You were right and I was wrong …. Had a chat with the printer yesterday morning and everything appears to be on schedule, so last night I phoned the Chief Bear. After suffering a few verbal and impersonal profanities, uttered of course in the best possible taste, details were exchanged. That means that Coltness Car Club will again be hosting the ‘book launch’ for the next volume of ‘The Scottish Rally Championship 1990-1999’ on Monday evening the 4th of November – exactly a year since the previous event!
Admittedly I hadn’t planned anything as formal as a book launch for the previous gathering last year, it just turned out that way, such was the surprising turn-out on the night. And what a night it was, the Dalserf Bowling Club was fair hoachin’ wi’ fowk and burstin’ at the seams. So why not do it again?
However, it would appear that Coltness CC has organised a ‘little extra’ for the evening which should make the night even more memorable. No doubt the Chief Bear and his cohorts will reveal more in the coming days. My lips are sealed.
But as I said, you were right and I was wrong! When I started writing up the history of the Scottish Rally Championship the plan was to write a formal and factual history of the sport in Scotland. This was supposed to be a serious educational and informative work of reference for present and future generations and worthy of a place in the reference section of the Scottish National Library in Edinburgh and the British Library in London. I did however try to lighten the prose to ensure it was more readable for all. Silly me, I didn’t go far enough!
Of course you all wanted more stories, and of course you are all so right. Rallying is not just about the mental and physical challenge, the speed and the dicing with danger, it is after all a sport so it has to be enjoyable and rewarding. Along the way it also has to be about fun, friendship and fulfilment. Given the appeal of the sport, the camaraderie it engenders is an essential and vital part of the whole undertaking from building and preparing cars to testing them to their mechanical limits whilst stretching the crew’s personal hopes and ambitions.
With that in mind, this next book is bigger, with more words and more pics. Although it retains the same basic format, the actual rally reports are a bit more colourful and there are more wee stories and insights to inform and entertain – hopefully. Again, the majority of the photographs in the book have never been previously published.
Having said that, there are two photos which I have not been allowed to publish – in this book! The subjects concerned were a bit fearful of ‘the wrong kind of publicity’ whatever that might mean. However, one does have to be careful in these ‘politically correct’ times in which we live for offence can be easily, if unintentionally, given to those of a more sensitive nature. Mind you there are a few more photos in the collection which I chose not to use but these have given me an idea. Once the full history of the Championship is written up and published there could be enough material for a ‘final’ book. One which includes all the stories and photos I was unable to use and this will bring the series to an end. I reckon by that time I won’t be giving a damn about being sued for slander, libel or defamation. It’s a thought, eh?
So this book is the same, but different from the first one
and with many more pages, that means it will be more costly – you have been
warned. Once the printer has done his job, the price will be determined. But
this process begs the question, why is paper so expensive in this country? The
paper industry itself claims that the price of importing ‘raw materials’ has
gone up due to Brexit. And yet, the UK has 47 paper mills and hundreds of thousands
of acres of trees, so why do we have to import paper at all?
Britain. Once the workshop of the world, now a nation of
shopkeepers. Oops, I’m getting political again. More news will follow shortly.
