Editoral Ramblings

Happy New year to you all.  It has been a strange and frustrating year with regards to motorsport and world events and here’s hoping 2002 will be better all round. I can’t believe were that year has gone and how back in January 2001 I was starting very nervously to tread down a path taken by some illustrious names such as Chin and Biggles (to name but two)!  It has been a steepish learning curve this editing lark and I hope that you dear reader have not been too unhappy with this last year’s offerings!  Don’t forget that this is the magazine of the Sevenoaks & DMC membership and you are always welcome to comment and contribute as you wish.  My thanks to all the contributors who have made life easier by filling pages with their thoughts and experiences.  If your resolution last year was to put pen to paper for all to read and you didn’t quite get round to it, don’t put it off any longer, make a new resolution and stick to it!  I look forward to receiving your contributions!
Unfortunately I start 2002’s editorial with some tragic news of the death of a young member of the club, Martin Williams and a longer standing member Jack Kemsley.  Mark Dawson and Keith Lay have put together a few words in memory of these two people at opposite ends of our membership spectrum, one just starting out, the other with much experience of motorsport behind him.  Both will be missed and our thoughts and sympathies are extended to Martin's and Jack’s families at this sad time.
On to lighter things, the new year starts as always with a celebration of all things good in grassroots motorsport—the Annual Awards Dinner and Dance on Saturday 19th January at Leeds Castle (just in case you have been living on Mars for the last three or so months and haven't been reading your Acorn!!  Tickets can still be bought from Colin Rodger at £25 per head and represents excellent value for a night out!  Don’t forget to bring your photos for our Rogue’s Gallery and if you have been nominated for a monthly Mug this year and haven’t received one get in touch with Andy Elcomb who will make one available on the night!
So in this month’s article packed issue of Acorn, Part Two of Andrew Actman and Tom Coulthard’s exploits on the World Cup Rally and Sam Collins has once again produced some thought provoking stuff!!  You will also find a correct competition calendar at the back, the mystery of the incorrect calendar that appeared last month remains unsolved—(Sorry Mr Comp Sec, that wasn’t what you sent me and I don’t know where that calendar came from either!) Apologies for any inconvenience caused, people!
Don’t forget to renew your club membership or this will almost certainly be your last Acorn and we can’t be having that can we!!!  Trevor and Denise Jones await your completed forms and monies.  Please don’t forget to add any change of details, eg new email address or telephone number since last year’s renewal.
And looking forward to next month, organisation for the Kent Road Rally is underway and of course your help will be needed on the night of 16th February for marshalling duties.  Please ring Chris Scudder or Chin if you can help marshal a post or two.  Experience is not necessary and it is as easy as falling in a ditch (Whoops! That’s one of my New Year’s resolutions broken—I wasn’t going to mention that incident again! - oh well!).
The rest of my Resolutions include taking part in the Summer Autotest rounds and having a go at a PCT.  (Family commitments meant we weren’t able to get to the couple of PCTs Chris Judge kindly sent us regs for at the end of the year) and the other resolution has something to do with chocolate…. now was it to carry on eating it or to give it up? Hmmm…!
By the time you read this Ian Crocker’s Scatter will have happened on the 9th January (and we were hopefully out on it) and also Colin Billing’s 12Car on the 11th.  I had a quick squint at what was being mentioned in the Acorn at the beginning of last year and an article by Ian in February’s issue pointed out the disappointingly low numbers for Scatters and 12cars at that time. It is great that a year on the turnout for these fun but important grassroots events has been excellent. Let’s keep up the momentum and get good turnouts for marshalling and the Summer Autotests.  Don’t forget, 7Oaks is part of the Weald Motorclub and as such is invited to other clubs 12Cars, Scatters and Autotests. So have a go at someone else’s event, it is interesting to see differences in organisation and navigation and meeting people from other clubs.  We are all here for the same reason after all!  Of course the Marketing Machine Championship kicks off soon and regs should be available very shortly online and by post as well as appearing in Acorn.
Whilst on the subject of events, just a reminder as we go into the New Year that you the membership need to keep your eyes peeled and ears to the ground for potential new venues we could use/be invited to. Lydden’s days are numbered and rumour has it the North Weald is under threat (although it has been for years) so please let your committee know if you hear of anything we could investigate on your behalf.  We had a number of leads suggested last year which have been followed up and turned out not to be suitable for one reason of another. Don’t let this put you off!  One of the suggestions you make could turnout to be a new Crystal Palace or Valence!  If we don’t hear we won’t know and something valuable could slip through the Club’s fingers!  Our aim is to keep Club events fun and well organised for you the Members so keep feeding us the suggestions!
Well that’s it for this month.  See you on the 19th at Leeds Castle!  I want gossip and intrigue for February’s issue!

Dawn Travers

The Acorn : January Edition