SHORT MEMORY DEPARTMENT

Is it that long ago that this magazine was treated to regular doses of the full force of “McNeil’s Mouth”, slagging off just about anyone left right and centre-and making it a more readable publication than other clubs’ rags (which, of course it remains by a large margin), even if you were the target? Some of us have tried to compete with him but could never bring ourselves to go to quite the same limits! So, as my old mate R.McN would say “Tough ****, if you don’t like it at least its worth reading”.
    To our 12000rpm (and the rest?) correspondent, lets just make one point. I’m sure 7Oaks experience now is largely at venues that require lower noise limits than GR’s. Speed event noise limits (where full GR’s apply) are less onerous than any other club level discipline and there most definitely are some problems from motorcycle engined cars (that may not even be “on the cam” during the standard test). The unlimited racing car class is far less of a problem. Locally, we can also have an entire road rally pass by without anyone knowing but a motocross event a mile away causes serious problems that reflect on motorsport overall. It is the nature of noise not just decibels that attracts unwanted attention.
    Not that these experiences are anything to do with the original point, which is a long-standing joke, originated by a Clerk of the Course for one of the British Hillclimb Championship rounds, revolving around the scandalous assertion that it was seemingly mandatory to speak with a Midlands accent if you wanted to drive a racing car in hillclimbs! Since my wife was born in Birmingham, I’m allowed to take the **** out of the Midlands (although her accent owes more to a childhood spent in Canada-and she doesn’t read Acorn……yet…….!

Keith Lay

EDITOR'S HARD HAT SURPLUS TO REQUIREMENTS?

Rumour has it that, despite clashing in the pages of Acorn, the night before Longleat found Rob Hume and Keith
Lay slouched in front of the television in Jim Giddings' palatial accommodation at the Bath Arms watching the
1978 film "Convoy" and "armed" only with the latest in a long line of pints of Young’s bitter. How more surreal
are 7Oaks awayday meetings going to get?

From our SW Correspondant

The Acorn : October Edition