The Bears meet regularly on the first Monday of each month, and it’s open house. Non-club members are welcome although Big Alex, the club secretary, always has a stock of enrolment forms and stickers ready to sign up the innocent and unwary! There is no formal timetable, it will be just a normal, but busier, club gathering than usual although we’ll have some special guests and an MC who will chat intelligently (or maybe not!) to them during the evening.
Doors open at 7.45pm and this being Lanarkshire (the garden county of Scotland!) cash is the coinage of choice at the bar. If you’ve only got plastic, you’ll be barred! Having said that, this being a bowling club, the bevvy is cheaper than elsewhere.
And once again, folk have been attracted from near and far. Amongst the guests will be David Bogie, Andrew Wood, Dave Weston and the new Portuguese Rally Champion Co-driver, Stuart Loudon (Kris couldn’t make it!) and they have been singled out for a chat with our very own Stewart ‘the Larkhall Foghorn’ Weir who will host the evening. And knowing Stewart only too well if he spots any other likely victims up for a chat he’ll be in there quicker than big Barrie springing into action when Colin drove into service with a battered Sunbeam, Nova, Sierra or whatever! In fact if truth be known, a chap called Usain Bolt once asked Barrie how he got off his mark so quickly - and the rest is history!
But as I said, this won’t be a formal evening, just a gathering of fans and friends – and all there just for the craic – Oh, and I nearly forgot, a copy of the book!
This latest volume is virtually the same size as the previous one at 260 pages with over 360 photographs and priced the same as last time at £45. Some of the tales have never been told and many of the photographs have never been seen! Those who attend the launch will therefore get their hands on the book first before it goes on sale on-line later in the week.
Like the other two books, this latest tome will spark a few more memories, most of them good. As said in previous posts there were a couple of not so good memories this time, but rallying and sport are not immune from the trials, tribulations and tragedies of everyday life
The actual book launch date has therefore been set for Monday 3rd November and the venue will again be the Dalserf Bowling Club, Ashgillhead Rd, Ashgill, Larkhall, ML9 3AF.
Although some folk will require a co-driver/navigator, while a few might seek the assistance of an explorer, Dalserf Bowling Club in the village of Ashgill is easily accessible heading East on the A71 from Junction 8 (Canderside Toll) on the M74 at Larkhall.
There’s a set of traffic lights on the A71 between the Motorway and Garrion Bridge but turn off (South) at this junction towards Ashgill and the club access road is less than a mile along there on the left (tight left!). Some local worthies still think the traffic lights are fairy lights, but the fairies are long gone these days now with the clocks going back, although there might be some ‘ghaists and houlets’ flee’in aboot tryin’ tae fin their wey hame efter Halloween!! So just ca’ canny as you approach.
One other thing, if you haven’t been to a CCC club night before you will drive past the entrance to the Bowling Club at least once before you see it. So dinnae worry, we’ve all done it! It’s a tight left on to an unsurfaced narrow road between the first and second wee hooses. There’s a fairly big car park at the foot of the lane on the right with access to the Bowling Club entrance from there.
What3Words: ///trespass.flashing.toffee
If this book is received as well as the first two then I’ll be mighty pleased but no doubt there may be the occasional lapse missed by myself and the proof readers, but sh*t happens to the best, not just me. But if any smart ‘rs’ approaches me on the night and starts the conversation with “I think there’s a wee mistake here ….” I will ask them to bear just one pre-emptive thought in mind – this is The Bears den !!
