Subject: Fw: Chew Valley Gymkana 2002 From: "Edith Wilmot" Date: Fri, 13 Sep 2002 16:22:35 +0100 To: CC: "John Thomas" All 'photos by Joghn (digital camera) Bird. Mike Wright enjoys the day in his YA and no, he didn't come last either ! Helen Holloway attacks test 1 with husband Clive generously letting her go first ! Peter Jones attaches the errant tyre at the start of test 3 Mike Hawk, the loan MMM entry ....... at least he won the MMM class ! Rob Griffiths (overall winner) zooms round in his Midget, Chris Moon (TC) in the background doing something else entirely Dave Mothersdill chats to Andrew Oust whilst waiting at the start of test 1 Rob Lucking in hisd MGF An action shot of Bruce Morgan speeding toward the finish of test 3. Shaft House, Shaft Road, Monkton Combe, Bath. BA2 7HN e-mail: info@edithwilmot.com Tel: 01225 837 545 (H) 0777 1901 730 (M) 01179 23 25 27 (W) Fax: 01179 42 444 (W) Chew Valley Gymkhana 2002 Driving there was like stepping back in time 50 years. Down delicate country lanes seemingly untouched by modern farming, overgrown hedgerows, the balmy scents of summer and stunning views of the famed Chew Valley that make this one of the most prized locations south of Bristol. We found the field and drove in to meet our fellow competitors and this was like stepping back 10 years or more. Clive and Helen Holloway, Bruce Morgan, Mike Hawk, Chris Moon, Andrew Owst, Dave Mothersdill and so on competing against each other as we used to in the halcyon days of yore. Well something like that anyway. Differences between then and now included there being only 1 MMM entry (Mike Hawk in his J2; there would have been a whole class of them 20 years ago, where are they all now I wonder) 5 T types would have been a bit low and only 3 Midgets was disappointing. On the positive side we did enjoy watching a magnificent Y type having fun in grand style and there were 3 MGF entries that was a pleasant surprise. The tests themselves conformed to the new doctrine of “Utterly Non Damaging” so that ANY M.G. no matter how old or new could participate. They consisted of driving in, out and round bollards arranged in many pretty patterns with a cunning “judgement” bit tacked on to each in order to please the MSA. The idea of all these is to get round as quickly as possible without actually hitting the bollards. One particularly fiendish innovation on test 3 was to have an old tyre attached to the back of your vehicle by a long length of cord so that taking a corner too tightly or too fast caused the tyre to strike the bollard; not only that but you had to stop with the tyre as close as possible to the finish pole. The test itself I accomplished in a stunningly quick time without any penalty whatsoever only to have the tyre “flip” on and undulation just as I approached the finish and, instead of being dragged along on its side, rolled nonchalantly along as is the wont of wheels. The resultant record score of 50 cost me the prize ! But what are prizes compared to the fun of entry ? It was good to see a row of T types again, good to see MGFs starting to enter in numbers and good to see a Y type out and about. If our policy of encouraging an “emerging generation” to enter our events continues next season we may well see entries back up to record levels. After all the idea of the M.G.C.C. is to encourage motor sport as a recreational activity and what better way to learn basic car control than on a slippery grass surface ? Watch out for a new S.W. Calendar of events next February that will list all our events for 2003. Peter Jones.