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A SUPER turnout from Dave, despite him not being fully CHARGED, just glad you got home safe and hope the AGM went well. Thank you for bringing out 'Bluebird,' well it's the same colour and will go nearly as fast as Donald Campbell's car now. A big welcome goes to James, his first run to the Peak District in his lovely green, Zetec engined Westfield, good choice of car. Also joining us was Andrew, Andy W and Andy and Becky, Bill Senior and Bill Junior, Chris Emm and Ian. That made 9 cars and 12 people meeting at Quackers. Soon expanded when Simon, our Speed Series King, surprised us by turning up with the family. Brilliant, oh it was so lovely to see you all enjoying yourselves, a taste of normality. Cake tasted great too, and yes, Andy Westwood did indeed get the biggest piece of Rolo cake. Don't mention the Rolo! It didn't survive sitting next to me! with my modestly sized almond and rasperry slice After a catch up, my you have all been busy working on your cars, we followed my new Morridge Ridgeline route that I had jiggled a bit from last time by putting us in the opposite direction. We were now going up hill and had the views right in front of us. We were on high ground for most of the way and under the black clouds but it didn't rain enough to put a roof on. We arrived at The Royal Oak, Hurdlow and did the panorama dance The tents are heated and the car parking plentiful Unfortunately the food was not plentiful, they were not serving it, so back in the cars and 2 minutes over the road to the old favourite The Bull I' Thorn. Now why did I change it from there, Julie just stick to cafes. Not quite enough room for Chris to park with us at The Bull Thanks for coming everyone, I see the sun belted out all afternoon when we got home but hey ho. Next weekend is the Bank Holiday so our run out will be avoiding the tourist routes and the chosen day will be decided by the weather but we will meet at 10am at QUACKERS cafe. No run out the weekend after (5th and 6th June) as we are off to the Lake District for a week.

The blasting of the chassis revealed far more hidden horrors than I was expecting and in total the list ran to about 60 defects that needed fixing in one way of another. Most of these were cracks, broken welds and some rust holes so it was surprising that they were all hidden below the fresh paint that the previous owner had applied to the chassis only a few years before. the welder Richard so I’m told is more commonly found fixing up the BTCC and GT grids. He had been an absolute artist with the TIG and brazing rods and put in a late evening yesterday to try and finish it but was eventually beaten by the magnitude of issues which exhausted his supply of brazing rods. One more visit will see it finished so I can then finally get it painted.

I wasn't planning to attend today, due to 2nd Covid Jab at 9:00am at JCB. However as I washed the tin top earlier, the weather was looking like it was drying up and a plan was hatched. Go for the jab in the Westie and go and find my peaky friends after! A great day was had, despite the weather being soggier than planned. Bagpuss achieved a notable milestone today! As always, @Julie Hall - Peak District AO found some great, quiet roads:

Was great meeting you guys, had a good day despite the weather and feeling rough later in the day. My half hood came off at the front on the way back, just caught it in time, so think I might need to try re positioning the channel and studs.

Thought you might like this - the write up just about sums us up!!

Thanks Julie for another great drive and splendid views though the Peak district. I don't know how you keep finding these fantastic routes. It was great to meet everyone again and catch up.

Mine’s in there somewhere amongst the six sevens! lovely weather too 👍

Nothing quite that simple, but right area. 😆 The locknut nearest the bulkhead on the master cylinder pushrod had worked loose somehow. (Was definitely tight, I remember checking it.) and during the run out, eventually began winding itself back up the pushrod towards the bulkhead. As it got closer to the bulkhead, I moved from having too much clutch drag to change gear reliably, to not really having it release at all! Finger tightening it when I spotted it, gave full pedal again. Will use some threadlock this time! However, it really does reinforce a point I usually make talking to others, and that I was just as guilty as, while out at the meet. DO NOT assume you know what the problem is, and that it’s something big/expensive/difficult to reach etc. Start with the basics and work up. Much of the time it is something simple and basic. I needed to get back for the AGM anyway, so wasn’t going to do the full run/lunch. But if I’d followed my own advice in the car park, at best I’d have done a bit of the run, and worst case, I’d have had an easy run home, instead of one of the worst most concerning runs I’ve ever had in a Westfield. (think supercharged S2000, in the rain, on a basic shake down engine map, with no/limited clutch, a lightweight flywheel, and at times only third, talk about concentrating the mind!!)

Pass👊 Now to enjoy.

We are going to come and say hello. But probably closer to 10.30 but if your all eating hopefully your still there.

Finally mot time this morning 🤞

Tel’s Tales – Blyton 15th & 16th May 2021 Well what a relief it was for most of us as we got back on track sprinting following the long layoff due to the Covid Virus lockdown. My last event was at the start of October 2019 so I was glad to meet up with 10 Westfields on Sat and 11 on Sun plus 3 speed series drivers in class G single seaters. A few drivers had to withdraw including Adam and Charlotte Phelps plus Dave Cleaver. So we had a good turnout but the bad thing was that the weather was forecast heavy rain and thunderstorms plus cold temperatures for both days. Luckily the only rain was overnight on Saturday so that did not give us any problems. I must thank our friends at Longton and District Motor Club (LDMC) for making the weekend run efficiently despite the Covid issues. The first strange thing on Saturday was the relaxed start with no signing on or scrutineering as we had completed all that stuff online prior to the event. There were some things that had to be checked by the Scrutineer such as new gloves, overalls etc as well as sound testing but it was minimal. It was good to see some new faces joining us and that included Jon Ison in his turbo busa and Peter O’Connor in John Loudon’s old car. Both these guys have lots of experience so there was going to be some close competition not just in the Westfield classes but in the other classes on the day. Andy Hargreaves was back out after a bit of a break and I nearly didn’t recognise his car as it looked very smart with a new paint job. Team Everall was looking very smart including me with new carbon fibre helmet, overalls and gloves whilst Steve had new overall and the most startling fluorescent bright green logos on his new race boots. Saturday saw a lot of mechanical problems and track stoppages on track as drivers hit things and visited the scenery at inappropriate moments. As a result we got 2 practice and 3 timed runs on the Eastern circuit which is technically challenging. The Friday night track walk had allowed us to take note of the altered parts of the track at the Wriggler and Bishops where extra tarmac width was, in theory, going to permit higher entry speeds and better exit speed out of the corners. Steve was trying so hard in P1 that on the 3rd corner his rear arch had an argument with a large cone and he came back into the paddock not even knowing he had lost it. It was quite funny really as he had been heard telling someone in the paddock to remember that the back end of the car is wider than the front and that can cause problems! Eventually the wing parts got back to him in the paddock and consisted of 7 pieces of ripped fibreglass. It was a bit like a complicated 3D puzzle to put back together but we did it . Due to using plastic bolts to attach the wing to the tub damage was minimal and we reinforced the wing parts with ally strips pop rivetted in place before the whole lot was wrapped in black Duct tape. The result was a magnificent structure and solid as a rock and was admired by many and even the scrutineer called it a work of art. With me on alloy strip fabrication and matching jigsaw pieces , Mick Skidmore on pop riveting, Ron Siddle wielding copious amounts of duct tape and Steve supplying the tools it only took about 25 minutes to complete. The saying goes that things come in threes and on the next run Steve reported that his neutral light was not working. As we checked out the electrics we forgot to switch off the electric water pump and then found that his new Powerlite battery had gone flat. We put a spare battery on but in the haste connected the earth wire of the powercommander to the battery positive rather than negative so it would not start ! (We refixed the wire at the end of the afternoon and all was well for Sunday). As there was no time left before the timed runs Steve decided to double drive my car and I was a bit worried that he would like it too much or it might hit something like a cone but he looked after it well. I must remember to charge him for the petrol and tyre rubber he used ! Later we found a loose terminal on the wire to the neutral switch so that was an easy fix. Sometimes I don’t know how we find time to get on track. Jon Ison was making his power tell and Richard Houlgate was trying hard to stay with him. In W3 Peter O Connor had high hopes of getting a good result and had done a bit of testing and competed at Goodwood plus we had good drivers in the class on the day so it was game on. I just managed to win after a close battle. In W4 John Hoyle was out on slicks for the first time and was fastest Westfield all weekend but he could not match the pace of Alan and Nick Mugglestone in their Raw Fulcum much to his annoyance so I think he will make some changes to his springs and ARB to improve handling. Mick Dent and Harry Moody were going well but Mick Skidmore appeared to experiencing electrical problems with an intermittent misfire which might take a bit of curing. Andy Hargreaves was having a look at the wiring and relays as the ignition would go on and off when he moved stuff around. After a bit of testing with the multimeter I found that the voltage everywhere had dropped to 11.5v and that was the problem. Testing with a jump battery proved that the alternator was b*****red as we were not getting any charge voltage. Mick was lucky enough to borrow some batteries for Sunday and ran by recharging and changing batteries between runs and parking close to the start line so he did not waste battery power. Pete Goulding ran second fastest overall (I think) and John Loudon won the battle between him and Mark Anson who had a spin in P1 and missed the top 12 run off. Saturday night would normally see us having a few beers and natter but with social distancing and very cold weather it was not happening. Overnight we had heavy rain but it passed quickly and all was well by morning. Today it was the outer circuit and we were joined by Simon Waterfall in his ex Mark Anson blade car which he has tested mainly on trackdays. The same battles took place as yesterday and again there were some engine issues. I had noted a change in acceleration off the line which was a bit like going onto 3 cylinders but cleared before the first corner. We got 1 practice and 5 timed runs and by the end of run 3, I decided to change the cam sensor and a set of plugs which cured the problem which was good as Peter O ‘Connor was putting in some fast times as was Simon Waterfall. Steve Everall had a few missed gear shifts in T1, T2 and that was found to be a loose mounting bolt on his paddle shift system. On his last run T4 Mick Skidmore tried too hard and spun at the first corner to end his weekend trying to catch John Hoyle who was flying. Mick Dent in his busa had a Kamikaze moment approaching Bishops a little fast on T3 and as he locked up the front wheels the car veered left and hit he tyre wall hard. Damage to the nearside was not as bad as it could have been but he needs a repaired upright, steering arm, straightened rim, cycle wing bracket, straightened oil cooler and radiator brackets etc. but the chassis looked fine. At lunchtime we had a group photograph near the start line and this should be in the magazine. On my last run I managed to put in a good run and just won class W3. So it was a great weekend which brought back the buzz and excitement we had been missing. We were lucky that the thunder and lightning as well as torrential rain only started just as we left the paddock. Terry Everall

Another great day out with friends, I must admit visibility wasn’t the best today but that could have been down to my wipers not working!!! Take care all and see you soon A & B . Oh @AndrewBClarke I forgot to ask ! Did you slide to a halt behind me at the last junction before lunch 🤔 not that I was looking or listening 🤣

Jeez, too much information.....

I've given the car a good going over.. checked the valve clearances, and fitted wet tyres in preparation for Monday. Ready to go! 😎

I’ll eat on the way then. 😀.

Managing to avoid the rain in Scotland!

Meet at Thornbridge Hall, Baslow Road, Ashford-in-the-Water, DE45 1NZ at 10am on Saturday. QUACKERS CAFE. After a catch up there will be a run round before stopping for lunch and finishing early afternoon. All members welcome and, as ever, if the weather forecast changes dramatically from the current 'light cloud' then I will review the situation. Who is joining us?

Wish I could convert cow **** to fossil fuel, it has a natural attraction to my car in the Welsh lanes.

try now

Thanks will give that a try tomorrow

I’m entered hopefully the engine will be back in and a trip to Daytuner before hand 😬

Welcome, not far from you, Just north of Oundle

On the plus side, it'll be lighter now!

Thanks Andrew however weather looks moist.. so packing all my wet weather gear.. new discs are on so will be good to give them a try and will soon know if the mounting holes were drilled centrally!! At least I have the tyres on ready for dry wet damp or monsoon... although in fact they are showing some wear from Cadwell.. Have fun the other side of the border

And that's the AGM done for another year. Thanks to those that participated!

I am officially excited.

Something stuck under the clutch pedal??

Thanks Brad, For breakfasts we will probably use the Real food cafe in Tyndrum like last time, and DIY at the huts for Friday night. Cheers Dave.

Good luck for the day chaps .. hope you get weather, reliability, and not too many numpties. 😎 ..from the wscc trackday group (Northern branch) 🙂

Tyndrum Inn Restaurant booked for Sat 7pm. Initially for 8 people - anymore will be on a separate table, let me know sooner than later. If you have paid a deposit for the Wigwams, but aren't coming for the weekend, you will need to organise your own refund. So far... Brad-Diane Jim-Jean Dave-Jen Brian

Electric Classic Cars in Newtown.

gonna be a No show from me chaps, had a better offer for Sunday/Monday involving drinking beer, Have a great time and hope the weather holds out for you.

Hi Julie I'll be there as long as the weather is ok. Really looking forward to seeing everyone.

Oh you lot are in for a treat, breakfast has arrived at QUACKERS cafe. What a difficult choice it will be though, all cakes and sausage rolls are made in their on-site bakery from the finest ingredients. What a shame @Ian Kinder (Bagpuss) - Joint Peak District AO isn't bringing his own Kinderella, Charlotte, she would have loved this cake. Let's hope we can sit out here as we will be more than a group of 6, wrap up warm. Don't you just love a car park with no kerbs, please behave, donuts are not on the menu😄.

Moray is in level 2 from midnight tonight so no problems driving through 👍

Providing the weather stays as predicted I'm in. Will be my first peaks meet

Renewed again, thanks @A-Plan Insurance THATCHAM

Another thumbs up for @A-Plan Insurance THATCHAM👍, easy to deal with, great service and good pricing so have renewed the Westy and my Discovery Cheers

Are you all set for Monday Luke?

Some pointers and observations from my journey. 1. If it’s got broken rear uprights for the Sierra callipers they are quite hard to find. So get ready for changing to the newer style for golf callipers. 2. If any of the wishbones are bent in any way I would advise that you don’t try repairing and just replace. 3. If an insurance company have written it off higher than a CAT C you WILL have to replace the chassis as I did. This will then require a complete IVA test after you have rebuilt it. In fact I still think it will have to be put through a test if it’s been written off to a lower level but I may stand corrected on this. 4. Westfield did offer to supply me a new chassis on enquiry but I was very lucky to find a kit that hadn’t been built up yet. 5. Whilst everything is in bits replace bearings and seals where you can and make sure everything is supper clean so it looks like new. Purchase a decent paraffin washing station. 6. If you need to rewire the car there other options than buying a loom from Westfield. 7. Don’t rush into it until you have done the maths. There is no point in going through the pain if you end up with a car that cost more to repair than buying better one that’s in full working order.

Well the first shake down run of the blue beast was eventful to say the least! Firstly though, thanks to Julie for arranging this. Secondly, a huge thank you to everyone that gave me a push back up the hill in the carpark, after my clutch decided it wasn't going to play ball! (Checked fluid levels in the carpark, thinking I may have a leak or poor seal, but no, all good). Apologies for just having to leave without saying good bye, - i found I'd got too much clutch drag to sit there in gear/engine running, and as it later turned out, the only way to get first was to turn the engine off and select it! After a rather eventful trip home, with steadily fewer and fewer gears able to be selected while rolling - the last mile was in third only! I made it. ....And after putting preconceptions of what expensive item had failed, and whether it would be an engine out job, I found and fixed the problem in two minutes! Extremely embarrassing, and totally self inflicted!

On a pub crawl with a friend and the dogs, Enjoy your cake Then I'm camping for the following 3 weekends (different locations)