Click here for the pictures Claire took during the trial

Flounders Folly: We got off to a good start on our first section and demolished post 12! If spectating there is safe off road parking opposite the start entrance.

Harton Wood: Special test done in our usual super sonic speed, steady, but sure.

Longville: Very steep re-start boxes for three different classes. This is the only trial to date that I have rocked for what seemed an eternity. Don’t know if we stopped forward movement or not but, the snails pace we crawled to the exit was painful. This is an excellent hill to watch & good for parking at the top.

Easthope 2: This is on a disused railway track. Heard Myke Pocock broke a shaft on his Skoda Estelle. What a shame, as the trip to get back home to Carlisle in total for the day must be at least 400 miles. We struggled up the embankment to post six.

Easthope 1: Steven Kenny (Liege Sports), a VW. and another car had to be man handled out while we were waiting. If you hit the track wrong going up it throws the vehicle off course. Keith got it right but, not enough power to get passed peg three. Great place to bring the children and the dog. Granny would enjoy it too, as there are lovely walks with stunning views.

Harley Bank 2: For 7&8 only, we reached stick nine. Parking is OK at the foot of the section.

Jenny Wind: Wish we had Jenny’s wind behind us as we stopped at the eight.

Meadowley: I sat watching competitors approach the start line; I could see two potholes with exposed roots, which were now stripped of their skin by previous cars and were now polished to a glossy veneer. As usual, my mind is a blank and I never thought to tell Keith. Our back wheels slotted snugly and tightly in said holes and there we stopped for our second 12 points.

Across the Long Mynd now. Last year was our first entry attempting the Clee and the whole day was blanketed in fog. As we crossed the cattle grid to climb the steep narrow road, the higher we got more of the dazzling sun came into view. With squinting eyes, we also saw another trials car who was also struggling with the bright sun. This is when I looked to my left and saw the magnificent scenery that stretches for miles. This made me feel quite lyrical. Words of Wordsworth and Rupert Brooke came to mind as I bathed in this glorious vista.

It’s a fatal mistake to take your eye off the ball and I had no idea where we were when I looked back to the road. As I hadn’t said anything to Keith, he was now playing follow my leader, as was the car behind us. By now, we all knew that we were lost. The passenger in the first car kept on apologising (who shall be nameless, as they are a lovely person) and I couldn’t stop laughing. Galahads in a Nissan Micra came to our rescue. I take it all back what I have said about to day’s youth. They led us to Ratinghope special test plus, another driver out for a Sunday drive with his family who, was taken in what our sport involved followed as well!!!!!

Phills Folly: Next I must remember to tell Keith to deflate the tyres be fore entering the farm. With all the wet weather, the field was sodden. Keith tried to stay close as he could to a parked trailer and we join everybody by slewing across the field. This and the next section, Gattens Gamble were none to challenging.

Allez `Oop: Good climb to the summit. Felt sorry for the two marshals at the top, with being so high up and open, there was no protection from the wind and they looked frozen. Good place also for the kids for kite flying but, not the Granny as it is far too cold. As we passed through the exit gate, I needed a call of nature. Nipped into the edge of the forest and having to strip naked from waist to knees to do the necessary (the joys of being a woman) and in the squat position I thought I was going to die from hypothermia. The wind chill factor was like knives in my derrière. Resuscitation soon kicked when I saw three Beetles approaching the gate. No, I don’t mean the insect variety but the VW’s of Messer’s. Looker, Tooth & Sargeant. My strides were soon pulled up!

Priors Holt 3: Michael Leete and Mike Hayward were marshalling here and they looked frozen too. As we flew passed the last post and took off over a hump, we landed into a hidden dip with such a thump. The recoil threw us both hard back in our seats.

Priors Holt 2: Can’t remember how far we climbed. Keith said we cleared.

Priors Holt 1: Charged up to peg six.

Round Oak: A small notice behind the start line marshal stated “car-eating trench on the left”. Last year this section was not used due to a sick horse in the next field. We finished as dead as a donkey in the trench. Something else I must remember to tell Keith next year, not to deflate the tyres but, pump them up as high as a dumper truck. Marshals were kept busy here towing out cars from the car-eating trench. At the top we saw our friend Steve Heath who, travelled from Rugby with us to spectate. At signing on he was told they were short of marshals so, he volunteered to help out. He was covered from head to foot in mud and frozen too. The only down side was, there was no hot food at the start or finish. Thomas Aldrian, who dropped out from doing the trial due to flu, decided to recuperate by being control marshal at Meadowley. Told us there is a café next to the Craven Arms. This is more to remember to tell Keith next year.

Big thanks to the organisers and marshals who made this trial run like clock work.

Page added 24 January 2007