Rally
of the Borders
- 24 September A
dry and brightening sky welcomed some 30 crews to the start of the
Rally of the Borders. After refueling of cars and crews (great
breakfast at Elginhaugh Farm diner) we headed of south, using minor and
fascinating roads. We crossed
many little known roads not used on our previous events taking
us across magnificent countryside, passing and visiting new and
unusual
places.
Our first stage was over the Lammermuir Hills toward Duns, the home of
the Jim Clark museum. Te sun was out and skies blue as we continued
south and over the border into Northumberland
Ralph Forbes great route was enjoyed by all the crews.
I joined the RSAC Three Lochs Classic which returned to The Royal
Northern and Clyde Yacht Club, in Rhu, with Keith Butler and Andrew
Pemberton, to form the
Concours d'Elegance judges.
65 cars filled the forecourt of the club house building, setting off on
either the 'Big' route of some 90 miles or the 'Wee' route to suit
Veteran,Vintage and Classic Cars of around 53 miles. The returning
crews enjoyed afternoon tea and prizegiving at the Yacht Club club
house.
Heavy
rain and surface water on way to start of the event seemed a bad omen,
but the weather changed as the sun rose to fill the sky. A
great
tour visiting interesting locations on route crossing roads not seen on
our tours across Fife and the Ochil Hills.
Annual General Meeting - 25 May 2023 A
number of members joined the board for the Annual General Meeting on
Thursday 25th
May at the Royal George Hotel, Perth. Reports were provided on the
past year ending March 2023. These included events, financial
and membership status. Director re-elections were completed and
the principal office bearers, i.e. Chairperson, Company Secretary and
Treasurer elected. A discussion on future activities of the club were
also discussed.
The weather forecast
was not good, but our start remained dry and the storms did not
appear. Our thirty plus crews found sunshine and a few light showers
on the 120 mile route from the Black Watch museum in Perth across the
regiments home country. Bridges formed a large part of our tour,
crossing the River Tay, and others many times as we climbed into the
Grampians and beyond.
The Old Girl is on the move After
nearly a decade hosted at the Riverside Museum of Transport in Glasgow,
the time came for “The Old Girl” to move to a new home.
Gifted to the then Royal Scottish Automobile Club in 1974, “The Old Girl” is the second oldest Rolls Royce in the world.
One
of the terms of the bequest are that the car should be on public
display in Scotland. There are not many places that have both the space
and expertise to be able to display and preserve The Old Girl. Full Story
News from 2022
Classic High
Tea - Sunday 4
December
Our
end
of the touring
year for members to get together to
chat about their year of classic motoring, took place at our usual
venue at the Royal George Hotel in
Perth. Over thirty members made it on a sunny, if rather freezing cold
afternoon. The meals were great and of course the world famous
Meringues took pride of place on the tea plate that followed.
We met up at M-Sport at Dovenby Hall near Cockermouth. Our guide Roger introduced us to the new facilities we would be seeing.
The major changes since we were last here in 2019 were the test track,
which was an empty site last time, and the updated cars now that we are
in the 'Hybrid' era.
After the intro and refreshments we started on our way.
The
crews lined up at Gretna Green Outlet Village to sign on, refresh
themselves at Costa Coffee ready for the first day of some 195 miles
into the North of England.
With
the border only yards away they were soon in England. The route headed
south east through Weardale and on to the Cleveland Hills on the way to
the overnight at Harrogate.
The second day, Sunday 18th, a shorter route at 125 miles ,headed west
into the Yorkshire Dales toward the Forest of Bowland, A
return into the Yorkshire Dales passed through Wensleydale
(Famous for its cheese and Wallace and Grommit fame). Reaching
Cumbria heading north the crews arrived at their destination in
Penrith, where the local Golf Course put on an excellent finishers
meal. Entry List
Around 50 Veteran, Vintage & Classic cars turned out for the RSAC
Motorsport Three Lochs Run on Sunday 21st August.
This year was the 20th running of the Three Lochs, and returned to the Royal Northern & Clyde Yacht Club in Rhu,
Helensburgh, where the first Three Lochs was held in 2002.
The new routes offerd a
run up the old Military Road at the Rest and Be Thankful.
Once again there was a short
route suitable for cars in the Veteran Class and any others who may
prefer it, and a long route for everyone else
Line-up on track at the Grampian Transport Museum in Alford
This
new
event is based on visits to classic car and motorsporting museums
started off under sun filled skies at the Dundee Museum of Transport on
Sunday 24 July. The route headed north
into the Scottish highlands. Though we experienced a few heavy showers
most of the soft tops managed to keep tops down most of the time.
A
call in at the Grampian Transport Museum in Alford for lunch and a walk
round the exhibits allowed the crews to swap stories and see the
development of transport from horse power, steam, petrol, diesel,
electric and autonomous motoring. Our second leg headed south toward
Edzell, with a sting in the tail that caught us all out.
After
a two year break due to the Covid pandemic, the popular Loch Ness
Classic Car Tour bounced back very successfully on June 4th. Over
£5000 was raised by the entrants, primarily supporting Prostate
Scotland with the remainder going to the Club’s Charity Account.
Our
opening event for 2022 was our tribute tour to the Black Watch. Some
38 starters gathered at Balhousie Castle, home of the Black Watch
museum for a 140 mile tour across hills and glens of Perth and Kinross.
Or
tour headed west reaching Drummond Castle where time was allowed to
walk through the stunning gardens over a picnic lunch. We were favoured
with the use of the castle courtyard where a selection of the cars
were allowed to enter and park up. With an entrance gate just wide
enough for some of the wider cars it proved a tight fit for some. Our
return trip took us through the pass of Condie and the model village of
Forteviot to arrive back at Balhousie castle for our finishers meal. A
great day out under sunny skies meeting old friends, and making many
new.
Dave
Spence It
is with much sadness we report that Dave Spence,
Crofterra
organiser & the Master of the amazing route books,
passed
away on Tuesday morning 1st February, following a long illness.
Dave
designed and created many of CCHMSC tours and events, including our
Covid virtual tours, the bi-annual Continental tours, and latterly the
Grand Caledonian Tour (see below).
Dave will be
very much missed by our club, HCC and many more across the country.
Many
car club members attended the funeral on Thursday 10 February
in
Inverness, where Dave's close friend and neighbour for many years
Roddie Main, presented the eulogy. In addition to his motorsport
activities we heard of his golf and skiing pastimes too. A slide show
of Dave from youngster to his senior years allowed many to reflect on
their experiences and good times we all enjoyed throughout his life. On
behalf of our club we offered our condolences to his wife Maureen and
their wider family.
Memorial Event
At
a recent Committee meeting it was agreed that our two day Dales, Moors and
Forest event on 17 & 18 September be run in Dave's memory, as he
designed and planned the event, under the name
Dave's Dales, Moors, and Forest tour.
Full details soon.
Crofterra announces new
format for 22
HCC have announced
a new 2 day 370 mile Crofterra, starting and finishing at Inverness, 3 & 4 September.
New
style simpler navigation, and low entry fee, while retaining the
quality finisher awards which are a hallmark of this
event, are
designed to attract those new to the sport and keen to enter.
This
year the route will cover the Grampians, Perthshire and Argyll.
Classic High Tea - 5 December 2021 Our annual get together of club members and enthusiasts for a
pre-Christmas high tea at the
Royal George Hotel in Perth attracted over 30 members. From across
Scotland our members made the trip and duly followed the Covid
constraints in place. We enjoyed our meal and once again the famous
Royal George meringues, the largest, tastiest meringues on the
planet, allegedly!!
Jim
thanked everyone for coming, given the uncertainty of ever changing
restrictions. With the new variant 'Omicron' on the rise we thought a
lockdown might catch us out. Fortunately not as it turned out. Jim
then made a special thanks to Dave Spence, who was unable to join us
due to health reasons, but is one of the club's 'stars', designing and
drafting lots of our roadbooks. In addition he designed our two virtual
events La Carrera Lockdown and the later La Carrera Pandemica, both
well attended by enthusiasts from not only the UK, but across
Europe. Full Story and Pictures
Grand Caledonian Tour -
25 September to 9 October
Tales of the Tour
John Stuart 1975 Alpine and Owler 1971 model take centre stage
The crews have completed the inaugural Grand Caledonian Tour, the club's first 'round Scotland tour. Despite the fuel
shortage 'panic buying', the crews arrived ready to start their 15 day tour of Scotland visiting the all 4
points of the compass.
The
sun broke through and the temperature rose as the crews gathered at
Dobbies Eskbank for the start of the Grand Caledonian Tour on Saturday
25 September. It is a thrill to see the famous Renault Alpine A110 at
any event, but we were treated to not one but two members
fronting up the departures, Andy Owler in his yellow 1971 model, and
John Stuart in his red 1975 version.
Clark Quattro and Bartniczek Alfa line up to depart
Crews gathering
Crews gathering
Richard Spalding in Healey 3000
Campbell Bristol 412
The tour visited Highland,
Lowland, mountains, glens, coasts and islands.
Fabulous scenery,
and fantastic roads.
CCHMSC AGM - 16 September 2021 The
Annual General Meeting of the Caledonian
Classic and Historic Motor Sport Club Ltd took place on Thursday
16
September 2021 at the Royal George Hotel, Perth. The reports of
activities over the past year were presented. Despite the pandemic the
club had created a number of 'virtual' events which were well supported
by members entries. The financial report and accounts were also
accepted, and the election of Club Directors agreed. A discussion
over the 2022 events calendar concluded the meeting. Latest Board of Club Directors Full
Agenda HERE
HCC Crofterra gets of to a great start - Saturday 11 September
A wave from first car away
Some
60 plus classic, and sporting cars got safely away from Fairways
at Inverness on their two day tour of the Scottish highlands. Full story and pictures
Blairgowrie Classic Car Tour:Drive it Day - Sunday 22 August
Around
80 classic and supercars assembled at Blairgowrie Golf Club for the 2021
'Drive it Day, delayed by pandemic from April. We headed south into
Fife, along the south side of the Tay, making our way to the picnic
lunch stop in St. Andrews. From there it was west through Fife to
Kinross, Crieff, north to Aberfeldy to our finish at the Atholl Palace
hotel in Pitlochry. A great meal was followed by a raffle and auction.
The event raised £27000 for the headline charities, Bowel Cancer UK,
and Alzheimer Scotland.
Red Hackle Tour
- Sunday 15 August 2021 Full Story
A dry start beckoned well for the 40 starters to the first post Covid club event of 2021.
With each starter being Piped away by our two pipers put a spring into all our steps.
Soon
the clouds cleared to provide a sunfilled 140 mile drive across many
little known roads across the counties of Perth and Kinross, and Angus.
Outstanding
views and tight traffic clear roads abounded as we could see the River
Tay to the south and the Grampian mountains to the north.
With
a lunch stop to catch up with fellow classic car crews and even a
stopover for an ice cream, before crossing a ford on the homeward
leg proved a real winner.
Starting
and finishing at the Black Watch museum at Balhousie Castle
in Perth proved yet again a great venue for this event.
RSAC Three
Lochs Classic - Sunday 8 August
Twenty
starters started from the Morris Equestrian Centre at Fenwick for this
years event. The sunny start soon turned into thundery showers as the
crews headed north west. Despite this unwelcome deluge the crews
progressed into calmer weather to enjoy a drive round this amazing part
of Scotland. Full story and pictures
Dundee Museum of Transport Presentation 27 May 2021
Museum manager Alexander Goodger receives cheque from Jim Paterson
Your
club CCHMSC along with a small number of club members, presented a cheque for £1000 to the Dundee Museum of
Transport on Thursday 27 May 2021. This donation will pay for the
provision of brown tourist signs pointing to the museum from various
places around Dundee city.
Organiser Ron Adam and club chairman Jim
Paterson met with the team at the museum in Market Street for the
presentation. A special cheque for the occasion was handed over to
museum manager Alexander Goodger. Full story and pictures
Mike Gascoigne : 1949 - 2021Report by Jim Paterson
Mike
Gascoigne, who has died aged 72, was involved in many aspects of
motorsport in Scotland, and at the time of his death he was still
Chairman of RSAC Motorsport Limited.
Mike (left) with Allan Dean-Lewis (MSA) receiving award in recognition of 100 years of the RSAC.
I
was privileged to meet Mike several times at the Three Lochs Classic
events when we worked together as judges for the prizes and Concours
d'Elegance as the cars returned from their tour. Mike
was always ready to offer advice and share his views on the cars we
were judging, particularly if they were Lancia, his favourite marque. A
few light hearted comments could be thrown in for good measure, and
make me smile. Little did I know that the 2019 event would be the last
time we would meet. He will be sadly missed at the upcoming 2021 event
on Sunday 8 August.
Motorsport Lifetime Achievement Award for Jonathan Lord
The
Board of RSAC Motorsport were delighted to hear that fellow Board
member and Secretary, Jonathan Lord is the recipient of a Lifetime
Achievement Award from Motorsport UK. This is the highest honour
bestowed by the governing body and is presented in recognition of
outstanding achievement over many years in the sport.
Jonathan
first started with the Royal Scottish Automobile Club in 1976, later
becoming Club Secretary and also Company Secretary of RSAC Motorsport
from 1989. Today he is of course well known as Clerk of the Course for
the RSAC Scottish Rally as well as various other motorsport events
across Scotland, also as a Motorsport UK Steward, Safety Delegate and
since 1997 Competitor Relations Officer on Rally GB. Behind the scenes
though he also undertakes several other motorsport roles including
handling Route Authorisations on behalf of the Scottish Government and
acting as Route Liaison Officer and Forestry Liaison Officer for
Motorsport UK. All of this on top of his busy non-motorsport interests
and commitments.
Jonathan, as the
Scottish RLO, has provided support and guidance to our club on many
occasions, and we join the others in congratulating him on receiving
this well deserved award.
The Board offers its
congratulations to Jonathan and also congratulates the other Lifetime
Achievement Award winners and Scots, Jimmy McRae and Sir Jackie
Stewart. More information on these and other Motorsport UK awards can
be found in the March issue of Revolution
Joint winners secure the Gold trophy for the event.
Car
3, the 1953 Jaguar C Type of Tim Hunt and Car 11, 1954 Citreon Light 15
of Neil Turner proved impossible to beat, scoring 37 points out of 40.
Well done.
Car
of the event, as chosen by the other entrants was the magnificent 1955
Mercedes Benz 230SL 'Gullwing' crewed by Giovanni and Achille Tresoldi.
A great choice for an alpine tour.
The event included international crews from Scotland, England, Northern Ireland, France, Italy and Slovenia for this exciting drive up the Alps. No
vaccinations required.
MOTOR VALLEY VIRTUAL TOUR 2020 - 26 to 29 December
The Full Story
The crews reached the finish in time to get home for New Year.
The
four days that were spent together from Saturday 26 to Tuesday 29
December took the crews to the heart of Emilia and Romagna, in the land
of engines: the Motor Valley.
La Carrera Pandemica - 26 to 29 October: Full Story
Winners
Car No 17 1955 Lancia Aurelia Spyder (B24) Craig McGibbon and Karsten Brown
Car No 24 1963 Shelby Competition Cobra 289 Le Mans Hardtop John Stuart
The second CCHMSC 'virtual' tour, this time ‘La Carrera Pandemica’
Using the same lines as the April event with
maps and questions on the route being sent out on 4 consecutive days
and scoring based on the number of correct answers. Gold, silver and
bronze award certificates were given based on the number of points
scored. The entrants also chose their ideal
‘virtual’ classic car which would be eligible for the
‘Car of the Event’ award.
Our
Italian friends who joined the event have written a report on their
website. Prominent is the Saltire flag. Fino alla prossima volta (Until
next time)
AGM - Adjournment - 24 September
Following
the ever changing Covid-19 restrictions your club has taken the
decision to adjourn until further notice the AGM planned to take
place on Thursday 24 September at 7.30pm in Royal George Hotel Perth.
This was a delayed date from the usual March / April meeting date.
With
the uncertainty of future restrictions, which currently are also
affecting the hospitality venues, reducing their capability to host
meetings with the numbers of people expected, make it impossible
to predict a new date. As soon as the situation eases to allow us to
proceed we will announce a revised date.
We can confirm that
your club is in good shape and working hard on the 2021 calendar ,
which we hope will allow us some time out with our classics when this
pandemic is under control.
Meantime please stay safe.
Trieste Opicina Historic Virtuale 11th – 14th May 2020 Well
done to Enrico Tresoldi in achieving a 'full house' top score to win
the event in his 1960 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider. CCHMSC member Jim
Paterson secured the Concours d'Elegance honours with his 1936 Bugatti
Atlantic SC57. A bit like 'Coals to Newcastle'
Nine CCHMSC members joined the crews for this exciting 4 day tour,
attempting to answer a wide range of questions that had us diving for
the 'asprin' as headaches started to kick in.
A
big 'Thank You' to Club dei Venti all 'Ora for organising the event and
inviting our club members to take part.
Go West..... Tales for adventures in North America - Bill Pollock Back
in September 2018, CCHMSC member Bill Pollock, often seen on
tours in his TR4 , headed of to the USA to take part in the Alcan 5000
with son Euan. We gave Bill some extra CCHMSC stickers to promote
our club way out on the west coast.
Bill reminded me that the
stickers were proudly displayed, and duly noted by all the other
entrants, organisers, and indeed everywhere they went. Bill's
overall plans did not quite go as planned, as his original car was to
be Euan's TR3, and note the CCHMSC sticker. Full Story
La
Carrera Lockdown - 13 to 16 April 2020 Story - David Spence
2020
– this was to be the year to get out and do tours –
many were planned,
kicking off with the Argyll Classic on 29th March, the HCC Spring Tour,
Drive It Day, the Red Hackle ….. etc. etc. – the
list goes on. Car all
prepped, accommodation booked, and then – a few Chinese folk
with a
cough developed into a global pandemic and suddenly – all
motorsport,
competition and tours – CANCELLED!!! So what to do?
Mags
Campbell came up with idea of a virtual tour – brilliant!,
but how
could we run it? We put our heads together and came up with a plan
– a
kind of table-top treasure hunt using maps and a route supplied by the
organisers to the participants, and questions about the route, the
places on or near the route and other little tricky tests to exercise
the grey matter of the crews. We would send out a day’s route
and
questions each day for 4 days and get the answers back on day 5 to give
them a bit of time. Awards would be in the form of a Gold, Silver or
Bronze certificate, depending on the number of points scored. The
overall winner would get a special award of something
“real”. [Full Story}
Monte Starters brave torrential rain leaving Glasgow
The
weather omens were not with the Glasgow Monte Historique, Classique and
Heritage Run starters on Wedneday 29 January. Heavy rain, whipped up
with strong winds were a real test for the crews, some in open top cars!
You
can see them off, thanks to photographer Andy Thomlinson's great
selection of crews, at the earlier scrutineering, then at the start
The HERO Lands End to John O' Groats (Le JoG) event entered Scotland on Monday 9 December,
to be greeted by blue skies and sunshine. Following a visit to
Kames for a test, the 70 plus crews headed to Loch Lomond Shores for
another test before their coffee / lunch stop at the Inn on Loch
Lomond. Fully Refreshed they headed over Glen Douglas to Loch Long,
Arrochar, and the Rest and be Thankful, for a regularity up the
hillclimb. We met them there with a host of CCHMSC members turning out
to wave them on their way northward to Killin, Kyle of Lochalsh and up
to John O' Groats.
Over 50 members turned out for the end of year high tea at the Royal George
Hotel in Perth on the afternoon of Sunday 1st December. The traditional
Scottish High Tea of a main meal was followed by scones, cakes and the
biggest meringues on the planert, all made in house by the resident
baker.
Before tucking in to our meal we saw a video roundup of the
2019 events that members and the club had been involved in, followed by
the sneak peek at our 2020 calendar
Saltire Classic Rally 2019
The winners in action, Andy Beaumont / Bob Hargreaves making a welcome return with the Sunbeam Rapier to the Saltire Classic. 16
tests through forests, across farm tracks and over different terrains
with 4 regulaties thrown in to keep the navigators in their toes. More on Facebook Saltire Rally Club
Jim
Clark Rally - 8 & 9 November 2019 Anticipation of the event
running back on on closed roads was rewarded with excitement and
surprises as the event returned to Duns and the surrounding 11
closed road
stages of Abbey St. Bathans, Lanington Fogo and Blackadder. The
leader board told only part of the story. Read how it all unfolded at
John Fife's blog. As he says it was 'pure magic'
Andrew
Cowan. A lifetime in motorsport
The
club was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Andrew Cowan, who we
were privileged to meet on our Border Reivers tour back in April this
year. Our condolences to Andrew's family. You can read the AutoSport Obituary, and our Border Reivers story, and a great article about Andrew's life in MotorSport magazine.
Clyde Valley Rally - 29 September 2019
The
morning grey skies melted as we set off from Lanark Heritage Village
south toward Dumfries and Galloway. We welcomed additional starters who
turned up on the day. A great selection of classic cars were joined by
a few more modern classics. Our 145 mile run called in at Dumfries
House to enjoy a light lunch. From there we travelled the roads across
Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway, and the Scottish Borders to reach our
destination at Blyth Bridge. Full Story
Maserati International Tour at the Rest and be Thankful - 21 Sep
CCHMSC
members turned out to Marshal at the Rest and be Thankful hillclimb in Argyll
supporting members of the Maserati Club on their International Tour on
Saturday 21 September. Over 120 Maserati’s from across the
world, one crew from Australia, was a rare sight to see, especially
under a clear blue sky bathed in bright sunshine. Full Story
La
Crofterra Pandemonia 7 & 8 September
Roddie
Main drives with Dave Spence in Dave's new Ford Cortina, leading the
way at the Inverness Fairways start of the 2019 Crofterra, heading for
the Isle of Skye.
See the slide show of the start
from Andrew Thomlinson.
Or scroll through the entries at the Fairways start
RSAC Three Lochs Classic - 18 August
Around sixty cars turned out at the Morris Equestrian Centre near Fenwick for the annual RSAC Three Lochs Classic.
This year the
route took the crews east and south towards Nithsdale, where the
organisers had again managed to find three lochs to maintain the name
of the event.
As in past years there was a choice of a short route of around 40 miles suitable for cars in the
Veteran Class, and a long route of
around 70 miles for everyone else.
CCHMSC visit M-Sport - 16 August The
weekend started on Friday 16 with a visit by around thirty CCHMSC members to
M-Sport to see how they build WRC winning cars, at their Dovenby Hall
workshops in Cockermouth.
We
were privileged to see not only the history of the Malcolm Wilson led
facility, bringing back memories of the sixties and seventies, but also
see current WRC and Bentley GT3 R&D, manufacturing, car build,and
preparation happening in front of our eyes. Full Story
Grass Gymkhana - 4 August
The
forecast was thunder storms, but the grey skies quickly turned to blue,
with the sun pushing through, as we started our fun in the sun at
Rumbling Bridge near Kinross. Some new tests gave regulars a chance to
try out new maneuvers. The overnight rain made the grass nice and slippy so a few 180 and 360 turns were to be expected. Full Story
Hills Dales and Passes - 8 & 9 June
19
starters arrived on a damp, cloud covered morning at the Gretna Gateway
Outlet Village for the start of our two day adventure across the Hills,
Dales and Lakeland Passes. Our crews soon met challenges due to the
heavy Friday / Saturday overnight rain. Standing water in hidden dips,
and swollen fords were just some of the features on route. Sunday
however brought bright sunshine and the soft tops were folded down for
another challenging drive with 1 in 3 climbs over the passes making for
some interesting driving.
Over
twenty starters arrived at Balhousie Castle Perth, home of the Black
Watch Regiment museum, for the start of the 2019 Red Hackle Tour, on
Sunday 5 May. The bitter cold mornings of previous days soon warmed up
as the sunshine broke through the clouds. A route that took in some
spectacular countryside with amazing views around Angus, Perthshire and
Fife delighted the crews. A visit to the birthplace of racing ace Jim
Clark at Kilmany to see the monument erected in his name, continued the
'Jim Clark' theme of the Border Reivers event. Full strory and pictures
Highland Car Club Spring Tour - 13 April 2019
30
crews gathered under clear but chilly blue skies for Highland Car
Club’s annual Spring Tour. Among them were CCHMSC members Donald and
Mags Campbell with their venerable 1955 Sunbeam Mk3, Roddie and Sylvia
Main in their 1995 Mercedes SL320 and Dave and Maureen Spence in the
modern Renault Megane, their classic car not quite tour ready yet. Full Story
Border Reivers - 7 April
A
full line-up of forty classics turned out at Eddleston for the start of
the 2019 opening event in the club calendar. Though the skies were
heavy, as the scots would say 'dreich', it did nothing to spoil the
terrific route club members Ranald Bruce, and Louise Wall put together.
Taking us over great Scottish border country roads we called in at
the famous cashmere manufacturers Johnstons of Elgin Hawick
Mill for lunch. The afternoon surprise took us to a location to
see some famous motorsport cars rarely available to view.
Our tour took place on the 51st anniversary of Jim Clarks untimely
death at Hockenheim in 1968, and the club laid a wreath at his grave in
Chirnside, before heading to our final destination at Gifford for a welcome meal.
The
Extraordinary and Annual General Meeting of the Caledonian
Classic and Historic Motor Sport Club presented to the members in
attendance the new Constitution at the meeting on Thursday 14
March. The members voted to adopt the new document. The full AGM
followed, with the Report and Accounts and other presentations being
adopted. Full Story
To download the new Constitution and view the list of Board Directors go to the committee page.
Monte
Historique and Classique
There
were 247 finishers in the recent Rallye Monte Carlo Historique. Of the
325 entries 294 got to the first of the 15 special regularity sections,
four of which were cancelled because of snow. Congratulations to Ecosse
Rallye Drivers Club members Ranald White and Karsten Brown who were not
only the highest placed Scottish Starter but the highest placed GB crew.
Conditions
were difficult also for those in the Classique event, for generally
much older cars, and their crews should be congratulated on taking
part. Most enjoyed the hospitality in Monte Carlo as a reward.
See Andy Thomlinson slideshow
Glasgow cars on
youtube
News from 2018
High Tea - Sunday 2 December Over
40 members turned out for the end of year bash at the Royal George
Hotel in Perth on the afternoon of Sunday 2nd December. The traditional
Scottish High Tea of a main meal was followed by scones, cakes and the
biggest meringues on the planert, all made in house by the resident
baker.
Before tucking in to our meal we saw a video roundup of the
2018 events that members and the club had been involved in, followed by
the sneak peek at our 2019 events calendar. Full story
Classic Vehicle Private Viewing - 18 November The
club visit to the classic car viewing at Perth Airport, arranged by the
Rotary Club of Blairgowrie attracted over 200 members from CCHMSC and
other car clubs across Scotland.
Over 200 classic cars, many with provenance were on display. Included in the visit was a visit to the Aero
Club with 90 aircraft, many historic on display, some flying when we
visited. Finally we saw the Air Service Training hangar, where they
teach students from across the world how to repair aircraft engines, both piston and jet turbines. Full StoryFull Details
It
is with deep regret that the club are forced to cancel the Gey
Foxy Rally, on 4 November due to lack of entries. With an entry
list in low single figures we cannot commit to the major
expenditure now required to run the event.
The number of
established Historic and Targa events at this time in the calendar may
have made our new event less attractive, though the team has worked
tirelessly for months to create and advertise an exciting route,
tests and regularities to entice competitors.
Apologies to
those few who did enter, and the marshals who were willing to give up
their time voluntarily to help. However if very few want to enter
then we are sadly left with this decision to cancel.
Over
30 crews arrived at the New Lanark Mills World Heritage Site for the
start of the 2018 Clyde Valley Rally on Sunday 30 September. A
challenging route led the crews to the lunch stop at the majestic
Drumlanrig Castle where we lined up in front of the castle and were
joined by a group of Belgian bikers, also on tour. Our second leg took
us over the hills offering some amazing views as the autumn sunshine
bathed the landscape. Full Story
Bo'ness Revival - 1 & 2 September
The
heat turned up at Bo’ness, in the sky and on the track. A damp
Saturday changed to 22 degrees on the Sunday unleashing on track
excitement to entertain the record breaking crowd of spectators.
Crofterra Pandemonia 1 - 2 September
Another successful Crofterra from the team at Highland
Car Club. The La Crofterra Pandemonia set off from Fairways on Saturday
morning on a loop that brought them back to Inverness for the overnight.
Sunday saw them head off toward Speyside, with a visit the “Motormania” Classic Car Event in Grantown on
Spey. Read all about their antics on Facebook
RSAC Three Lochs Classic - 19 August The
RSAC Three Lochs Classic headed for new territory for the 2018 event.
Over 50 classic and sporting cars lined up at the Morris
Equestrian Centre, just north of Kilmarnock, to challenge the all new
big and wee routes, each taking in 3 new lochs. Veteran, vintage,
classic and sporting cars drove either the big 75 mile route, or the 60
mile wee route. The overcast skies melted to let the sun shine down on
the crews as they set off on their run. Full story and photos
Grass Gymkhana
- 5 August 2018
A
great day greeted the cars and crews for the second running of our
Gymkhana at Rumbling Bridge on Sunday 5 August. With a good selection
of classic and sporting cars the crews took turns to test their skills
on a series of challenging tests that often looked easier than they
were.
Arctic Adventure - 10 to 31 May 2018 The Full Story During
a casual conversation last winter a plan was hatched that would see
three cars and six CCHMSC members take on a memorable trip beyond the
Arctic Circle.
Dave and Maureen Spence, Donald and Margaret
Campbell and Ranald Bruce and Louise Wall made their way to Tananger,
near Stavanger, Norway to start their journey on Thursday 10th May 2018.
Dave
had excelled himself as usual by producing an excellent route book and
maps which were loosely based on a road trip he had done in the ‘70s
and two scout trips some years before.
We were not to be disappointed as you will see in the
Nathalie McGloin presents F1 trophy
A strong signal by MSA Chairman
David Richards CBE to nominate Nathalie McGloin, the
only female tetraplegic in the world to be racing cars,
present the
third-place trophy to Kimi Raikkonen, at the British GP Silverstone, which he warmly received. It demonstrated the energy our motorsport puts in
to make the sport available to all. Also featured in
the pits was Billy Monger, who lost both lower legs in an
horrific accident racing in F4 at Donnington in April 2017, and is
already back at the wheel of a race car.. He joined Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel,
Kimi Raikkonen at the Silverstone F1 event Full Story
The Red Hackle Tour - 6 May
Fifteen cars left the Green Welly Café at Tyndrum around 9.30 a.m. on a bright but cold morning.The
route headed north up Glen Coe where the scenery was spectacular, with
some low clouds and snow caps adding to the beauty. A detour into
Glencoe village, then Fort William. We continued north
heading for Mallaig with amazing scenery.
Perthshire Classic Car Festival
- Saturday 21
April
Perth
City and Scone Palace bathed in unbroken sunshine and blue skies to
welcome the thousands of visitors to the Perthshire Classic Car
Festival on Saturday 21 April.
The Parade cars arrived at
Scone Palace to be 'dressed; with their rally plates and other
documentation, before driving down to Tay Street in Perth to line up
along the side of the River Tay. Full Story
Perthshire Classic Car Festival - 21 April
The Press Launch on Tuesday 6 at Scone Palace featured in STV news, Courier, Daily
Record, Scotsman and other motoring journals. The Rotary
Club of Blairgowrie are organising the first Perthshire Classic Car
Festival which will take place on Saturday 21st April 2018. The
Festival is raising funds for, Cancer Research UK, Alzheimer Scotland and The Rotary
Foundation. Read the full Press Release
* Not run on an MSA permit. Supported by Rotary International.
Tour of the Wall - 25 March 2018 A
sunny if rather chilly morning greeted around 30 starters for this
first event of the CCHMSSC season, which took us over the byways
through the Scottish Borders, before crossing over into England. After
a lunch stop we headed along the route of Hadrian's Wall allowing time
to visit some of the Roman forts and exhibitions on the way. Soft tops
were down under blue skies and sunshine. A great way
to start the year.
The
Annual General Meeting of the Caledonian Classic and Historic Motor
Sport Club was held on Thursday 15 March 2018 at the Royal
George Hotel Perth. Reports from the Club President and Treasurer
were provided and members turned out to agree the Principal Office
Bearers and committee members to lead the club for the forthcoming
year. Many good ideas were discussed and the committee will look at
implementing these over the coming year.
News from 2017
High
Tea
- 3 December Our
annual end of the year get together attracted over 40
members at The Royal George Hotel in Perth.
Travelling from across Scotland we all enjoyed a traditional Scottish
High Tea and chat about our year of
classic motoring. After a few light refreshments we watched the video review of
the past year, a now regular feature of our High Teas, reminding many of
their escapades on previous events. A great meal was enjoyed by all,
with much chat about our experiences.
Club
president Jim Paterson introduced Colin Stewart of the Rotary Club of Blairgowrie, organising the 2018 Blairgowrie
Drive it Day event on 22nd April*, raising funds for several charities. Colin reported that the entry list was almost full. It
is even closer to being full, after many members went on line immediately to
secure their places. Secure yours now here:- blairgowrieclassiccartour.co.uk/entry-form/
* Not run on an MSA permit. Supported by Rotary International.
Clyde Valley
Rally
- 22 October
Storms
Ophelia and Brian had left their mark with standing water and debris on
many of the rural roads across the Clyde valley and beyond. This made
for a challenging route for the starters of this years event. The sun
did break through, with Craig and Rod Ritchie being first to took the
top down on their Porsche Boxster. Full Story
Jim Clark Trust £1500 Cheque - 20 October Highland
Car Club's Crofterra Pandemonia event in early September raised
£1500 from the raffles run on the Saturday and Sunday evenings.
Members Dave Spence and Roddie Main presented the cheque to Ben Smith
on Friday 20 October at the Jim Clark Rooms in Duns. Full Story
CCHMSC help World Travellers on their trip
Call and email arrived
on the evening Sunday 3rd September from Herman Zapp, traveling in a
1928 Graham Paige car.
We
have 17 years on the road. Needing to replace a flat window glass from
the car and do a bit of welding. Could our club help them out?
What a challenge for a Sunday evening.
Did we manage
to help? Find out
Selkirk
Classic Car Show - 17 September
Alan
Duncan headed down to Selkirk to see the collection of classic cars,
commercials, and Americana. A few unusual vehicles in the field as
well. See his photos of the day on
HCC Crofterra Pandemonia
- 9 & 10 Sept Fantastic
weekend over many roads not driven on this event before. Almost 400
miles centred around the Moness Resort at Aberfeldy. A wide selection
of classic and sporting cars, coupled with more than a few challenging
events, made this one to remember.
Balmaha,
on the shores of Loch Lomond, welcomed 60 starters for the 2017 Three
Lochs Classic on Sunday 20th August. The
inbound hurricane Gert was thankfully delayed over the Atlantic making
it a dry if at times cool run across the roads of the Trossachs. With a
shorter 'wee' run of 58 miles for the veteran class, and 75 miles for
the rest, this year featured two lochs and a lake. The Automotive
University of Rhu once again provided degrees for those entering the
light hearted 'examinations', and a Concours d'Elegance completed the
day. Full Story
Grass Gymkhana - 6 August. Rumbling Bridge Kinross
With
a collection of cars spanning almost a 100 years, members of the club met
in a grass field at Rumbling Bridge near Kinross. Member George Shand
had put together a series of fun Gymkhana activities to test our
driving and navigational skills. From judging a gap to drive through,
climbing a twisting hill track, to driving a complex course blindfold,
and more. There was fun under the sun for everyone. Full Story
Sunday Worship - 9 July The Sunday worship at Waitrose Milngavie on Sunday July 9th was joined by members of the Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust (www.gvvt.org) with 3 of their historic vehicles. A great breakfast meeting.
Sunday Worship - 4 June
A wide selection of classic metal turned up for Classic
Car Tours 'Sunday Worship” breakfast meeting
on Sunday June 4th 2017 at Waitrose Milngavie.
The event was primarily for local owners of classic, sports, prestige and
performance cars who would like to meet with other owners, have some
breakfast and share stories and talk about their cars. Those who wish
to travel from further afield are also most welcome to join us. Checkout Andy Thomlinson selection of photos from the day
Blue
skies and sunshine welcomed the crews at Bahousie Castle in Perth
for the start of the Red Hackle Tour. Balhousie Castle is home to the
Black Watch museum and formed a stunning backdrop for our departure.
Crossing
many new and unknown roads in Pethshire and Angus, passing over peaks
and through glens, the magnificent scenery made this a day to
remember. Full Story
Tour of the Stills - 15 April 2017 25
cars and crews gathered at Fairways Leisure, Inverness on a cold
blustery overcast morning for the start of the Highland Car Club’s
third running of their one day tour, this time entitled the “Tour of
the Stills”, the name giving a clue to some of the locations we would
be visiting along the way. Full Story
Its’ a Regularity Jim, but
not as we know it ! Member John Stuart has been
challenging the roads of the Rally
Costa Brava while we were heading for the Argyll Classic.
FIA
in date
helmets for a regularity? These were required for the Rally Cost Brava
on 24/25 March. As well as having 60 and 70 kph regularity classes it
was also a full stage event including the first round of the
European Historic Stage Rally Championship. Find out how John got on in
his Autobianchi Full
Story
Argyll
Classic - 26 March
Over
30
entries gathered under unbroken sunshine at Lomond Shores on Sunday 26
March to start the 160 mile tour of 'Argylls Secret Coast'. Our first
visit took us to the iconic Rest and be Thankful hillclimb where
Diane and Stephen Kinghorn provided a warm welcome to all the crews.
The route continued under ever warming sun filled skies across little
used roads along the secret coast, with amazing views and spectacular
scenery. Full Story
Monte Historiques arrive at Monaco
finish
A Job
well done - great
teamwork from Andy Thomlinson and Jim 'Wizard' Wilson and
Anhangá
The
Paisley starters have completed the 14 regularities with Volvo Amazon
'Anhangá' driven by club members Andy Thomlinson and Jim
'Wizard' Wilson reaching the finish without putting a spanner
anywhere
near her, reported Jim. Taking 260th position on their first
time out is amazing.
Members
Ranald White and Karsten Brown in the
Rover P6 had an equally successful event, securing highest place of the
group at 169th. Chasing the Rover were members John Roberts and Oliver
Tomlins in the Fiat 124 Coupe in 210th place. Gordon and David Glen
secured 224th in their Opel Kadett, despite a dodgy exhaust valve
problem from early on. David Glen and Andy Sturgess in their
Escort Mk11 RS2000, were right behind Anhangá at 264th.
First
off the blocks for the 2017 Monte Carlo Historique were Gordon Glen
driver, with son David in the co-driver seat. Here Andy Thomlinson
joined them at the Paisley start for a quick photo opportunity, and the
full 'thumbs up' After the crowd at Paisley waved them off over
the ramp, they headed south to Monaco. The Historique and Classique
crews arrived at the first overnight stop and passage control at Barnby
Moor, some in the small hours of Thursday morning. After catching a few
winks of sleep they are off again to Dover and over the channel to
Calais. Spectators at Paisley were entertained by fireworks and smoke
streams as each of the cars departed over the ramp. Some 40 Heritage
cars followed on their way to local destinations, Stirling, Dumfries,
and Balmaha. Four classics even arrived on a Heritage run from John O'
Groats. Entry List
Anhangá
- 2017 Monte Carlo Historique Volvo Amazon spotted
at
secret location.
Andy
Thomlinson brought his freshly prepared Volvo Amazon, affectionately
known as 'Anhangá (an Amazonian spirit that often protects
animals, especially the females and young ones, and tends to appear as
a white deer with red eyes), to a secret location, as part of final
testing.
Together
with Jim Wilson, who not only will be Co-Driver to Andy, but also built
this magnificent machine, they tested the car on a snow and ice covered
surface. See the car perform in controlled slides on this short video
clip.
SACC Navigational Rally Championship
The
Scottish Association of Car Clubs are promoting a Championship to be
known as the “Scottish Navigational Rally Championship
2017”. The Championship is open to members of any club
affiliated
to the Scottish Association of Car Clubs (SACC). download the Regulations
and register your place
George Johnson drives into the
sunset
George
Johnson, who many of us knew, if only by the sight of his unique tartan
Mazda MX5, sadly passed away on New
Years Day. A long time member, and one time chairman
of Stirling Classic Car Club, George was always there
to help
anyone out. Full story
News from 2016
Christmas High Tea - 4 December Over
40 members gathered in Perth for the clubs annual end of year get
together over a traditional Scottish High Tea. We gathered in the bar
(where else) before organiser Jim Paterson jumped up on a table to
request crews to 'start your engines' and make the their way
to the dining room. Full story
Run to Kinlochleven - 9 October
Alan
Duncan and friends took to the highlands for his 10th anniversary run
to Glencoe, except this time he kept going to Kinlochleven. Read his
story, and checkout his photos. Plus a great video from the Rust2Rome
crew in the heavily modified Jaguar XJS. A real treat Full Story and Pictures
Rally of the Borders - 2 October Twenty
three crews in a wide range of classics started the second running
of Rally of the Borders on Sunday 2nd October from the New
Lanark World Heritage Village. The sun cut through the early morning
mist as they headed south east on their 140 mile tour across
the border country roads. A refreshment stop at Lockerbie,
gave cars and crews a breather, before the second stage headed
north to the finish at Netherurd House for a snack, tall tales,
and awards. Full story
Crofterra
Pandemonia
- 3 & 4 September
Amazing
weekend for the Highland Car Club Crofterra, covering some 450 miles across the great
roads of northern Scotland. Starting at Fairways Inverness the route
headed north west over many single track roads under brilliant
sunshine, offering spectacular views. Reaching Durness, within shouting
distance of Cape Wrath, the most north westerly point of the UK we
hugged the rugged west coast down to Ullapool to overnight. Sunday had
yet more in store. Full Story and pictures
Kirkintilloch Canal Festival - 21 August Alan
Duncan headed over to see the Festival. Starting on the Saturday with
bands and entertainment, the roads were closed off on the
Sunday from 10am to allow the Classic, Vintage, and Americana
(Yanks as Alan puts it), to drive in for the classic lineup. The
Kennedy Cupcake and the Jump and Jive Dancers were there too.
Biggar Rally - 14 August The
clouds were forming up to what could have made a wet afternoon at
Biggar, for the annual Albion Rally. However the day remained dry for
the classic cars, commercials, buses, motorcycles, military, and
agricultural machinery arriving from across the country .
Alan
Duncan sported his camera and provided a great selection of photos which is a must see.
Three
Lochs Classic - 6 August
Great day
on the Three Lochs Classic, at the new Balmaha venue on the side of
Loch Lomond. Over 30 cars, some dating from 1911, enjoyed up to 60 mile
trip round the Trossachs. Weather stayed bright and sunny until all got
back for prizes, so soft tops down all the way. Full Story
Glamis Extravaganza
- 9 & 10 July
This
years event organised by Strathmore Vintage Vehicle Club
boasted an entry over the weekend of over 1000 vehicles of all ages,
shapes and size plus 150 stands dealing in auto-jumble, motor trade,
antiques, fund raising and crafts. CCHMSC members Mags and Don Campbell
brought their Sunbeam Talbot along. Alan Duncan survived the rain and
mud underfoot to capture the day on film.
Run to
Inversnaid - 3 July A wet
start for the KDCVC Run to Inversnaid, organised
by Alan Duncan, though
the sun came out on route.
Passed the Watch and Whisky Car
Run, with around 16 super cars including
Lamborghini,
Ferrari, Aston Martin and more.
A red 1955 Gull-Wing Mercedes
300SL enjoyed much attention. See them all at Alan's flickr album
Sunday Worship - 3 July A selection of fine classic metal turned out to
join the congregation at Waitrose in Milngavie for 'Sunday Worship'
organised by Bill Telford of Classic Car Tours. Andy Thomlinson was
there to capture the cars as they lined up for the visitors to view.
See Andy's photo selection at
Strathmore Classic Car Tour - 26 June 2016 The Rotary Club of Forfar held its first Strathmore
Classic Car Tour on
Sunday 26th of June, in aid of Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance. Starting in forfar the entrants enjoyed a 125 mile route, raising over £15,000 for the charity Full Story
May Weekend Fun
at Volksfling - 30 May Volksfling
came to Biggar for the bank holiday weekend, attracting a wide
selection of everything, and anything Volkswagen, classic, modern, and
heavily customised as well.
I travelled the 20
odd miles to Biggar with friend Graham
in his 1972 VW Beetle 1600GT. Now GT and Beetle seem hard to
say in the same breath, but his can squirt along the road at top side
of 70mph with no problem at all. Full Story
Richard and Yvonne Bartniczek in Alfa Spider chase Dave Spence and Roddie Main
in the 'Big Bopper', 5 litre V8 Capri. Photo Kenny Cocker
Twentythree
crews made the start of this first trip for the club this year
into the Cairngorm
National Park for the Tour of the Grampians. Blue skies and sunshine
welcomed the starters to the Pitlochry Festival Theatre, which
continued with only a short light shower as we approached Grantown on
Spey for our lunch stop.
The 170 mile route covered a mix of tight twisty, and fast flowing
roads across the tops and through the glens. Full Story
Drive It Day Strathendrick Classic
- 24 April This year the Strathendrick Rotary Classic Car Tour was
were celebrating their tenth annual Classic Car Tour. The Charities
supported by the Tour this year are CHAS the Children’s Hospice
Association of Scotland and Mary’s Meals.
The entry numbers exceeded all previous tours. 87 cars took part with a few people still on the waiting list. Full Story
Ecosse
Challenge - 4 & 5 June CANCELLED Lack of entries forces cancellation of this event
It is with much regret that the club has had to be cancel this two day event. Unfortunately the new format of tour, tests, and regularities, with a half price entry compared to past years, and cut
price overnight accommodation option on the Saturday, failed to provide
sufficient interest.
Our sincere
apologies to those who had entered and were looking forward to an
exciting two days of activities, crossing some stunning Scottish
scenery.
Drive It Day
- 24 April The 2016 sunshine brought out classic car owners across the country. This
first report from CCHMSC member Dave Spence covers the Highland Classic
Motor Club outing around Inverness. Full Story
Tour of the Firths
- 16 April Twentyfive cars lined up at Fairways,
Inverness on the morning of the 16th, for the Highland Car Club tour of the firths. Instead of exploring the rugged
mountains and glens of the west coast or lochs of the Great Glen, the
2016 Tour of the Firths took to the calmer waters (although not so calm
on the day) of the area north east of Inverness, comprising the Black
Isle and Easter Ross. Full Story
Galloway Gallop - 3 April Was
a bit dreich (overcast and light rain) for the Lanark start of the
Galloway Gallop on Sunday 3rd. Over 30 classics headed south
west to the border roads driving into sunshine and blue skies
across Dumfries and Galloway.
Don and Mags Campbell sported
oldest car in their 1955 Talbot Sunbeam, on its first event since
completion of much upgrading. Lots of exciting cars reached the finish
at Netherurd House, Blyth Bridge for meal and presentations. Full Story
CCHMSC - Annual General Meeting - 17 March Notice is hereby given that the Annual General
Meeting of the Caledonian Classic and Historic Motor Sport Club Ltd will be held
on Thursday 17 March 2016 at the Royal George Hotel, Tay Street, Perth PH1 5LD at
7.30pm.
All current club members are invited to attend.
The meeting Agenda can be viewed and downloaded [Agenda]
Dixon takes MGB
to open the season CCHMSC
members Ian Dixon and Maurice Millar teamed up in Ian's MGB/GT for the
opener of their season on 28 February the Saltire Rally at Blair
Atholl. The format for the day was 16
tests, with 4 regularities. Read
how the pair got on [Full
Story]
Having
enjoyed the Saltire so much Ian and MGB headed down to Wigton for the
White Heather Rally. This time fellow CCHMSC member Richard Welsh
joined Ian in the left seat.
A
full day of twentyfour tests
and only 2 miles of public road, on the vast Kirkbride
aerodrome, made
for a very compact but
enjoyable event. Aerodromes are hard on the tyres as you can find out
when you read their story. [Full
Story]
Online
marshals' training and accreditation
Legendary
co-driver Nicky Grist helped the Motor Sports Association (MSA) launch
a new online training and accreditation scheme for rally and cross
country marshals at Autosport International. [Full Story]
Dare to be Different: Driving Female Talent Susie
Wolff and the Motor Sports Association – governing body of UK
motorsport – have joined forces to launch Dare To Be
Different, a
high-profile new initiative that will inspire, connect and celebrate
women who work in every aspect of motor sport.
Dare
To Be
Different is about increasing female participation, not just on the
track but in all aspects of the sport and other perceived
male-dominated industries. [Full
Story]
Monte
Carlo Paisley Start & run to Monte The
Paisley start activities began early on the afternoon of Wednesday the
27th, with the Historique, Classique and Heritage crews arriving. By
6.00pm some 70 classics were in place for the start over the ramp and
off to France, Dumfries or Balmaha. Read of their adventures to Monte [Full Story]
blue
skies of Monte Carlo ahead
Classique crews
arrive in Monte
It
must seem a long time since the Classique cars left John O' Groats on
Wednesday morning. After 1542 miles at least the Riley WD is parked up
on the quay at Monte Carlo. Well done to John Lomax, Grdon McAllan and
the Blue Diamond support team. Amazing trip at an average of
around 30mph. Thanks for sharing the trip on Locatoweb. We have
followed you every step of the way. Enjoy the party tonight. You all
deserve it.
Monte Carlo Tales
Relive
the excitement with this first report covering the Classique and
Heritage run from John O' Groats to Paisley .
Starting
at dawn in JoG the crews headed down a snowy A9 to Inverness,
Perth, Stirling and Glasgow. Alan Duncan kept ahead of the crews to
catch a few shots as they drove by. [Full Story]
Monte crews in France
Classique
and Reims tour crews reach France. Tracking the Riley WD shows they
travelled through the Channel Tunnel early this morning and passing San
Quentin on way to Reims. Over 900 miles on the clock since departing
John O' Groats only 2 days ago. Well done to crew John Lomax, Gordon
McAllan and the Blue Diamond support team. Got to make Monte Carlo for
Saturday night dinner. Watch this space
The
Wednesday Paisley start for the Classique, and Reims tour ended in
Dumfries for an overnight stop. Thursday started with a run to Croft
circuit on their way to the Hull Zebrugge ferry. P&O called to
say
crossing cancelled due to technical problems. Reims tour rescheduled to
Harwich/Hook of Holland but managed to get on Hull/Rotterdam (whew).
Classique decided to head for Dover, some 310 miles away, for Calais
crossing. Big ask for Riley WD at average 27mph. At 11.00pm I have them
at Maidstone. Go Riley, and BD. you can make it
Monte
Carlo - Paisley Start
Paisley
lit up for the start of the Monte Historique, Classique and Heritage
Runs on Wednesday 27th. Earlier downpours had cleared giving the crowd
sight of a wide selection of classic cars as they rolled over the ramp,
some needing a bit of a push. Full story to follow but you can see an
amazing number of photos from the event
Alan
Duncan has a set from John O' Groats, and the road down, plus Paisley
Full set 360 photos
Monte
Carlo Classique - John O' Groats Start
The
Classique starters are on their way. After
enjoying a Burn's Supper last night the crews rose early for the start
at John O' Groats. Now heading down the A9 toward Paisley. You can
follow them all the way [Full
Details]
Wet Wet
Wet at Paisley - 26 January 2016
The weather, not
the group!
The
rain poured down and the wind howled around Paisley Abbey, but three of
the stalwart crews turned out with their steeds for the press
photo shoot at 0900 on Tuesday 26th. It takes more than a
spot of
rain to stop these guys. Jim Meggat, John Lomax and Ranald White hang
on to the sign,before it flies over the abbey roof.
[Full Story]
Monte
Carlo Scottish Start - 27 January 2016
Final fettling of the cars before the big start -
0800 on Wednesday at John O' Groats and 1800 at Paisley Abbey.
Latest
update from Gordon McAllan, SRE scribe, and copilote in the
1931
Riley WD. Where they go after Paisley, on the route to Monte Carlo.
Endurance is only the start! [Full Story]
Monte
Carlo Classique Riley
Gordon
McAllan, who scribes the Scottish Riley Enthusiasts newsletter will be
co-driver/navigator of a 1931 Riley
WD Tourer, driven by John Lomas on the Monte Carlo Classique on 27th
January.
The Blue
Diamond Riley Services, based near Taunton, well known for their
expertise in all things Riley have carried out a major and sustained
programme of work to ensure that the chosen steed will be
ready to
take part and able to cope with whatever challenges the Winter weather
and the traditional roads used may pose [Full
Story]
CCHMSC joins
NESCRO Your
club is delighted to announce that we are now part of the North of
England and Scottish Classic Rally Organisation. We join our
friends from Saltire, Highland, and South of Scotland CC, along with
many in the north of
England, and Club Triumph who many will have met in years past on
CCHMSC events. Nescro 2016 calendar now published, at www.nescro.co.uk.
Lots of events of all types. Pen some in to your diary.
News from 2015
High Tea - 6 December Around
40 members braved the wild weather, avoiding floods and landslips to
reach the Royal George Hotel in Perth for the clubs annual high tea
when we can all chat around the year past and look forward to 2016
events. Full Story
Monte 2016 Paisley Press Launch - 22 October Veteran
navigator Willy Cave jetted into Glasgow to be present at the Press
Launch for the 2016 Rallye Monte Carlo Historique. Bowler hatted Willy
was delighted to be reunited with a 1950's London taxi, similar to one
in which he competed in the 1961 Monte Carlo Rallye with racing driver
Tony Brookes and Peter Dimmock [Full Story]
Rally of the Borders - 18 October
Great
day for the 15 crews on Rally of the Borders. Early morning mist burned
back to glorious sunshine as we left the New Lanark Heritage village on
our 140 mile tour over little used roads many crews had never driven
before, and treating them to some fantastic views. Full Story
Les Montagnes
de France - 24 Sept to 7 Oct
Three
thousand miles later all of us are home, having driven some
2500 miles of European roads across France, Spain, Andorra and Italy.
The eight crews
climbed countless cols in the Alps and the Pyrenees, as well as many
crossing France.
The
Nuit du Mentonnais added a further 120 miles of col bashing in the
Maritimes crossing the Turini, twice. Here are our adventures. Premier ÉtapeDeuxième Étape Nuit du MentonnaisTroisiéme ÉtapeDernière Étape
Ann Wisdom - An Appreciation We are very sorry to report the passing of Ann Riley (born Ann Wisdom), on 14 October 2015, after fighting illness.
As
Pat Moss's long-time co-driver in international rallying, Ann and Pat
were one of the most formidable and successful teams in the sport, not
only in the Ladies' category, which they habitually dominated, but
competitive at the same level as the men in this exciting, colourful
and gruelling sport. [more]
Glencoe Run - 11 October
Around 60 Classic cars,set off from Dobbies
Garden Centre, Stirling at 10am, on
Alan Duncan's drive to Glencoe. Passing through Callander towards
Crianlarich then up to Tyndrum to stop at the Green Welly for an hour.
Continued north calling in at the carpark at the top of the hill
over looking Loch Tulla for some photos, and again at the ski carpark. [Full Story]
Crofterra
Pandemonia - 5 & 6 September Great
roads, to great places, with great company, enjoying
brilliant weather, a plus for the top down cars. Great
craic in the evenings made this once again a fantastic event from
Highland Car Club.
From the start in Fort William we were taken to
places on the west coast of Scotland, over roads that most,
including me, had never driven over before. The overnight in Oban was
followed by a second day setting off eastwards to cross the
Cairngorms to finally reach the finish at Inverness for our meal and presentations.
[Full Story]
August Amble
- 23 August
Did
we catch the sunshine window for the rally. Did we just! The 37 entries
lined up at Clattrin' Brig under blue skies and enjoyed a 130 mile
drive round some of the lesser known roads of Angus and Perthshire visiting new
locations, while under those same blue skies. 20 Degrees in Scotland is
summer. Believe me! [Full story]
Biggar Rally
- 16 August An
great turnout for the 42nd Albion Bigger Rally. The sunshine
probably helped, and the number of families with children was
a welcome sight as the kids eyes popped at the sight of so many unusual
cars from all era's lined up on display. [Full Story]
RSAC Three Lochs Classic - 8 August
The
sun shone down on the 65 starters at the Royal Northern and
Clyde Yacht Club at Rhu, as they set off on their run to the Rest and
be Thankful. With a short route of some 45
miles for cars in the Veteran class and 90 miles for
everybody else, all looked well. Events unfolded to make it a very different and interesting day. Full story and
pictures
Run to Arisaig - 8 & 9 August Twentyone
cars and crews set off from Stirling with Alan Duncan leading the way
on his second run to Arisaig. With the Capri Club Scotland and Oban Car
Club members joining on route they all headed for the west coast. [Full Story]
Classic AutoSports BBQ - 11 July
Jaguars
here, Jaguars there, everywhere classic Jaguars. Well of course it has
to be BBQ time at Dave Barnetts workshops, where a warm welcome,
and a feast always awaits. Not just to eat but a feast for the eyes
when customers classics join not only Jaguars being restored or fettled
but many other great makes. All under the summer sunshine. This year is the best yet. [Full Story]
Lake District Classic - 29 June Club
member Ian Dixon with MGB/GT headed for the Lakes on 29 June for
the LDC, His usual navigator Maurice Millar was not available to
sit beside him, so Maurice MK2 Ellison sat in to guide Ian
round the route. Read Maurices' report of the event and the fun the pair had [Full Story].
Drive the Mille Miglia - New Video
Motoring
journalist and XCar editor Alex Goy and Ben Cussons drove Bens' C type PUG 676,
which was affectionaly called just PUG, on the 2015 Mille Miglia 14 to 17
May.
New
video of their trip is now online. Alex narrates you through the four
days, with lane splitting a technique I must master. Over 23
minutes driving across some great Italian roads. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zb0ComKmPZU&app=desktop
Alex and Ben practiced in the same C Type on the Scottish Mini Miglia 29 April, which you can see here. youtube.com/watch?v=QkUUJ3AH0W0&feature=youtu.be&a=
From Mille Miglia to Via Flaminia 23 to 30 May
A
love of Italy must be in the blood for CCHMSC member Maurice Millar.
Not content with teaching the 2015 Jaguar Mille Miglia crews in
Scotland in April, or timekeeping on previous Mille Miglia's, he headed to Italy to take part in the Via
Flaminia Classic. Read how he got on [Full Story]
End of an era - Erik Carlsson
It
is with great sadness that we heard of the passing of rally legend Erik
Carlsson on 27 May, at the age of 86. Club members Douglas Anderson and
Jim Paterson had the privilege of meeting Erik in September 2011 with Stuart
Turner for an interview which was presented to club members at the Monte Carlo Room in the Blythswood hotel in
Glasgow. He will be sadly missed, but his memory lives on.
You can watch that interview at https://youtu.be/a0iIrufi2gQ
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After
nearly a decade hosted at the Riverside Museum of Transport in Glasgow,
the time came for “The Old Girl” to move to a new home.
north
into the Scottish highlands. Though we experienced a few heavy showers
most of the soft tops managed to keep tops down most of the time.
Our
return trip took us through the pass of Condie and the model village of
Forteviot to arrive back at Balhousie castle for our finishers meal. A
great day out under sunny skies meeting old friends, and making many
new. 
It
is with much sadness we report that Dave Spence,
Crofterra
organiser & the Master of the amazing route books,
passed
away on Tuesday morning 1st February, following a long illness. 
Our annual get together of club members and enthusiasts for a
pre-Christmas high tea at the
Royal George Hotel in Perth attracted over 30 members. From across
Scotland our members made the trip and duly followed the Covid
constraints in place. We enjoyed our meal and once again the famous
Royal George meringues, the largest, tastiest meringues on the
planet, allegedly!! 
A dry start beckoned well for the 40 starters to the first post Covid club event of 2021. 
Outstanding
views and tight traffic clear roads abounded as we could see the River
Tay to the south and the Grampian mountains to the north. 
Starting
and finishing at the Black Watch museum at Balhousie Castle
in Perth proved yet again a great venue for this event. 
Mike
was always ready to offer advice and share his views on the cars we
were judging, particularly if they were Lancia, his favourite marque. A
few light hearted comments could be thrown in for good measure, and
make me smile. Little did I know that the 2019 event would be the last
time we would meet. He will be sadly missed at the upcoming 2021 event
on Sunday 8 August.
Jonathan
first started with the Royal Scottish Automobile Club in 1976, later
becoming Club Secretary and also Company Secretary of RSAC Motorsport
from 1989. Today he is of course well known as Clerk of the Course for
the RSAC Scottish Rally as well as various other motorsport events
across Scotland, also as a Motorsport UK Steward, Safety Delegate and
since 1997 Competitor Relations Officer on Rally GB. Behind the scenes
though he also undertakes several other motorsport roles including
handling Route Authorisations on behalf of the Scottish Government and
acting as Route Liaison Officer and Forestry Liaison Officer for
Motorsport UK. All of this on top of his busy non-motorsport interests
and commitments.
Car
of the event, as chosen by the other entrants was the magnificent 1955
Mercedes Benz 230SL 'Gullwing' crewed by Giovanni and Achille Tresoldi.
A great choice for an alpine tour.
AGM - Adjournment - 24 September
Well
done to Enrico Tresoldi in achieving a 'full house' top score to win
the event in his 1960 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider. CCHMSC member Jim
Paterson secured the Concours d'Elegance honours with his 1936 Bugatti
Atlantic SC57. A bit like 'Coals to Newcastle'
Back
in September 2018, CCHMSC member Bill Pollock, often seen on
tours in his TR4 , headed of to the USA to take part in the Alcan 5000
with son Euan. We gave Bill some extra CCHMSC stickers to promote
our club way out on the west coast. 
Saltire Classic Rally 2019
Anticipation of the event
running back on on closed roads was rewarded with excitement and
surprises as the event returned to Duns and the surrounding 11
closed road
stages of Abbey St. Bathans, Lanington Fogo and Blackadder. The
leader board told only part of the story. Read how it all unfolded at
John Fife's blog. As he says it was 'pure magic' 
The
weekend started on Friday 16 with a visit by around thirty CCHMSC members to
M-Sport to see how they build WRC winning cars, at their Dovenby Hall
workshops in Cockermouth.
Over
30 crews arrived at the New Lanark Mills World Heritage Site for the
start of the 2018 Clyde Valley Rally on Sunday 30 September. A
challenging route led the crews to the lunch stop at the majestic
Drumlanrig Castle where we lined up in front of the castle and were
joined by a group of Belgian bikers, also on tour. Our second leg took
us over the hills offering some amazing views as the autumn sunshine
bathed the landscape. 
at Rumbling Bridge on Sunday 5 August. With a good selection
of classic and sporting cars the crews took turns to test their skills
on a series of challenging tests that often looked easier than they
were. 
During
a casual conversation last winter a plan was hatched that would see
three cars and six CCHMSC members take on a memorable trip beyond the
Arctic Circle.
Also featured in
the pits was Billy Monger, who lost both lower legs in an
horrific accident racing in F4 at Donnington in April 2017, and is
already back at the wheel of a race car.. He joined Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel,
Kimi Raikkonen at the Silverstone F1 event 
Perth
City and Scone Palace bathed in unbroken sunshine and blue skies to
welcome the thousands of visitors to the Perthshire Classic Car
Festival on Saturday 21 April. 
Record, Scotsman and other motoring journals. The Rotary
Club of Blairgowrie are organising the first Perthshire Classic Car
Festival which will take place on Saturday 21st April 2018. The
Festival is raising funds for, Cancer Research UK, Alzheimer Scotland and The Rotary
Foundation. 
Blue
skies and sunshine welcomed the crews at Bahousie Castle in Perth
for the start of the Red Hackle Tour. Balhousie Castle is home to the
Black Watch museum and formed a stunning backdrop for our departure. 
Member John Stuart has been
challenging the roads of the Rally
Costa Brava while we were heading for the Argyll Classic. 
Monte Historique review 
Alan
Duncan headed over to see the Festival. Starting on the Saturday with
bands and entertainment, the roads were closed off on the
Sunday from 10am to allow the Classic, Vintage, and Americana
(Yanks as Alan puts it), to drive in for the classic lineup. The
Kennedy Cupcake and the Jump and Jive Dancers were there too. 
The
clouds were forming up to what could have made a wet afternoon at
Biggar, for the annual Albion Rally. However the day remained dry for
the classic cars, commercials, buses, motorcycles, military, and
agricultural machinery arriving from across the country . 
This
years event organised by Strathmore Vintage Vehicle Club
boasted an entry over the weekend of over 1000 vehicles of all ages,
shapes and size plus 150 stands dealing in auto-jumble, motor trade,
antiques, fund raising and crafts. CCHMSC members Mags and Don Campbell
brought their Sunbeam Talbot along. Alan Duncan survived the rain and
mud underfoot to capture the day on film. 
CCHMSC
members Ian Dixon and Maurice Millar teamed up in Ian's MGB/GT for the
opener of their season on 28 February the Saltire Rally at Blair
Atholl. The format for the day was 16
tests, with 4 regularities. Read
how the pair got on [
It
must seem a long time since the Classique cars left John O' Groats on
Wednesday morning. After 1542 miles at least the Riley WD is parked up
on the quay at Monte Carlo. Well done to John Lomax, Grdon McAllan and
the Blue Diamond support team. Amazing trip at an average of
around 30mph. Thanks for sharing the trip on Locatoweb. We have
followed you every step of the way. Enjoy the party tonight. You all
deserve it. 
Three
thousand miles later all of us are home, having driven some
2500 miles of European roads across France, Spain, Andorra and Italy.
The eight crews
climbed countless cols in the Alps and the Pyrenees, as well as many
crossing France. 
Great
roads, to great places, with great company, enjoying
brilliant weather, a plus for the top down cars. Great
craic in the evenings made this once again a fantastic event from
Highland Car Club. 
