Compost

Another year is about to end, for some it will come as a relief. In our sport, we all know how the Foot and Mouth crisis affected events, with lots of cancellations and later in the year, too many events happening causing low numbers of entrants and marshals as people simply couldn’t be out every single weekend. What will next year hold? If I had a crystal ball, I might be able to indicate, but all I can offer is our Competition Calendar for 2002 elsewhere in this edition. As is always the case, the dates for these events are provisional, we all do our best to be as forward as possible in the planning of events, but some cancellations are inevitable. Not necessarily to our own meetings, but maybe to other clubs’. I know from receiving phone calls about events, just how much people rely on calendars either in the MSA fixture list book or from the Associations. Trouble is, dates have to be put in so far in advance of publication of these booklets that changes are bound to happen. God knows why the plans for 2003 will need to be in by July, but they will. I can tell you now that when you competition licence holders get your books, our own ‘planned’ May 5th North Weald sprint, won’t be happening on May 5th but on May 26th instead. I can also tell you that I will get calls from people saying, ‘well it says in the MSA book that you’re running a sprint then!’

Since the demise of Crystal Palace, we haven’t yet been able to find another prestigious event like that. Yes, the Rally of Kent was bigger, but I believe that 7oaks pride themselves on running much more friendly, perhaps smaller clubby events and doing a bloody good job of it. Next years Rally of Kent is likely to be a more clubby type of event with a greater control over the running of the whole shebang. I have had a number of emails from club members making suggestions for events and offering to do a bit of investigation into the possibilities. I have put these around the committee as many of them have been involved in motor sport for much longer than me and therefore know of the possibilities already. So thankyou to Rik Lee, Louise and Andy Davies and Dick Athow. Please don’t give up just because your ideas didn’t result in a new event, all of your suggestions have been discussed at committee.

Chin and I recently attended the AEMC association meeting and a lot of that particular meeting was concerned with one venue. However, the implications may well end up extending into other events. The venue is Oakington barracks, to be used 5 times in 2002 for tarmac single venue stage rallies. Noise is the big issue here, much as it is anywhere these days. You know the problems. Townies who’ve gone to their country retreats at the weekend and then complain about the noisy airfield they’re next to. Anyway, at this venue the noise limit is going to be 98db, two decibels below the Blue Book requirement. A venue owner is quite within their rights to insist on a lower limit and provided that the limit is written into the regs, then that is fine. Goodwood is another example of this. Oakington is a sensitive venue, and it has been known in the past for competitors here, and I’m damn sure elsewhere, to repack their exhaust boxes to get through the noise test, but by the end of the day, be well over the limit. This will not be tolerated at Oakington and exclusion from the venue is likely to be the result of such an indiscretion. Not my words but those that run events there and absolutely vital in order to maintain the use of these places. We can’t as much as we’d like to, tell the complainers to go forth and multiply, and then run our 6R4’s as British Leyland had intended …. I’m dreaming of the wail of a Metro again ….. we have to comply, resistance is futile!! So, any of you rally boys and girls who have a ‘noisy’ car, take heed of my warning and make sure that you can go throughout the day within the limits.

You’ll read elsewhere in this ACORN of my first attempt at a PCT. Thoroughly enjoyable it was, and I will be looking to do some more next year. Keep an eye on the calendar for details of forthcoming events. As ever, the calendar doesn’t include every event running on a particular day, more simply those that I know about or possibly have some regs or contact details for. I’ll do my best to put you in touch with the relevant contact for specific events but it can be a bit of a lottery at times!

The third of our resurgent scatter rallies took place on the 28th November. Starting at the slightly surreal Red House pub near Chart Sutton (you’ll think that you’re sitting in someone’s living room!), we had another excellent turnout of 10 crews to complement the previous two scatters. Doug and Ben of Boro18 won again, they are bloody good with another regular road rally crew of Steve Hodgson and Steve Bubb finishing 2nd. Daren and I were pushed into 3rd spot. We hit one or two potholes as seems to be the norm and on the way home after cruising past Colin Rodgers’ Beemer at a sedate pace on the M20, the front nearside tyre suddenly deflated! I’m glad it wasn’t raining but the hard shoulder is a scary place to be when you’re not looking at the traffic thundering down on you but changing the wheel instead. There isn’t a 7oaks scatter in December, the next one will be Ian Crockers’ on Jan 10th, start venue will be The Chaser at Shipbourne, ref 188/592522, usual start time of 8pm. Phone or email me or Ian if you’d like to come along.

The 12 cars are also seeing brilliant numbers out in the lanes. We had a full complement for Chin’s event on November 9th and there were joint winners as the navigation had been kept fairly simple to aid the newcomers, which I totally agree with. There’s no point in setting it so difficult that people go home in a huff never to return. So things are looking to be on the up, let’s hope it stays that way. Croydon’s next 12 car may have happened by now, it being on December 14th, our January 12th event with Colin Billings clerking will start from the M20 motorway services at J8, Maidstone at 8pm.

Finally, a little update on the North Weald abandonment in October. Those that were there will know what the weather was like on that day, and also how the meeting unfolded with regard to a deferred practice and then the subsequent decision to pack up early. On the day there were one or two comments about refunds with undoubtedly more comments made behind closed doors. Remember now with what I’m about to say, that I was a competitor on that day and just because I’m Comp Sec, doesn’t mean I get a free entry!!! Those that signed on should by now have received a partial refund a little under £15. This figure came about by your Treasurer, Neil Brooks-Johnson, subtracting event costs from the entry fees and then dividing up amongst those that signed on. A fair solution then ….. however it hasn’t pleased all, as Secretary of the Meeting, Tina Moon will tell you! On the one hand she’s had a complaint about the running of the event, the time taken to reach a decision and the remark that it costs competitors money to get to and from these events (remember that includes me!). On the other hand she has had another call from someone complaining that if we can afford to give £15 back, then we must be charging too much just to turn a tidy profit!! You just can’t win. For starters, every club must make a bit on their major meetings otherwise they don’t survive. In slightly more normal circumstances, the £15 would probably have been about £7 or £8 which on 100 competitors means the club stands in with a £800 surplus. The extra money for this refund came about because we took 98 cheques and refunded to the 82 signed on. The extra 16 non attendees did not get a refund but their cheques were distributed between those that did attend. 16 x app. £44 = £704 divided by 82 = £8.60. In a nutshell, we’re not making upwards of £15 on every competitor at our events. I hasten to add that these complaints didn’t come from anyone in 7oaksDMC but just in case you were thinking of having a dig at someone, think again. Also remember, that the organisers of any event that is cancelled in the manner that North Weald was, i.e, due to weather conditions on the day and therefore a case of ‘force majeur’, are not obliged to give any refund whatsoever ….. but 7oaks is a caring club that looks after its competitors.
Neville and Tina Moon deserve a huge thank you for all the grief that they’ve had to deal with. Without them, both of our 2001 North Weald sprints may not have happened, they even moved a holiday booking to be there for the June meeting ….! Now that’s commitment!

Have a great Christmas.

Mark Dawson

The Acorn : December Edition