Rally - The Goold Old Days?

Met a lovely elder statesman at the recent Glamis Show. He was set up next to my wee book-tique to sell pre and post war automotive memorabilia, mostly small stuff like badges, medals, mascots and other smaller items but as he was unable to find accommodation locally, he set off to drive home on the Saturday evening and drive back on the Sunday morning – and he lived in Greenlaw, that’s near Duns to save you reaching for Google! Quite a trek.

Anyway, he asked if I would keep an eye on his stall (naturally he took his stuff with him) and I said of course I would.  There was no need really as it seems there is a ‘code of honour’ amongst the stall holders at these classic shows and they keep an eye on each other’s pitches without being too obvious about it.

Upon his return in the morning he thanked me quite graciously (but needlessly, it was hardly a chore) and later on in the day he handed me a 1959 RAC Motor Sport Yearbook to thank me for my ‘efforts’ and saying the Yearbook would be of more interest to me than to his clientele. And it was, but he wouldn’t accept anything for it.

Over the past few days I have been dipping in and out of it and it is absolutely fascinating. First of all there were two different types of motoring/car clubs at that time – those which were recognised by the RAC to promote competitions and those which were recognised, but not allowed to organise competitions. Secondly there were 9 associations of car cubs representing various English regions and 1 Welsh Association, but no Scottish Association of car clubs, and no Northern Irish Association either!

The rules and regulations appear to concentrate on motor racing and speed events implying that rallying was less well regulated although the Yearbook did publish a calendar for the 1959 RAC Rally Championship of Great Britain which stated there should be a maximum of 14 events and a minimum of 5 and if the number of events promoted/organised fell below 5, there would be no championship that year!

The Schedule of Fees also makes interesting reading. A Restricted Competition Licence was 15 shillings (75p in modern money!) and 1 pound 10 shillings (£1.50p) for a full Competition Licence. The Permit Fee for a National Rally was £21, the same as an International Permit, and that was for a maximum entry of 240 cars and crews! No mention of Forestry Commission charges because that didn’t happen until 1961.

There is also a long list of RAC Officials and their contact details but a quick look suggests there were only three Group 1 Scrutineers based in Scotland, J Garden in Aberdeen, J McCubbin from Giffnock and D H Stephen from Lasswade, plus Group 2 Scrutineers I D Bennie in Glasgow and A D Reid from Edinburgh and no Assistant Scrutineers. Considering the number of Trials, Hillclimbs, Sprints, Race Meetings and Rallies in those days that would have kept them pretty busy! Oddly enough I knew two of them - doesn’t half make one feel old!

By the way, the fee for an RAC Steward at an event was either £3 10 shillings or £5 depending on the event but an additional £2 2 shillings per day if more than a one day event.

There are many other nuggets and insights contained in this 272 page booklet which cost the princely sum of two shillings and sixpence, that’s twelve and a half pence to you and me!

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

 

At the RSAC

It's raining, at least it will keep the stoor doon!

RSAC Scottish Rally

RSAC Scottish Rally .... All set up and open for business, didn't realise the giant TV screen was folded and on a huge hydraulic arm. I thought they just slid upwards out of the truck roof.

Moving pictures

Last weekend’s two-day show at Glamis provided additional time for idle chatter whilst the ice cold lager on Saturday evening lubricated the vocal chords and loosened the brain cells. It turns out that my decision to include a few ‘personality pages’ in the Scottish Championship books have gone down well especially with rally folk who might be unaware of who some of the stars were, especially the McRae sections with their previously unpublished pics of a couple of youngsters.

Anyway, that idea will continue into the next book which is underway. But there are two kinds of ‘moving pictures’, the poignant photographs and the motion pictures as in silent movies. That observation was prompted by something which is quite common these days and was all too prevalent and on show last weekend.

The warm weather had encouraged visitors to dispense with wellies, troosers and woolly jumpers. Instead, bystanders were treated to a rather unique minimal fashion show i.e. sandals, shorts and vests which meant there was an awfy lot of skin on show – only there wasn’t. Instead of skin there was a never ending stream of artwork, pictures and words passing by in a constant parade. Nope, not on celluloid, but on exposed skin. Never have a I seen such a display of tattoos. From full body coverings to patchwork quilts, sleeves and random splashes of colour where once a scrap of bare skin had previously been. Just watching this world pass by was reminiscent of the early cinema with their stop-motion silent movies.

Tempted as I was to take some surreptitious foties, I resisted but here are some pics of a possible alternative to the red van as personal transport. It was on a stand directly opposite me and I was sorely tempted to make an offer. It was a Panther m100 600cc single cylinder motor cycle with a rather large sidecar. Originally manufactured during the first half of the 20th century in Yorkshire, the bikes were considered ahead of their time in some respects but sadly went the way of traditional British manufacturers under the influx of Japanese machines in the 1960s.

Even so, it sat there all weekend staring at me through its single large eye on the front just begging me to bid. What stopped me? The thought of showing up with this back home and Lady Bunnet’s response to a Wallace and Gromit lifestyle transport choice.

Yup, just not brave enough.

So I’ll just stick with the Transit which will be heading to Dalbeattie on Saturday with the mobile ‘book-tique’ on board and four different titles for prospective purchasers to peruse. If you’re not there, there’s always on-line:

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

 

 

Rally - Withdrawal symptoms

It seems bluidy weird, but we’re now half way through the year 2025 and we’ve only had two stage rallies in this year’s Scottish Rally Championship. The Snowman has had to take a wee rest due to forestry restrictions and it was left to the Speyside to open the Scottish Championship season in fine style. Then we had the Reivers, or rather we didn’t, for all the wrong reasons. Dunoon once again provided a welcoming host for the Argyll Rally which was on tar and so for our next intake of stoor and fumes I’m looking forward to this weekend’s RSAC Scottish Rally.

Centred on James P Wilson’s premises in Dalbeattie, the agricultural and forestry machinery supplier’s yard and premises has always provided a welcoming base for the nation’s rally drivers, co-drivers, families, friends and service crews with their cars, vans and trailers. Once again the ‘rally village’ will be enhanced with a ‘fanzone’ and huge TV screen relaying images from the stages.

Starting at 9am the first cars will be expected to return from around 5pm having completed six stages totalling some 42 miles in a compact 130 mile route, and despite some scurrilous rumours to the contrary, the organisers are fully intending to run the full 41.54 miles of competition for the 66 car entry. And there’s another wee bonus, this week’s rain should keep the stoor doon for the weekend!

During the course of the rally the cars will return twice to service, so there will be lots to see and hear as service crews get to work, but a word to the wise, the weans might pick up a new adjective or two, so be careful. Some of these service crew folk can be quite couthy and colourful at times! That means the Wilson premises are going to be kept busy, hence the added attraction of the truck mounted large screen to keep on-site service crews informed and visitors entertained.

And who knows, there might even be a stall or two, including a notorious travelling book-tique, beside the on-site snack and burger emporium.

Spectator info, with wee maps, here:

https://www.scottishrally.co.uk/spectator-viewing-areas/

 

Evening serenade

Glamis was the first classic car two day show I had attended and it was different in that I stayed overnight on site, somewhat re-living the camping experience of youthful bygone days, and what an eye opener. Previously I had seen stall holders come and go at one-day shows so I had no knowledge of the after-show social side of such events.

On the Saturday evening after close of business, many of the stall owners didn’t even bother to cover up their displays and stock, they just sat back in family groups with barbecues and drinks filled cool boxes chattering away into the night. There was absolutely no sign of any pilfering. Not that the various groups were keeping an eye open for such activities but they would certainly have spotted any nefarious movements and acted accordingly.

On that basis I felt it safe to leave my pitch and go for a wander in the cool of the evening after a sun scorched hot day in the open. Many of the individual show-car owners had either gone home or driven off to their digs for the night so there wasn’t much to see on that front but I could have a good wander around the various stalls. Somehow I ended up at the beer  tent where a pint of Tennent’s lager never tasted so good. At a fiver a pint I wondered if the second one would be as good. It was, and so was the third. That made the uphill walk back to the tent rather circuitous.

The chat was good too but some of the old hands were talking about days past and how the autojumbles have changed. Once upon a time an autojumble was just that, a collection of stalls and traders, private and professional, selling off old stock, garage clear-outs, varieties of parts and accessories, and everything from subframes and panels, engines and gearboxes to spark plugs and sump plugs from vehicles old, very old and ancient.

A few of them were bemoaning the fact that the ‘autojumble’ is now home to toy, craft and clothes shops, cakes, do’nuts and bakers’ goods, jewellery and skin care artisans, clubs and charity tents and no longer the preserve of the automotive enthusiast in search of vital parts and spares. Although tool retailers and book sellers are tolerated, it’s the other non-motoring outlets that are ensuring their memorabilia and accessory searches are frustrated.

However, one can understand that for show hosts and organisers it adds variety and increases the attraction for families, but for the die-hards it just makes it harder to get round all the stalls and have a good rake about.

Oh and if you fancy having an overnight in the grounds of some grand castle, just make sure they don’t have a bluidy big clock that chimes the hours. As the general hubbub dissipated at close of play on Saturday evening one could hear the chimes echoing across the parkland gloaming. I heard 8, 9, 10, 11 o’clock and the midnight peal before exhaustion overtook. I missed 1 and 2 am, but I bluidy well heard the 3. If there is a next time, then ear plugs will be essential.

Competition - prize ?

If this is first prize, wonder what the booby prize is? Actually the photograph flatters the actual physical state of the thing. Wonder how I'll get it home though!

Hero of the hour?

Rescued a lost bear today! Paddington would have been proud. Apparently a wee lassie dropped it from her pram when passing the book-tique. I just happened to notice it lying in the walkway and picked it up thinking the owner might return. Managed to flag down a passing official who put a call out on the tannoy. Meanwhile I had to fend off (at great personal risk!) countless nosey wee and big dugs who fancied making off with a new toy, and even one which was in the act of cocking a leg before I chased it! Some time later an anxious parent appeared having tried to retrace all of his earlier steps with the bearless wean. The wandering teddy was his daughter’s and it was the one she needs to go to bed with, hence the anxiety. All I got was a handshake, he didn’t even buy a book!! However, I may need to rethink my sales techniques. The wee teddy beside my pitch post attracted more interest from the passing public than my home made display panel with books. Anyone got a cute teddy I could adopt?

Glamis Classic Show

Glamis .... Open for business!! Stunning setting for a car show and the cars are now turning up.

Visiting Glamis ?

 Wee word of advice ..... the organisers of this weekend's Festival of Transport Extravaganza at Glamis Castle have posted a notice to those intending to visit the show this weekend suggesting that it would be best fo bring cash as the telephone/wi-fi signal on the estate is 'intermittent'!  So whether you're visiting the auto jumble and trade stalls or the gin tent and ice cream vans, then best be prepared. And the government and the taxman want us to go digital, eh?

Missionary work or Mach 1?

This weekend while rally cars are birlin’ roon Machrihanish International Airfield, (or ‘Glasgow Argyll’ if you believe Ryanair!) the book-tique will be appearing at Glamis Castle just outside Forfar for the 49th Scottish Transport Extravaganza on the 12th and 13th July.

I know where I’d rather be, but duty calls, spreading the rallying gospel and the history of the Scottish Rally Championship.

 

Organised by the Strathmore Vintage Vehicle Club, this classic show is rated as one of the top ten classic car shows in the UK and with around 2,000 show vehicles on site over the weekend, it also claims to be the biggest in Scotland. Thirlestane comes close but it sounds as though Glamis is indeed the biggest. We’ll find out this weekend.

 

This will be my first two day show and I don’t quite know what to expect. Apart from the show cars and club stands there will be around 154 stands in the autojumble and motor trade area which sounds a bit bigger than the current disreputable state of city centre shopping in Glasgow and also more car friendly than Edinburgh’s Princes Street!

 

Because it’s a two day show there are more attractions which will appeal to families ranging from the Extreme Bike Battle stunt show to parades, pipe bands and amusements for adults and children of all ages.

 

Apparently there will be an additional attraction at the show for the adults. Tollhouse Spirits from Arbroath will be hosting a gin bar for their Redcastle range of gins so for those staying over on the Saturday night there will be a sanctuary in the wilderness! Naturally I shall endeavour to avoid such a haven of decadence.

 

Anyway if you’re looking for information on stage rallying in Scotland during the 1980s and 90s (noughties to follow shortly) look for the red chequered flag, the book-tique will be directly underneath!

 

Entry prices are £12 for an adult on the Saturday and £6 for child/OAP, whilst on Sunday its £15 and £8.

 

Accessed via the A90 and the A94, Glamis Castle, Angus DD8 1RJ, is 50 miles south of Aberdeen and 12 miles north of Dundee.

 

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