Sowerby Expert/Novice Trial

8/5/94

There was no need for the snow shovel and waterproofs at the Expert Novices'
Trial. The weather was brilliant, but of course we were in Yorkshire, weren't we?

Sowerby is one of our twice-a-year charity events for the Cheshire Home in
Sowerby Bridge. Andy and I arrived to find Ann Whittaker unloading her gear and
preparing to enter with Clive Cocks in the Thunderbus. She had left Company
Secretary Raymond at home babysitting. She had also lost her voice — did I hear
Raymond say "good"? Signing on was a bit slow at first but eventually 13 teams
signed on and battle commenced.

Dave McGivern was clerk of course, assisted by girlfriend Carol, who did the
collecting for the Cheshire Home. They were kept busy reversing sections so that
eight could be completed before the lunch break.

Brent Taylor was seen hurriedly repairing his motor which hadn't any lock.

Meanwhile, I handed out Bottom Boxes to members and welcomed new members
and even gave a membership form to someone on horseback — You don't have to
have a Landrover to be in Pennine!

The first retirement came in after about an hour, this was scrutineer Graham
and Tony Barraclough. They were having carburettor problems — the motor suddenly running away with them and then refusing to go at all. Graham decided to retire so as not to have to do any major repairs before the National. He always wins the winch recovery at that event.

Another retirement followed soon after. Kevin Baldwin and Janice Gill were also having carburettor problems which Kevin thought was due to the paint coming off the inside of a jerrycan and bunging his carb up, so beware if you use fuel from a jerrycan.

It was then time to make tea and hand out sandwiches to the marshals. (Thanks,
Peter of the snack van). I then exchanged a few pleasantries with Mike King and
Paul Hardy — Time you sold that and bought another Landrover!

The afternoon seemed to pass quickly, but I had time to sort the brass out and
get result sheets ready. Ann seemed to have got her voice back as I could here her
shouting at Clive across the moor. They were the first to finish and then several more followed, but I had to wait for three teams — one of which had done a rather
spectacular roll-over in the quarry.

As I worked out the results the usual happened at this event when novice Paul
Turner beat expert Joe Brundle. Oh, the embarrassment of it!

Diane Penman won the Ladies' Trophy with Ann second. Diane also came third
with expert Keith Normanton. Duncan Smith (with beard and very rare smile) was
back to trialling form and won both the best expert and first in team event with novice Alan Ainscough. That will make him smile!

At the prizegiving President Michael Chaloner fell out of the horsebox and did
his ankle in, so prizes were given out by Chief Marshal Ivor.

All in all a very enjoyable day.

Thanks to all who set up, marshalled and entered. To the landowner and all who
gave generously to the Cheshire Home and to Andy for my lift to and from the event.

Joy

May Day Weekend at Foxhills

"Where are you off to this weekend, Michael." Usual questions at work. "We
are off to Sunny Scunny for a Landrover do". (Scunthorpe). Lots of laughter heads
in my direction. "That place is full of steel works, etc.," they say. "For the past two years during the day at this site, one wears shorts, T-shirt, trainers and sunglasses," I told them.

This weekend proved to be no exception. I arrived on the Saturday morning at
about 11 a.m. with the caravan behind the Landrover and parked next to friends Peter and Fiona Urwin with daughter Clare. We have a system of whoever arrives first makes the drink when the next arrives. Fiona failed this time. The rest of the day was spent sunbathing, drinking and eating. Heather was working until 4.00 p.m. at Sowerby Bridge and arrived at Foxhiils soon after.

At this Lines Landrover Club event they have a comp. safari on Sunday evening
and most of the day on Monday. I have obviously gone into overdrive too soon! Sunday is traditionally CCV day and the sections that Lines set out are long ones so that either a passenger is essential or the driver has a very good memory. Chris Chesters was out in his, new to him. Sill "90". Bill Laycock was down from Middlesbrough in his newly-sprayed Sl (daughter Katherine applied the paint). Peter Wimpenny turned up with his newly-refurbished lightweight (Peter and I found his chassis was tired in at least three areas). Gary Docherty, Steve Dobby and the BOYS from YROC were also there.

Lines seems to run to what was Pennine time, for those newer members, this means
later than planned.

At the marshals' meeting we were issued with a radio and some flags and told
to go and find somewhere to be. I asked what my call sign was and was told; "The

one on the radio — 25!!" Peter and I thought that this corner plus chicane plus rock pile was going to be booooring. The first two motors nearly fell over and another competitor was going too fast for the first corner and went straight on to go over some enormous rocks. Another stalled on the exit and I had to go and quickly tow him out as he was partially blocking the course. We finished somewhere about midnight. Monday morning revealed that there were 11 radio points and those in charge did wonder in the night event where No. 25 was and were now known as 9.1/2.

As some marshals only did the night event we were moved to the top of a drop-
off point and re-named point 8. There were a lot of vehicles with punctures and
occasionally ones (coilers) with the rear off axle steering rod bent. Think about this one. As Steve Dobby had lost front wheel drive on the night event he decided to repair his vehicle on Monday morning and so did not compete until 1.30 p.m. Mr. Blobby (Dave Phillips of YROC) was still attempting a complete run. Even at the marshals' — cough, cough - meeting we were not told of how many runs were to be attempted or when the course was to be shut down! Needless to say Steve Dobby in his lightweight was not allowed to complete all his runs due to lack of time. Sunny Scunny lived up to its title again.

Your indescribable scribe

Michael Chaloner