johns

Everyone is meeting at AWD Motorsport in Perth. Give them a call - or look them up on their website: www.awdmotorsport.co.uk Should be anotehr great day out. Cheers John

As Richard will no doubt tell you next time you pop in, we had a fantastic time on the Island, and are looking forward to a return visit next year

Right everyone, spoke to Mary McLennan at the Isle of Glencoe Hotel yesterday, and she is eagerly awaiting our bookings :-) Can you please call her on 01855 821582 to confirm your booking, and have your credit/debit card handy (to secure the booking - you can pay by a different means once you get there). We have a special rate of £67.50 per person per night in the deluxe rooms in the new part of the hotel, or £65 per person per night for the standard rooms in the old part. I would strongly recommend that everyone book the rooms ni the new part of the hotel though, so we are all together. The event itself will follow the tried and tested format of: Friday (from lunchtime onwards) arrive from all over the UK. Relax (or do some driving if you wish), have a few drinks, welcome everyone else as they arrive at the hotel. Around 7:30 - 8pm we usually have dinner, but those arriving later will be accomodated until about 9:45pm, after which the hotel can only provide some soup and sandwiches. The food is excellent, so well worth arrivin early for. Around the bar afterwards, we'll get everyone sorted out into driving groups, depending on where you want to go, how far and how fast you want to drive etc. Some people like to drive fast, but stop regularly for lots of spectacular photo opportunities, and others like to simply drive fast, and only stop for fuel and food ;-) Saturday morning sees an early start for some people, as they head off for their days driving. With a bit of luck, most of the groups will meet up around lunchtime (Ullapool is a good spot for lunch and fuel), before going their separate ways again and meeting up back at the hotel again later in the day. Traditionally, we would take to the pool/jacuzzi to relax after the long days drive, before getting ready for our dinner. We'll dine as a group, and it will start around 8pm. Dress code is smart casual, unless your name is Tut, in which case you can wear your training shoes with your jogging bottoms ;-) Saturday evening/Sunday morning is usually when the bar sees a busy spell (it will stay open as long as you keep drinking, and I think the record is about 4am!) Sunday morning sees the last of the excellent eat all you can breakfasts, and we check out of the hotel and head off in small groups again for our lunch spot (to be confirmed within the next few days), where we shall all meet up for a final lunch together, after another fantastic drive. It is then we sadly say goodbye to friends old and new, before departing for another year and head off home again. I must also add that the Isle of Glencoe would be happy to extend the stays for anyone wishing to stay longer at the same excellent rate. The countdown has started. John PS Once you have booked with the hotel, could you please let myself know the details (ie name, car details, type of room Twin/Double/Single), so I know who all to expect at the hotel :-)

Please note that for the next few months at least (and probably permanently), we'll be changing the Aberdeen monthly meeting to the first Tuesday of every month. Same place (Old Mill Inn), same time (7:30pm), same people plus hopefully a few others who can't make Wednesday evenings. See you all there John

Got a possibility of a winter track event at Knockhill on Saturday 16th November from about 12pm to 4pm (for those who say I don't know what afternoons are!). Guaranteed to be cold and very probably wet, but could still be lots of fun if you wrap up warm. Time to hone those essential winter driving skills Costs - we would need about 30 people brave enough to pay £50 for a whole afternoons fun on track to make it worthwhile. Can you let me know asap if you think it's a good idea or not. John

Well, it will be Wednesday this month (can't make Tuesday myself ), and we'll take a vote on it then whether to switch permanently to a Tuesday, or just every other one ? Also, I've now received stocks of the SIDC clothing (T-shirts, polo shirts, hats etc), which you can purchase from me on the night. Remember to bring your cheque books with you John

Most of us will be at Knockhill this Saturday morning, so probably the best chance for a while to meet everyone and arrange some stuff for the winter months. Also got the Tour d'Ecosse in the eary part of November, and hopefully a karting event in October if I can find the time to get the arrangements done. John

Richard, sounds good. Please keep us posted John

Richard, it all depends how fit you are, and I doubt very much if any locals built like I am could climb the whole mountain in under 10 minutes. I could probably run down from the top back down to the Bungalow bit in 10 minutes, but some of the slates were slippery under foot. I think it actually took us about 30 minutes to get to the top, but we did tend to stop every time we heard a bike coming, and watched it through the whole series of bends and out of sight at the top. When are the dates for the Manx International Rally next year then ? I've already promised the family we'll try and make another visit next year possibly around spring time or later. John PS got the photos Vince, and also got the ones from Neil. We'll have to try and get them published in True Grip, just to prove that we did climb all the way to the top

Vince, hopefully get some photos from the top of the hill soon It was a good 10 - 15 minute climb, wasn't it!! Still well worth doing though. John PS We've been invited back for next year, as part of a big multi club event, and we'll have an allocation of about 40- 50 cars. Better book up early, as I think the demand for places will be much higher next year

Andy - absolutely superb!! John

1st to 3rd November

4 hours open pit lane on Scotland's finest tarmac circuit from 9am to 1pm for only £65 (SIDC member, or £70 (guests and on-line bookings - small supplement to cover credit card charges). All welcome, and plenty of spaces left. Having just driven up from the south, I can confirm that Knockhill is less than 2 hours drive for some of you (4 hours maximum unless you are far south of Liverpool!), so you really have no excuses for not coming As an added attraction, some owners are embarking on a camping tour of Scotland shortly after the event finishes (hotels for those who like their luxuries are optional of course ) until Sunday evening. Two events for the price of one This will be the last track event of the year here (next one not until March/April next year!!!), so please book up at shop.sidc.co.uk now to avoid disappointment. You can also pay by cheque if required, and I'll e-mail you a booking form on request, which you can return with a cheque. As usual, we'll have a Knockhill instructor there to help out with any first timers, and strict track etiquette will be enforced with regards to overtaking, driving standards etc. FYI, I believe Knockhill are running a Lotus only event on the Friday afternoon (27), for the same 4 hours, and the price is £99, so you can see how much of a bargain this is John

Will be going ahead as planned. We have contacted the hotel, and they have a limited number of rooms available fo us to use. The cost will be £67.50 per person per night on a dinner (3 courses), bed and breakfast basis in the new part of the hotel, of £65 per person per night in the older section of the hotel. We need to know an idea of numbers who would like to take part, and we'll then make a block booking on the room. It's likely that Jools and Rob Doyle will take over much of the organisation of this event, as I'm up to my eyes at work at the moment, and away from my desk for large parts of the day. Please either post a reply up here, or send me an e-mail and I'll collate replies. Please indicate the type of room you require (single/double/twin), and whether in the new or old part of the hotel. There are also a couple of deluxe rooms (with additional snug) in the new part of the hotel, which are available at extra cost as well (doubles only though). John

Quick summary. got off the sea-cat at about 1pm on Thursday. Met by smiling people in bright yellow T-shirts, given directions to our hotel(s), printed colour road books, directions how to get to Peel in the evening, and told to have fun. Thursday evening - arrive at the very scenic Peel harbour area. Very easy to find the parking spot, as they had kindly put out large SIDC boards, with directional arrows at every junction. Several people on hand at the car park to lead you to your space. Got all cars parked up nicely in reserved parking area Several members of their team stayed on in the car park to watch over the cars whilst we were in the superb House of Manannan museum. Excellent buffet dinner, outside as the sunset behind Peel Castle Given rally plates for our cars, ID badges, plus some other bits and pieces. Very professional. Chose where we wanted to sit at the gala dinner, and what we wanted to eat. Next we had welcome speeches from Dixie (FAD team), a member of the House of Keys (Manx Government), who warmly welcomed us to the Island, and then a very informative and encouraging talk from a member of the local constabulary (basically have fun, drive fast, don't crash, and don't even attempt to keep with with the bikes over the mountain section!). He had some great stories to tell as well. Then followed by a ground floor tour of the Museum (long boat is amazing!!), and then back to the hotel for a few beers, a chat etc. Friday morning saw a perfect start to the day. Not a cloud in the sky. You had the choice of either a track event at Jurby, or a superb treasure hunt which took you all over the Island. Both events were very successful Friday afternoon gave us some free time to explore the Island, and several of us spent a very relxing afternoon on the balcaony bar overlooking the golf course at the Mount Murray, saoking up the last of the days sunshine Simply fantastic! Friday evening saw us all ferried of in taxis and mini-buses to the Riverside in Laxey, where we enjoyed a fantastic BBQ meal. Everything was cooked to perfection, home made steak burgers, chick fillets etc. and even Lobser !! Eat as much as you can they said, so we did, and had several big platefuls. During all of this, the bar was very busy , and a local band "Panic Stations" played a medley of songs and tunes. To say some of the choices were bizarre were an understaement, but they were on the whole very amusing and good fun. They would do stuff like Roy Orbison, and then in the next song play Anarchy in the UK by the Sex Pistols! Had us all up on the dance floor by the end of the night (which was covered in streamers etc). Can anyone else remember the party popper fights, with poppers drawn at 5 paces Taxis and mini-buses took us back to our hotels again, and some (mostly myself) were rather pissed to say the least. I'm blaming it on sun-stroke, as I was very red from being out in the glorious sunshine all day. Needless to say I'd a little bit of a hangover the next morning, which was thankfully a late start (another superb peice of planning by the FAQ team). To be continued later....

Absolutely brilliant, and that is not an understatement!! I'm sure there are many excellent stories to come. Too tired to write more now. John

There are two events at the House of Manannan on the Thursday evening. The first will start about 6pm, for those who have arrived earlier in the day. The second will start about 8:30pm, for those arriving on the later ferries. Scoobymoo - could you call Pam Bradford on 01624 611837 to sort out the arrangements for the last ferry arriving. See you all on Thursday. John

Not got your sea legs then I'd be quite happy sitting on board at the bar for a few hours, before retiring to bed for a good night's sleep

Probably about 8pm I would have thought, as the last ferry from Heysham doesn't arrive until after 6pm, and they'll need to allow time for people to check-in, get their bearings etc. John

Eric, sounds like a top idea to me. The Elises go on a regular basis, and have sorted the best way to get there from Scotland in terms of ferry times, journeys times, prices etc. I'd rather spend longer on a boat relaxing, than driving round the M25 etc to get to Dover, and also the M6 around Birmingham !! I was also thinking about a grand tour of Europe next year (say 7 to 14 days), taking in a different track every 3 or 4 days, going through France, Spain and Germany. Still at the provisional planning stage at the moment though. John

Yes, it's where the welcome reception is being hosted See you there. John

With the info going into the next True Grip (out soon about the monthly meeting), I'd be keen to keep the meeting on a Wednesday for the next one, and let everyone know we'll be switching to the Tuesday the next month if that's OK ? However, if everyone can make the Tuesday, then we'll switch it. I'll let the P&J know as well. John

Mesage posted, and Neil/Debbie are up for it as well. Possible another one as well. John

Unfortunately not (or so I read elsewhere).

Eric, chances are there won't be a ready supply of suitable tyres on the Island at sensible prices. Send an e-mail to info@blackcircles.com and they should be able to give you a price for some fitted locally. You could always do what I did, and swapped the front left and front rear tyres over on both sides, to even up the wear. I'll phone our contact on the Isle and see if they have any suggestions. John