Rally - Elgin Scrutineering

Everyone was in good fettle at Scrutineering tonight, despite the queues. With over a hundred cars to get through the Scroots were doing a grand job to keep it manageable. No doubt the unexpected warm 'summer' sunshine had something to do with it, although it did bring out a rash of awfy peelly waally legs poking out from hastily searched out and un-ironed shorts. And the chuck wagon was only charging £1 for a decent cup of coffee!

Some things never change though. Mike Grant was easily recognisable - the bonnet of the Subaru was up, and he had only got as far as the Scrutineering queue. Seems he got the cable from the engine Master Switch caught when he slammed the bonnet shut, and cut it. So it was back to the garage for another. Only it was too short. So it was back to the garage again for another rake about. He might still be there for all we know. If he's not careful he'll be getting a 'Sandy Arbuthnot reputation', and yes, Sandy was there with the Subaru engined Focus: "It was perfect at the Test Day yesterday - but the brakes jammed on waiting in the queue!"

I'll tell you more about Paul McErlean in a later dispatch, but he climbed Ben Nevis earlier to day. Six hours it took him up and down. He's just turned 50 and feeling his age the poor lad so wants to do something about it. Some going, eh? Still, he reckons it'll make him sharper for tomorrow!

Of more conern was the behaviour of some of the youngsters. Niall Cowan and Scott Peacock might be getting a new unwanted nickanme - the kissing cousins. The grey MG was in intimate contact with the white MG all the way through the queue.

And the girls have been adding to their 'sticker' collection. The wee Peugeot was sporting a sticker of a turkey. So what's that got to do with rallying? Well nothing really, but Nikki gets a free turkey at Christmas for the price of a sticker on the rally car. Seems the barter system is working well in the North. As for the potato wearing the blonde wig, I didn't even ask.

But here's a thought. I wonder if I could get a free turkey at Christmas if I put a sticker on the wee green mean machine?