Tag: Chris Clarke

Chris Clarkes Edinburgh

Edinburgh Trial – Take Two
By Chris Clarke

Once again, circumstances had rather restricted the planned transformation of the VW, but we had been able to improve the tyre pumping arrangements (my work colleagues are convinced that this is the main competitive element of Classic trialling) and had decided to use smaller wheels to reduce the gear ratio. 

On the day, the arrangements at the start worked as smoothly as usual and we were soon on our way, making good time until just before the first section at Haven Hill where we were following a small group of cars and suddenly realised that we had covered more than the specified mileage to the turn off. By the time we had sorted ourselves out we had lost about 10 minutes which was a large slice of the time between us and the last competitor. Anyway the section itself was not a problem and we continued to Clough Wood where there was a long queue, giving us a chance to break out the coffee and biscuits. Again no problems on this or the following Deep Rake, where we showed an improved grasp of the essentials of the sport by remembering to close the tailgate before arriving at the start line. 

Last year we nearly slid off the slippery track at the start of Litton Slack so took it very steadily on the approach and still nearly slid off it again. Whether it’s some combination of camber and the surface; or a force field left behind by visitors from another planet, you cannot be too careful crossing that field. It’s a pleasant place for a wait, though, with a bit of sunshine, more coffee and a chance to watch the action below; with a real treat for Golf drivers as Dave Haizeldean stormed the section. Then it was our turn and, just like last year, it started to rain, but fortunately only a passing shower so we made it to the start line without serious embarrassment (unlike last year) but only about 50 yards up the section, not that good, but 50 yards more than our first attempt so we were not too disappointed. 

Beyond Carlton was the breakfast stop, and we were now very late, so that it was more like lunch and in fact closed about 2 minutes after we were served, which could have been our first major problem. At Haydale, feeling well fed and perhaps rather complacent we failed to heed the various warning signs including the erratic progress of other competitors across the first part of the section, set off with the tyres too low (worrying about getting going at the restart, which wasn’t a problem at all) and suffered a puncture, loosing more time as we fixed it.

At Haggside we were excused the restart which nearly destroyed the clutch last year but the section was very rough and the drivers side wheel was badly damaged by the time we reached the top. On the way down we met a lot of walkers who were very friendly, some of the younger ones seemed impressed by the car, or do they have a better grasp of irony nowadays than we did? 

Onto Bamford Clough where again we made more progress than last year and really enjoyed the “cliffhanger” feel of the climb, but still did not get to the top of the first part and put some more dents in the same front wheel. At this point some strains began to show as the navigator accused me of “not looking after your wheel” which had suffered all the damage, in contrast to the passengers which still looked pretty tidy. It was the rough bit at the top of the restart area at Great Hucklow which finished my wheel completely; leaving it almost square. Of course that wasn’t the end of it as the escape route here also contains a couple of wheel smashing rocks on the navigators side which, of course, he remembered and directed me around. 

Up on the road we were debating the best thing to do with the remaining one good wheel when we were passed by the course closing car. At this point it seemed too difficult to sort out the wheels, do the remaining sections, make it to the club supper (we were still a bit shaken by how close we had come to missing brunch) and get home the next day and so we wimped out and retired at that point. We were both disappointed to have failed to complete the Edinburgh for the second time and returned to our Hotel in rather a gloomy mood. However there was still the supper and after a couple of beers, a bottle of wine and some good company our enthusiasm for Classic Trialling (or at least dissecting it afterwards over a drink) had returned and we were able to think more about doing it better. In particular; paying more attention to the route instructions and improving our puncture repair capabilities. 

Once again a big thank-you to the organisers and all those who stood out in the weather for a lot longer than they had expected to see us through (or back down) the sections.

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

Chris Clarke’s Lands End

Last year Chris drove in Class 0, This time he tackled the main event.

The Land End seen from a competitors viewpoint. Regular correspondent Chris Clarke reports.

Following our timekeeping problems on the Edinburgh, we decided that tyre deflating & pumping was the biggest cause of delay and made some improvements to speed up the process as far as possible, helped by useful advice on the Classical Gas message board. More importantly, we had taken advantage of the Allen, Clee Hills & March Hare events to fine tune the coffee & biscuits routine with the rigour usually associated with GP tyre changes, so even in extreme circumstances we wouldn’t miss this vital ritual. As things turned out, both these preparations proved very useful. 

Having left Michaelwood via the unofficial exit (the rebel in me enjoys this bit) we proceeded by the “great circle” route to North Petherton, completed the formalities, and tried the omelette & chips at the truck stop (recommended). Then it was off to Felons Oak and Stoney Street, which we completed without too much difficulty (at least compared with what followed). I don’t know if it’s deliberate, but all Classic trials seem to start with a couple of “warm up” sections like this, a very good idea we think and hopefully any organisers reading this agree, otherwise I expect a nasty surprise the next time. 

The night driving across Exmoor is one of the best and most distinctive parts of this event. Although we know the area well from holidays in the area, it takes on a completely different atmosphere, with the arrival (and refreshments) at the Culborne Inn one of the high points. Tempered by the thought that you’re still less than a quarter of the way through; and ordering a double Scotch probably wouldn’t go down too well at that point. 

The next section, Beggars Roost, is part of Colin’s folklore as both his father (in the 1937 event), and more recently his brother, have attempted it. The weight of family honour was resting on his shoulders as we approached, while I was just concerned that we had been told to read the failure instructions before starting. As it was we were pleased to clean the section, but not before some nervous moments in the area of the restart box. Before anyone asks why we, in class one, worry about the restart area, I must record that we very much appreciate not having to deliberately stop there and long may this dispensation continue. The flip side is that it usually consists of either a jumble of razor sharp boulders, a mirror smooth sheet of rock or a bottomless mud pit, and to get maximum advantage from the concession you seem to have to drive as fast as possible through it – quite exciting. 

The build up at Beggars was nothing compared with Riverton, where we had to wait for some time. This would not be so bad, as there was time for a chat or a nap, but explanations for the delay kept filtering back – cars stuck in impossible positions, marshals having to stop them falling over precipices, crews running out of oxygen at the section ends board, etc. Finally, it was our turn and we have to say, this is the best section we have ever attempted, the length, sharp corners, straight bits to build up speed and the feeling of satisfaction when we (very unexpectedly) arrived at the top. After that there had to be a let-down and sure enough we just ran out of grip some way up Cutcliffe Lane. We were also still very late and not sure how near to the end of the field, so we had to press on through Sutcombe, Darracot & Crackington. It was satisfying to see so many people spectating and the cheers and encouragement are much appreciated, especially as we clawed our way through the muddy restart area at Darracot. However, the worst moment of this part was at Widemouth Bay, where I ambled into the car park in second gear and nearly got stuck in the sand – could have been very embarrassing.

Lack of grip (or the skill to find it) was the problem again at Hoskins, if the spectator’s encouragement was all it took we would have continued into earth orbit at the top, as it was we stopped just short of the restart, possibly weighed down by the excellent lunch we had just eaten at the Wilsey Down Hotel. Grip was not a problem at Bishop’s Wood where the plan was to build up speed on the straight lower section and across the track, so as to clear the two ramps; and thence to the finish. As it was the straight was longer than I remembered, so the speed was very high, the view of VW bonnet as we cleared the first ramp was not very helpful as to steering and the track slopes a fair bit so we hit the next ramp too far left and just slid out of contention, straight through all the carefully placed restart markers – sorry. 

Finally Blue Hills, where we prepared by finishing the last of our refreshments at Perranporth. Last year we disappointed the spectators by taking the class 0 soft option of the old hill, but this year there was no avoiding the main event. As you descent to the start, the view of the hill opposite with ant like cars bumping over the ruts is pretty daunting, but we were encouraged by getting round the first part (Blue Hills 1), although looking at Michaels pictures there was a lot less margin than we thought at the time. 

For the second part we got started well, but the car lost speed over the bumps, the little engine just couldn’t drag it any further and we stalled before the corner. Maybe a bit more skill with the clutch would have got it going again or maybe we just need a bigger engine, but there’s always next year and having spectated here for some years, just to arrive at the top as competitors (even with some help from the friendly winch) was very satisfying.

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

Chris Clarke’s March Hare

Chris Clarke has driven in several March Hares. This year he won Class One and kindly agreed to write a report on his trial

Is it my imagination, or are Classic trials starting earlier than they did last year? Anyway, we had to leave Bristol at the ungodly hour of 5:00am in order to reach the start on time. At this point it was snowing heavily and as we climbed through the Cotswolds, it got thicker and started to settle on the road, making both driving and the prospect of changing to the “trials” wheels & tyres when we arrived distinctly interesting. However by the time we passed Oxford it had stopped and we were able to complete our pre-event swap in dry and relatively warm conditions. As always the truck stop provided an excellent breakfast and we set of at 08:36 well fortified for the rigours ahead.

The first couple of sections could be tricky, with some deep ruts and in these circumstances, I think the FWD cars have an advantage because they tend to go where the wheels are pointing – although this still depends on the driver pointing them the right way in the first place. Anyway, we got through them without much drama and proceeded to the first special test. 

This looked completely straightforward on paper, but such are classic trials that someone had chosen to liven it up by placing “gate B” at the top of a steep grassy slope, at about the altitude of an Everest base camp. However we were encouraged by Martin Halliday’s very tidy and successful drive in the Fiat Panda and set off full of hope only to run out of grunt about ¾ of the way up the slope. It would have been possible to take the corner at the bottom faster and maybe that would have done the trick, or maybe the slope of the hill would have carried you to far from the correct course to succeed, or maybe…… 

Two sections had been set out at Eddlesborough, the first being an interesting series of ups & downs, with a tight corner between each. Regular readers of these articles will recall that last year we lost an argument with a tree here, so we felt we were justified in being prudent, but of course we eventually lost momentum and stopped frustratingly short of clearing the last steep climb. 

This year the organisers had assembled the Brickhills trials construction set slightly differently. The first section seemed to go on for ever but never got tight enough to seriously trouble the Golf, or the navigator, unlike the second, where we go to the top of one rise; became totally disoriented and by the time we had worked out the correct route managed to demolish a marker. Unfortunately, we started the post section analysis before we had got through the gully after the finish, made a complete hash of it and nearly buried the car at the bottom. 

We like to support local vendors and my only criticism of the final instructions (and this concerns food, so is serious) was that it was not clear enough that there would be refreshments available at the lunch stop. Unaware of this, we had made our own arrangements, and despite the inviting cooking smells, we knew that to return home with our better halves lovingly crafted sandwiches uneaten was asking for trouble, so we had to miss out on that one. 

The special test at Ivinghoe was the scene of a classic farce last year as we recorded what must be the “longest test time whilst avoiding a fail” on record. This year we were forewarned, as the car in front passed “line B” and then spun round and nearly through the hedge. This bought a memorable understatement from the marshal that it was “a bit tricky over there”. Onto the section where we had the pleasure of watching the Trojans attempt it, they are wonderful vehicles from a different age. We were pleased to get as far as we did on the steep bit at the start of the section, but again stopped frustratingly close to the summit. 

The last three sections were in the same wooded area used at the end of last years event and my crib sheet noted that, on that occasion, we were successful on both. I don’t know whether keeping records of this sort can invoke the “Murray Walker” factor but this year was a completely different story. On the first, we slipped sideways at one point and were trapped by a small but deadly tree root. The second was better, but, continuing the day’s pattern, we lost control and demolished the very last marker. It’s always been my belief that, if you re going to fail, it’s best to do so in a spectacular and memorable fashion, and the last section provided a good example as we chose to hit a tree right in front of the photographer. My apologies to the official who had chosen to stand in a perfectly sensible location that no-one could reasonably threaten, but even with a lower ratio gearbox, it’s hard to keep the Golf’s momentum without seriously theatrical arm twirling and eventually we just ran out of room. 

Our thanks to the officials and marshals, who worked very hard throughout the day (some seemed to be in three places at once and most had to reassemble some route markers damaged by car no 3) and had again put in a lot of effort to create the instructions, negotiate the use of land and all the 1001 other things that must be done for an event of this sort. Once again the March Hare provided an enjoyable and varied days classic trialling.

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

Chris Clarkes Edinburgh

After competing in Class 0 on The Lands end Chris Clarke took on the main event for the Edinburgh

After gaining a coveted tin medal in the Lands End at Easter, it was time to move on to the “grown-up” stuff in Class 1 and given that we had already attempted some of the main route hills on the Edinburgh, it seemed a good event to make the step. Unfortunately work commitments had rather curtailed the summer maintenance season, but we had been able to raise the front suspension some more (courtesy of Fourtune engineering) and repaired the reverse gear selector (no more excuses for special test foul-ups), so we felt well equipped to tackle the usual challenges.

At the start we carefully took notice of the published breakfast arrangements and some other technical stuff about tyre pressures, but fortunately, in view of the problems the organisers had faced prior to the event no route changes. From the start we made good time to Haven Hill, which was a nice warm up for the hills ahead. There was a queue at Clough Wood, so we took advantage of this for a quick nap. Both this and the following Deeprake were enjoyable climbs, unlike the descent to the start at Litton Slack, where I foolishly went too fast and scared both of us silly – lesson learned! You get a good view of the hill from the approach and we had some good ideas about how to play it after passing the telegraph pole. As it was, just reaching the start was tricky (more like the 5 minute rule?), but we got going well and then ground to a stop after about 15 feet – so much for the plan. It had started raining heavily while we were waiting, whether that actually had any effect I don’t know, but that’s my excuse (I had previously commented favourably on the sunny weather –some people never learn). 

After Carlton it was time for an excellent breakfast at the Bull I’th Thorn. For reasons I can’t really understand we had been dropping back steadily all day, and were now running with cars that started 30-40 mins behind us, more of this later. 

At Haggside we had our first serious problem, the Golf’s clutch (of unknown vintage) has been suffering from the hammering it gets since the big wheels raised the gear ratio and at the restart I finished with the engine going flat out, clutch fully engaged and wheels not turning, lots of very expensive smoke and a fail. Because of this we approached Bamford Clough with some trepidation, not helped by the steady stream of failures returning through the village. In fact, although we didn’t get much past the parking space half way up, it was a real laugh, full throttle, lots of wheelspin, and that feeling that you’re hanging onto the hill by your fingertips. We even had the bonus of watching Colin Perryman power his way past us as we waited to return. At Great Hucklow, the cheer we got showed that the spirit was there, but unfortunately we stopped perfectly in the restart box. On the exit via the class ‘O’ route I was extremely annoyed to hit the same rock that I hit last year and write off another wheel. Judging by the number of people changing wheels at the end of the section and the state of the rock, we were not alone, does anyone know of a source of suitable explosives? 

On to the village hall at Hollingsclough, where the tea and scones were very welcome, although when we left it was starting to get dark and we were even further behind schedule. We couldn’t get up the steep bit at the start of Rakes Head and failed the restart at Excelsior, although it was good to see how much better the car went on this section than last year.

The combination of night and brain fade cost us some time as we got lost on the way to Wigber Low and Moneystones and we arrived very late at the finish, hence were declared as retired in the results. What did we learn? It’s a big but not impossible step up from class ‘O’ (We both feel that the class has real value as an introduction) and the schedule with more sections and distance to cover means you have to really work at it all the time. I’m not sure I stopped at the right place in the restart boxes and the question of tyre pressure was as imponderable as ever. We’re not sure why we seem to loose so much time, the tyre pumps we use are probably a bit slow, but that’s the only thing we can think of. 

Did we enjoy ourselves – most definitely. It’s really exciting just to be a part of such of a large event, even as an also ran, it’s a genuinely challenging competition, the people are friendly, the foods good,…. Once again a big thank-you to the organisers; and marshals for standing waiting for us in the very wet conditions and we look forward to next year.

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

Lands End Class 0

Chris Clarke competed in Class 0 on the Lands End in his Golf. Here is his report.

When we first discussed the Lands End with experienced competitors; for some reason the impression we gained was one of a series of off and on road driving sections interspersed with meal stops – or was it the other way round? We like our food (the VW suspension is up-rated for good reasons) so it seemed a good idea to give it a go. Unfortunately at our first attempt the car ran out of energy (alternator failure) after only the third refreshment stop, so that was the end of it for 2004. 

For 2005 we set off in good time for the start to allow plenty of time for our evening meal, plus signing on etc. Suitably fortified we set off on the first road section, taking advantage of the holding control to fine tune the headlights, and then into Catsash, which we climbed without event. Whilst pumping up the tyres, we remarked on how difficult even the simplest task becomes at night, what with fiddling about with torches and if you drop anything small it’s gone for ever. 

On to Up Ewey and Grabhurst where it was noticeable how much more traction and control the new tyres gave over last year. What was more remarkable was how bright the moon had become; it was almost possible to drive without lights, although I suspect our navigator was not impressed by my practical demonstration of this. 

We left the Culborne Inn (bacon sandwich) and drove down Countisbury and up Porlock Hill, these are challenging in a modern car so it’s hard to imagine what they must have been like on an early c20th motorcycle.

The restart on Barton Steep was the first serious challenge, as the larger wheels on the Golf have raised the gear ratio and it took a lot of clutch slipping and some burning smells to ensure a fool-proof getaway. We were promised more of the same at Upper Molland and the feeling of trepidation was heightened by the optical illusion, as you descend into the clearing at the start, that the hill is steeper than it actually is. A VW beetle looked remarkably like its namesake as it climbed the track opposite. In fact the restart on loose surface was a lot easier on the clutch (obvious when you think about it) and we climbed it with only some wheel twirling on the corner.

Beyond this we were further than 2004, but no mention was made of this at the time for fear of “Murray Walkering” our chances until we reached the services at Roundswell (coffee & chocolate bars). Wargery and Roly Poly passed without incident and we continued to the café (control point) at Wilsey Down – ham, egg and chips with a mug of tea – excellent – and a chance for a nap in the sunshine. At Petherwin it was nice to see our first spectators there, but there was a scary moment as we rounded the first corner by Ruses Mill, trying to build up speed for an unknown gradient ahead and just missing a large stone covered with about 400 years worth of scrape marks.

We arrived at the Lady Vale test to a pressure building combination of spectators and the distant sound of a car struggling up something like the North face of the Eiger. In fact this test had one huge advantage, it was not necessary to engage reverse gear (refer to previous March Hare articles for an explanation of this), and we completed the test in what seemed a reasonable time, although I haven’t seen the results when writing this so may have to eat those words. The subsequent Mays Hill was very enjoyable and we approached Adrian’s Way with mounting confidence. 

The section was a bit slippery at the start, then a nice few yards to build up speed round the corner and a steepish climb to something I can’t tell you about because we never made it. There were two routes round the corner. I took the left hand one and avoided the rut, but unfortunately hit a large lump of earth on the inside which killed our momentum and we just did not have enough grip to make it to the top. At this point our navigator, quite out of character, suggested a more gung-ho approach which involved dropping a wheel into the rut (wall of death), thus firing the car round the corner and up the hill to certain success. At the time I was too surprised to challenge this view, but subsequently we concluded that you would have probably have either grounded with the wheel in free space or dented the (newly repaired) wing on the bank. 

We opted to do only the first part of Bishops path, a wise decision looking at what followed and stopped for a few minutes (sorry) to watch a Skoda literally fly over the top of the rock slope on the way to a clean. We’ve got a digital film of this if anyone is would like a copy. 

At Perranporth car park we could have spent the rest of the day explaining why we were driving around Cornwall in a car covered in mud, but had to move on the final section at Blue Hills. My apologies to all those who tried to encourage us to give the big one a go, but having spent the previous Saturday panel beating and with a good chance of making it home in one piece I didn’t want to take any chances and took the soft option. This took us safely to the finish control at the Crossroads Motel (yes that really is its name) where we relaxed and reflected on a very enjoyable event over a pasty and pint. It really is a pleasure to take part in an event on this scale and our thanks to the (literally) hundreds of organisers and marshals who make it possible. This particularly applies to those who cover the class O sections, where I imagine the smaller number of competitors makes it a bit quiet, but we really appreciate the chance to get used to these events in stages.

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

Chris Clarke’s March Hare

Chris on Norton Street Lane

After our disastrous showing in the 2004 Allen trial (someone has to come last) it was obvious that the Golf was suffering a severe lack of traction. With mods over the winter to improve weight distribution and a new set of tyres to replace the previous motley assortment, we set off early full of hope for the event ahead. This would also be the first event we had done before, so we would be able to discuss the perils of old “diff mangler” or “slippery precipice” knowledgeably rather than being constantly surprised by what the organisers were throwing at us. 

In fact my recollection of the first section, Nortonstreet lane was so hazy that we might have been doing it for the first time, nonetheless we completed it successfully, as we did the next 3. At Eddlesborough hill the element of surprise was our undoing, as I was so disorientated by the series of dips at the top of the section that I proceeded to miss the next corner and loose an argument with a tree. This necessitated some impromptu body repairs but we were able to continue. On section 6 we made good progress, but the 1300cc engine just couldn’t pull the Golf up the last steep part. The very dry conditions, plus the mods had exchanged a problem of lack of grip with one of lack of grunt. A quick search of the field failed to reveal any spare 1800cc engines lying about, so we limited ourselves to some panel beating and carried on. 

It would be impossible to anticipate anything at Brickhill, as it is effectively a PCT Mecanno kit, where the organisers can assemble a variety of steep bits to make an infinite number of routes. We could perhaps have done better on the first section (7) had we taken the corner before the last steep bit a bit wider, but again the little engine was really struggling. On section 9 (which was a bit familiar) we go to the end, but I was concerned that we had taken the wrong route and this was borne out by the scorecard. By this time we had been on the road for some time and it was noticeable that as each crew arrived at the rest halt, they immediately broke out the sandwiches.

At the Ivinghoe special test, the difference in temperament between driver and navigator and the still unfixed reverse gear (refer to last years article) was our undoing. Despite good advice my “gung-ho” approach took over as soon as the flag dropped. This lead to a “discussion” as to whether we had crossed line ‘A’, followed by gear selection and handbrake problems, leading to a time that must surely be a record for this test. At least it provided some amusement for the waiting crews. The section (10), I could clearly remember the from last year and avoided the bit that stopped us before, but again lack of power was our undoing, however, I see that a Fiat 500 made it so perhaps I’m being a bit hasty. 

This was followed by a section from last year, (Hawridge lane), but run in the opposite direction, another fiendish trick. My navigator is convinced that it would be possible to get stuck on your side in the deep ‘V’ shaped groove in the track, but I prefer not to think about it. 

To finish; 2 new sections in another wood, with a more cautious approach, as the navigators view was prevailing by now, so we avoided the trees and climbed the last steep bit with just the right balance between traction and power, very satisfying. 

At the finish, apart from the prospect of another Saturdays panel beating on the damaged wing we were a little disappointed with how things had gone especially the lack of power and more importantly skill. We were therefore very surprised to find that we had been awarded the Clubsport class 1 award, a good end to what had been a very enjoyable day. Setting aside the technicalities, what I had remembered from 2004 was the friendly atmosphere, good organisation and enjoyable driving and the same was true for 2005. Thank-you to all the organisers and officials for an excellent event.

Chris Clarke

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

My March Hare by Chris Clarke

A novice’s view of the March Hare Trial 2004

The final part of Murray McDonald’s invaluable advice on trials preparation for the VW Golf was a suggestion that the March Hare would be a good shake down event for the car and crew. On the day, we arrived at the start with some trepidation, having left Bristol at an ungodly hour, completed the formalities and fortified ourselves with the food on offer in the café. The very clear instructions lead us to the start of the first section, Nortonstreet Lane. Here we got about 50 yards along the track before I remembered that the tyres were still fully pumped up – too late to do anything except keep going, hang on and hope. More by luck than judgement we made it to the end and continued to Whitehall Lane, where we were just about able to do the average speed calculations in time before setting off, relying on the Golf’s rather wobbly speedometer to complete the section without penalty. We attempted Half Moon lane with the drivers window down, big mistake, as you are only supposed to get the outside dirty, but again we made it to the end. 

At John Barber 1&2 things didn’t go as well. When we arrived some cars were driving around at the top of what looked like a small mountain covered in red tape, but by the time we started it been raining for about 5 minutes and either because of this or just sheer incompetence, we got absolutely nowhere at all. Most of all, I felt that we had let down the person who had so laboriously strung out the tape, having only used the first 3% of it, and sympathy for those marshals who were standing outside in the terrible conditions. On to Eddlesborough Hill where we continued to struggle, only just making it to the start of the 2nd section. However, with the drying ground and some helpful advice from a fellow competitor we made it round the 3rd section – what a feeling of achievement! 

The hot tea available at the lunch stop was very welcome and after this and the improving results from Eddlesborough we approached Brickhill with some optimism. The lack of reverse gear gate (just having the parts in the garage is not enough) was a disadvantage in the special test (that’s my excuse) and seeing the first two cars in the first section disappear into what seemed to be a bottomless pit quickly reversed the earlier optimism. However, once on the move, it was possible to squeeze between the pit and the marker post and no one was more surprised than us to find ourselves passing the last marker. On the next section I discovered that it is not a good idea to go too fast downhill, as it doesn’t carry you up the next bit, just off the section, useful experience for the last one which seemed to go up and down for ever.

At Ivinghoe I (I didn’t say we as my passenger claims he knew exactly what to do) made a complete hash of the steep bit and so missed the chance to drive about at the top of the hill, which looked quite good fun. However we succeeded on the last two sections, Hawridge lane and Hill farm, despite the road being so narrow it was difficult to get out of the car to let the tyres down. Whilst pumping them up I thought for a moment that someone was throwing small stones at me, only to realise that it had started hailing – the weather on the day was best described as variable. 

Whilst driving to the finish we suffered the first serious brain fade and took a wrong turning, only to be followed by a small convoy of fellow competitors with a lot more faith in our navigation than was justified. At the finish, brains restored by more café food, we were both pleased and surprised to be awarded the novice trophy. This was the icing on what had been a thoroughly good day – friendly but challenging competition, well organised and an excellent introduction to the sport – we look forward to the next one. 

Chris & Nick Clarke

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