Camera. Action, Lights - How The West Was Won

Good evening Pilgrims...
It's been a busy old time at the blog, with plenty of things going on. Namely, since we last spoke, plans for a charity calendar raising funds for Macmillan are well underway. It's a charity dear to my heart, they supported our family when my Grandad was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and were there supporting right to the end. Too many people we know are diagnosed with this
awful disease, and it's my thing to help those that help those poor buggers that get the dreaded C every year.

FRIDAY 22nd JUNE
Went for a beer with the Janners, Rowe Bros, in the People's Republic of Camborne, with Somersetians Mike Priddle(14) and Chris Mikulla (522). Fat was chewed, and names were bounded about, and Ross was abused about his new under the thumb status, from brother Liam, who was quite lairy!

SATURDAY 23rd JUNE
Practically followed 522 home to Weston, as went to go and see some friends who have have just had a new born. It was heaving, and taking the wrong roundabout, ended up on the sea front just as the Weston Air Show was under way. Highlight of which was the Red Arrows, but I was on a taxi run for one of Lamp Club Juniors, who'd come back from her hols in Bulgaria. Whilst on the A38, I get a phone call from the cousin saying that the flight was early, due to the Red Arrows needing to take off. A nice spot of dovetailing!

SUNDAY 24th JUNE
So off to St Day for the first of the 2 qualifying rounds. A few travellers including Sam Wagner (823) who was on a Westcountry world tour, miles from his Darlington base! Bill Batten and Neil Hooper were still in Emergency Ward 10, so Saloon World Champ Eddie Darby took the Batten car out for a spin (or 2!). Heat 1 went the way of the yellow top Dan Moss (797), five years on from when his father Jeremy took the major race (it was raining!), with a last bend punt between Mikulla and Richard Beere (254) saw Beere take it on the line. Heat 2 was a bit more brutal, but it was semi St Day regular Jack Aldridge (921) who took Heat 2. With a few big name local casualties the Consi was a lively affair. Nathan Maidment (935) was out in the Stephen Gilbert (soon to be 542) car as his was/is without motor. He led away Dale Moon (302) with the pair of them trading places. I thought to myself, there's gonna be tears in a minute! Fortunately, it was the nearest man to the track, Liam Rowe (605) who took the consolation, avoiding any young gun hiccups. Final time and it turned out to be a fairly lively one, with some controversy. After a trip up for Russ Alpin (22) over and out, rolling, brought out the cautions. Mark Gibbs (270) led them away, and Rowe broke away from the reds. Meanwhile further back, a little feud that had been brewing in the heats between Justin Fisher (315) and Dave Sansom (352). However Sansom waded in on Fisher, taking Paul Moss (979) as collateral damage in an assualt of huge magnitude. Moss ended up in the ambulance with a severely bruised foot, and Sansom ended up trailered, pending further Board of Control action. After this incidient the racing turned into a game of cat and mouse, as Rowe hunted Gibbs, as going into the final corner saw the opportunity for a nudge, but thought better of it as it was just too close.... Wagner rounded out the top 3 and proclaimed that he was going to persuade his dad to move down here so he could race here as he loved the track so much! For Gibbs it was an impressive win, and a return to blue, as the Staffordshire driver didn't potter about. The GN saw a good blue top battle between Paul Rice (890) and Jamie Avery (126) which the latter took the win.


MONDAY 24th JUNE
The Monday between QRs sees the "emmets" usually frequent a beach somewhere. But as the opportunity arose to take some pics for the calendar it was awesome. Sam Wagner (823) was the first such driver to offer his car to a girl in a bikini. Sadly, the shot we wanted wasn't available without too many prying eyes, jobsworth attendants, so a trip on the moors was the cry. The Cornish village of Minions on Bodmin Moor was the destination. Not exactly Fistral Beach, and certainly not sunny.  Meet Becky, she's a runner up in Miss Cornwall and budding model. And a trooper, must come from the fact that she's also a Young Farmer. The poor lass near enough froze, as she posed and pouted around the Darlington driver's car. His sister Janis had more layers on to compensate!




Later on, in St Austell, at the Neil Truran BBQ, Barry Goldin's non appearance at the World QR at St Day meant that the crown of Brisca F2 BBQ Champion passed to Micky Brennan, combined with sous chef Sam Wagner...

taking the Micky!

TUESDAY 25th JUNE

Care in the Community gets sexy....Perfect advert for Santogen Gold

Bradders wins the race but Higgy comes first!

Stock car on a school night. Can't beat it. I say school night, it was more like day, as I picked up model Alana, from her house in Plymouth and trundled up for the extended practice session. With a selection of outfits and paraphenlia, Alana was up for it, so we decamped in Priddle's truck and approached firstly Speaky (218) and parked beside him Chris Burgoyne (647). I needed to approach both, so we got the pictures. Now, naturally Alana, was nervous, bedecked in her gold jumpsuit, but not as nervous as I, as I suddenly regressed into my 14 year old self, and went, "That's Speaky" and got a little awe struck. So I approached him shook his hand, congratulated him on saving the driver from the Ipswich fireball, and talked business. Alana then approached the car, and we shot, only to be interrupted by car building legend Higgy, who the Tyldsley legend shouted, "Don't get too close Col, you'll have a heart attack!". Needless to say, some real good shots where taken, including Justin Fisher on arrival, who asked if we needed a hand.  After shooting Micky Brennan's car also, racing was about to start, with Jo Polley-Goldin and Barry Goldin being stuck on the M5 and requested the second heat to Autospeed via twitter. However Barry lined up for heat 1, which was a fairly pedestrian affair, with Bradders looking mighty fine, storming to victory. Heat 2 was as busy as the M5 on a summer Saturday. Jay Tomkins (290) took the lead and with Paul Butcher (189) for company. However when traffic was in front of him, the wily old Gloucestershire based veteran found his way through better. The consolation saw a win for Dale Moon, fresh from equalising the scores in the food feud with Ben Goodard, who's chips ended up on the tarmac.

The Gentlemen's Favourite with the Ladies Favourite!

30 car feature final time, I do think they missed a trick by not having a 36 car final, 12 from each wouldn't have made much difference, but it white top John Scorse (519) in the old Ross Rowe car (one partly built by me, those secondary bumper fixings are my babies) who sped away. Butcher reeled in the white top and soon after, Bradbury stormed away to an impressive victory, sounding a warning shot across the boys of his golden rivals, equalling Bill Batten's run of 5 back to back Taunton wins. Butcher took second, with Scorse holding out for an impressive 3rd, with St Day final winner Gibbs rounding out a profitable points journey. The national saw Brennan and Rowe break from the pack, but Bradbury passed the Cornishman to take a near perfect evening which slashed his World Final odds to a point that if there was betting, Paddy Power would be paying  out and to open a book on what colour underpants Crispen Rosevear would be wearing...(1/6 purple 3/1 black 7/1 somebody elses!)

It certainly was one of the busiest meeting I've ever been too as i was rushing around with Alana in tow, so I ought to say a few thank yous to Grace Oliver and Mike Priddle for the loan of they vehicles for Alana to get changed in. Thanks go to Barry, Rob, Micky and Chris for the loan of their cars, and for Alana, who dealt with the wolf whistles and banter most impressively. She was really gutted that there was no parade lap.
However, wasn't it nice to be home in bed at a reasonable time. They were super quick and efficient with the meeting turnaround...

5 Gold Wins!!!!