2024 Edinburgh Trial

An adventure in which the Arkley-MG makes a new friend. (Photo : Graham Beddoe)

For several weeks I had been telling people I had entered the 2024 Edinburgh Trial. When I announced that it took place in the Peak District, this confirmed their opinions on my powers of geography.

This lovely and tough Ford Model A belongs to consistent Gold award winner and Triple contender Stephen Hill

Only six people were in contention for a Triple on this event, one solo motorcyclist and five car drivers and I was one of them. Besides Graham Beddoe and me in the Team Inappropriate Class 7 Arkley-MG (VT No.151), there were Mark Wills on his class B Beta Alp (on line for his third triple), Stephen Hill and his well-dressed gentlemen bouncers in their Ford Model A, previous Triple-winner Karren Warren in her class 6 VW Beetle, Annabel Harry in her red class 7 Hillman Imp (VT No.78) and ACTC regular Paul Merson in his very successful Shopland MK 1 class 8.

The Class O equivalent of a Triple is a Trio (see what the MCC did there?) and the only contender was the man behind the Classical Gas trials website, Michael Leete in his familiar yellow VW Beetle.

In such illustrious company, I felt something of an imposter.

Carl Horne, Douglas Todd and Adam Smallman await the off after our rest stop. Note the manuscript running numbers

This would be my third visit to the Peak District from sunny Cornwall. Those visits both took place in 2012. The first was for the Hillman Imp national rally (that was a great weekend!) and the second was as Binky’s bouncer in the Candidi Provocatores Allard (another bleddy brilliant weekend).

For once, I didn’t fancy driving to the start. I have no tow car or trailer and usually drive the car to the starts. This time I hired a Mercedes Sprinter car transporter at great expense. Sally found us a very nice house to rent in Crowdecote only eight minutes away from the start and finish at the Duke of York pub at Pomeroy on the A515. We even had a smart telly so Graham Beddoe and I could watch YouTube videos of last year’s event and see sections that were new to us.

A typical rest stop scene - some bikes in the background, the Peugeot-based Salamander special

 of Stuart Holton, John Charles' white Liege, the Dutton with its bonnet up belongs to Peter Duckworth and John Buckley and on the right is the green Liege of John & Natasha Early.

The weather forecast was dry, almost anomalously so. We’d encountered torrential rain near Birmingham coming up on Thursday and Royston May from Dursley had found the M5 closed due to flooding on Friday morning but at least he had a roof on his Skoda. (I’ve never done a trial in a tin top yet)

Scrutineering took place at the Buxton Juniors Football Club at Sterndale Moor, near Hadlow Quarry and we arrived at the Duke of York afterwards in plenty of time for our start at 0133hrs on Saturday morning.

Martin Matthews and Colin Satchell in their Class 8 UVA Fugitive put in for a Silver after failing Dudwood.

Martin Matthews had, like us, received a message from Duncan Stephens giving valuable advice on how to approach each hill. Michael Leete and our team mates Neil Bray and Simon Robson were also full of useful advice and Liege Lord Simon Oates was our chief coach. Everyone we met seemed to think we had a chance of achieving a Triple and were keen to help in any way possible. That’s the MCC way. We really are all in it together, competing against the club.

In the running order we were sandwiched between two teams of Lieges, the Liege Larkins and Oggy, Oggy, Oggy. Our running numbers, which should have been issued to us as we signed on, had been lost in the post so the starting officials were quickly writing them out in felt pen.

Once we set off in the dark, Graham and I felt in very unfamiliar territory. The odometer and trip on the Arkley-MG aren’t very accurate and MCC miles can vary in size. Graham had to work especially hard in telling me where to turn. In the end he devised a conversion factor but was constantly checking in with me to test the accuracy of his guestimations – just what you’d expect from a quality manager.

Observed Section no.1 was Hob Hay, which had no restart and was a straight up track with deep ruts and a loop at the top. We later heard a Dellow had put a wheel down the slope to the side of the loop and overturned, fortunately without injury or much damage.

There were lots of QQQ markers throughout this year’s route book. Immediate exclusion was the penalty for excessive noise within a mile of a QQQ, which also signified the use of dipped headlamps and a maximum speed of 20mph. The Arkley-MG can pop and bang on its Dell Ortos on the overrun down hills so Graham was red hot about changing up, even though I prefer to use engine braking wherever possible. We’d even been asked not to talk loudly when queuing.

The Peak District is beautiful, close to big population centres and full of expensive properties. It’s amazing the Edinburgh Trial runs at all and I wonder how much longer our automotive mud wrestling can continue. To keep it going and support the intense PR campaign organisers had already undertaken for this year’s event, we were determined to be ambassadors for the sport and be extra considerate and smiley-faced to everyone whose paths we crossed.

Tissington Ford Holding Control was to ensure the enforcement of QQQ status out of the ford and through the village. We’d also been advised of noise monitors prowling the route during the night. Some motorcyclists who’d bunched together were picked up for riding in a group, which was a big no-no.

Local pressures caused a couple of hills to be abandoned and a subsequent route amendment after Tissington scratched Section 2 Wigbor Low. Section 3 was Ballidon, on the side of a hill with sweeping curves to a sharp right up the hill then a left, followed by a longer straight.

Instructions for leaving this section were quite explicit. “Do NOT STOP at section ends. After the end of the section, you must NOT stop to reinflate tyres etc or wait for others. Drive at no more than walking pace and on no more than dipped beams. The penalty will be disqualification.”

There were even red flashing torches to indicate the super sensitive stretches of the route which demanded absolute silence and dipped beams. “The final gate will be open DO NOT STOP HERE the driving standards observer at this gate will monitor your speed (10 mph max.) and noise through the hamlet. DO NOT STOP IN THE HAMLET. IF REPORTED YOU WILL BE EXCLUDED.”

Graham and I were in awe of the efforts of the organisers to make this event happen at all.

I remembered Cliff Quarry from 2012. Starting with a gentle curve to right as we climbed, the course took us across a track then made a very sharp left to restart box, right in front of which was a very large tree. Us Class 7s had to take Exit A to left of the tree before sweeping round to the right down a slippery bank to the end of section.

It was very muddy but we had plenty of grip. I’d gone down to 14psi on the rears and 22psi on the fronts to stop the steering washing out on that sharp left hander, which was what happened to Binky and me in Candidi Porvocatores Allard (VT No.45) in 2012.

We turned in alright and kept low in the box for our first restart of the trial and the engine cut out. I don’t know whether the engine was cold after a wait in the night or if it was just good old-fashioned incompetence syndrome. Bang went our Triple. I thumbed the starter on the top of the hydraulic handbrake lever and we got away easily! It was very muddy but we had plenty of grip.

We were disappointed but could still look forward to a Silver award. However, the next part of the route in the dark was a gated track and Graham hurt his back opening the first gate. It was really a barrier one had to drag out the way except two were needed to do it. He managed to get back in the car and I hopped out do the gates after that with the passenger of the next car closing them behind us.

The route divided so we didn’t do Ballcross, which was for classes O, 1, 2, 3, 4 F and S. The rest of us (5, 6, 7, 8, 90, A, B, C, D) got to do Tumbletrees (Tum Blet Rees if you wanna try that Cornish accent on the second syllable thing).

Finding it was difficult. If Graham had blinked we’d have missed it. Opposite a 50 mph sign on the B6001 was a hole in the hedge just big enough for a car.

Tumbletrees was the stoniest so far. It looked like dry stone walls had fallen into the road but we completed the restart alright and successfully kept right at the top to negotiate the big step up onto the tarmac road.

The not quite royal blue Skoda of the Royle family

By the time we got to Haydale it was daylight. This was a wide track between dry stone walls, mostly straight but rough and stony. Haydale had a restart very soon after the Section Begins boards and we got away alright.

Calton followed some miles afterwards. Some of the BOATS (Byways Open to All Traffic) and unmade tracks that featured on this year’s route were simply spectacular and the day was settling to be a sunny one with glorious blue skies and some autumn colour.

Calton was a stopper for Binky and me in 2012. We couldn’t get away on its slippery cobbles for the restart. There’s a long approach to it after the section begins, curving up right to the restart box after which it curves up to the left. Duncan Stephens advised us to treat it with respect so we did. At 14psi, the tyres span up but they got warm and sticky and gripped. We steadily rose up the track with wheels spinning and climbed out okay. In wet weather, it might have been a different story.

This lovely Ford flathead-powered Austin 7 of Paul Clay and Robert Jepson was running in the day time Derbyshire class.

We were well ahead of our schedule for the rest stop at the Duke of York but had to leave at our scheduled time, which in our case was 0943hrs.

Over a generous tray of health-conscious fry up, everyone wanted to know how we were doing and commiserated in our loss of a Triple! It never really felt like I had one, though.

From the front this little special looks a but like an early Dellow.

Andrew Rippon said he’d almost come a cropper on Cliffe Quarry but I think he was just helping me feel better about it. Stuart Palmer in his Austin 7 Ulsteroid (VT No.153) was already being pursued by the course closing car. His road speed is not high and this seems to be his fate unless he starts first of all the cars.

Such views can stop you in your tracks. This was in the lane next to Jenkin Chapel. That's the Liege of Rob and Elizabeth Howarth. Looks like Simon Oates is showing off his engine again behind them.

Simon Oates sought us out and gave us specific advice for the next section. Excelsior featured in quite a few videos of previous events. The restart boxes are after a sharp left turn with some rocky bumps on the hill afterwards. We had to get away from the higher Red restart box. Simon said to keep right and align the car straight up the hill before coming to a halt. Duncan had advised to do the same.

It worked, too! I think that was my favourite climb of the event although the next one, Clough Wood, which didn’t feature a restart, also felt good.

Clough Wood is a neat complex of three sections fairly close by. Upon entering we had to beware oncoming competitors before bearing right for Clough Wood. We then rejoined the queue but forked left for Clough Mine further down the valley. In the woods above us was Old Clough Wood, our picturesque exit route along a very long dirt track.

Graham had a good leg stretch at Jenkin Chapel

After filling up near Ashbourne we had plenty of ballast although it wasn’t E5 petrol. I juiced it up with additive and octane booster.

On entering the Clough Wood complex, we found a queue. Jovial Stephen Bailey, my old Team Steampunk team mate from backalong, was marshalling. He said a lot of bikes had been having trouble but we didn’t have very long to wait. It was all very well organised.

The queue for Clough Wood

For Clough Wood we had to bear right for Ramp A and Exit A which meant struggling up a steep heath with sticky deep ruts before some tight righthand corners in the trees at the top. With 14 psi, the car went well but the descent and exit needed great care not to go into the bushes. We were barely moving at one point as I let the front tyres grip and the engine braking take over.

By now, we’d been joined by Lee Peck in his Kraken and he was impressed at how benign Clough Wood was this year. Apparently, it can be quite evil.

In 2012, we couldn’t even make the restart on Clough Mine. The section crossed two muddy bomb holes leading to two restarts boxes and two exist. Needless to say, we had the most difficult of both – a Red restart box and Exit A up a steep ramp.

Clough Mine restart area before we, er, smashed it

We watched from the queue as fellow Class 7 and 8 competitors failed to get away from the Red restart. Simon Oates was a few cars ahead of us and he noticed that their tyres cut out large holes just where we would have to stop for the restart box was quite small. In fact, it looked more like a trapezium, with one side shorter than the other. He approached it very slowly in his Liege, reading the surface, looking for grip, before aligning it across the box at an angle to the left. That did the trick. He got out.

I decided to do the same but my execution was lacking and we cut down the marker posts on the right of the restart box. Who should pop out of the ground at that point but Caroline and Roger Ugalde for some instant ribaldry. We were a captive audience for their supportive remarks while I held the Arkley-MG on all brakes to stop us rolling sideways down the bank. We got towed up and out on my new-for-the-event nice clean towing strap.

The route divided again with classes A, B, C, D, 6, 7, 8 and 90 going on to Old Clough Wood. Old Clough Wood was first used in 1955 and had a restart close to the bottom of the section. We had no problems and were now looking forward to getting a Bronze award.

Dudwood was muddy and slippery. This was another one I remembered from 2012 – a complete mud bath where we couldn’t even get off the start line. This year the route divided again with a white board in the farmyard showing where all the classes had to go. Chief Marshal Dave Middleditch happily said nothing was getting up our section so the A and B boards had come into play. If nobody in a specific class got out these would effectively be the ends of section for that class.

Just as Dave had said, nothing was getting up. We watched a succession of cars attempting Dudwood and they all had to come back down again.

We watched Captain Oates closely in his Liege. He swung round to the right to take the first corner as wide as possible. Maximising his run at the hill, he booted it and the little Liege dug in. He disappeared into the trees and the start line marshal craned his neck to watch Simon’s ascent before grinning widely and announcing “A Class 7 has climbed the hill!”

A cheer went up. This upped the game considerably. I tried to follow Simon's example but we couldn’t get grip or momentum despite giving it beans. At 14psi, our tyre pressures were simply too high.

We now looked forward to getting a Finisher’s Certificate.

We had two special tests after that and the Arkley-MG cut out both time we stopped to go into reverse. The starter button on the handbrake helped me restart it quickly but our times were never going to threaten anyone else for the class award

Next we were back to Hob Hay – Hob Hay 2 – for a deviation with a terrible reputation. Again, we didn’t have enough grip and slithered to a standstill rather ignominiously. Never mind. Our old friend John Turner was marshalling and I hadn’t come close to running him over this time. Facebook friend Ben Horton also made himself known. It was good to meet him in person at last.

Still looking forward to attaining a Finisher’s certificate, we proceeded to Jenkin Chapel to wait to attempt Corkscrew.

Corkscrew is a narrow sunken lane with a sharp right, followed by a lefthand hairpin and some vicious rock steps and storm drains with a restart thrown in somewhere. Only classes A, B, C. D, 6, 7 and 8 got to do Corkscrew. The rest went on to Hollinsclough Chapel Hall for tea and cake.

Jenkin Chapel as recommended by Ian Nairn

Jenkin Chapel featured in an old documentary on architecture that I remembered from years ago. Ian Nairn was driving from London to Manchester by B roads in a Morris Minor convertible and Jenkin Chapel was one of the buildings he admired. We had plenty of time to look around it. A plumber’s van had got stuck in the valley below Corkscrew and the route had become blocked for a while until the section rescue came to help. The bikes were having trouble as well.

I was disappointed to notice front tyre wear again on Arkley-MG. After rebuilding the front suspension and getting it re-tracked just the week before, the inside edges were still scuffing as if some heavy impact had knocked everything out of alignment. I can’t think how.

Who could blame them?

Corkscrew has a steep approach on paving blocks and we followed Simon Oates and Steve Moir in their Liege. Apparently, Class R had a restart here and many found the stone setts too slippery to get away.

Dramatic skies over the queue for Corkscrew. Paul Jones masquerades as the Polizei.

We were delighted to get off the restart,  which was soon after the righthand hairpin, but further up were two massive rock steps and we couldn’t get over them. We had a push from half a dozen superhuman marshals. We crashed over a few more rock steps but avoided the ditch after the Section Ends boards, which caught a few out, and pulled up behind Simon Oates and Steve Moir on the tarmac road to pump up our tyres.

It was at this point that the clutch cable snapped and the pedal went straight to the floor.

Simon – bless him – was desperate to get us going again. The cable had snapped right at the top nipple where it fitted into the pedal. We had an old one as a spare but not the 15/16” spanners to fit it. Simon produced various cable ties and tried them to make a bodge and get us going again but I was concerned for his potential Gold for he was clear up to then. With just two more hills to go – Booth Farm and Litton Slack – he could soon incur a time plenty if we weren’t careful.

Regretfully, he left us and not many cars came up after that.

Two thirds of trailling team Two Nuts and a Bolt - Dick Bolt's splendid Ford Pop and Jack Selwood's DP Ford special 

Graham and I turned to our phones to set about organising a recovery mission. If we could get back to our B&B, we could collect the wounded Arkley-MG with our little truck.

However, we had no reception or any idea where we were beyond being somewhere near Corkscrew or Jenkin Chapel. We walked up to the top of the hill in case that made any difference. It didn’t but we could see a city to the west with lights and skyscrapers in the dimpsy light.

My first priority was to let Sally know what had happened. We’d brought up her electric bike on the truck and she’d ridden over to Litton Slack to watch. I managed to get through to her and explained our outline plan. She’d had a great time spectating and said she could cover the 15 miles or so back to our base in an hour.

Graham was getting cold again so we put the hood up and he stayed with the car while I walked back to the marshals on Corkscrew to understand where we were. Blue Boar Farm was the place. Someone gave me some phone numbers for taxis but the call handler had never heard of Blue Boar Farm or the village of Crowdecote come to that.

Karen and Greg Warren pulled up and we exchanged numbers so that, once they’d signed off, they could come back and get us.

A 4x4 also stopped and promised they’d return, too, once they’d returned some signage to the chief marshal. I later discovered Helen Hamer was in this party. She’d taken some great photos of us and others on Corkscrew.

Our saviours, in the end, were members of the Derby 4x4 Rescue Club who’d acted as the recovery team on Corkscrew. I didn’t catch their names but one of them was happy to drive us right back to Crowdecote. He also had an MX5 like mine, the same year, but in black.

Sally had returned to the cottage just 15 minutes earlier and after a quick brew up we set off in our Mercedes Sprinter and half an hour later were winching the Arkley-MG onto the back of the truck just as darkness fell and it began to rain.

Homeward bound

Now the car is home and I’ve fitted another clutch cable to the car and got gears again, I doubt I’ll do another Edinburgh Trial. It was a very expensive weekend for me and the trial lived up to its reputation as the toughest of the three, pushing even top rank competitors to great things, such as Simon in Class 7 and Lee Peck in Class 8.

Learning points were to use lower tyre pressures on certain muddy sections and to carry some large cable connectors with me in case we break another clutch cable. I'd also like a Mercedes Sprinter car transporter with a winch for Christmas. It drove beautifully on the motorway and I didn't want to give it back.

However, having watched videos of Litton Slack, I’d really like to have a go at that hill. With what I’ve learned, we might make it to the top one day.