Scottish Lowlands Mystery/Navigation Run - August 25th Saturday - POSTPONED 'til 2019

[Hornet600]

Hi Brad finally been given the go ahead by insurance for repairs to go ahead so sadly the car won’t be ready in time. 

[BigSkyBrad]

It’s looking at the very best, only five (?) cars on the run? In blind faith, I had run off 22 sets of route books, lest there was a flurry of last-minuters!

Because of the nature of the event it is a fairly solitary day but made much less so when there is a good number of cars – you bump into cars criss-crossing the map, catch or pass cars, lunch break etc, and a good gathering at the end for a blether about the day.

It seems that to run such an event, and get a good turn-out in this club, a year’s notice of the date is required for people to add the event to their calendar – three month’s notice is just not enough.

So it’s your call, @ziplob @Matta @Colsum @H.7 @Davep1 we either…

a)      run the event as planned, and maybe come up with another route for next  year,

     or

b)       postpone 'til next year and try again for the event it should be. I’m more than happy to still have a run-out on the 25^th (or 26^th if it suits you) – meet at Happingdon Services at 10am, try some of the roads I missed out on the nav run, and have lunch at Tibbie Shiels Inn, St Mary’s Loch, and another blat in the afternoon.

Your call people, I'll go with the voice of the people.

 

[H.7]

Hi Brad,

Knowing how much effort goes into creating events such as this (I used to organise navigational rallies for Dunfermline Car Club throughout the '70s and early '80s), and seeing that there at least another half dozen or more who would have done it but can't make that weekend, I'd go for postponing it till next year. In your original post, you said it wasn't worth putting on for 5 or 6 cars and I'd agree. You know that these events are better with a bigger field, from both the competitive and social viewpoints, so probably better to postpone and we can try to market it in the McWesty Clan and further afield for next year.

I'd be up for a run-out on either the 25th or 26th.

Cheers, Brian.

[Matta]

1 hour ago, BigSkyBrad said:

It’s looking at the very best, only five (?) cars on the run? In blind faith, I had run off 22 sets of route books, lest there was a flurry of last-minuters!

Because of the nature of the event it is a fairly solitary day but made much less so when there is a good number of cars – you bump into cars criss-crossing the map, catch or pass cars, lunch break etc, and a good gathering at the end for a blether about the day.

It seems that to run such an event, and get a good turn-out in this club, a year’s notice of the date is required for people to add the event to their calendar – three month’s notice is just not enough.

So it’s your call, @ziplob @Matta @Colsum @H.7 @Davep1 we either…

a)      run the event as planned, and maybe come up with another route for next  year,

     or

b)       postpone 'til next year and try again for the event it should be. I’m more than happy to still have a run-out on the 25^th (or 26^th if it suits you) – meet at Happingdon Services at 10am, try some of the roads I missed out on the nav run, and have lunch at Tibbie Shiels Inn, St Mary’s Loch, and another blat in the afternoon.

Your call people, I'll go with the voice of the people.

 

Brad - I messaged you last week but looks like you haven't seen it. I'm out as I'm struggling to drive the Westie at the moment and it's possibly sold.

Apologies, Matt 

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

A "local" event type run with between half a dozen and a dozen cars is usually considered a great turnout.

Looking at upward of a dozen is do-able, but takes a good amount of time to get on people's calendars, and a lot of promotion - the Silverstone Parade lap from a few years ago was a prime example of that, as were the original Coast to Coast runs from the early/mid 2000's. Note though, with the C to C runs, it did take a year or two for them to really catch on.

I do think it's a fantastic idea though, and would love to see it really take off, specially if it can pull some cars and members up from south of the border; we need, in my personal opinion, events that pull members North, (and South for that matter,) not just always in the Midlands.

[BigSkyBrad]

Totally agree Dave, and I've been on enough local runs to figure a 1/2 doz cars is a good turn-out - any more can be a struggle to fit in the pub carpark for lunch!

I fully intended this to be a multi-region event, to include the north of England at the very least, it not that far away. That's why I chose a Saturday (on a bank holiday) to allow for travellers and D&G/Borders for the route. What I didn't appreciate was the amount of notice that was required to give everyone. The first bike one in NZ drew over 100 bikes, most camping, from one small ad in a bike mag such is the bike community back home, and I thought the WSCC would be much the same, especially for something a bit different from the norm. 

So keen were the missus and I to join in on the social side of Westie ownership, our first run was a two-day run down in the Lake District with Dave Smeg and crew.

[Davep1]

Brad,

As it seems we may be down to only 4 cars, I agree its probably best to postpone till next year, to ensure a decent turn out to justify all the time and effort you have both put in.

Like Brian, I have also been heavily involved in road rallies many years ago, and its the navigational aspect that appeals.

Dave.

(PS - The Tibbie Shiels Inn is closed down sadly).

[Colsum]

Hi Brad,

After all the time and effort you have went to it would be a shame to waste it on 4 or 5 cars, particularly as I'm sure to get lost anyway. I would postpone to another time that would hopefully achieve a better turnout. Like the idea of having a camp at the end of it, hopefully with multi regions involved.

Colin.

[BigSkyBrad]

Thanks for the feedback folks. Right, the run is postponed til next year, and we'll have another crack at rounding up a decent field of starters.

AO's - any reasons to deviate from August (24th) bank holiday weekend 2019? - weather, holidays, other events clashing on the calendar?

Who's the contact to get something put in the next few magazines?

 

As for next weekend, the missus and I are still going out for a burn in the car. There is a single-track that runs from the A701 to the A708 past the Talla and Megget reservoirs - i wanted to fit it into the nav run but there wasn't enough intersections to break up the distance. So, we'll be at Abington Services for 10:30 if you want to join us, down to Moffat, up and through this pass and then look for lunch on the other side, perhaps Selkirk or there is a little cafe in Cardrona, or just out of Peebles on the ED road? We're easy for either Saturday or Sunday.

[H.7]

I'd be up for a run on that weekend (25th/26th), maybe wait till nearer the date to decide on Sat or Sun to see which day has the better weather? I'm currently free both days 

[Ali and Gail]

Hi @BigSkyBrad. I've been following this post and love the idea. Indeed had the weather been favourable we would have been a last minute addition, I'd already looked at accommodation etc. To get so many cars takes a lot of time and planning and I do hope you keep the enthusiasm to put it on next year as you can put us on the list.

 

[Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup)]

1 hour ago, BigSkyBrad said:

 

Who's the contact to get something put in the next few magazines?

Write something out and give it to Gary. He can submit it for you.

[Onliest Smeg David]

Brad @BigSkyBrad

Submissions for magazine go to Peter Osborne editor@wscc.co.uk as in front of Westfield World

I'm sure there'll be no problem putting a half page advert in. (after all it was where you saw advert for last years Lakes and D&G trip I organised)

[BigSkyBrad]

@Dave (OnliestSmeg) - Manchester AO  Dave - would you believe I was looking at that advert right when you posted?!! Yeah, that's just the ticket - would winter and spring issue be too cheeky to ask for?

 

[Onliest Smeg David]

The quality of your event warrants adverts in both imo. But space available may depend on amount of other submissions. Go for both, you'll definitely get one!