Of course I blame the Government, Trumpland, the oil companies, the gas and electric companies, the greedy big supermarkets, the crooks that run the Water Boards, the bigger crooks who work in Stock Exchanges and Banks – we all same to be paying more for poorer quality, smaller quantities and worse service.
Where once this home made succulence was mouthful and chunky, it is but a shadow of its former self. Not so much a ‘sugar fix’ as a ‘sugar tickle’!
We’re doomed, we’re all doomed !!
The Mayfield Garage Services Rally, Sunday 10th May - Grudge match or friendly rivalry? This weekend’s rally at Kames, Muirkirk, has a full-house entry of Seniors and Juniors who will contest 14 stages commencing at 9.00am on Sunday morning.
Heading the entry list are four previous Kames Rally winners including last year’s victors Steven Street and Robert Wood. Hot favourites? You decide, because right behind them are three times Kames Rally winners Graham Bruce and David Aitken 2022, ‘23 and ‘24, so they know their way around. Behind them at number 3 is Billy McLelland who won the Albar Kames Rally in 2009 - and the Kames Time Trial in 2010 with Helen Brown co-driving. This weekend Billy will be partnered by Eamon Boyle.
Running at number four are Colin Gemmell, and Derek Keir, who won the Albar Kames Rally in 2017 in a Ford Escort Mk2 - and finished 2nd in 2014 with Chris Hunter in a Subaru. Colin also won the Kames May Rally Time Trial in 2012 and finished 2nd in 2011, plus his faither Ian was one of the original East Ayrshire Car Club stalwarts behind the idea of a Kames Motorsport Complex 46 years ago and was instrumental in the track design!
Running at number five are William Pollock and John Marshall who were third at Kames in 2023, so all they have to do is blow the doors off the four seeds ahead of them and they’ll be in the trophy hunt. But keep an eye out for Peter O’Neill and Eilidh Williamson who are running at number 6 in a Vauxhall Nova behind three Escort Mk2s, a Subaru and a VW Golf R7. They were fourth in the wee flyer last year and 3rd the year before!!
In total there are 27 ‘senior’ entries and 18 ‘Junior’ entries, this latter group contesting their own Junior 1000 Ecosse Championship for 14-17 year olds in a variety of one litre cars. This is the ideal training ground for youngsters seeking a start in stage rallying but if you think the auld gits in the Seniors class are competitive wait till you see the ‘up and at ‘em’ brigade in their buzz bombs – just stand well back.
And playing a starring role at Kames is the café and it is always a delight to see what tortuously tasty tray bakes will be on offer on the day along with other more mundane delicacies like bacon sandwiches, and maybe even pie sandwiches!
Spectators on the day, and interest from afar, can find results on the event at the www.scotresults.org website run throughout the day by Raymon Mann and his magnificent steam driven, coal-fired computerisator machine.
Also in attendance will be the Book-tique (the red Ford Transit Custom) selling copies of the ‘Scottish Rally Championship’ books compiled, written, produced and published in Scotland. There won’t be a display or a marquee though due to space restrictions at this awfy busy international motor sports venue, but if you see the van I’ll not be far away. If you don’t know what I look like then just look for the most handsome bloke in the paddock - and then work back from there !!
The Book-tique made its first appearance of the year at Elgin the other week for the ‘Be More Colin’ Superstage event where again restrictions on space made for a more modest display, but only one potential customer needed an OS map reference to find it! And if I get permission I’ll put up my flag!
And if you fail to find me you can always buy the books on line:
https://fife-motor-sports-agency.square.site/
#rallyscotland
#motorsportbooks
Open for business! Tight for space here in the main service area for the 'Be More Colin' Superstage event in Elgin, so no room for the wee marquee. The stage itself is just a short stroll away in Cooper Park beside the half built or half demolished Elgin Cathedral, what a shame. All that scaffolding around it, still I think it will be finished quicker than a new CalMac ferry, eh?
The plan is to park the red Ford Transit Custom in the main Service area so that rally fans will be able to find it rather than set up in the spectators enclosures, because the casual spectator won’t be interested in such an informative and entertaining tome – only the diehards. And to help you find the van, look for the flag pole with the red and white chequered flag fluttering in the breeze or hanging limply in the mild Spring air!
Working on these books has been a great joy and memory box tickler because looking back on events past is a reminder of where many of today’s and yesterday’s top Scottish rally stars started, for instance, Colin McRae in a Sunbeam, Robbie Head and David Bogie in Novas and Euan Thorburn and Garry Pearson in Peugeots and of course Jock Armstrong doing star-jumps out of his pram! Only kidding Jock – honest!
You can also look before you buy as samples will be on display.
For more information on the weekend’s activities, 63 Car Club who are organising this weekend’s rather special event in memory of a lost car club member, have published full details plus a map on their Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1423316002930665&set=a.219617156633895
The invited list of 45 competing crews will be headed by record breaking, seven times Scottish Rally Champion and current Scottish Champion David Bogie with local co-driver Daniel Forsyth and he’s bringing his glorious Ford Escort Mk2. And if you get a chance have a peek under the bunnet and lie on the flair tae have look underneath. This no ‘normal’ Mk2! And joining the Ford-fun filled fray, Bruce McCombie, Barry Groundwater and Scott Mutch have forsaken four wheel drive in favour of Escorts and they’ll be up against the likes of Andy Horne in a Hyundai i20 R5 and Johnnie Mackay and Brett MacKenzie in their Mitsubishi Lancers. And something else to tickle the earbuds, Ben McDowall’s BMW!
And then of course there is the ‘stand well back’ brigade led by Paddy Munro, ‘Dangerous’ Des Campbell, Nick Runcie and Brian ‘The Sheriff’ Watson. And no doubt bringing a tear to the eye and a tug at the heart strings will be Kenny Watt’s original wee Mini – as opposed to the German sausage tin varieties! All this and more.
Eight stages around the perimeter of Cooper Park in the centre of Elgin will feature non-stop action on Saturday from 8.55 am until 5.00 pm, with Scrutineering on Friday evening – ah cannae wait!
And if you fail to find me you can always buy the books on line:
https://fife-motor-sports-agency.square.site/
#rallyscotland
#motorsportbooks
However, methinks he has lost sight of the fact that it is the taxpayers money he’s spending, not his own. This is the guy who came to office promising to cut our annual fuel bills by £300. That has gone well hasn’t it? Ever since he took office prices have increased and increased again and the £300 promise has been replaced by a £150 promise. Meanwhile our energy costs have risen way beyond any saving he has promised. Not only that our energy bills have a ‘green levy’ imposed upon them to enable him to pursue his blinkered mission, so we’re paying even more tax.
And as for his proposed additional 'windfall tax' on the oil companies what's the betting these private utilities (they are not public utilities) will not seek other ways to recoup and protect their profits, directors bonuses and shareholders dividends?
The saying caught between a rock and hard place springs to mind, but then nothing should surprise us any more with regard to tax levies and oil prices. The attached photograph was taken at the Jim Clark Rally way back in 2014 – remember the tanker drivers strike ??
Any excuse will do to raise prices, eh? Happy days are here again !!