The 2009 Kimber Classic Trial

an unashamedly Vintage point of view.

April the 18th was the date—the Sherborne Hotel (DT9 6BB, Dorset) was the place to be, even at some unconscionable time in the morning for scrutineering of the car, showing insurance/MOT/membership card/birth certificate/NHI number/last will and testament and assorted paraphernalia to the singing on officials (well, ‘officials’ may be a bit of a strong term to describe Andrew and Sue Owst sitting behind a table making humorous remarks at my expense) before setting off, in age (of car) order at one minute intervals on a glorious, if chilly, April morning for a jolly drive though some of the most beautiful of English countryside with the woman you love beside you. What more could any man want ?

Well, one of the many wonderful things about the early morning coffee at the Sherborne is the mêlée of friends and yet-to-be friends that you meet there. Something over 30 starters means at least 60 entrants before you even begin to add in the various helper and general hangers on. One such there was a certain John Bird who purported, by all accounts, to be the ‘Steward of the Meeting’. Now exactly what a steward does, if not serving drinks in a bum-freezer jacket on a boat, rather eludes me (and, I have the sneaky feeling, John too) but the upshot was that he, having been furiously stewarding all morning had exhausted all possibilities of continuance of the responsibility by the time the first car (mine) was ready to set off so he was generously offered, by Andrew, the choice of travelling in my back seat or going round in a nice warm Land-Rover—he made an unfortunate choice and, having scoured the assemblage for any spare warm clothing that was to be had, we all set off.

The car is an 18/80 open four seat tourer that dates from the halcyon days of M.G. production in Oxford (the true home of M.G.). It came to me by way of inheritance, some 20 years ago. On the back of a trailer. In several tea chests. And some shovel fulls. Since nailing it together again it has been on many continental tours, done hill climbs, PCT’s, classic trials and more gymkhanas than I care to remember. It is also presently used 3 or 4 times a week for joy rides, shopping, commuting to work in Bristol, taking the dog for a walk and so on and so forth.

Anyway, back to the plot. Off we set having had a lot of rain in Bath the week before we hoped for an enjoyably slippery trial but were amazed to find the ground baked hard. Apparently it NEVER rains in Dorset.

Sections with such exciting names as Windmill Hill, Stoney Lane, Shorts Cross, Honeypitts, Coombe Lane, Batcombe , Honeycliffe, Pitcombe Hill, Alhams Splash (where they take all the ‘photos) and, of course the legendary Hell’s Ladder Lane were all traversed and/or special tested on during the day.

If names like that don’t excite you (and how could they not ?) then try some of the more endearing place names that we drove through/near on our way from section to section—for example Bradford Abbas, Clifton Maybank, East Coker and Hardington Mandreville—all that was just on the 10 mile journey to Section 1 !

After section 2 we enjoyed:- Chelborough, Rampisham, Cattistock, Maiden Newton, Chalmington, Chantmarle & Frome St Quinton all in the 11 miles that separated it from Section 3—how could you resist driving through such wonderful countryside ? Why the whole club doesn’t enter beats me.

Lunch at the Sparkford Inn started at 12 something and ended at 2pm—fairly civilised I call that. This was another excuse for wandering round the entrant’s vehicles and generally meeting people—many of whom had come from distant Holland especially for the day (I suppose that going up and down hills is something of a novelty for our Dutch friends).

Then entry was its usual wonderfully eclectic collection of all ages of M.G. with, alas, but one Vintage example, lots of J’s & P’s, an M and a couple of N’s, lots of T’s, an A along with two B’s some Midgets together with a BMW 318, Singer Chamois, A/H Sprite, Wolsely Hornet, Morgan and an Austin 7 ‘Grasshopper’. Never let it be said that your M.G. is unsuitable for such an event—lets see some WA’s and the newer offerings entered I say…….if not why not come along and have fun in your every day car ?

The prizes, as prizes there always are, will be awarded at the famed S.W. Centre Dinner, probably to be celebrated on 15th March 2010, at Limpley Stoke Hotel, near Bath John Bird 01179 560 175 is the chap to confirm that with but make a note now.

The advantage of a ‘Six’ (another name for the 18/80) is that it has an amazingly flexible engine—on a level road it can accelerate in top from 250 rpm to 4,000 in top gear without complaint (though such feats of excellence can take some time) “From 5mph to 78 in top” as the old factory adverts used to boast—a bit like automatic transmission but without bothering with all the technology. This feature is very handy for making stately, rather than furious, progress up the lovely long sections that are found on a classic trial such as the Kimber Classic. Weighing in at something like a ton and a half it tends to bludgeon bumps into submission (follow my tyre tracks for a ‘smooth-as-silk’ journey to the top) and, of course, the marvellous 19” wheels take any undulations in surface in their stride.

So, bearing the above in mind, it is hardly surprising that we won the prize for the ‘Best M.G.’ ! There were but 9 of the whole entry that scored ‘0’ (that is clearing all the hills non-stop) and only the Singer Chamois and Morgan 4/4 were quicker than us on the timed tests.

So why not start looking at the calendar on the club’s web site next May, down load the entry form and get yourselves to Sherborne next April for the Kimber Classis Trial 2010 ? You won’t regret it. In the next few weeks the stationers will be full of 2010 diaries/wall planners—get one early and map out the important dates for next year—like the Kimber Classic. Those with modern electric devices will probably already have done noted it down.

By the time you read this there should be more ‘photos on the SW Centre’s web site at http://www.mg-cars.org.uk/mgccsw/ or at least links to get you to where they can be found.

Peter Jones