Rally - Happier times

It’s amazing what you find when you’re not really looking, it’s even more amazing what you find when you have forgotten you had it in the first place!

I have just completed the first draft of the text for the next book covering the decade 2000 to 2009 and came across these pics (and more) from a private test session way back in 2005.

Colin was trying out some new stuff in his Escort, Neale Dougan was there with his Escort World Car and John Crawford with his Metro plus the usual ‘hingers-oan’ as you can see from the pics.

It brought back memories of much happier times. Days like this were to be treasured and memories cherished. Just a bunch of car-daft boys out for a hoolie. No pressure, no crowds, no rubber-neckers and no competition. Or maybe I should correct that. Even at times like this there was ‘competition’ but it was incestually friendly and fuelled by banter.

These photos have never been shared before because they were private gatherings not public test sessions and the boys knew that anything that was passed on to the newspapers and magazines was only with their approval, something I always respected.

But it is finds like these that are encouraging me to come up with an ‘extra’ book on the Scottish Rally Championship, featuring all these previously unpublished photographs and other more embarrassing photos which were never shared with the public media. So, once I have documented the life and times of the Scottish Rally Championship I will turn my attention to other less savoury publishing pursuits.

But having said that this next book will feature many more previously unpublished and unseen images from times past.

https://fife-motor-sports-agency.square.site/

Road - Concerned caller

The phone rang …. “Whit the ‘ph**’ were you driving, is that really your car?” The caller was/still is a dear friend but lives awfy far away and therefore we don’t meet up very often, but he spotted the car which was featured in a recent post (Monday 7th April) and initially thought it was an April Fool stunt, then he checked the date and realised, it was either a week late or that was my car! He further enquired if I had a matching handbag!!

So just in case any of you lot out there were concerned about my proclivities, the answer to both questions was ‘No’! These foties were taken at the press launch of the new Range Rover Evoque convertible some nine years ago now when I was a genuine motoring correspondent and vehicle appraiser. I didn’t use the term ‘road tester’ as I didn’t test roads - I tested cars, vans, trucks and occasionally motor cycles. The term ‘road tester’ is only for those who don’t know any better!

Back then I had to drive some weird stuff at times although it was mainly mainstream automobilia, and whilst the Evoque was a lovely wee motor, it certainly wasn’t my cup of skinny latte, even though I thought it accessorised rather well with the Harris Tweed bunnet!

Looking back in the Press kit, the vehicle as pictured with its options was priced at £52,115.00. Those options were a ski hatch, Oxford leather interior, LED headlamps, wind deflector and Black Design Pack which included the 20 inch split-spoke alloy wheels. And the colour? That was Phoenix Orange – imagine me turning up to a rally in that!

It was quite a perky wee thing though, with a 4 cylinder turbo diesel churning out 180 hp and managed by a nine speed auto ‘box. None of your hybrid or EV nonsense back then.

Oh happy days, and as for my friend? Yup, we’re still pals – and he’s very relieved.

 

Rally - Memories

Crikey …. Was it really a year ago? This popped up on my social media feed from a year ago today. Hard to believe that 12 months have passed. Surprisingly the wee book sold so well I have had to print another couple of hundred. In fact there’s another order in this morning from the depths of Argyll so the interest is still there.

Meanwhile the draft text for my next big book – the Scottish Rally Championship 2000-2009 - is almost complete, just a few things to check then a complete read-through before finalising. In the interests of honesty and accuracy I had to phone Dave Weston last week about one incident and phoned Euan Thorburn this morning about another, but he wasn’t in so I’ll need to phone back! Very thoughtless of him. And if you want to know why such phone calls were needed you’ll have to read the book!

However that’s still some time away, the photographs have to be sorted out, selected, scanned and then captioned and that is a humungous operation, not just hundreds of foties, but thousands of the rascals. Having said that, it really is quite a joy looking back through all the old pics but all too often much time is lost as I have to sit back and savour the moment.

And that’s what these books are all about. Bringing up memories from times long past, and even not so long ago, reminding everyone of their own personal stories to recall, tell and re-tell. The books are just a spark generator for such hankerings.

In fact that was the subject of a conversation I had last Sunday morning whilst watching the ‘Flying Scotsman Rally’ pass through Forrestburn Hillclimb. There I was standing on a hillock under blue skies overlooking the picturesque M8 winding it’s way through the sunlit hills around Shotts while a local farmer spread slurry in the adjoining field adding its own perfume to the fragrances of burning petrol, rubber and clutches.

It was whilst savouring these countryside aromas that I was accosted by another spectator, one Peter Martin Esq, ex-codriver to the famous and notorious, and some others, and he asked how the latest tome was progressing. Like many of the readers’s opinions already expressed he wants more pics in the next volume, even if they come at the expense of the text. Whilst it’s good to have an account of how each rally was conducted, he reckons it’s the pics that are the big interest especially the personages depicted but he did add one additional nibble of food for thought, he thinks I should be less formal! He thinks the captions should be cheekier – but I couldn’t possibly do that, could I? That surely is for the final book when I can just compile all the bits and foties that didn’t make the ‘formal’ documentaries - and then I’ll publish the ‘out-takes’ and be damned!

https://fife-motor-sports-agency.square.site/

 

Rally - The Interview

Update …. For those of you who ‘don’t do’ podcasts or spotify, the latest production of ‘Drive with Hollie McRae’ is now on YouTube, so there are moving pictures with sound this time! And despite my earnest request, HM refused to allow my preferred profile (see pic) to be filmed, so a word to the wise, keep young kids and older children away from the screen, and lock up your pets. Oh, and keep the lights on, sitting watching this in a darkened room may just a bit too scary for those of a nervous disposition.

https://youtu.be/dCmWj_yuyHA?si=T9vPHRqGXJI_hD54