Saturday, 3 October 2026

Rally - Mull bound

The Book-tique is heading to Mull next Friday 9th October, but only for the day. First ferry over in the morning and an evening ferry back home. Unfortunately, a full weekend is just a bit out of reach these days. The Doc was told it was just a wee day trip to deliver some orders, but I didn’t quite get around to telling him the destination was Tobermory, and he didn’t ask!

The plan is to set up somewhere near Scrutineering which this year is back in the Distillery yard and I’ll publish a wee fotie with details once I get there so the Book-tique will be easily found.

I’ve got some orders for collection but I’ll also have copies of all the other books as well as copies of ‘Murmurs on Mull’. This book actually takes up from where Brian Molyneux’s book finishes. The late founder of the Mull Rally published two books, the second an update of the first, and covers the period 1969 to 1993 with ‘Murmurs on Mull’ taking the story from 1993 to 2010.

However it has to be said, and potential readers warned, that the style and content of the ‘MoM’ volume is rather different from the academic, erudite and detailed storytelling of the original documentaries as written by the original and genuine authority on the subject, whereas the current story extension wasn’t!

In fact the ‘MoM’ volume is comprised entirely of the FULL set of the ‘MullMurmurs’ on-event bulletins which were composed and typed on to stencils during the rally itself and then run off on a duplicator in the back of a van before the hurriedly printed bulletins were handed to ‘Bulletin Bill’ and his sundry collection of press-ganged cohorts for distribution around the island – and all accomplished while the rally was underway!

Unfortunately, the author of the original Mull Rally books which told the story of ‘the Best Rally in the World’ declined to update the history any further and so in the absence of intellect, common sense and expert insight this 1993-2010 update relied entirely on the compilation of the on-event bulletins as invented, composed and written by the feverish mind of one Jaggy Bunnet Esq.

No-one is quite sure who this character was (is?) such was his fleeting presence at various locations around the rally route and in the pubs (fuelled by the Salen Hotel’s steak pie – thanks Gerry) compiling the gossip, scandals, tales, fibs and occasional rally facts into some sort of informative medium. Remember this was in the days before pocket sized computers, compact dot matrix printers and mobile telephones which could send and receive messages without having to sprachle up nearby hills in search of a signal.

In fact, the introductory chapter in this book details how the job was done while the reproduction of the bulletins themselves in this 350 page (yes, really!) book tells the story of the rally as it was at the time recalling the sights, sounds, smells and weather as events actually happened.

In fact, I have been told by an authoritative source (?) that it provides the most evocative commentary on events as they happened.

So for one day only, the Book-tique will be on Mull and open from 9.00 am (ish) to 5.00 pm (ish) on Friday 9th October somewhere near Scrutineering. Just look for the red Transit and I’ll try and put my flag up as well !!

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

Friday, 2 October 2026

Book - On schedule

Print run done …. ‘The Scottish Rally Championship 2010-2019’ book is now in print! It’s still far from finished though as the sheets will have to be guillotined and then bound with hard cover added, but it is still on schedule for the November launch.

Speaking of the launch there will be a couple of changes for this year’s ‘do’. Firstly it will be in a new (but nearby) venue and secondly it will be a wee bit more low key this time. The first one was pretty much just a basic car club get-together albeit with hunners more folk in attendance! The second one had attracted a few stars including Arthur Gallacher who had dragged his M-Sport boss up to the Coltness ‘country club’ for a night-out and then the third one turned into an even more formal ‘Rally Forum’ when more guests turned up and the ‘Larkhall Foghorn’ had to be pressed into service as MC.

Anyway, the idea is to get back to basics, folk can just come and go as they wish, and have a natter (or not) with like minded folks. No timetable and no guest list, so there’s no need to be there for a certain time while later arrivals won’t miss anything. Having said that, someone might just get up at some point during the evening and utter a few words, but really no formal plans are being laid.

Things just got a wee bit out of hand over the past two years, so no expectations this time, just a chance for a natter and an opportunity to get a book ahead of the Christmas rush. More details and directions will follow.

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

#ScottishRally #RallyScotland
#MotorsportBooks

Thursday, 1 October 2026

Rally - Those were the days

 

They might need to dig out and dust down the old transporter – if they can find it !!

Rally - Good news for WRC!

 They’re back …. And coming to a Cumbria near you! About bluidy time too !!

Rally - Meanwhile, back in 1990

A fairy tale, or fake news? …. The following two images are taken from the rally programme for the 1990 Johnstons & Paton Rally in Argyll. This was the fourth round of the Esso Scottish Rally Championship that year and the event preview highlighted the appearance of another promising youngster while previewing the championship’s progress so far. Oh! And by the way, the entry fee was £140 plus 10 quid for event insurance while the 122 mile rally route, which started from Dunoon, contained eight Special Stages with 48 miles of forestry roads. And another thing, the rally started at 11.00am and the first cars were back in Dunoon just after 5!

The rally was won by Donald Milne and Bob Wilson in the Metro 6R4 from the Toyota Celica of Jimmy Girvan and Campbell Roy with the Mazda 323 of George Gauld and Stella Boyles in third place. As for the ‘hero’ of the preview, after setting third fastest time over the opening stage the gearbox of Dom Buckley and Doug Redpath’s Mazda dismantled itself rather violently!

Anyway, you might (or might not!) enjoy the preview as printed in Lanarkshire Car Club’s 22 page rally programme which was priced at 50p ….

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