Once again a new month appears and I have to think of how to fill the space on the page especially as there is a bit of a lull in the competition events within the club. As I am sat here typing this I have my nestbox camera monitor switched on and looking at four newly hatched baby Sparrows, yep it’s Spring, the babies have barely hatched and the parents are already feeding.

Club Annual General Meeting, this was held at Tresmeer Village Hall on the 4th of April, it would be nice to say that we were bursting at the seams with volunteers for all the posts of office but no one would believe me anyway. We did however manage to vote in a new Chairman and Secretary so that was a bit of a result. Peter Cooper is now the new chairman and Andy Prosser is the new secretary, contact details for them can be found on the club website. Thanks to both of them for stepping forward.

The club owes a big thanks for outgoing Chairman Warin Kelly and to the outgoing Secretary Pat Gomm, these two people have been the mainstay of the club for more years than they probably wish to admit, to say that we are grateful for all their years of hard work is an understatement. So once again Thankyou to both of you!

The Motor Traders Trial is due to be held on July the 7th at Waterloo Farm , North Petherwin. Regulations for this should be out soon, I will probably have more details for you in the June newsletter.

Thoughts and pre-planning is under way for this year’s Tamar Trial in October, it seems a while off but it will probably come around all too soon, and there will be other events in the meantime.

I attended the Dellow Register AGM last weekend so we gave the camper van a wash and made a weekend of it in the Cotswolds, a very lovely area of which to be honest I knew little of so it was good to have a look around, one of the things I gleaned was that I can’t afford to move there. Whilst away the home rugby team the Cornish All Blacks were in a play-off match for promotion to the next league. Nigel Cowling sent me a text at half time of the score, we were losing 0 to 19, then he sent me another at full time and we’ve won 33 to 22, I would love to have heard the mid match team talk !!

In the garage I have added to my collection of scooters with another Lambretta, this time a model Lui, this boasts an earth shattering 50 cc’s and three gears to choose from, not that it shattered much riding around my yard.

Over the Easter Weekend Mike Wevill and I did the Lands End Trial in the Dellow, to say it was a contrast to the previous year is an understatement, last year we drove through heavy rain, snow covered hedges and flooded roads.

This year we were followed by a beautiful full moon on the night run and glorious sun in the daytime, I’ve never done the Lands End in such warm temperatures, you would think we would be grateful but it brought its own problems with intermittent fuel vaporisation. When we got to Perranporth Roger Bricknell suggested putting a wedge under the rear of the bonnet to increase air flow. Top man, this actually made a difference and we romped up Bluehills 2.

When we got to the finish Mike and I were congratulating ourselves in that we had a clean sheet barring one possible misdemeanour, just over a week later we got the results and we are relegated to the “also rans”, you know what they say about counting chickens. On the positive side the supercharger worked well.

Our Club President Robin Moore wrote a very interesting article (see attachment) on Ruses Mill which was printed in the letters column of the Cornish & Devon Post newspaper, a real piece of motoring history, well done Robin.

Some of the notable results of the event

Class C Dave Craddock, Best in class
Class D winner Simon Urell/Julie Williams
Class 7 Winner Peter Tudor
Class 4 Winner Dennis Greenslade
Class 3 Winner Andrew Martin
Class R Gold Ray & Rosemary Goodright
Class R Silver Andy Smith & Joe Caudle
Class R Silver Simon Oates & John Werren
Class O winner Motorcycle Phil Hingley, despite breaking down three times on the way to the start. His brother Ian had the misfortune of breaking down at Barbrook at silly o’clock in the morning and had to wait 12 hours for recovery.!! Although the kind people in the filling station did look after him with cups of tea and a comfortable chair to sit in.

Not quite the same hospitality at the start venue car park at Plusha! I was somewhat disturbed to hear that some competitors who parked their vehicles overnight were hit with heavy fines/penalties. It seems that these were picked up on the security cameras and dealt with somewhat harshly.

I suppose it is a question of were they warned of this in the final instructions, the galling thing is that they most probably spent money in one or other of the two establishments there.

All for now J.T.
E mail billjan299@gmail.com

Hill climbs at Ruses Mill From Robin H T Moore: THE Post, dated March 21 printed an image of a Bugatti climbing the hill at Ruses Mill in Launceston, whilst taking part in a competitive event. So much has changed over the last 90 years, that at a glance 1 questioned where or not the photo depicted was actually of Ruses Mill, for I have known this place for over 60 years, and in my time has always had a metalled surface.

I contacted Barrie Kiuton, archivist of The Motor Cycling Club (MCC was founded 1901) and also checked records from my own collection, and I am able to confirm the venue as Ruses Mill, first used by the MCC as part of the Land’s End Trial of 1930 when the picture was taken.

Ninety years ago the surface of the hill was nothing more than a rough muddy track making it difficult for motorised vehicles to find enough grip to maintain forward motion, This caused a problem for many competitors taking part in this 1930 event. Failing to maintain forward motion on a nonstop ascent incurred a penalty.

Competitor number 365 as depicted was one of the those that failed Ruses on that event: The car appears to be a Type 44 Bugatti entered by Col 1.M Giles of the Bugatti Games club, Col Giles was a regular competitor in the MCC events, including their timed high speed trials held on the outer circuit at Brooklands, where he averaged 84.41 mph in the 1931 event, In one such competitors, Giles actually beat Lt Col, Goidle Gardener of At one time Col Giles became interested in the 1913 chain-driven five litre Bugatti which Miss Guy Cummings had driven in sprints. This famous car known as “Black Bess” is persevered to this day.

The Motor Cycling Club’s three long distance reliability trials, The Exeter to Edinburgh Land’s End, (classic trials as they are now known) still take place annually, attracting large entries. The Lands’ End taking place this Easter will once again see Ruses Mill included in the route for some of the classes to tackle, maintaining tradition and the heritage of this event.

The Motor Cycling Club have always enjoyed the goodwill and support of the residents, family community and the parish council of this annual invasion of motor sport enthusiasts, maintaining the history and containing enjoyment of many persons, particularly those taking part. In conclusion, readers may be interested to know that for the 1930 Land’s End, Ruses Mill was the first hill to be tackled after the Launceston time check, and where competitors were allowed a one and a half hour lunch break, having parked their vehicles in the Guildhail Square, the first competitor being due at 10am. The route car stated: Proceed without waiting to Guildhall Square. Park as directed. Sign and lunch at Town Hall. Control from timing point to start after lunch. Well there’s food for thought.

Camelford