I’m writing this the day after our very enjoyable awards evening at Trethorne Leisure Centre, organised by Nigel Cowling, it ran like clockwork. So nice for people to be getting back to doing the things we used to take for granted, along with the fact that quite a number of the award winners were there to receive them, not that any of the recipients gave any long agonising speeches just a big smiley face for the camera was enough.
For the first time since I’ve been a member it was noted that our club President Robin Moore was absent due to him suffering a stroke a few weeks ago. Robin was in Derriford Hospital for a couple of weeks and has this week been transferred to Bodmin Hospital where they have a specialist Stroke unit and will be able to assess his condition and treat accordingly. He’s a tough one and despite having difficulty in walking is otherwise making reasonable progress, as his daughter Maria said to me his mental capacity is unaffected and he is certainly keeping up with day to day events and checking all his correspondence, we all wish him a speedy recovery.
There’s lots more photos on the club facebook page and most probably Jonathan Kelly will be putting them on the website, I do have more photos including some of the children receiving their awards but as I forgot to ask the parents for permission I haven’t published them.
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And now it’s time for our Chairman Joe Caudle to write a few words
I write this after an enjoyable evening at the club awards presentation event. It was good to see another gathering after 2 years of challenges and restrictions. Most of the silverware went home for temporary custodianship and to be enjoyed by successful competitors. Thanks to Nigel Cowling’s hard work everything went smoothly in a relaxed friendly gathering. It was particularly pleasing to see so many families and young people there this time.
Nigel was the recipient of the inaugural Pete Cooper award to recognise the huge role he has played for our club in keeping our profile high across the local motorsport community and for his leadership and enthusiasm in getting many of our events back up and running in difficult circumstances. In future this award will be presented to the best performance in a car by a club member on the Tamar Trial. A fitting way to remember our friend and a great clubman.
Our club secretary, Andy Prosser, arranged for the proceeds from the raffle and a donations box to raise funds for the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukrainian Humanitarian Appeal. Thanks to the generosity of all present a large sum was raised. I quote from Andy’s email to the committee:-
“I have applied for Gift Aid, so this brings it up to £323.75. The £259 which we raised will be matched by the government so in effect we raised £582.75 for Ukraine – a real bonus to what was already a great evening. Thank you to everyone.”
Another high point for me this week was receiving the news that the Tamar Trial has been awarded the ACTC Trial of the Year for 2019 and 2021. A great tribute to Clerk of Course Pete Cooper, Secretary Bob Slatter and Deputy Clerks of Course Simon Riddle and Nigel Cowling. Also, all the committee, club members, marshals and landowners who have made the events so successful.
Our club’s success is due to the commitment and hard work of the committee. There is a lot of work behind the scenes that ensures the bureaucratic requirements and practical challenges are all tackled to ensure we can enjoy our sport. This fine group of individuals will meet next Thursday evening for the AGM to elect the officers and committee for the next year. If you would be interested in joining us or just want to come along and meet us, you would be most welcome.
One notable absentee from the awards evening and unable to attend the AGM this year will be our Club President Robin Moore who is unfortunately in hospital having suffered a stroke. I am sure we all wish him a good recovery.
I hope to see as many as possible of you out on the Launceston Trial on March 20th.
Yours in motorsport
Joe Caudle
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Forthcoming events
Club AGM on Thursday the 10th of March 7.30pm at the White Hart Hotel Launceston all welcome.
Launceston Trial on the 20th of March at Eastcott & Lew Woods , the online entry system is open so if you are thinking of entering don’t delay. Marshals needed.
Easter Friday/Saturday MCC Lands End Trial, considered by some as the biggest classic of the year (other trials are available) always good fun to watch.
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Tailpiece
When you are an old codger like myself the government like to remind you of it by making you re apply for your driving licence at the age of 70. I started this process last August as my birthday at the end of September would put me in the above mentioned category. I was also aware that as you are deemed by many at this age to be incompetent in as much as the DVLA also see fit to remove certain categories from your licence, mainly the right to drive anything over 3500kg classes C & D unless you make a specific additional application.
I considered this ruling to be somewhat unfair so I started the process of attempting to retain said categories by getting all the appropriate forms, this then leads to you also needing a medical from your GP which is basically a form filling exercise for which I was relieved of £96. Next came a visit to the opticians, another fee, given the all clear and told I met fighter pilot standards despite having a long term Glaucoma condition. With all the forms filled out I sent my application off, about 7 weeks later they send the doctors medical back as an extra section needed filling out, got this done bearing in mind my licence now technically expires in a few days.
Time drifts by October no news November , December likewise. As the new year approaches I get my proof of identity paperwork back and a letter saying my licence will follow in about two weeks, I’m almost excited, unfortunately they come up with another hurdle, they won’t accept my Optician’s eye test I have to attend a test at their approved one. So I make the appointment, do the test and it is sent straight off to DVLA. Roughly two weeks later and due to yet more silence I decide to phone, coffee in one hand phone in the other I am ready for the long drawn out process. I make several attempts to phone them and after about 40 minutes someone actually answers the phone, this person can’t deal with my enquiry so get put on hold for 10 minutes, next person, sorry you’re through to the wrong department, back on hold with the same boring music which I can’t decide if it’s meant to relax you or just irritate me for having interrupted their day, for me it was the latter. New person speaks to me I then have to verify who I am for about the third time and says “Oh yes your case is being looked into but we aren’t able to divulge anything more but you will hear soon.” so that wasted about an hour and a half of my life which there is no retrieval system for.
A couple more weeks go by and I receive a letter to say they have refused my application for classes C & D as my visual field of scope doesn’t match their requirements, so any thoughts of being a fighter pilot are dashed. Today I received a one year driving licence which I am told is standard practice so some consolation I suppose . But after 8 months and much time and considerable cash wasted, codgers be warned life at 70 can be more than a little challenging, particularly where bureaucracy is involved.
All for this month J.T. contributions to billjan299@gmail.com