Well, here we are again, with even less to write about than last month, in terms of motorsport anyway. As I said last month my list of jobs around home have been quite mind boggling, you name it I’ve done it, if I’m not careful I shall be taking up gardening, perhaps not, as that would necessitate management approval, and we’re very clear on that topic. The Sparrows in the camera nest box that were making a new nest last month have hatched four young and all are virtually ready to flee the nest, country entertainment!!

 
With everything on hold all planning for the club’s centenary is shelved for the moment, you never know it might be a celebration for 101 years, I’m sure we will be able to party at some time. Committee meetings are also non-existent but you never know we might end up doing virtual meetings by Zoom, if its good enough for the government it’s gotta be good enough for us mere mortals.
Fortunately our club President and stalwart contributor has some more historical notes for you so over to Robin.
 
Historical Notes (part 8)

As I pen these notes continuing the history of our motor club, gems of information keep surfacing enabling me to further expand the story, and hopefully in the end, to have a more complete record. As I research I come across scraps of information that I had noted in the past and then filed away and forgotten. One such piece recently came to light when I was going through one of my filing cabinets. It was a scrap of paper from a notebook with a hand written note that had been handed to me at some time in the past, under which I had written, – Charlie Walters/ Warin. It refers to a piece printed in the Cornish & Devon Post Thursday September 6th 2001 and I quote,- 80 years ago Sept 10th 1921 a large number of motorists and others gathered at Lifton on Wednesday to witness a hillclimb for motorcycles and motorcars arranged by Dunheved Launceston and District Motor Club, the President of which is a Mr F.A. Blake, followed by a word (longhand) which I am unable to decipher. The report goes on to say ,- Mr R Prout, Ford with specially built aluminium racing body in competition with Mr (Haskins ? ) Hurstman attracted much attention.

Hurstman cars of which one or two survive were manufactured in Bath between 1914 and 1929 and had a fine reputation for reliability and performance , and is recorded as the first British car to be fitted with a supercharger. Returning to Mr F.A. Blake and the date, it can be established that he became the first President of our motorclub, and Mr Leslie Major whom I have mentioned earlier in this series most likely succeeded Mr Blake.

I am indebted to Barrie Kirton , Archivist of the M.C.C. with whom I have consulted about the 1930 Land’s End Trial, as Launceston itself was very much a part of this annual event for many years. In 1930 competitors had a time check at Netherbridge before entering the town and parking in the square and walking to the Town Hall to partake of lunch. The route card states” Proceed without waiting to Guildhall Square. Park as directed. Sign and lunch at Town Hall. Caterer, E. Reed, Supplies, Wooldridges, Control from timing point to re-start after lunch.”

There was an entry of 400 , of which 259 were cars derived into 4 classes according to engine capacity. Class 1V (d) , cars exceeding 1,500 cc numbered 336 to 400 listed no’s 349 – 350 and 351 as – RGT Bear driving a Mark 4 MG of 1,802 cc 4(cyl) and W.P Uglow and L. Major with 18/80 M G ‘s of 2,468cc (6 cyl).

This information is particularly interesting for two reasons, first it leads me to question the name Bear. There exists a small plaque with the inscription Ron Beer secretary 1936 . I have reason to believe it is one and the same person but the inscription is incorrect. Second , L.Major can only be Leslie Major of Polapitt Tamar mentioned earlier in this narrative and who by this time may have become President ? These three competitors running consecutively were in good company with the likes of H E Symons, Agnes Gripper, W M Couper & R J W Appletonton name but a few of the well known personalities who entered these events of the time. Frank Allott, 747cc Austin was also a competitor in this 1930 L’ End. His son Clive was a member of LNCMC in the 1990’s when he was a near neighbour of mine farming Trevilla , Camelford. I remember him as a bit of a wild character competing in events with a Morgan.
To be continued RHTM
————————————————————–
Yours truly garage stuff has been somewhat curious to say the least, the Dellow is covered in dustsheets, ironically I took the spare engine block down to Wadebridge a week prior to lockdown for a rebore and crank regrind and that’s where it still sits, all the scooters have been fettled to within an inch of their life so my attention has been focused on the Fergie tractor.

Ever since buying it (nearly seven years ago) I have complained that the clutch is difficult to operate, often needing to stand on it to change gear , after a two hour tractor grass cutting stint I had a right leg like that of Roy Chubby Brown and a left leg more like Bradley Wiggins, walking was interesting to say the least. After talking to Andy Prosser our local “all things Fergie” guru I decided to take matters to hand. With the tractor stripped down it was obvious the clutch was in need of some tlc so a quick call to local specialists DPR to check they were open, YES, and I have to say a very impressive turn around of the job I now have a fully reconditioned clutch which is featherweight to operate.

As with all these jobs one always leads to another, the tin worms were doing their level best to make me a lightweight bonnet, which to be honest I didn’t really want, so after a good wire brushing and a couple of coats of Hydrate 80 of which I am a bit of a fan, the rust according to their blurb will be stopped, personally I would be happy if it was just slowed down in line with the local speed limits. Then followed a bit of welding and filling and a lick of paint, the tractor is now somewhat rejuvenated. I can start looking for the next job now.

All for this month but please, please do feel free to contribute.
J.T.
E mail billjan299@gmail.com

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic, we have had to cancel the Northgate Trial which was due to take place on Sunday 29th March.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused and hope you all stay well during this trying time.

I hadn’t expected a lay-on in bed this morning but that was the case as the Launceston Trial has had to be postponed due to storm Ciara, never thought I could have been grateful to a storm. In view of the potential dangers of standing in a woods with large trees swaying in the wind the club had to make a decision and let’s face it no one wants be put in a dangerous position , marshals are hard enough to get as it is without any extra concerns of trees landing on them or on the competitors. The date has now been moved to the 15th of March so anyone who was for whatever reason unable to compete or marshal now has a second opportunity.

Now it’s time for me to hand you over to our President Robin Moore

Historical Notes (Part 5)

The very early days of club activities would have taken the form of organised social runs. Those seeking a greater challenge may well have been attracted to timed speed trials which were often held on the public highway in the 1920’s, before being banned following a fatal accident to a spectator at Kop Hill Climb, near Princes Risborough in Buckinghamshire.

The nearest to Launceston for this type of event was a venue close to Brentor Church, as there is a stretch of road that proved ideal for the purpose. If the memory of these speed trials held there on what was called the Brentmor Straight has faded, it is the complete opposite for the familiar landmark of Brentor Church. Built-in isolation atop a high pinnacle of Dartmoor granite it is visible for miles from all points of the compass and was indeed a bearing for ancient mariners as they set a course to enter Plymouth Sound.

Just half a mile to the south of the church, the road runs dead straight for two miles in a southerly direction to Tavistock, and it is this stretch of the highway that the events were held. It is reputed the last speed event ever to have taken place on a public highway in this country actually took place at this venue.

If you drive this stretch of road today it is not difficult to imagine the thrill derived from these intrepid pioneers taking part, or for that matter the inherent danger. The road surface would have been very much inferior 100 years ago to the standards of today, and machines much more of a handful to keep in a straight line at speed, heroes and heroines come to mind.- but true pioneers of our sport,- definitely.

100 years later we are gearing up to celebrate the centenary of our club and diligent research is revealing a vast amount of history. Who knows, but it would be great if something came to light regarding the speed trials at Brentor, and maybe a record of one of our members of that era having taken part.
RHTM (to be continued)

Centenary Year 2020 Events Calendar

• Presentation of Awards with Hot Buffet and Films 7.00 for 7.30pm start     Trethorne     28/02/2020
• Launceston Trial Classic     Lewdown Area     15/03/2020     C
• Northgate Sporting Trial ASWMC Round     Ashleigh, Lifton     29/03/2020     C
• AGM 8.00pm     Blue Lion, Lewdown     02/04/2020
• Spry Sporting Trial     Trevilla Farm, Marshgate     06/06/2020     C
• Motor Traders Car Trial     Waterloo Farm, North Petherwin     05/07/2020     C
• Centenary Parade     Launceston Castle Green     01/08/2020
• Testing Production Trial     Cannaframe     09/08/2020     C
• David Ayers Sporting Trial MSUK, ASWMC & BTRDA Round     Trevilla Farm, Marshgate     13/09/2020     C
• Tamar Classic Trial, ASWMC & ACTC Round     East Cornwall, West Devon     18/10/2020     C
• Ron Beer Sporting Trial     Ashleigh, Lifton     22/11/2020     C

One of the forthcoming events coming up soon is the Club AGM which as already listed is at The Blue Lion, Lewdown. This is your chance to see and have a say at what goes on in the club, what with all the planned activities to celebrate our centenary you might just be privy to knowing what these plans are, you never know you might just want to get involved in them.

Planet Gears No this is not some inter galactic constellation but what hides in your back axle (assuming you have one). You may have read in the last newsletter that I managed to break these in the Dellow, I have been looking into getting some of these re-manufactured. Bearing in mind any used ones available will be at least sixty years old and of questionable quality and that as they really are getting harder to find it seems the logical thing to do.

If any of you out there run a “Ford Pop” or any of the specials derived around their running gear i.e. Buckler, Dellow, Fairthorpe, Canon or just homebrew special this should be of interest. Cost is not going to be cheap, but the more people wanting some the price falls, at the moment the price is somewhere in the region of £325.00 a set (2), but as I say a bigger quantity order would reduce the price.
Whilst on the subject of re-manufactured parts I know of at least one other person looking at getting half shafts made and someone else investigating Crown Wheel and Pinions, all for the above-mentioned vehicles, so if this is of interest get in touch with me.

All for this month J.T. Contributions to billjan299@gmail.com

The regulations and entry forms for the Launceston Trial 2020 are now available to download below.

Launceston Trial 2020 Car Entry Form (6711 downloads ) Launceston Trial 2020 Motorcycle Entry Form (6500 downloads )

Launceston Trial 2020 Car Regs (6592 downloads ) Launceston Trial 2020 Motorcycle Regs (6529 downloads )

As with last year, the online entry system is available for this event and can be accessed here www.lncmc.co.uk/online-entry/. Postal entries are still welcomed.

This single venue classic trial for both motorcycles and cars is held in Lew & Eastcott Woods, Near Lewdown (approx. 10 miles from Launceston) and will take place on Sunday the 9th of February.

January Newsletter

Our latest Newsletter can be read here

We have decided to extend the deadline for Online Entries on this years Tamar Trial until Midnight of Sunday the 13th of October.

The online entry forms can be accessed here www.lncmc.co.uk/online-entry/.

The Trial takes place on Sunday the 20th of October.

We are also in need of Marshalls for the Event

If you would like to Marshall please contact Mike Wevill by calling 01566 784451 or send an email to mike@lncmc.co.uk.

We are in need of Marshalls for this years Tamar Trial. The event will take place on Sunday the 20th of October 2019. If you would like to Marshall please contact Mike Wevill by calling 01566 784451 or send an email to mike@lncmc.co.uk.

Entries Are Still Open

The regs and entry form for the Tamar Trial 2019 are available to download.

Entries close on Tuesday the 8th of October 2019.

As with last year, the online entry system is available for this event and can be accessed here www.lncmc.co.uk/online-entry/. Postal entries are still welcomed.

Tamar Trial 2019 Car Regs (5603 downloads ) Tamar Trial 2019 Motorcycle Regs (5309 downloads )

Tamar Trial 2019 Entry Form (5424 downloads )

Exmoor Targar Rally

Keith Emery has asked us to publish a marshall request for the Exmoor Targa Rally. His request can be found below;

EXMOOR TARGA RALLY Saturday 26th October 2019

Tavern, Burnham on Sea and Minehead Motor Clubs are again joining forces to run the Exmoor Targa Rally on Saturday 26th October 2019 in the beautiful Exmoor National Park area. The format of the event is to run 10 tests, 5 in the late morning/midday comprising of three loose surface tests in the forests and then two tarmac tests on the Porlock Toll Road. After a lunch break the route and tests are repeated with a few minor changes to the tests.

We are therefore looking for Marshals for the forest tests in the Croydon and Knowle forests and on the Porlock Toll Road tests. All types of Marshal roles are required, Start/Finish crews, Passage Controls, In Test marshals and Radio Crews so we can cater for your own preference.

The first car will start the first test at 11.20am (so you won,t need to get up at silly o’clock) and the last test is due to finish at 6.30pm.
On each loop the Croydon test will run twice consecutively and the Knowle test once followed by the two Porlock tests. There will be a gap of at least 1 hour between the morning and afternoon loops.

We have a full entry of 70 crews with more on the reserve list so we have plenty of crews to keep you busy/entertained. Even if you have never marshalled on a Targa Rally before I am sure you will have a enjoyable day.

If you would like any further information please feel free to contact me via my details below.

So finally please let me know if you are available to help for all or even part of the day.

Many Thanks in advance.

Keith Emery
Chief Marshal

keithemery88@yahoo.co.uk
07846372622

https://www.tavernmotorclub.co.uk/exmoor-targa-rally.

Camel Vale Motor Club 16 point Challenge

Camel Vale Motor Club are running a 16 Point Challenge on Sunday 13th October 2019 with all profits going to Macmillan Cancer Support.

Regs and Entry Forms can be found by following this link https://camelvalemotorclub.co.uk/event/16-point-challenge-catter-oct-2019/.

Welcome to the September offering of your newsletter which puts us firmly back into the trialling season. The recent Testing trial at Cannaframe had a reasonable entry of 11 and the weather was kind to us, just as well as this venue doesn’t have much there to stop the wind and rain blowing straight across the moors from Bolventor, any lost hats land in New York. The Invitation Trophy was won by John Sandercock, the Motorcycle trophy by Steve Urell.  There was serious competition in the “Ruby” household with Zak winning the Junior award and Ashley the Novice award. Thanks go to the marshals and to Nigel Cowling and Mike Wevill for putting on the event.                             

Coming up on the 15^th of this month is the Davis Ayers Sporting Trial which is a championship round, a good entry is expected at Trevilla Farm, Marshgate by courtesy of David Langley, and a chance to see some top notch cars taking part. Yes Mike Wevill is waiting for your call to marshal 01566 784451, we need lots of marshals so please do call him, no marshals = no event !

The Tamar Classic road trial takes place on the 20^th of October, Pete Cooper and the gang have a completely new route this year which is always refreshing to hear, I think there may be a few different hills being used so competitors won’t be able to be complacent.

Torbay Motor Club are running a charity “tour of the hills event” on the 22^nd of September, it appears that this is a road event,  entries are limited to 30 so don’t delay if you wish to enter e mail pr@torbaymotorclub.co.uk

And now it’s over to our club President Robin Moore.Historical Notes Part 1

With the advent of the internal combustion engine it was only a matter of time before the application became widely applied to the various forms of road transport. Incidently  this led to feats of endurance and competition. It’s fair to say that the heyday of the participation and active support by the manufacturers , was the period between the two World Wars. Sales success being reflected by good showing in the various competitions on offer, none more so than Reliability Trials.

It followed that clubs were gradually formed all over the country in order to bring this form of competition to a burgeoning public appetite for the sport. For the most part, motor clubs were formed initially as motorcycle clubs before motor cars began to feature with a more affluent society. Even so, it was a small percentage who were able to indulge the sport, whilst for the multitudes it provided wonderful entertainment, and for the local inhabitants who resided near a ‘section’ it provided a free grandstand for several hours viewing for all ages.

For the major west country events it became a red letter day for many a young lad to sit atop the Castle wall to watch competitors toil up to Launceston town centre on the gradient from Newport. Armed with a pack of sandwiches and a bottle of lemonade the world was theirs for the day. For many it was the chance to record the many different makes of car or motorcycle, rather like a form of train spotting, such was the chance to see a much greater variety of manufacturers offering than on a normal day.

A number of those watching would themselves in the fullness of time become enthusiasts and competitors. One such person was the late Frank Martyr who became very much a Riley man. Some may recall him campaigning his red Riley 9 Special, at one time a regular on the M.C.C. Lands End. I believe this car survives, I don’t know, but would hope that it languishes somewhere safe and may be seen again in the future.

RHTM.                                                                       (to be continued)

I spent a couple of pleasant days this week in the Malvern area, I didn’t have time to visit the Morgan factory but did manage to collect some spare parts for the Dellow from the Small Ford spares warehouse. The building also houses other familiar names to classic car enthusiasts such as Paul Beck, The Complete Automobilist, Vintage Supplies, etc. The stock there was surprisingly large and it occurred to me that whilst these places are not major employers they do contribute to the overall work/employment ethic and there must be hundreds more small enterprises just like this one, not necessarily for car spares but interests of all sorts, whether it be motorcycles, model train supplies, whatever. With sufficient following hobbies create jobs. (A bit deep really) All for this month.         

J.T            

Contributions gladly accepted.                            e mail billjan299@gmail.com

 

We now have the results for the Testing Trial 2019. Apologies for the delay.

Testing Trial 2019 Results (3129 downloads )

Thank you to all competitors, hope you enjoyed the day and a special thank you to the marshals.

Marshals will be required for the David Ayers Trial on September 15th and the Tamar Trial on October 20th and any assistance will be appreciated.

Mike Wevill [ 01566 784451] and Nigel Cowling.

I’m a little late this month due to various other things going on, being retired is supposedly going to give you more time but for Vivien and I it just means that we get persuaded into doing lots of other things, retirement is certainly not boring.

Last month saw the Club running the Motor Traders trial at Waterloo Farm with thanks to John Werren for letting us use his land. The overall winner of the event was Jason Daniels which was for Jason a bit of a comeback win having not been as active in trials as he used to be. I suppose you could say the overall loser was Simon Oates, as he wasn’t actually competing he donated two cars to be driven in the event , one finished and one blew a head gasket and didn’t finish, but it was very kind of Simon to offer the use of the cars. Many thanks to Simon and Nigel for their hard work in putting on the event and to the marshals who turned out armed with plenty of sun bloc.

Our next event the Testing Trial is this coming Sunday the 11th at Cannaframe , a basically low key event but still manages to bring out the competitive edge in most of those taking part. The venue will be marked from the A30 as you travel from Plusha towards Bolventor.

The David Ayers Sporting Trial is next up on the 15th of September, the venue is Trevilla Farm , Marshgate by kind permission of David Langley. This is a round of the BTRDA championship and usually attracts a good entry with some top notch cars taking part, so a good number of marshals will be needed, if you are able to marshal please contact Mike Wevill 01566 784451 or email j.wevill@btinternet.com go on contact him and make his day.

I would like to now welcome our club president Robin Moore back as a contributor.

The cartoon needs no explanation, it is taken from my archive collection of material :- in this case from the Sports Car, incorporating “Brooklands”. Vol 2 No 20 , November 1936. This was the original official journal of the MG Car Co Ltd and the MG Car Club. The 1930’s was the hey day of super charging small sports cars.

The cutting from a recent C & D post I thought very interesting especially the first sentence, which I must say I have some sympathy with – How times have changed!

The paragraph mentions the play presented in the barn @ Kelly, again of historic interest, the strong connection between the family and our club over many, many years. The M Kelly mentioned will be Warin’s father whom I knew well as I met him regularly at our committee meetings in my early days with the club in the 1950’s.

RHTM

There’s not been a lot happening in the garage over the last month with various other things taking precedent. At the end of July I took one of my scooters to a national show in Derbyshire, and this last weekend it was the Tresmeer Village Fete at which a few of the locals took some interesting vehicles along to, hopefully adding to the day’s entertainment whilst we all dodged the occasional shower of liquid sunshine.

All for this month

J.T.

billjan299@gmail.com