Show - Biggar Vintage Show

Book-tique is Biggar bound …. This Sunday, 16th August, one of the highlights of the Classic Car Show season takes place at Biggar Showground, on the eastern outskirts of the south Lanarkshire town, famed for its ice cream, frozen yoghourt and chippie teas – and of course the annual Biggar Vintage Rally.

Organised by the Biggar Albion Foundation, this year’s entry features over 800 vehicles ranging from stationery engines and tractors to commercials and cars of all ages and vintages plus military and motor cycles – as well of course, a grand display of Scots-built Albion vehicles. It also has one of the better autojumble markets so while the weans are scoffing ice cream the tinkerers and collectors can have a good old rummage.

I don’t know where the Book-tique will be sited but just raise your eyes upwards and look for the chequered flag! The only regret I have is that I don’t get a chance to see round the whole show.

Further to yesterday’s progress report, David the designer has got back to me and says the text element of the next book has been laid out, or typeset, and he’s now working on the photographs. Also since yesterday another advert artwork has arrived leaving just one outstanding, but apparently it’s in hand !! Exciting times are here again.

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Book - Making progress

Two weeks ago I delivered all the text for the next book, ‘The Scottish Rally Championship 2010-2019’, to David the designer at Buchanan McPherson printers. He also got 60 photographs which will be inserted into that text and today the rest of the photographs for the two main photographic sections were delivered after a very difficult two weeks.

Difficult because I had to leave out so many evocative images. That’s also the fault of Alistair and Andrew Farquhar and John Lindsay who spoiled me for choice with such colourful and action-packed images – I even had to leave out some of my own photos!

Accompanying the latest batch of 280 photos are 280 captions and perhaps an apology might have to be made for one or two, or maybe quite a few! It would appear that some creative thoughts and ‘imagination’ have crept into a number of captions, although I suppose that I could try and blame AI. Sadly not, the human touch is all too evident - more Artificial Incompetence than Artificial Intelligence,

Anyway the job is done, or nearly done – I still have two adverts to chase up then I can sit back and wait for David to work his magic on the prose and pics.

As for the photos that didn’t make the final cut, here are a couple of examples which kind of illustrate the problem:

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Rally - More sad news

Another Scottish rallying stalwart has left the stage …. James Robert Baillie (Bob) Wilson (1948-2026) passed away last week (Aug 3rd) in Nairn Town & County Hospital.

His name won’t be familiar to the current generations, although it will be only too well recognised by those who competed throughout the 1970s right up to the 2000s. As a lifelong member of Highland Car Club he first appeared on navigational club rallies before progressing to special stage events, and in 1980 he won the Scottish Rally Championship Division 2 Co-Driver’s title alongside Champion Driver Wilson Girvan.

Like many people, Bob’s rallying had to play second fiddle to work and his rallying outings were often constrained by commitments to Morrison Construction, a business founded in Tain in the 1940s which rose to become one of the biggest construction companies in Scotland with Bob rising to the position of Company Director before he retired.

That meant that he was rarely able to commit to a full championship season but in 1990 he almost ‘accidentally’ got sucked into the whirlwind that was Donald Milne and scored enough rally finishes with him to finish 17th overall in the 1990 Co-Driver’s Championship. The following year Milne and Wilson swept all before them, culminating in them winning the national Scottish Rally Championship Driver and Co-Driver’s titles in 1991. A second championship title eluded Wilson in 1994 when he finished 3rd overall without being able to contest the full season!

Throughout this period and beyond, Bob competed as and when he could fitting in appearances when his rising work demands allowed. During his sporting career he also co-drove for such luminaries as Dougie Riach, Alastair McSkimming, Alistair Brearley, George Marshall, David Gillanders, Colin Valentine, John Baird and a certain Jim McRae.

Awards and trophies were never the target, the sole aims were the fun, the challenge and the craic. One could almost see the shoulders relax when he stepped out of the office into a rally car.

Our condolences to Bob’s wife Anne, his extended family and wide circle of friends.

Note: The funeral service is scheduled to take place at the United Reformed Church, Crescent Rd, Nairn IV12 4NB, on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, at 12:00 midday, followed by burial at Nairn Cemetery, Househill Terrace, Nairn IV12 5AP.

 

Rally - A helluva show

Looking back on the weekend’s Voly Grampian Rally, Stonehaven & District MC put on one helluva show for the great, the good and the ungodly visitors from afar. And not just the club members because there was a whole army of Marshals behind them as well as serried ranks of other officials, members of the rally organising team and other volunteers. In fact there were more breakdown and recovery crews on station in the north east than professional RAC/AA crews – going by recent waiting times for drivers in distress that is!

But if anyone left the party thinking the weekend’s rally provided a fitting measurement of what an FIA sanctioned World Rally Championship event will need – think again. For those who have never visited a round of the World Rally Championship they can have no idea of the scale of the operation, the manpower that is needed and the sheer expanse of ground that the event’s footprint will require.

Of course the P&J Arena is massive and while it might be able to accommodate all the actual World Championship teams there could be an overspill depending on the total number of cars and crews entered because you can bet your last bawbee that every clubman in Scotland will be awfy keen to  be a part of this event not to mention other UK crews from the south and across the water, and who knows, other teams from Europeland as well.

Aberdeen with its airport and hotel accommodation certainly enhances the appeal of the north east to host such an event but what about the influx of visitors? According to observers and competing crews at the weekend there were more folk in the forests than trees – or maybe that was indicative of Forest & Land’s planting schedule these days! Whatever, roads were busy, car parks full and spectator areas bursting at the seams – and that was just a two day BRC/SRC event, albeit with added guests!

What might well be needed is an ‘overspill’ area which could accommodate the club crews. And while they might not be able to share the same star-studded and hallowed ground on which the WRC stars are encamped, their own separate ‘satellite’ operation might well be required although Milton of Crathes might not be the ideal choice – in October!

It’s not just the team trucks and temporary ‘garages’ that require sufficient space for individual encampments but all the team personnel need to park their own transport somewhere close by. Chase cars, recce cars, parts trucks, personnel transport to and from hotels and then there are the Tyre Trucks and technical back-up services which need to be accommodated. And let’s not forget the rally organising teams themselves, officials from various clubs, marshals and of course representatives from Motorsport UK and the FIA plus all the other visiting officials and ‘hingers-oan’ and of course they’ll all need to be fed so catering vans and marquees will be needed, maybe even some ice cream vans – in October! And if there is a fan-zone, that will require more space and catering outlets, so that’s another great skelp of ground required plus space to park the spectators and on-site staff.

Of course, all the senior officials, organisers and results teams need to be housed under cover and all the equipment that will be required to safely manage and monitor the whole event. And then there’s ‘the meedja’ with their ever unsatiable appetite for room to work and space to expand and requirement for instant access to all things results and information. Oh! and no doubt there will be some ‘influencers’ seeking access to such an event! Some of them are OK but there are those amongst them who have ideas above their self-important station in life, so they’ll want some hand-holders!

If that wasn’t enough, no doubt there will be some ‘dignitaries’ from the political and business worlds seeking some time media time in the spotlight, and they and their entourages will have to be accommodated as well, albeit not for any lengthy duration, but their presence always brings additional organisational headaches.

And let’s not forget the fans. They will want access to the service area as well as the stages and they will need space to park their cars and fan-mobiles. They’ll also need advice and information regarding stages, spectator car parks and access and that means a willing, helpful and kindly Police Force working with the rally volunteers! The Scandinavians are pretty good on the people-management front, but personal experience (that’s another story!) of the Greek ‘authorities’ is somewhat scary – the Polis were armed, and not with water pistols! 
 
In other words if you thought the weekend’s operation at Milton of Crathes was impressive – you ain’t seen nothing yet. One thing’s for sure, there will be no room for the mobile Book-tique !!

#ScottishRally #RallyWeekend #GrampianRally
#MotorsportBooks
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Rally - Booktique in residence!

 Arrival in Crathes .... So much for the weather 'forecaster's' crystal ball gazing, or sticking a finger oot the windae. They said rain in the east, well, we've got it in the west as well! Anyway, got the Book-tique squeezed onto its spitch but won't put books on display till I see if the rain goes off! Fingers crossed. With over 90 cars entered on the Voly Grampian Rally plus their supporting vans and trucks, the Milton of Crathes site is already looking awfy busy, albeit folks are just arriving to take the covers off and get the tea urns boiling. Anyway the flag is up so rhat means I am now officially in residence. Just had a wee smile to myself, Arthur Gallacher has just arrived with the M Sport wagon, took one look at his allocated pitch then stepped it out to see if his truck would fit. Now just to sit back and watch him manoeuvre it in. So that's this morning's entertainment sorted!

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Rally - Book-tique heads North

Sounds like it’s going to be quite a ‘do’ in the north east this coming weekend for the Voly Grampian Rally. What an entry! The great and the good (that’s the internationalists) are due to meet up with the blessed and the beautiful (that’s us, the national and club rally folk) to do battle in the Grampian forests. 

In some ways it might just bring back the spectacle of the old RSAC Scottish rallies when they were truly ‘international’ and the Granite City rallies when they were truly ‘national’. This weekend’s forestry feast might not match the rambling stage menus and mileages of old, but it will give us a wee taste of what’s to come. If folk think this will be a big weekend in Banchory, just wait till next year! Mrs McCombie had better start her cake baking now!

Anyway, the mobile Book-tique will be there and I still have some posters left! I keep telling folk, they cannae order them on-line or ask me to hold some back – once they’re gone, they’re gone!

I might have to bring some extra books with me as well. It would appear that some folk are of the opinion that these books will provide a source of inside information on the north east forests as they contain reports and tales from Scottish and Granite rallies in the past and therefore offer up some idea of the competition and the nature of the roads. Misguided? I don’t care, if they want to buy the books, then I’ll sell them. In fact I might even do a deal for all three – for cash!

So if you’re looking for the red Transit and red chequered flag flying high (well, medium high – that Welsh bloke still has a taller flag pole than me!) it will be in the Service Area at Milton of Crathes as opposed to the ‘RallyZone’ at Banchory. That’s because these books probably won’t appeal to the general public, more the genuine rally enthusiasts, fans and followers.

The Book-tique will be there all day Friday and Saturday, 7th and 8th August.

#ScottishRally #RallyWeekend #GrampianRally
#MotorsportBooks
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Rally - Cauld white stoor

Not that I want to give next week’s visitors to the ‘real’ North (as opposed to Mr Burnham’s vision of ‘the north’) the heebie jeebies ahead of their arrival, but it’s better to arrive informed than turn up in ignorance, is it not? For those in the deep south more used to heatwaves, it might just be advisable to pack a set of snow tyres and frostbite lotion alongside the sunscreen and slicks ahead of next weekend’s Voly Grampian Rally, 7/8 August.

Whilst some folk (who live closer to France than Scotland) have been sweltering in above 20 degree heat there are tales up here of hungry polar bears marauding the outskirts of remote settlements. Rest assured there is one thing that Scotland has plenty of, and that’s weather – of all varieties, and often seen in the same day!

For instance, the Granite City Rally of 1983 was a case in point. Where folk expected sandy, gritty clouds of kicked-up stoor, as defined in last week’s FB post, they were greeted with the icy white variety which fell from the heavens 

Back then, when four wheel drive was a novelty, Darryl Weidner and Doug Hart won the Granite City Rally in their Audi quattro with a time of 87 minutes 23 seconds for the 16 stage, 80 mile route. But possibly with the ‘drive of the day’, George Marshall and Ken Wilson in their Vauxhall Chevette finished second only 16 seconds behind the flying turbo tractor.

In third place was the Ford Escort of David Llewellin/Martin James ahead of the Escort of Terry Pankhurst/Roger Freeman and the Opel Ascona 400 of Phil Collins/Stuart Harrold. Rounding off the top six were Allan Arneil and David Cannon in another Escort 

Don’t believe me? The pictures tell their own tales and show Allan Arneil, Hugh Munro, Ivor Clark, Mike Stuart and Wilson Girvan.

Welcome to the true North!

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