Leaderboard

Fine weather in Surrey today, so I got out for a blast to Newlands Corner, followed by a thorough wash & shine. Main jobs for 2023, apart from keeping it between the hedges, include updating the headlights to LED (smaller diameter with black surrounds - recommendations welcome!), and replacing the seats with lighter carbon / composite.

Since I started competing in the speed series approx 20 years ago (cant remember exactly when) I have had 5 different Westfields with 10 different engine types/capacity etc including a 2.5 Millington Diamond, 1548cc, Busa , SBD 300bhp Duratech and a Neil Brown Duratech. The car I bought from Andy Rushworth (CAT Motorsport) had a Blackbird engine fitted which I replaced with a Honda Fireblade. The car came with a lot of lightened parts as well as carbon fibre panels and currently weighs around 405Kgs. I have had this car for approx 10 years and developed it quite a lot. I am very pleased that I have now (at last) won back to back championships.

Hello all & a quick message to show face. James May here from sunny Shropshire. Role on the top gear jokes! So my first steps to securing my dream toy! Boy am I excited for 2023!!! And this will likely be in the next few months, once I have sorted some other bits out. I will be purchasing Via Toy box cars. Shout out to Andrew for pointing me in this direction to join the club, and for some guidance on what I am looking for. I love Westfields and a huge petrol head. Due to a few things happening in real life, my view is now to tick off the bucket list sooner, life is too short!!! I look forward to meeting you guys once I am on the road or before at a local gathering or show. Kindest regards.

Welcome James from Bridgnorth. Any help required let me know. There are a lot of us builders around Shropshire, so familiar with every rivet.

Me and Steve will be there

Sold to Rich.

This is always really worthwhile, when new to the marque; it will give you a much better feel for the cars, and also perhaps, some ideas about what will be important for you, in a Westfield - everyone tend to want slightly different things from the car. And of course, kits like these are perfect for that sort of individual tailoring. (And if there are a few options you decide are "must haves", Andrew at ToyBox is usually very good at sorting those out for customers, even if the car being looked at doesn't initially have them.)

Definitely getting down there soon to meet you local guys, even before I get the car 😁

Welcome, James, from sunny Shrewsbury. Looking forward to meeting you at the Admiral Rodney before long.

And welcome from Much Wenlock!

Took the TVR out this afternoon for its first run in 2023, catching some late afternoon sunshine.

Did I say something about 'making calendar pictures' on my last event? well we made some today didn't we @Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman @Glynn Walters😂 We met the Burton Car Club at Carsington Water and made a lovely display of interesting cars in the car park This was us @Trevor Little (Trevturtle) joined us at last with tales of the turbo'd MX5 at Donington on a cold December track day which delighted us, James in the Sonic had been there only the day after too on an equally cold day, talk of minus 2 in the morning! We soon relieved the snack bar of it's sausage cobs and hot coffee It's not like it was cold, we had some proper Cheshire flesh on display with us didn't we Dave, not like the nancies in Staffordshire who wear jeans in the winter @Ian Kinder (Bagpuss) - Joint Peak District AO We returned to our cars after we suitably dropped everyone's body temperature and I was approached by a man called Rod. He was a press photographer and wanted some photo's of our cars in motion, I told him my route and he said he would see us near the Miner's Standard pub, I passed him a business card and waved him off. I gathered Dave, Glynn and James in the MEV Sonic for the onward journey to Hathersage. Glynn asked if we were 'roofing up' as it was spitting with rain, I replied that we will be moving so we will be fine🤣. Around 10 minutes later the rain was biblical and we were on a twisty, narrow country road with no chance of pulling up. At the end of the road I pulled over to the left on a straight bit and we 'roofed up', we were soaked, inside the windscreen, seats, coats, hats, everywhere and I couldn't get my wet hands into my gloves. James had no roof and went home, Dave and Glynn had the same opinion as me, we were wet now so we may as well carry on. I am glad we did because by Bakewell the rain had stopped but it had left it's mark on the roads as you can see by Rod's photo's. They had made the Midland's News by the time we got home, thanks @HB46443 for tagging us on facebook, I hope Rod get's a good payday from them. Anyway, we arrived at Bird Cafe in a damp state. Bird Cafe, Hathersage car park Yay, it was lunchtime, so the feasting began, followed by cake time. Treacle tart and cream for me Have you noticed that the sun is out now we are sat inside a warm cafe😃 I will leave you with the rest of Rod's photo's for you to laugh at. That cyclist must have balls of steel to do what he did, Dave suggested that they may be rusty by now so I hope they are stainless steel ones. Don't forget to pay your parking fee for Carsington and I hope to see you next Sunday for a less eventful meet up, WOW, it's been a very memorable day today and I certainly feel alive, what a start to the year🤪

I think I must hold the record for coming 2nd overall the most times on at least 5 occassions by my reckoning

Thats great. piece of research and compilation Alex I was also 73 and 74 yrs old when I won Thanks for doing it and we should find somewhere to keep this record

A sad day for hoonigans! https://www.motorsport.com/rally/news/block-killed-snowmobile-crash/10416497/amp/

Son Alex has just received his mag and calendar - except he hasn't - the plastic sleeve has torn open and all that's arrived is the cover sheet in a ripped bag 🥺