by Ed Nikel

Our cousin, another Richard, who lived in Bideford was looking for a car to compete in PCT’s and trials. Dicks old Imp (Denis) was available, so was dispatched down to North Devon to start a new life as a trials car. It was called Denis the menace having been painted red and black!!!. For several years Dick and I would make an annual pilgrimage to Exmoor and spectate and support Richard and Denis.

Fast forward a couple of years another Richard (Tompkins) influenced me to prepare a car for trials, naturally an Imp, and our first trial had to be the Exmoor trial, which also happens to be a favourite of mine.

Up to date now, Saturday 27^th saw us trailering the Dellow down to the farm at Bideford, picking up a parking ticket from jobs worth Bideford warden----- empty car park, car and trailer taking up two spaces but we only bought one ticket instead of two!! ‘How does he sleep at night’?

Sunday morning we were of to Barnstaple for scrutineering, which is across town from the start. Our first panic, the radiator cap was missing! A friendly scrute was dispatched home to find his spare. Fortunately, the cap was found ledged down the side of the rad, so use of the pliers to tighten and secure it in place.

Scrutineering passed, then off to Cedars Hotel to sign in and sample the welcoming bacon cobs, and a chance to catch up with Les Newell the new owner of my buggy who was entering his first trial and coincidentally also lived in Bideford.

Onto the trial and the first sections, Snapper1 and Snapper2. A slippery access track up into the woods with a hairpin right then upto the start of the section. No restart so straight onto Snapper 2 for our first restart. No problems so far.

Out of the woods and onto Riverton via Tordown special test, which was completed not particularly, quickly but clean. Riverton was its rough slippery self; we were only the fourth car so the restart was not to badly cut up and we went clean.

Lee Moor special test was completed then into Huntstone1. A bit of a wait while the bikes had their goes at the hill. The restart on the steepest section of the hill, just after the start, was cleaned, having watched the previous cars come to grief, we kept to the left and had no trouble.

Straight onto Huntstone 2, a grassy track with a 90 right upto the restart and then no further, still our first failure and 6 points.

High Bray again caught up with the bikes. This is a right hand hairpin upto the restart on a rock slab, then a rough rocky climb with a deep gulley on the right track up to the top. We managed a 4 and after dropping back to the hairpin took a run at it and was able to clear the section in front of lots of spectators.

Higher Molland, A grassy rutted track with slippery restart. Then into another woods for Jimmy’s Hill. This is a straight drag up a shale, stone track, very steep though. Worst so far for us, we couldn’t even reach the restart 8pts here. How does Dudley Sterry do it. He cleaned it when many people barely got of the start line!!

Still in the same woods onto Badgers Hill and Rodneys Revenge. The first a right hand turn onto the hill and a straight drag up. We managed 4 here. Reversed down hill and straight onto the start for Rodneys. Left hand hairpin up to the restart, again a stopper 5pts, a run at the hill and we were on our way for the 20mile run up to Lynton and Beggars Roost. We had our first and only puncture while travelling to the section. The restart was on the right, a bit lower than last years Lands End, but was no problem, back to clean again.

Next Scoresdown with a restart for all classes. A tarred road but washed out sections and deep potholes. We were clean so onto the last section, Floyds Bank a short section at right angle to the road grassy, slippery and overlooking Breedon and the Staghunters Inn for the finish and signing off.

To cap the day of we were most surprised to see the provisional results have given us 2^nd in class!

Thanks to all the organisers and marshals from NDMC for an excellent trial and a thoroughly enjoyable days trialling with the bonus of the stunning Exmoor scenery. We will be definitely be back again next year and I would highly recommend that you make the trip and give it a try yourself next year.