Like me mother absconding after coming back late from a night out with the Young Farmers, nothing seems to change, that phrase seems to have come back to haunt me. So why the silence. Plenty of things happen, but justifiably other things have been on my mind. Notably one.
My grandad, Ray Lampshire was diagnosed with inoperable stomach cancer on August 22nd, and to be honest, I was devastated. It was his wallet that was called upon numerous times to fund my uncles racing career, and it was Grandad who took a 4 year old Jonny to his first meeting at St Austell. Indeed, he'd take me most Sundays, holidays and midweeks in the summer to the racing. Taking me on away days to Northampton and Crewe as a youngster. Hell Taunton was a treat for me back then!
Round the pits, he'd be well known, able to help anyone, always tuning by ear and asking to "advance" it up a bit. He would also be quite vocal whenever things got a bit physical on the track and spilled into the pits. One memory was after Mike clashing with Ivor Collins. I was a school friend of Ivor's son, we'd agreed it was a racing incident, whilst we watched grown men argue in farcical circumstances. Besides Mike and Ivor's "formation aggressive dancing" (a title bemonikered by the Purple One), both grandfather's started remonstrating with each other. The bespectacled Mr Collins Snr got vocal, to which Grandad called him a "four eyed t**t". A justified insult, one might say, but not when you consider, Grampy Lamps, also was wearing glasses!
Watching a rapid deterioration from quite able bodied 81 year old, tending to his garden, helping others out, running errands for all and sundry, still in control of all his faculties, until this terrible disease took hold of him so quickly, and within a blink, he was gone.
His fight was a short one, which with the amount of suffering was a graceful thing. He admitted that he had a good innings and that you had to die of something, which is good to know, but when this disease takes so many before their time
So that's why I haven't been about, didn't feel right at the time. Going to something you shared so much enjoyment with just didn't seem right. Both Neil and Mike were devastated, Neil tried to persuade me out to Bristol and such like, but it just felt a little cold. (From all reports the meetings from September to November were bloody freezing!) Good friends helped me through it, and took my mind off, mostly with massive drinking sessions!
So what triggered my return....
It was a trip to the Janner workshops and a spot of fat chewing and beer drinking with Ross and Liam Rowe, with all the gossip and shenanigans of the closed season, got my stock car mojo rising. There was so much I'd missed out on, and hell, there's something about that noise. A screaming Pinto sounds like a hairdryer to a tractor fan, but at least you can chat whilst the racing is on...which is something you...... WHICH IS SOMETHING YOU CAN'T DO AT A F1 MEETING! After seriously considering in packing in stock car and finding something more interesting to do it instead, and actually getting a life, something was awoken..... hang on a minute... the big one is right on me doorstep. Brizzle for
semi shizzle, then the World at Smeefarp... how can I not get excited
about that!
And here I am, back, and still talking cack!
So to this year I won't be as able to provide a "national" picture as much
this year (this is where you guys can help, providing reports and
gossip....) as I'm now back in Cornwall full time...
One thing remains, I will try my damnedest to get the important
information to you first, still highlight those dodgy jumpers, and this
year, try and give more stats than the office of National Statistics! After all this is the 3rd season of the blog, and I aim to build onwards and upwards, make it bigger, and whatever you guys can do to help, lemme know
And seeing the Tsunami of Common Sense which has prevailed at Brisca F2 over the past couple of months (slowing the cars down, attendance points for WCQR - something I have said for years!), maybe the ideas you read here over the next couple of months that you disregard as folly, may actually see method in the madness!
My absence must have caused a hardship for the blog readers, as pale imitations have started to appear.... just joking, I'm sure
Lively's blog will be excellent!
I'll be back over the weekend, with a few stolen pictorial highlights of
the show!
Remember folks, live every day like its your last, cos one day, you're gonna be right....
