Marshalling on local trials (with the Buddha of the re-starts)

I had a Matchbox model of a VW Fastback. This is the real thing of Tom Coles and Edd Wagner. 

Remedial work on the Arkley-MG has taken much longer than I expected but it is now back together and running again. I hope to make the start of the Land’s End Trial at Easter. Experience tells me to keep my expectations low but I remain like that guy in Shakespeare in Love.

“Don’t worry. Everything will turn out all right.”

In the tranquil mists of the Camel Vale - but wait, what are those cones and markers for?

In the meantime, I turned out to marshal on the Bodmin Heights and the Lewdown Trial. My section for the Camel Vale MC’s 2026 Bodmin Heights was Eddy’s Incline on the Eddy’s farm at Pendavey. Eddy’s Branch Line has featured on the classic Land’s End Trial for the last few years but Eddy’s Incline was a straight up blast and turn off the MCC section. Despite the wet winter the conditions were friable and, after a spectacularly misty start across the Camel Vale, the sun came out.

I manned the restart and was fairly busy. If folk got beyond it, they had to go sharp right but the sun dazzled a few.

Abbie Jeffery on her way to getting Best Lady

Laying out the courses for these events is a huge amount of work – the rest of us just turn up and enjoy it. We pull out the marker canes at the end and tidy up but a helluva lot of thought goes into where who goes where and what makes a worthy test for all classes.

Nick Deacon in his X90 nearly made it but slid sideways into the logs Groover and the organ grinding team had used to lay out the course. Nick and Dave Turner ended up with tree trunks behind him and in front. It took Olympic quality tractor driving getting him out.

Simon Oates on his way to getting Best Gentleman (and the Mudlark Trophy)

Walking back to my car in the farmyard took me up and over the course of Eddy’s Branch Line. This follows the course of the old railway line to Delabole from Wadebridge just after trains crossed the Camel. I had a good look for later in the year. The right angle turn to go over the occupation bridge is very tight and caught a few out when they attempted this on the Bodmin Heights. It’s a long steady climb after that but, just before the farmyard, there was not one but two restarts and a deviation. Will the MCC include these for us at Easter?

We wait to see.

Favourite Vintage Thing of the day? The Pinto powered Skoda of Paul Watson.

It's not what you might expect under those tyres

For the Launceston & North Cornwall MC trial in Lew Woods, I parked outside the woods and got a lift into the wood yard again, this time with Wayne Grimshaw. Wayne had just come back from marshalling on the Bovingdon rally stages and has pedalled Imps, Novas and Corsas very effectively in autotests and speed hillclimbs for years. He told me the Nova cost £175 twenty years ago and has held together all that time. His Corsa was – I quote – expensive at £500 in 2021. I saw it in action at Watergate not long after he got it. Jammy git! 

One from my archives - Wayne and his Corsa at the 2022 Watergate Bay Sprint

I was on Eastcott 1 and 2 again. This year I was with three generations of the Wade family and although enthusiastic conversation about all sorts of machinery was ensured, conditions were not dry. In the arvo, on Eastcott 2, it was windy. Eastcott 1 was all about the restart and here we had the buddha of the restart.

I have no memory of the buddha being here last year. Maybe Joe Caudle, Andy Prosser and Andy Jory can confirm this?

The buddha of the restart

The restarts surprised us in other ways. Class 8s had a very slippery one just around the hairpin. We didn’t move the buddha when they came through but there were no awkward recoveries for us.

John Turner's Class O 2CV is just the thing for getting round the sections in Lew Woods.

Eastcott 2 swung left into the trees after a restart for most classes. Many sidecars did well with zero penalty points and the juniors on their bikes were particularly impressive.

It's almost a shame to get this muddy

It was a tough event – a worthy trial you might say – with some retirements by lunchtime, well-organised and ran to time. 

I know the organ grinders have been doing it for years but they do a great job and long may it continue.

Favourite Vintage Thing? The Ford Ka powered Robin Reliant, although the Greeves motorcycle was a very close second.

In the wheel tracks of some illustrious 3-wheelers

Unfortunately, I am not around to either compete or marshal on the President’s Trial on 15^th March but if I was I would.