Report from Jim Clark Memorial Reivers

Is it Manta sound like that?

The Titson Rally Team were on the move again, the destination this time was the Jim Clark Memorial Reivers Rally based in Kelso in Scotland. Hind sight is a wonderful thing and speaking from experience it would probably have been better to leave the rally car at home and take a fully equipped and crewed lifeboat! Small note here though about the use of the word "cottage" and its different meanings, North of the border it clearly means somewhere big enough to house a small army. However, the same can't be said for the parking spaces- they must have very small service barges and trailers, as "plenty of room" equates to a postage stamp size area. As you all know we don't like to get picky with organisers and I suppose the monsoon type weather wasn't really their fault, but it would have been nice if the competition numbers had actually stayed put until we reached the start! But of course it does confuse the witnesses if you aren't showing any numbers.

Sunday dawned and we were all ready for the off, we travelled all the way out to the 1st stage and waited, and waited, and waited…………….you get the picture! The 2nd stage was also cancelled, but at least the view was nice (Petunia) and at this point in the proceedings the sun was shining. We finally got to see some action on the 3rd stage and the boss made a good strong start after all the waiting around, no problems with going off the boil or loosing commitment here! After that it was back to service and then we spent the rest of the day doing 3 laps of two stages. It has to be said that the pace notes bore little or no relation to the actual stage on the ground whilst we were on the airfield section of stages 4,6 and 8. I suppose it was all a cunning plan hatched by the Scots to confuse us poor Southerners. After all I must have been mad to expect to see a chicane just because the notes said there was one! I suppose it all boils down to the Scottish style of driving…….drive like an idiot until you hit something (wall, straw bale, spectator) and then you turn the wheel!

Well it all went swimmingly, you know what I mean here, the heavens opened, the car takes on too much spray and dies, the navigator gets to push. Yes all the usual sordid details! It has to be said that the boss did an excellent job and apart from the drowning incident Bessie behaved herself very well and decided not to throw out all her bolts this time. We are excessively grateful for small mercies! Nick did a superb job in keeping us running but the Marvellous Mini Mechanic was sorely missed, hope you can make it next time Ralph! Small note to Steve, promise not to get too many spoons on the way to next one……he knows what I mean the rest of you can just guess!!!!!