The sport of rallying in Scotland has
lost "one of the good guys". Len Freshwater passed away on Monday
evening (8th April) in hospital after a short illness. He had just turned 63
last month.
One of the founder members of Border
Ecosse Car Club way back in the early 1970s, Len was introduced to the noble
art through navigational road rallies with like-minded friends including John
Murray, Sandy Baxter and David Robson. The bug bit and stayed with him as he
turned his hand to everything in the club from marshalling and event
organisation as well as serving as Clerk of the Course on a few Jim Clark Rallies
before the event first ran on closed roads. At the present time he was still
involved as BECC Treasurer with wife Jill acting as Membership Secretary.
A very private man, he kept this health
concerns to himself. He retired from his job at Floors Castle two years ago,
where he was a member of the Gardening Team for 23 years, and started taking things
easy. Last year after a heart operation he bought a Vauxhall Vivaro camper van
so that he could continue to volunteer as a Marshal. With wife Jill sitting inside
the van in the dry, keeping the paperwork in order, Len would be outside at
Passage Controls on events around the country manning his post from first to
final car.
He navigated and co-drove for a number
of drivers over the years and he even turned his hand to driving in the early
days with a Ford Escort Mk1. Those episodes proved one thing. His future career
would prove more fruitful and rewarding in the left hand seat with a map than
the right hand seat with a steering wheel.
He did
achieve some success and notoriety at national level during his competition
career. A run out with Monty Pearson on the Trossachs Rally in the late 1980s
gave him a taste for the forests. As Monty recalled it was very much a late
entry and Len stepped in at the last moment after the seeding had been done,
which meant they would be running very late on the road. After their first
stage run was frustrated by catching cars the duo contrived to stall the Nova's
engine at each stage start while Len engaged the Marshals in "meaningful
dialogue". Cheating? Nope. That was gamesmanship.
He enjoyed,
or should that be endured, a season in the 1992 Esso Scottish Rally
Championship with Ian 'Ginge' Logan in his rather lary Peugeot 205 RWD. On the
Scotphone Stages that year they scored their best result of the season with
27th o/a and 10th in class. That 'success' was followed by something completely
different on the Granite City Rally.
Regarded as
something of an 'energetic' driver, Ginge contrived to get the Peugeot stuck in
an Aberdeenshire forest ditch and shouted at Len to "get out and push"
as he struggled with steering and throttle - only to be greeted with the calm
and measured response from an unflustered co-driver: "You put it in here, YOU
get oot and push."
They did get
out. On the Border Rally they scored another finish with 46th o/a and 19th in
class and on the final round of the series were 30th o/a and 9th in class on
the Fleming Toyota Stages.
The 1996
forest rallying season was perhaps his best season, but this time with long
time pal James Thomson in a Vauxhall Nova. They scored a highlight 29th o/a and
2nd in class on the Valentine Rally and followed that with a remarkable run of
three consecutive 45th o/a places on the Weldex, Jim Clark and McRae Motorsport
Stages although the class finishes weren't quite so well matched with 13th,
11th and 6th. They also contested the Pirelli Cumbria Rally which resulted in a 5th in class.
1997 was a busy year although he only
did three events with James who was contesting the Colway Tyres Formula 1300
Championship, but took time out to be Chief Marshal on the first closed road Jim
Clark Rally.
They both hung up their helmets at the
end of the 90s, but just a few years later at a party in Len's house one night
the consumption of too much wine was later blamed for the decision to "go
halfers" on a Citroen Saxo. After retiring the car on the 2007 Autumn Stages with a broken
gearbox they bounced back on the 2008 Border Reivers Rally where they finished
58th o/a and 6th in class in the Citroen out of an entry of 116 cars.
Whilst still
keeping his club and marshalling duties to the fore, Len took more of a back
seat when it came to competition and although he would help out as and when
needed in the garage at nights or servicing at weekends, it wasn't till 2014
that he again donned the helmet. Having watched a rally at Ingliston he fancied
having a shot, so signed up for the co-drivers' seat with James for the DCC
Stages.
What he
didn't quite realise was that crews were allowed to walk or cycle the stages
before the rally and despite James' urging, he point blank refused to walk or
cycle round, leaving James to wobble off on his own, map in one hand and
handlebars in the other.
He remained
very active in club affairs and earlier this year was Entries Secretary for the
club's rally at Knockhill in February. He was there the day before the rally to
help with set-up and officiated with Jill on the day of the event itself. But
there will be one 'event' he will miss, and the whole family will miss him. His
daughter Vicki is due to get married in August and given his experience and
knowledge at Floors, Len was to be in charge of the flowers amongst other
duties.
Len made
many good friends throughout his career and we will all miss the sly look and
the dry wit which preceded many a thoughtful and pithy comment. The sport's loss
is nothing compared to what his family are going through and our thoughts and
condolences must go out to them at this time.
Note:
Funeral details will be advised in due course.
There's a
slightly longer tribute here:
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