Goodbye BFR, Hello TCW
Having exhausted my supply of photos of Roy's blue Mexico BFR 632L, the story continues with my red one, TCW 360K. But it's such a long story (and may continue to be from now on...!) that I've changed format a little. Hope you like it.
The
story continues. 1974: Dad (Roy) had just rolled the blue Mexico on the next
event after his first overall win; his favourite rally (Mull of course!) was
approaching but the car couldn’t be repaired in time. Meanwhile I’d just
changed jobs and bought Jeff Smith’s road car, a MkI Mexico – but not rally prepared.
I had to fit a sumpguard, roll cage, fireproof the rear bulkhead, and… I think
that was all, but anything else we needed to get through scrutineering.
Mid-week, with mum & dad already on Mull, I set off, arriving at Lochaline
around 5pm. When the ferry came in I
asked the deckhand when it was returning to Fishnish. “Half past seven!” he
replied, cheerily – “in the morning!”
Crestfallen, I drove to the Sunart Hotel and had an evening meal in the
company of a travelling tailor: every spring he visited the area to measure
customers for suits etc, and then in the autumn he returned to deliver, make
final adjustments, and receive payment.
Something tells me that that kind of business no longer exists!
I
drove back to Lochaline and slept (spent the night) in the car. The rally format then was Saturday afternoon
start with a couple of forest stages plus Glengorm, a public road but no-one
bothered! Mum was marshalling at the
finish near the Tobermory junction, as I flew over the final crest, all four
wheels off the ground. “Oh my God! Said
mum, “I thought you said you would take it easy!” to which I of course replied
“I am doing mum…”
I
can’t remember the final result – also rans I guess - but we’d done it, finished it, car in one
piece, and father’s honour still reasonably intact. No photo from that event so here’s one from a
couple of years later.
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Now for the first photo without dad Roy. My Mexico, c1976... but before I tell the story of this event, you might try to work out the identity of my navigator, a well-known figure in NW rallying circles...
...Still
single, and therefore with just enough money to do the odd rally, nevertheless
I continued navigating when I could, and so it was that I entered Shipley &
District’s Budget Rally – 1976 ish – as John Morton’s left-hand man. But on
Saturday morning John called to say his car wouldn’t be ready. Instead of
non-starting though, we decided I would drive my car and John would navigate –
the only problem being my rear brakes were useless.
So
we took the car down to Bob Parker’s garage in Clitheroe and got the brakes
working, when I happened to mention I’d no idea how to do a handbrake
turn. Astonished, Bob decided to
demonstrate with his own Mexico – thankfully, as it turned out, as his
near-perfect handbrake turn at the bottom of the yard ended with the rear wing
making very firm contact with a wall – good job Bob was a body repair
specialist!
We
led the rally at petrol. John had the
rare ability to read virtual pace notes along roads he knew – from memory. It’s a skill I’ve never had, but believe me,
Fair Oak, or Little Bowland, saw us take a very comfortable fastest. John’s wife Christine used to live at a farm
on that road, so he knew it as well as anyone.
Sadly
a treacherous frost descended and I became much too cautious (it really was
slippery!) with the result that we dropped to 5th overall. Oh, and at the finish – on the outskirts of
Skipton – all the competitors were interviewed by the police in connection with
a murder that had taken place in the town the previous evening. The unexpected joys of rallying!
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Another one in TCW 360K with Roy on the maps. I wish now that I'd kept better records: I had that car from 1974 to 1978 but can't be sure what year or what event this was. Still, each photo asks a few questions and evokes a few comments - Dad has eschewed his usual tie but now sports a rather nifty flat cap; he now has a light above his door to assist the marshals; and what happened to my front quarter-bumpers? If you want to know why I sold it, the reason was (a) I got married to Val (still together!) and (b) the mortgage rate went up to about 12% from 8%. Money went from tight to non-existent. But I still found a way to enjoy rallying...
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Not sure why dad (Roy) didn’t navigate on this event in August 1976, but here I am with another mystery navigator and once again I’ll see who comes up with the right name. I hope it’s a little more testing this time, but who knows?...
...Steph Mason, normally seen in those days navigating for her
husband, the late Fred Mason, in his amazing Ford Anglia. A few years earlier HRH Prince Michael of
Kent entered the Devil’s Own rally, (appearing uncomfortable with his personal
security guards); I was spectating on
the A683 Kirkby Lonsdale – Sedbergh road on a tight HP left junction at
97/631891. As they came into sight, Fred
and Steph had just caught HRH; he hesitated for too long on the slot left and
Fred masterfully ‘undertook’ him on the inside of the junction and was
gone! Wonderful!
Prince
Michael presented me and John ‘Chocolate’ Morley with our 2nd in
class award on the 1986 Lombard RAC. Now
I’m not one to name-drop… but I met him again at a Buckingham Palace Garden Party
nearly six years ago, and told him of my interest in motorsport and
rallying. His eyes lit up and we would
have been nattering for ages if his equerries hadn’t given him the ‘hurry-up’
after ten minutes!
I
particularly remember the time around this rally, because my right testicle had
become very swollen. Fortunately a very embarrassed me went to the doctor who
quickly got me whisked into hospital in time to remove the offending cancerous
(as it turned out) body part: I then
underwent radiotherapy at the Christie Hospital. Over 43 years later I’m still here. If I hadn’t gone to the doctor in good time I
would have died, so take it from me (especially if you’re under 35), DON’T die
from embarrassment. Go and see your
doctor if you notice anything unusual.
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