tight hairpin right. There is usually a restart here, but Adrian T-P had dropped it this time. That made a difference as only a couple of cars in Class 0 dropped any marks here.

Section 14 – Majors Leap – Only attempted by the reds and yellows this defeated all of the Class Sevens and many of the class eights as well. Four of the top five in class eight went clear, Dean Partington being the only exception in his DP Wasp.

Section 15 – The Jenny Wind – A well known section which has been used on The Clee for many years and was trialled before the war. After the sharp right hander its straight up if you can. For most it was a reverse back down but both Pete Hart (Marlin) and Tris White (Hillman Imp) had the ultimate experience of seeing the exit track at the top. Dean was the only one of the top class eights to fail. He stopped at the two and well done to Giles Greenslade in Class 4 to better this with a one. We expect you to come out of the top next year Giles!!

Section 16 – Harley Bank – This used to be a wonderful long track but the old route has become too easy after council re-surfacing. There are now three different sections. The Class 0’s get to run straight through the old section which they all cleared. 1 to 6 used the same track but had a horrible left had hairpin in sticky clay and nobody got around.

Classes 7 and 8 had a different route. The eights also had a nasty hairpin on their route and all failed. The Sevens had things a little easier and Mal Allen (Marlin) and Steve Kenny (Liege) joined Pete and Tris in going clear.

Section 16 – Meadowley Wood – Only the hard men were are allowed top tackle this, their last section of the trial. If you like mud, tree roots and deep ruts this is your hill. Class eight had to have a minimum of 15 psi. This handicapped them and only Dean and Paul Bartleman (Troll) came out of the top.

The 2nd loop, for the lower classes, the one that 7 & 8 started with, had a very different character. Much more picturesque, more rocks and less mud. It started with a wonderful new section called Castle Hill before climbing The Long Mynd. Unfortunately only the lower classes were allowed a go. There was only one failure but no matter, this was a really, really enjoyable section, very reminiscent of Axe on The Cotswold Clouds.

Rattlinghope Special Test – Adrian T-P and Grahan Austin had tried to spice up his delightful section by making it a regularity test. The Route Card told you it was 1/8 mile long, but you were only given the target speed of 7.5 mph , on the start line. Sitting here its easy to work out that the target time was exactly a minute. Around half the entry got it right and there were only two fails for an incomplete test, including none other than Dudley Sterry. Fortunately the six marks he lost didn’t cost him the trial win but if he had cleaned Meadowley it would have done!

Section 2 – Gatten’s Gamble – Starting in farmer Phil Harding’s yard the big disappointment was that the tank wasn’t there this year! This is another wonderful, long, up and over, Clee section with fantastic views crossing the summit. There was a restart near the top this year which claimed a few scalps before the muddy descent to the road.

Section 3 – Handless – Attempted only by Class 8 this was a new hill. It had a very greasy hairpin right followed by some good grip and a hairpin left. Dave Foreshew was in charge here, to see the three leading cars go clear with the others failing on one of the hairpins.

With Alez Oop off the agenda this year cars had to take the long way round to the Priors Holt Complex.

Section 4 – Priors Holt 1 – This is a steep, rocky climb that gets progressively steeper with tyre pressure limits for the higher classes. The leading class 7 & 8 competitors went clear but the lower classes found life much more difficult. In Class three the powerful Escorts of Dick Bolt and Andrew Martin went clear as did Terry Ball in his Beetle in Class 4. For the others it was a long and difficult reverse.

Section 5 – Priors Holt 2 – Deemed too easy for class eight the remainder of the entry enjoyed this long climb, very similar in character to priors Holt 1, but a little easier, hence a restart for some. This caught out a few experienced competitors. In Class three Andrew Martin dropped 8, denying him the opportunity to challenge Dick Bolt in his Duratec engined machine. Giles Greenslade bellied out here and with the points he lost on Priors Holt 1 had to settle for second in class to Terry Ball. At least Giles didn’t have to contend with the mud and ruts at the summit!

Section 6 – Priors Holt 3 – A steep climb with loose rock, demanding close attention to tyre pressures and throttle control. Thankfully there were no restarts this year and pretty much everyone got a clean to enjoy the trip through the forest at the summit.

Long Mynd Special Test – Nice timed rocky climb with a nifty descent where it was all too possible to overshoot the finish line. 

Section 8 – Strefford Wood 2 – No this isn’t out of order! This was the entrance track for the Class 1 to 6’s attack on the main Strefford Wood section. It turned out to be a great challenge. Slippery clay and as it said in the route instructions “flat tyres and flat out”. There was a friendly Land Rover to tow you up to the main section if you failed, all in all a great replacement for the much missed Round Oak.

Section 7 – Strefford Wood – The team had drained the “Gunge Pit” this year but it was still a challenge. Classes 7&8 approached via the Gunge Pit. This wasn’t very Dellow friendly and Peter Mountain and David Bache both stopped here in their Mk1’s, as did David Jackson in his Fiat engined FPS. Once through the Gunge Pit the other Class Eights all went clean.

Class 7 found it a bit more difficult, but it was Marlin friendly, with Pete Hart, John Ludford and Mal Alen all getting to the summit, as did Andrew Rippon his Baja before he retired after Flounders Folly.

None of the lower classes got to the summit. Missing out the Gunge Pit most were defeated by the ruts at the bottom, caused by 7 & 8’s earlier attempts. This was no place to be without good ground clearance and none of the class threes did better than a 10. The FWD contingent did better, perhaps they were able to pick a better line? They all got to at least to the eight and James Shallcross had another good drive to better Dave Haizelden to just behind him in class one.

In summary another excellent Clee. Adrian Tucker-Peake and Graham Austin living up to the challenge of following Simon and Jonathan. The new sections went down well and they had addressed the criticisms of last years trial.

We have been publishing stuff about Classic Trials on the Web since 1995 and always appreciate feedback. Comments, Corrections, Criticism & Concerns are all welcome. You can leave a comment to have your say here on this web site or our Social Media

Edinburgh 2009

Dry Conditions meant plenty of medals

A comparatively easy route, and dry weather, meant the competitors won this years battle against the club, with a lot of happy MCC members winning a medal on the trial and 14 the coveted triple. The organisers had a lot of problems gaining permission to use sections and favourites like Litton Slack and Great Hucklow were omitted. Of the sections that remained Putwell and Bamford were considered much rougher than usual.

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It was nice and dry without much wind when competitors gathered for the start at Tamworth Services, those arriving to early getting a nice surprise a few weeks after the event when they got a parking ticket for staying too long! These didn’t include Peter Mountain or Don Stringer as neither were able to take the start. 

The run in to the first section at Wigber Low was over good roads. The MCC had made the holding control a time control as well. With the prospect of penalties for early arrival lay-bys and driveways were full of competitors whiling away time, which in the event may have been more disruptive to the local community than an orderly queue on the deserted country road where the holding control was situated! Ross Nuten was one of those parked up with his Dellow Mk2, not waiting but broken down with electrical problems. At the time Ross thought it was a capacitor issue, but after a re occurrence on a Falcons Brickhill Trial the following week, it appears the inside of the Aldon distributor had come apart.

Wigber Low didn’t present any problems to the main trial and failed only a couple of bikes in Class 0, including John Turner on his Lambretta Li 150. With such an unsuitable machine John deserved a special medal for finishing the route, despite being rather intimidated by the omni-present course closing car for most of the trial. 

Having passed Haven Hill on the way to the first section the route went in a circle before retuning to this rather rutted track across a field before venturing into a small wood. Here competitors on the main trial did a restart and diverted off to the left, round a taped off chicane. This was controversial as it wasn’t mentioned in the routecard and in the end those who wrong routed were credited with a clean, including Bill Moffatt in his Reliant Scimitar who would have lost his Triple had the section stood. 

Class 0 bypassed Clough Wood, where car competitors had their usual long wait for the bikes to clear, this section always causing them problems. It didn’t pose to much difficulty for the four wheeled brigade, Nick Farmer in his Cannon Alfa being a notable exception. The engine kept dying despite Nick changing most of the ignition and cleaning out the fuel system. After the event Nick discovered the problem was the ignition switch. 

Then it was North up the A6 to the quarry complex where Class 0 had their own nice little section at Deep Rake with a restart before joining the main trial for the Deep Rake Special Test and the Black Harry section where they were didn’t have to do the restart. These sections were quite exposed. A cold wind had whipped up which wasn’t so great for the marshals. These sections didn’t trouble the scorer to much apart for poor Reg Taylor who was penalised for hitting a marker on Deep Rake.

While Class 0 went off for their breakfast at Bull I’th Thorn competitors in the main trial went to Putwell, considered by many to be the roughest hill on the trial. Robin Barlow would certainly agree after breaking the diff on his Dellow Mk2, running in Class 8 because of its OHIV cylinder head. Despite being so rough there were were few failures but it did claim the scalps of Kevin Barnes in his Liege and Beetle mounted John Looker. Michael Weeks punctured in his Midget but still cleaned the section, going on to win a Triple in his first MCC season.

Class 0 went directly to Calton after the break, missing out the main trials 25 mile loop as they visited the sections at Bamford Clough and Elmore. David Alderson was Chief Official at Bamford and reckoned it was a lot rougher than when he last drove it a few years ago. Competitors in low powered cars who eased off over the bumps paid the price when they didn’t have the power to re-build their momentum. Classes Seven and Eight had a restart. It proved to much for Nick Farmers Cannon Alfa which was still not running properly and Paul Bartleman was another Class 8 driver who lost his gold here. In Class Seven the restart wasn’t Liege friendly Julian Lack, Mark Endley, Kevin Barnes and Steve Kenny al being penalised. Arthur Jones was clean in his larger engined car running in Class Eight and Colin Marshal proved it could be done with a Reliant engine in Class Seven. Myke Pocock had a drive shaft pop out but fortunately had a spare and was able to change it back down in the village. The good news was that the engine is finally running well. 

After Bamford the main trial headed south to join class 0 at Calton. There was a section called Elmore on the way, located on the rough track between Brough and Abney, heading over the top of Bradwell Edge, bypassing the usual run through Bradwell itself. Everyone had a restart on the section, which competitors reckoned was another rough one. It certainly wasn’t very friendly too Stuart Harrold and Chris Phillips. The rocks proved to much for one of the balljoints on the front section which popped out, disabling their Troll as they exited the section. Not to be thwarted they, like Fred Gregory on Putwell a few years ago, found the missing nut and were able to continue to gain a gold.

Down at Calton Classes 0 and 1 didn’t have to restart but the others did. This wasn’t very Falcon friendly and both John Parsons (VW Buggy) and Peter Thompson (Opel Kadett) were given fails. John’s Buggy sports a type 4 engine, a smart paint job and a different number. However, it is the well trialled machine, campaigned by Graham Marshall before he switched to the RDT, and David Thompson before he purchased his Troll from David Alderson.

Stephen Kingstone had been clean up till now in his Midget. He was also to fail on Calton and was given a run back on the restart at the Excelsior section where everyone except Class 0 had to stop and get going on the polished stones between the ninety right and ninety left, their efforts captured by John Salters lens. The dry conditions made the section easier than some years but it still claimed Myke Pocock in his Skoda and the Suzuki X90’s of Howard Blackwell, Marvin Hurst and Peter Grenyer. Brian Alexander proved it was possible to get away in a heavy XC90 but unfortunately he had failed the previous section at Rakes Head.

There was nice bit of green laning between Excelsior and Moneystones, so the route could bypass the village of Hartington. Unfortunately there was some confusion between the route marking and the route card. Some of the early numbers followed the routecard before getting lost, going back and following the marking which was correct.

Moneystones was similar to last year. Everyone had a restart in one the Edinburgh’s tiny boxes. Class 0 had a straight run up the track but like Haven Hill the main trial had a diversion that wan’t mentioned in the route card. Unlike Haven Hill this stood in the results, costing Stuart Roach his triple, as Stuart was shown as stopping in his Austin Seven. 

The same sort of layout was used just across the A515 at Middleton Steep. This was the last section for Classes 1 to 6 who didn’t have a section at Dudwood, only driving the special test there. 

There was a lot going on at Dudwood, centred on a farm. Class 0 had their own section. The lower part, on a surfaced track, wasn’t too problematical but as it went into the trees there was a restart, followed by some ruts which provided ground clearance issues for some of the lower slung cars. Jonathan Laver was just able to ease his wheels past the sections end board to gain a coveted Trio award in his MGB GT. 

The other Dudwood section was for 7 and 8 and proved a sting in the tail. There was a restart and all the Lieges remaining in the trial failed. It did require a bit of power and there were trees to catch the unwary, as Nick Woolett found when he hit one, damaging a front wing and loosing his gold. 

The Dudwood Special Test was the last competitive section. It was fortunate the weather was dry as there was a soft bank to surmount towards the end. As it was there were a few failures including Paul Allaway who lost a gold in his Astra and Barry Clarke who according to the results didn’t! 

It was still blowing a gale back at the Bull I’th Thorn finish, not encouraging competitors to stay and chat unless they could find some room in one of the crowded bars. The day finished with a club supper in Buxton. This wasn’t very well supported, and with no “words from the management”, provided an anti-climax to what had otherwise been an enjoyable event. It was disappointing not to drive some of the usual sections. However, it was still an interesting route although the very dry conditions didn’t give the sections the bite the organisers would have wished for.

We have been publishing stuff about Classic Trials on the Web since 1995 and always appreciate feedback. Comments, Corrections, Criticism & Concerns are all welcome. You can leave a comment to have your say here on this web site or our Social Media

Simons Wet Ilkley

Simon Woodall Won a Very Wet and Muddy Ilkley Trial on 17 May

Simon Woodall and Barbara Selkirk are very happy after cleaning Sword Point 3. They were the only car to clean the hill before, Sword Point 2 and this won them the trial. (Picture by Dave Cook)
 

After a couple of years of good fortune The Ilkley Club were un-lucky with the weather this year. It started raining during the late morning and it stayed all through the afternoon, turning some of the sections into mud baths that had to be cancelled for the later numbers.

Running at the front of the field Classes Seven and Eight had the most favourable conditions but more restarts and some tricky alternative routes to even things out. Overall victory went to Simon Woodall in his VW Buggy when he was the only car to clean the muddy Sword Point 2 at the end of the event.

Earlier Simon was challenged not only by his Class 8 rivals but also James Shallcross and Dave Haizelden from Class 1. James was leading the class at the lunch break before dropping 11 on Brimham Lodge.

Riding a Ural Combination was none other than Fifth Gears Tiff Needell so its eyes glued to the telly in June.

With the benefit of hindsight the club were a bit ambitious trying to stick to their original plan and would have been better to simplify some of the sections to fit in with the conditions on the day.

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The start was back at the excellent Ilkley Rugby club, with plenty of space and an official OK to camp overnight. Lots of attention on Tiff Needell who was competing on a Ural combination, followed everywhere by a Channel Five film crew.

It was dry at the start but there had been rain leading up to the event and more was forecast later in the day.

These two grassy sections are down in a valley. They were cancelled before the start as there would have been problems getting back to the surfaced road.

Only a couple of cars managed to clean the grassy first section and they were early numbers. The rain started after class seven and eight passed through, by this time the grass had gone and most endured the fate of understeering into the 12 marker.

The second section was the usual blast up the gully. This developed a horrendous hole which stopped almost everyone that managed to get that far. However, it was possible to come out the top without a tow and Paul Bartleman (Troll) and Stuart Lambert (Cannon Austin) both went clear.

The first Hawpike section was pure grass PCT, cleanable for the early numbers but impossible for later runners as the mud bath developed.

The second section is in very picturesque surroundings, starting with a small ford before going through a gate, up a bank and following a grassy gully. Unfortunately the conditions made the bank impassable for most outside class eight and the best class one cars. In class four Skoda drivers Thomas Aldrian and Alistair Queen proved it was on. Unfortunately Alistair stopped at the four but Thomas went on to clear the hill.

After the picturesque Hawpike 2 there were some wonderful views from the green lanes that led to the special test at Highfield Farm.

Only Seven and Eight had a go at this as the access from the road became impassable once the heavens opened.

The higher classes had a very difficult deviation that proved impassable causing a long queue to develop, later numbers having to wait the best part of a couple of hours. By the time the later numbers had their turn the rain had become persistent making the grass impossibly slippery. Robin Barlow (Dellow Mk2) was amongst the non restarting class 0’s to be defeated only by the final bank, which Tony Leedal actually surmounted in his GN.

James Shallcross was the only driver to get to the final bank, doing well to get away from the slippery restart.

Up on top of the moor this short little section saw the demise of Tris White’s Imp with a broken diff.

Running towards the front of the cars Dudley Sterry and Nick Farmer both cleaned this one but by now a familiar pattern was developing as the grass became increasingly slippy as the rain came down. Classes 3, 4 and 5 had another wait of an hour and the section was finally cancelled for them when Edward Broom got his Escort stuck on a tree stump. Rather than scrub the section in the results the course closing car scored remaining cars a seven.

It was nearly four in the afternoon when the stragglers arrived at the lunch halt where the caters had kindly waited which was much appreciated. Paul Bartleman was leading the trial overall at this point on 24 with Philip Bovill (Cannon DP) on 27, followed by Simon Woodall and  Stuart Lambert on 28

Dean Partington went into the lead of the trial here when he was the only car to go clean. For the rest it was the familiar mud bath and when Thomas Aldrian got well and truly stuck it was abandoned for the remaining cars who accepted an eleven from the course closing car.

Classes Seven and Eight attempted these classic Ilkley sections which were both cleaned by the leading cars. Later they were cancelled for the remaining cars but there was confusion for classes 3, 4 and 5, by now running with more than an hours gap behind the field, as all they found was a closed gate with no notice or marshal to explain what was going on. This even confused the course closing cars who the stragglers were getting to know very well.

Always an Ilkley highlight. Brian Colman did well to be the only class 7 to get off the restart. In class 1 Dave Haizelden, James Shallcross and Adrian Tucker-Peake all went clear, although without a restart of course, as did Alan Smith with his Marlin in Class 0. With ground clearance at a premium the section wasn’t particularly Skoda friendly so Alistair Queen was delighted to come so close to a clean, demonstrating he hasn’t lost his touch after a long lay-off.

None of the cars could clean this section which had a greasy impossible restart. However, the highlight was the exit track. A wonderful, long, rutted track, worthy of Calton in its prime. Shame that wasn’t the section!

Only classes seven and eight had a go at this, later numbers arrived to find the gate closed and the marshals gone. Like the Incline sections it was shame a marshal hadn’t stayed on to explain what was going on or at least left a notice.

There were some issues finding these sections as the arrow from the main road was missing. Most competitors managed to find these sections but one or two didn’t, including Thomas Aldrian, costing him a win in class four.

The overall winner was decided here, when Simon Woodall cleaned the second, grassy section while his rivals dropped eleven or twelve.

This super little section had a restart on a sharp left hand corner. You had to get going of the start line first though, catching out a few but not affecting the results.

Back at the finish their was an excellent pie and peas supper, even for the later numbers who didn’t arrive till gone 7pm. Very few competitors waited for the results, understandably  preferring to go home and dry out.

Despite all the issues it was a very enjoyable trial, despite the weather.

Best OverallSimon Woodall (VW Buggy) – Class 847
Best IDMCStuart Lambert (Austin – Cannon) – Class 868
Class Winners
0Alan Smith (Marlin)80
1David Haizelden (VW Golf)53
2Bill Bennett (MG J2)94
3Edward Broom (Ford Escort)120
4Michael Leete (VW Beetle)104
5Stephen Kingstone (MG Midget)125
7Brian Colman (Dutton Phaeton)91
8Paul Bartleman (Troll)50

We have been publishing stuff about Classic Trials on the Web since 1995 and always appreciate feedback. Comments, Corrections, Criticism & Concerns are all welcome. You can leave a comment to have your say here on this web site or our Social Media

Bovey Downs

Nick Farmer conquers Bovey Downs

Nick had to fend off Bryn Corfield and a hard charging Pete Hart after dropping two marks early on. However, Nick stayed calm and was clean in the Cannon Alfa for the rest of the event to take an excellent win. It was quite dry and the stony surface took its toll on the cars and there were nine retirements. Despite this it was an enjoyable event, well organised, friendly and with super catering.

Dominic Fay on the upper part of Normans Hump. Its a long way down but thats Donny Allen marshalling the start.
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The weather was ideal for the fifth running of Windwhistle’s single venue Bovey Downs Trial. A little overnight rain ensured there was no dust but it was more or less dry on the day. There were 36 entries, perhaps a little surprising when the event offers several attempts at both Normans Hump and Clinton, in the daylight!

In the end there were 30 starters, in a wide range of cars, including a couple driven by Practical Classics Editor Matt Wright (Hillman Minx) and Features Writer Sam Glover (Triumph Dolomite). Neither car was exactly trials prepared and they both retired. However the guys appeared to enjoy themselves and stayed to the end to watch and take pictures. We are promised an article soon so look out for it.

There are no real clearings in the woods so competitors were stretched out in a line along the top track waiting for the off. The basic format was three “laps”, with some hills attempted twice on the first two, including Normans Hump and the bottom two parts of Clinton, the top part being used for access.

Things didn’t start very well for 2006 winner Peter Mountain when he was the first retirement, loosing first gear on section one. This hill, just up the bottom track from the start of Normans Hump, was one of those attempted twice on each lap and had deviations for the different classes. This was also unlucky hill for James Shallcross who dropped 11 in his Peugeot 205 whilst class rival Aaron Haizelden went clean.

After the first round of nine sections it was time for lunch, most choosing to indulge in the truly excellent cuisine on offer from the Sid Vale Carnival Club. At this stage there were still quite a few clean sheets but also a few retirements as well, mainly with broken transmissions, including both the Jago Jeeps and the Peugeot of Jason Byrom who had another diff let go.

The hills were more or less the same for the second round, apart from an additional section just inside the wood which replaced the special test. Although the sections hadn’t changed much they were more difficult as there was a little light rain for half an hour and some of the hills became loser with the passage of the cars.

The hill marshalled by Adrian Dommett and Judy Phillips was to define the event. Running parallel to the top part of Clinton it was steep with a very loose surface with a restart for classes seven and eight.

Clean up till now Nick Farmer (Cannon Alfa) dropped two, Pete Hart (Marlin) five and Reg Salway (BMW) eight during their first attempt, leaving only Bryn Corfield in his special on a clean sheet. The trial was decided on the second attempt on this hill during this round when Bryn dropped 4 while Pete and Nick went clear. None of them lost any more marks for the rest of the trial which left the overall result Nick Farmer (2), Bryn Corfield (4), Pete Hart (5). Pete was also the class seven win over Murray Motgomery-Smith in his Marlin, in class rather decimated by retirements.

Aaron Haizelden won Class 1 in the familiar Golf from James Shallcross. Classes four and five were merged which perhaps rather unfairly pitched Michael Leete’s Beetle against Brian Alexander’s Suzuki and Stephen Kingstone’s Midget. Stephen had repaired the wing damaged on Blue Hills 2 but added to his woes by breaking a diff after lunch.

Reg Salway took class three in his BMW, ahead of Rob Wells who was debuting a rather smart 1700 Escort Mk 2.

Best OverallNick Farmer (Cannon Alfa)2
Best NoviceJames Shallcross (Peugeot 205)30
Class Winners
1Aaron Haizelden (VW Golf GTi)16
3Reg Salway (BMW)30
4 & 5Michael Leete (VW Beetle)74
6 & 7Pete Hart (Marlin)5
8Bryn Corfield (Shopland Mk2)4

We made a long week-end of it, travelling down on Saturday and staying in a rather nice hotel the other side of Exeter, well when we found it as it was rather in the wilds! It was really nice to see Bovey Woods in the daylight, Normans Hump and the upper part of Clinton look even steeper when you can see them!

The maps we received were a little confusing at first but we soon got into a system of finding the hills. Most of the “new” hills were similar in character to Normans Hump and Clinton, steep, straight with loose stones. Two of them defeated me all day, I just couldn’t find any grip on the loose stones. The other one, wasn’t so steep but deviated into the trees half way up. We mostly managed this OK but were defeated on the last round.

In the afternoon there was an additional section amongst the trees just inside the wood. This had a completely different character with soft ground and a circuitous route.

We really enjoyed our day, setting the tyres at 18 psi and leaving them at that all day. No punctures for us but the flint completely destroyed the rear tyres. No problem as we were warned in the finals that this would happened so were using some that could be sacrificed.

The event did seem rather hard on the cars and there were quite a few broken transmissions, no Beetles though.

The event finished before five and we followed the coast on the way back to the hotel, returning to Bedfordshire via The Jolly Diner and Haynes Museum on Monday.

We enjoyed our weekend and will return and do the trial again. The hills were fun, the event was well organised, there were plenty of marshals and everyone was friendly.

We have been publishing stuff about Classic Trials on the Web since 1995 and always appreciate feedback. Comments, Corrections, Criticism & Concerns are all welcome. You can leave a comment to have your say here on this web site or our Social Media