93rd Exeter Trial 2023

It's okay now but was suffered intermittent running faults from Christmas onwards

Just before the 93rd Exeter Trial, my Arkley-MG (VT no. 151) stopped starting. If it stopped stopping and started, it would often stop. Sometimes it backfired like a rifle shot. At other times it would blow through the carbs. I had fuel. I had sparks. It just didn't wanna went.

Until I solved the mystery, it seemed likely I would breakdown in the middle of nowhere until the electron pixies decided to come out to play again. the last thing I wanted to happen was to stage an involuntary sit in on an observed section during the trial so, after a conflab with Binky, we decided to withdraw.

I think Binks had seen the weather forecast for the weekend. He didn't seem so upset. Meanwhile, I – who had not seen the weather forecast – put my name forward to marshal.

HUGS in the dawn light at Crealy

I marshalled frequently in the last century. Treworld, Hobb’s Choice, Warleggan, Crackington, Tipley and Cutliffe Lane were all subjected to my hamfisted enthusiasm in the past but here we were in 2023 and I hadn’t marshalled since the turn of the linoleum.

Dave Middleditch put me in touch with Nick Williams who in turn put me in touch with Merv Brake, Chief Marshal on Norman’s Hump. He’d been let down through sickness (or amateur weather forecasting) and was – so I was told – delighted to have someone fill the gap at short notice.

The first bike was due at 0200hrs and Merv wanted me on Norman’s Hump at 0030hrs for signing on. It took me an hour and a half to get there and I carefully selected my Hein Gericke motorcycle trousers and a posh ski jacket my sister had bought me. I also had torches, water and what my mother would call a “nose bag.”

My plan for the day then became marshalling at Norman’s Hump followed by breakfast at Crealy Park, where I could catch up with my mates who were competing. I could then mosey on over to Ilsington to spectate at Simms before checking in to my hotel and then attending the club supper at the Passage House Hotel as per my original intentions.

Norman’s Hump is the first of two sections on Bovey Down, a wooded area north of the A3075 near Beer from a junction called Hangman's Stone. The other section is Clinton and competitors cross the restart box on Norman’s Hump on their way to Clinton. If they fail Clinton, they return to cross the restart box so there’s oncoming traffic. My job was to direct traffic.

The weather was foul with lots of standing water on the way up but I made good time. Merv was waiting for me just inside the gate off the road and everyone was in place. Apart from Merv Brake, the only other marshal I met was Phil Gale in charge of the restart.

A long-standing favourite of mine is this Hillman Avenger of Lester and Dan Keat 

I didn’t see the marshals on the start line or those at the top of the section. I heard them on Merv’s radio and sometimes the message of “Section clear,” after a motorcyclist and his machine had been manhandled off the hill, was delivered a little out of puff from the effort.

These guys have been marshalling here for over fifteen years and it really struck me how reliant the club is on these silent stalwarts who competitors see for just an instant if they’re lucky.

The course opening car showed up soon after I arrived and warned us of potential delays because of the weather. The approach road to the preceding hill of Underdown had caused a few problems and the high winds were making the trees around this waterlogged wooded section move around alarmingly. However, about ten minutes after they’d left, the first bikes turned up and we were in action.

Anthony Brown and Leah Tokelove attack Simms on their CCM 604 outfit

I only had to get involved in righting one solo bike who came off just above the restart box. A few came a cropper on the first turn at the foot of the hill. Many more failed in a bomb hole not far from the top. The restart was level and didn’t pose any problems for anyone.

We had a tractor to recover the cars only and needed that for the very last car to climb the hill was the Class O Beetle. Class O were running at the tail of the main trial for 2023 and got to do the lower section of Norman’s Hump. When I went down the track to see why they were stuck I realised how rough it was – personally I would have thought that it was too rough for Class O.

I was quite comfortable in my gear and only noticed it was raining when headlamps shone our way. The wind was at my back but I could feel the cold when I held my hand out to stop the cross-track traffic.

Clinton claimed a few scalps. We even had a few Class 8s coming back to us. I also had the weird sensation of seeing some of these cars for the first time. It was pitch black but it was dark and maybe they sneaked passed me while my back was turned as I held back traffic.

We finished about 0700hrs. It was still dark as we sloshed our way back to our cars and when I sat down I realised how wet I was. I wasn’t soaked through but I really appreciated the heater blower and the heated seats in my MX5.

On the way to Crealy, it looked as if a tree had come down, blocked the road and been chopped with a chain saw since I’d passed by before. Crealy was simply awash. I got out of the car to take a few photographs but the clouds opened and the way to the café was a river. I ate the rest of my snacks in my car by myself and had a little nap.

Arrangements for spectating for Simms are well sorted for such a potentially congested village and I swung by the village hall for tea and cake. I also used the new lavatories, which were quite splendid. The villagers supply us with cake and then provide us with posh bogs with the money! What a great system!

Nigel Cowling congratulates Simon Oates and Simon Riddell on their splendid ascent of Simms

I was in time to see many of the bikes climb Simms and had a chat with Norton Selwood, Dave Haizelden and James Shalcross who were marshalling on the first corner. There was good deal of ribaldry and lot of in jokes before I scrambled up the bank on the left. I found a convenient and unoccupied hole in the bushes above the section ends sign and hailed Nigel Cowling and Ashley Ruby from my eyrie. This was a good place to watch but I eventually joined them on section ends and even got on the rope to pull one car up.

Notable climbs here were Simon Oates in his Liege, Nicola Butcher-Gladwyn in her Beetle, Jack Selwood in his DP Ford (who got away from the Class 8 restart) and George Osborn who stormed up in his Reliant Super Robin (VT No.165). you can tell it’s a Super Robin because it wears its under frame over its panels.

George Osborn and Celia Walton should secure a triple with this climb

I began to fade at around 1600hrs and wandered back to carpark, having quick word with the competitors in the queue. Many of these were in Class O and had been waiting for over an hour to do their section which was the scape route for Simms. Among them were Michael Leete, whom I had somehow not met before, Ray Goodwright, who once owned my car and still has the blue Arkley, and Stewart Palmer with his Austin 7 (VT No. 153). Stewart in particular wanted to finish before it got dark because lighting on his Austin 7 can get marginal, despite recent best efforts to fit an alternator.

I asked them what they thought about the severity of their sections but they didn’t seem to bothered. Ray said his Arkley was bottoming out but he had improved springs to fit. He mostly uses it for track days and Class R, which was not an potion for this year’s Exeter.

I checked into the Premier Inn and almost crashed out on my bed before stirring my self for the club supper at the Passage House Hotel. Some criticise this as being “school dinners” but the food was great and the atmosphere fantastic. Binky’s ticket was up for grabs and Duncan Stephens impersonated him on the night. I also sat with Pat Shaw (he sounds like one of The Professionals) and his bouncer Jill Sanders. They are not only local to me and have an MX5 but Jill is the sister of Wicked Uncle Adrian, who has featured in my exploits many times before now.  

There's the Avenger again!

The evening passed in a merry blur and Duncan and me got applauded along with all those who also marshalled.

On my return the following day, I tried the car again. With its new distributor cap and rotor arm it started! It’s continued to start, too, and hasn’t started stopping yet, so I am optimistic that we’ve cured it.

The general consensus is that a combination of corrosion and dampness was causing the sparkling plugs to sparkle at the wrong time and the engine was firing with an inlet valve open sometimes and just a soften an exhaust valve. Ignition magic now seems to be resumed and I am now on good terms again with the lares and penates of machinery – the gremlins. We sense their presence and take care to propitiate them but are rarely blessed with evidence of their presence.

If in doubt, propitiation your gremlins with new parts

I hope they can read this and that they are now on side for the Land’s End at Easter.