Engine Punk

In the dark on Simms. Did we get up? Read on (Photo : Peter Browne) For once preparations were well in hand for the Exeter Trial. I had proved the car was running well in a couple of day trials and fitted a new hood. It was even clean and polished before Christmas. Then I got a phone call from Binky. The prangs we’d had with the Honda outfit on the Testing Trial back in the summer had damaged his shoulder and a combination of poor posture and stress at work had put him in a lot of pain. He said he would come down to Cornwall for the start but then went on to ask me about comfortable seats and what was the heater like because the cold upset his neck. I pondered my options. I couldn't put my pedigree chum through a trial in that state. Everyone I knew down this way was either competing or marshalling or on holiday. Nigel Cowling was keen but full of cold and had volunteered to send off the entrants from Betty Cottles at Okehampton. He was prepared to re-arrange but his wif...

From the outside, a little Boxenstop of delights The Boxenstop Museum is a little gem tucked away within walking distance of Tubingen's city centre. Tubingen is a very picturesque university town between the Schwabisch Alp and the Schwarzwald. The city is full of magnificent half-timbered architecture and lies on the banks of the River Neckar. Race bikes to be worshipped The Boxenstop was highly recommended to me by friends in the area. It's the private collection of Rainer and Ute Klink and is often the scene of social events, model railway exhibitions in the winter and classic car runs in the summer. I had tried to visit this small but perfectly museum before. However, the time available to me coincided with the museum's closing hours. On my latest visit I managed to find it open. I say small but it has some 80 cars and motorcycles on display. Although a private collection where space is at a premium, it's well laid out and doesn't feel cramped. BM...

Early morning scrutineering in the car park at The Borough Arms For this year's Camel Classic, I was passengered by none other than the redoubtable Nigel Cowling, who is usually marshalling somewhere or marking out trials sections. He'd bounced for Simon Riddell when he owned my car so knew what it was capable of. He also has extensive navigating experience. A feature of the Camel Classic, which is organised by the Camel Vale Motor Club, is the large number of entries from the Stroud area. I have found that Stroudians(?) are drawn to the area even for our Hillman Imp club meets so regard Stroudites(?) as honorary Bodminians (not to be confused with Bodminium, which is a rare isotype of Kryptonite). After scrutineering at The Borough Arms, we had to wait until a start time of 0942. This year the car classes ran in numerical order, whereas last year the Class 8s started first. Just like last year, though, it all ran very well to time but we had plenty of time to admire th...

Did we clean Angel Steps? Read on (Photo : Peter Brown) This year's Tamar Trial was brilliant, just brilliant, tough but tasty and with some very soft centres. Under the able guidance of bouncer and navigator, Mr Graham Beddoe, I took the Arkley-MG up to the start at Tresmeer Village Hall, Tresmeer being the first of many places that I would visit for the first time despite living here for years. The sunshines on the Fergusons Liege at scrutineering oustside the village hall at Tresmeer. What a moment - don't Fergusons have four wheel drive? Nigel Cowling was there to greet us and he said we would be climbing some sections that would be new to us. As this was my first Tamar Trial, this was no surprise, and he said we would be going round the "other way." Many of the sections looked like they hadn't had anyone walking along them for a long time and where the hedges broadened out from sunken lanes young trees were often growing in the middle so we had ...