Frustrations

The earlier rant on this page was born out of frustration or maybe even double frustration. Aside from the ongoing furore over what the Prime Minister knew and didn’t know there was another niggling concern. The PM has lost (sacked?) three senior Civil Servants but what BBC England (with regional opt out channels!) and other political journalists have failed to expose are the financial implications and recriminations.

Were these individuals allowed to leave with a golden handshake and a full pension, or did they lose any entitlement due to their wrongdoing? When pressed in the past government spokespersons have often refused to answer such questions “for operational reasons we cannot disclose such details” which begs the question why not?

For instance, the current scandal around the Foreign Office Chief should be of concern as that job carries a salary scale of £235,000 to £239,999, and you can bet your worn out, downtrodden little booties that he won’t be on the standard state pension when he goes! In other words, the cost of getting rid of three senior civil servants could run into millions, and of course no penalties for mismanagement or wrongdoing shall be allowed to blight their CVs.

These people are public servants paid out of the public purse so the public has a right to know how their hard earned tax contributions are spent. Compare that with how private business employers deal with their staff when things go wrong and there is a whole gamut of hoops through which they must jump and legal processes with which they have to comply, and that’s even without input from trade unions and human rightists!

It just highlights yet again the differences in a two-class society where the rules apply to some but not others

However the real reason for my distraction these days is one of frustration here in the plastic turrets of Castle Bunnet. Writing the fourth book in a series should be easier than the first three, should it not? Well, it isn’t, hence my wandering mind.

Reflecting on how the sport has changed and keeps changing, the 2000-2019 decade generated many different headlines. There were new names amongst the rally winners and new champions to celebrate including the first Scot to win both the Scottish Rally Championship title and the British Rally Championship title in the same year. Long established rallies disappeared and new ones appeared and there were changes at the top of motor sport’s governing body and more changes within the Forestry Commission. There were losses too and fatal accident inquiries following which changes had to be implemented and yet, a new Public Road Closure Bill was introduced to ease the problem of organising closed public road events.

In other words there was much to write about yet again – too much!

Having said that, the first draft of the text is just about complete and will be off to the proof-readers shortly - along with a copious supply of red ink!

And finally, if you don’t hear from me again I shall endeavour to get the word out where I have been incarcerated and give you the address where to send the cake with the file in it!

Onwards and upwards, eh?

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Society and Politics

Classless society or two-class society? …. The rich, the powerful and the well-connected make up one class and then there is the rest of us. Politicians continually try to tell us that they care for the working class but they have so far failed to define what and who the working class is.

Some might suggest there is just one working class, and that includes business owners, managers, staff and employees at every level, earning a wage and paying their various taxes. Then there is the other lot, which includes business owners, entrepreneurs and other financiers who hob-nob with politicians and civil servants to reach the ‘well-connected’ status and therefore qualify to join the rich and powerful class.

And whilst there appears to a be two-tier tax payer and tax avoider system in this country there also seems to be a complimentary two tier legal system which seeks to protects the saintly from the irritating serfs!

Example. No-one from the Post Office or Fujitsu board rooms has been held to account let alone prosecuted and this from an organisation and multi-national company which were quick to judge, prosecute and incarcerate their own staff and hard working individuals when they thought their own income and profits were thought to be in danger.

Example. PPE. How many profiteers and shoddy manufacturers/suppliers have been pursued for the supply of faulty, over-priced equipment, much of which didn’t meet required standards and was unfit for use.

Example. Ajax armoured vehicles. Eight years and billions spent on a vehicle unfit for purpose and has harmed more service personnel than it has saved!

And as for the NHS, how many senior executives have been made to answer for problems when those very same individuals seek to pursue the over-worked nurses and hospital staff for poor care and medical mistakes?

Adding insult to injury, The Rt Hon. the Baroness Harman KC reckons that the triple lock pension provision should be reviewed – downwards. And this from someone who was earning a six figure salary whilst in government and has a pension which is double, treble (at least) the standard state pension. And who paid for her salary, perks and pension in the first place - those very same pensioners who paid their taxes while she was in government?

Sadly, the list goes on.

And if the Messiah And Godly Anti-christ (MAGA) from across the pond invades Greenland what’s the betting on the archangel of evil sending his convoys from Murmansk to invade and colonise the Western Isles to provide the USSR with an Atlantic seaboard and protect their own northern approaches? Is Lewis and Harris safe?

Can you imagine the kerfuffle that would instigate amongst that mixed political collective at the foot of the Royal Mile. I can just imagine the emergency deployment of the Glen Sannox with the one o’clock gun from the Edinburgh Castle battlements being mounted on the ferry’s prow to go and see off any invaders.

CalMac to the rescue, eh?

We’re doomed. We’re all doomed.

Have a nice day.

Rally - Oscar winner

Bigger than ‘Ben-Hur’, more patriotic than ‘Braveheart’ and more sweary than ‘Train-Spotting’. It also had more ice than ‘Titanic’ (with added snow) a better soundtrack than the ‘Sound of Music’ and more drama than ‘Coronation Street’ and ‘Eastenders’ combined, whilst the closing scene in the dark almost brought a tear to the eye. Even if you are not film buff place this in your ‘Must Watch’ category.

It was of course the epic tale of the ‘RAC Rally - Into the Dark’ film, starring Mike Moates, Gary McDonald and a Vauxhall Nova plus a cast of thou…, hundr… well a small but hardy band of eedji…, stalwarts, hell bent on conquering one of the last great UK motoring challenges with skill, ingenuity, tenacity, fortitude and beer, and cakes, and more beer.

On a more serious note this one hour documentary of an amateur rally crew tackling the five day 1400 mile endurance event in Winter weather was worthy of an Oscar, not just for the star cast but for the production team behind it. This was a film which brought back memories of those compulsive, informative and enjoyable Barrie Hinchliffe filmed productions in the 1970s and 80s long before the internet became a ‘thing’.

The production was professional, the interviews illuminating and the music was entirely fitting and appropriate – even if I don’t care for ‘rap’ noise! Also Steve Ryder would have been outclassed by the on-screen raconteur who popped up regularly on his ‘chaise longue’ to add couthiness and insight to the narrative.

Getting even more serious, this film deserves a wider audience. It would inform and educate the non-rallying public and should be used to stir up interest in the sport ahead of Scotland’s WRC round providing a clear contrast between clubman and professional sport. It also has educational properties and should be shown in schools, colleges and universities although the loan of the BBC ‘bleep’ machine might be an idea before younger viewers are permitted. And not just in the north east. With added sub titles it could be shown in non-Doric parts of the country!

But really the bottom line, and what was apparent in every shot, was the enjoyment, humour, fun and camaraderie of the whole team whilst capturing the spirit of the sport of rally itself.

So thank you Michael, Gary and of course Stevie Presents – ah cannae wait till the next episode.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SUMg3XnE4I

And as for the photo, Mike and Gary’s star quality (?) was spotted a long time ago, way back in 2003 – as seen in the ‘Scottish Rally Championship 2000-2009’ book !!

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Rally - Idle hands

The old saying "idle hands are the devil's tools" came to mind whilst I was working on the latest Scottish Rally Championship book. If the decade 2010-2019 brought great change to Scottish and British rallying, the next decade 2020-2029 would bring even more!

The 2010s saw many changes in how the sport and individual events were run with more regulation, additional safety measures, increased costs and the need for more stage-hands on the day of each event. There were changes too in the Forestry Commission which was broken up and devolved to ‘regional’ governments and brought with it new challenges to be overcome by organisers, and there was change too within the sport’s governing body as Colin Hilton, the CEO of RAC MSA, and Chairman Alan Gow left the building to be replaced by Hugh Chambers as CEO and David Richards CBE in the Chair in 2018.

And if we thought we were in for a more sympathetic ear well that disappeared down the turbo and out the exhaust didn’t it? Come the year 2020 and Covid interrupted the majority of outdoor sports and no doubt this gave our governors a bit of a chance to sit back and ponder the future – hence my unkind and unfair thought ‘idle hands’! The result of course was the ‘Motorsports Safety Review’ and the implementation of its many new recommendations and requirements.

Admittedly the sport had to change. In fact much of it was down to the aftermath of two separate fatal accidents in 2013 and 2014 which led to a Fatal Accident Inquiry by the Scottish Government. It wasn’t simply a matter of keeping competitors safe there was a wider responsibility to ensure the general public was kept safe. Common sense and self-preservation were no longer regarded as sufficient guidelines for spectators.

Just as football, and other sports too, had to change their management of attending crowds, motor sport had to do so too, and whilst we may not agree with the new measures which have been introduced, we have to accept them and run with it.

There was of course another change in 2020, when the RAC Motorsports Association transformed itself into Motorsport UK. We got a new logo, a new address and of course new upper management and to be fair to them all, it is still work in progress. We may be critical, and very harsh at times, but change is never easy, and the right change will always be harder to please everyone.

And so as a new season beckons we all have a part to play, so it’s belts on, buckle up and carry on.

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Rally - Red pen needed!

I have just completed the first draft of the next book ‘The Scottish Rally Championship 2010-2019’ and am WAY over my target word count for the narrative section. This has come as something of a surprise as there was quite a hiatus during that decade with, spiralling costs, cancelled and lost events and of course serious accidents and their aftermath. Or maybe that’s why I still have so many filled Notebooks!

For sure, rallying had to endure some difficult and troubled times during that decade, and motor sport, with the emphasis on rallying, was forced to take a good hard look at itself in the year 2014. A nasty fatal accident sparked an immediate wide ranging accident investigation which led to the creation of a formal ‘Motor Sport Safety Review’. That was followed by the introduction of new rules and guidelines in 2015 and which in turn was followed by the Fatal Accident Inquiry in 2016 out of which more changes had to be made.

Of course the authorities had to investigate, and whilst they looked for causes and reasons, they also sought to apportion blame. The trouble is they blamed the wrong people this time.

That’s why the rally reports as written in this current book draft vary so widely in length and detail. One of the reasons was that privileges once enjoyed by professional journalists and photographers had been withdrawn. Restricted access to rally organisers and competitors meant that fewer interviews could be conducted and notes taken.

That was because more constraints were being placed on the Press, or Media as it was constantly being referred to, who were trying to gather of information. Of course other participants and spectators experienced restrictions too, it wasn’t just the Press who were under scrutiny.

It might be hard to believe now (!), but back then the sport was in a wee bit of a turmoil with everyone trying to adjust to and interpret the new rules. 

The trouble with the RAC MSA Media credential was that it was not universally accepted by everyone. Organisers and officials had different views on how much ‘access’ journalists were to be permitted. It was a right hotch potch at times. I recall one incident where an event Press Officer had agreed with the Clerk of the Course where photographers could safely stand to cover their event only for the MSA Stewards driving through the stages ahead of the rally to come across these photographers and ordered them to move immediately. Such occurrences were fairly frequent back then, being given permission by one official only to be moved on by some other official.

Much of the time the individuals were not to blame, it was the system, although some officials did exploit their authority, but that was more down to a dislike of the press, or even personality clashes. In fact some officials were positively obstructive. Apparently, not all media folk were/are universally liked!!

Much of that distrust stems from the fact that two of the fatalities on the 2014 accident were signed on as a journalist and a photographer (although their two passengers were not!), because they had MSA Media credentials. However, the mainstream press at the time constantly referred to them as ‘spectators’, refusing to accept the term ‘media’. Despite several conversations with BBC and newspaper journalists this description persisted although the BBC did sometimes refer to them as ‘people’ but stubbornly refused to refer to them as media reps.

There was one other victim, often forgotten or overlooked by folk, and that was the driver of the rally car which crashed. Drivers and co-drivers are only too well aware of the risks every time they step inside a rally car but they shouldn’t have to worry about bystanders standing in stupid places. That young man has had to live with the consequences of the outcome of his accident where people, hidden from approaching view, were standing in a very dangerous location, especially when one of them was a former rally driver and rally sponsor who should have known better.

Oddly enough I have never held an RAC MSA or Motorsport UK media accreditation. On the two occasions that I did actually apply for official motor sports accreditation in the early 1980s I was refused two years running – and no reason given. On that basis I never bothered to do so again. And yet I carry a ‘Press’ card (as part of my day job) which is recognised by National and Local Government, the Police, Fire and Rescue Services and even the Armed Forces and yet the MSA didn’t see fit to recognise my application.

Despite that I was consulted by John Quenby, MSA Chief Executive 1990-2001, about an improved press accreditation scheme and attended two meetings at which I voiced my suggestions. I also voiced my reservations to Colin Hilton, MSA Chief Exec 2001-2018.

When their new scheme was announced it bore no resemblance to what I and other journalists/photographers had been suggesting. The current scheme from Motorsport UK in my opinion is still not fit for purpose so I didn’t apply for that either.

Did it stop me from doing my job? Only those who have read my reports, features and columns over the years can tell. Truth be told there were times when I may have overstepped the boundaries of expected behaviour – but always in pursuit of facts, info and stories.

Although originally mentioned as a joke, the idea of an end of series ‘personal account’ after I have finished documenting the official Scottish Rally Championship history, is gathering traction and maybe, just maybe, I will name names!!

Anyway, back to the current book, it’s no’ a red pen I need it’s a bluidy red paint brush!

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Rally - Grampian rallying

The news that World Rallying is coming to Scotland, and primarily to the North East, will have some folk wondering what the heck has Scotland got to offer? Well, diet and fizzy drinks aside, the big attraction for the world rally teams venturing fearfully and expectantly into virgin territory will find that the Grampian forests are already historically steeped in rallying folklore. Many of the trees there were mere saplings when rally cars first sped past and to-day’s rally drivers weren’t even eggs!

Take the 1980 Granite City Rally for instance. This was typical of one day national rallies back when the sport was an endurance adventure based on a driver’s skill and speed with a navigator whose task it was to follow the correct route on a map, keep to the time schedule using a watch and look out for orange directional arrows in the Special Stages whilst calling out hazards as printed in an organiser’s Roadbook– no mobile phones, digital clocks, SatNavs, recces and Route Notes back then!

This particular event was a counter in both the ‘Castrol Autosport National Championship’ and the ‘Scottish Rally Championship’ plus the ‘East of Scotland’ regional championship and had attracted 112 entries. Starting from 8.00am the crews were due to tackle 80 miles of Special Stages contained in a 285 mile route with the first of the survivors due back at the Treetops Hotel in Aberdeen from 6.00pm onwards. The 16 Special Stages included such names as Whitehaugh, Clashindarroch, Bin, Teindland, Whiteash, Aultmore, Drumtochty, Fetteresso and Durris. That equated to some ten hours of non-stop action requiring stamina and intense concentration as well as speed, skill and bravery.

At the end of the day, the rally was won by Drew Gallacher and John Eyres in the Duckhams Chevette with a total time of 87 minutes 32 seconds. The first time that a Scottish crew had won this event. That was some going, eh? In second place were Bill Dobie and Peter Mellor (Escort) while third were Andy Dawson and Kevin Gormley (Datsun). Terry Kaby was 4th, George Hill 5th and John Weatherley 6th. There was a good showing of Scots in the top ten as Ken Wood/Peter Brown were 7th and Walter McDonald/Gordon Hood 9th. Just outside the top ten were some more names to conjure with including Jim Howden, Jimmy Horne, Andrew Smith and Dom Buckley. Not so lucky were Donald Heggie, Mike Jackson, Geoff Simpson, Bill Taylor, Malcolm Patrick and David Gillanders who all retired.

Oh! And spectators were pretty much free to roam with best places highlighted and map references given. But of course that was back in the days of common sense and self-preservation, none of this ‘tell, them nowt and keep them in sheep pens’ approach to modern rally spectating.

By the way, the Entry Fee was £75 !!

Of course there is a more detailed report in the books, plus many more!

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Rally - Hopes and Fears

If the ‘Rally of Scotland’ proved one thing it was that a wee nation of six million tartan-clad, bare knee’d, wild-haired, haggis munchers on the north western edge of Europeland could host a world-class motor sporting event. Hard to believe that it all started 17 years ago way back in 2009, 2010 and 2011 but it certainly helped to open minds to such an outrageous idea as the WRC coming to Aberdeen.

It wasn’t just a case of, if Wales can do it, then so can Scotland, but Aberdeen has a number of factors going for it. The P&J Arena has a vast covered complex which can host the WRC organising and media teams and all the technical paraphernalia that will come with that plus a huge sealed-surface outdoor area for the competitors. Aberdeen and the north east also lacks the densely populated conurbation that is spread across central Scotland and is pretty close to the forests.

At a more basic level, the UK has the best Marshals and the best Stage Commanders in the world and there is a long established car club culture in the country so there will be no lack of volunteers.

And let’s not forget the ‘McRae factor’. Whilst many of the WRC hierarchy will have to look up a world atlas to find out where Scotland is, they will know only too well of the antics of a certain ‘tartan tearaway’ who left his mark on the world’s stages thirty years ago.

The only thing that concerns me is Forest & Land Scotland. They will really need to pull their socks up for this one, and if they do, then it might just help all of us at a more local and national level in the future. Fingers crossed for that one, eh?

Ever since ‘Forestry Commission Scotland’ and ‘Forest Enterprise Scotland’ were devolved into ‘Forestry & Land Scotland’ exactly 7 years ago next month, things have changed, and not necessarily for the public good. Area managers no longer have the same level of autonomy as power and decisions have been shifted to a new HQ in Inverness and the emphasis these days seems to be more about the ‘green agenda’ than public access for all.

Having said that FLS has been involved in discussions well ahead of any world scale event coming to the north of Scotland and one can only hope that the required forest roads will be ready to face the onslaught. That means better built and better maintained. There are some cracking roads in the region, Gartly and Clashindarroch spring to mind but there are some softer, sandier roads in the Drumtochty area that could do with more than a spring clean. But I’m sure that is all in hand 

And if FLS look kindly upon this brand new adventure then maybe, just maybe, it will benefit the rest of us. For too long now we have been getting squeezed out of classic forest tests in such locations as Argyll, Perthshire, Carron Valley, Fife and the Scottish Borders while other choices are harder to get. And then there is the question of quality, it would appear that roads are not built to the standards of old and maintenance isn’t what it was. That is down partly to new and different methods of timber extraction but it is also down to cost, hence the ever increasing forestry charges which are being made on rally folk.

And on a perfectly selfish note should any visitors wish to find out what Scottish rallying has to offer fans from afar there are a number of books on the market which will give an insight into the land where legends are made!

Mind you the talks of an F1 Grand Prix at Knockhill are still at a very early stage !!

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