Because of clashing dates, I found myself facing the difficult choice of competing at either the Bo'ness Hillclimb Revival or travelling south to Wiscombe Park to tackle the Gilbern Owners Club's occasionally annual Wiscombe Cup handicap.
Ultimately, the call of the warm, southern sun and the prospect of seeing two other, similar cars was strong. Norman kindly loaned me his transporter for the weekend and I took off with the car and my tent....
I could have wished for an easier journey on Friday, reaching the M5 at 1700. But not managing the paddock until after 2300 following two separate accidents turning the motorway into a parking lot. But it was still too late to plug-in the compressor and inflate my airbed.
Despite it being my 'home' hill, and possibly the most interesting to drive, I had not taken the Gilbern to Forrestburn before. But the need to shake down the car before an anticipated long-trip to Wiscombe a week later saw me enter for both days of August 29/30. The aim was simply an uneventful drive to and from the event, along the M8. And something sub-60 on the hill - after passing scrutineering.
So here we go. 65.80 and 61.44 in practice. With timed runs of 60.98 and 59.06. So, job done. And, after driving home again without incident, decided not to race on Sunday and keep it safe for next weekend's trip. Instead I could get on with the frontend.
The trip had confirmed the need to sort the frontend damping. Fortunately the car now seemed to be avoiding the rear bumpstops in an any too-obvious way. But the front left corner was under-controlled and too much weight being transferred onto the right rear corner.
And thanks to John Crae for his omnipresent photographic coverage - https://jcrae.smugmug.com/
What a wonderful weekend we had at the Bo'ness Hillclimb Revival meeting on September 7 and 8. The one aim I had with the car this year was to make it to Bo'ness, and I did.
If you have not heard of this event before, or been there, you should find out more on the Club's own site. It has to be some of the best fun in the calendar, with a tremendous 'gala' atmosphere. This is, after all, the hill that hosted the first ever round of the British Hillclimb Championships and has seen more notable competitors than myself in the past: including Messrs J Y Stewart and J Clark.
Here are links both to the BHCR site, and to John Crae's wonderful galleries of pictures he has taken at recent years' events. John was good enough to provide the pictures of my car here. And 'read more' to learn about my own experience.
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