5th Bo’ness Hill Climb Revival, 8th and 9th September 2012:

VSMA was represented at the fifth Bo’ness Hill Climb Revival on 8th and 9th September.  Actually, we were very well represented! Apart from those manning our “tent”, there were fourteen members competing, four officiating and another dozen or so who dropped in to see us at the “tent”.

 

However, the most prominent V.S.M.A. member there was Ian Stewart, he of Ecurie Ecosse fame, who drove one of the E-Type Jaguars on a demonstration run up the hill.  The paddock containing the competitors was separated from the spectator area where our tent was situated by the Hill Climb itself.  However, we were able to visit the paddock and Start by using a curtesy Minibus but the competitors were unable to come up to us and partake of what we had to offer. None-the-less from what we gathered everyone had a great couple of days. 

Another of our members who was not really there in person at the event was Roy Allingham!  But he could be heard many times during Sunday afternoon.

      

He was the train driver that day for the Scottish Railway Preservation Society’s Bo’ness & Kinnell Railway and every time he passed above the paddock he gave a prolonged toot on his whistle to encourage the competitors and public alike. Thanks, Roy. 

Apart from the excitement of the Hill Climb itself, one of the main attractions of the weekend was the presence of the famous Ecurie Ecosse Transporter and several of beautiful vintage racing vehicles.  These were all parked alongside our tent and caused a great deal of interest.

There were numerous other vehicles on display from those of the Caledonian MG Car Club and other vintage marques. 

Here were of just some of the members who dropped into our stall: Fulton Beaton, Iain Bennie, Charlie J.H. Brown, Mid Bruce, Sammy Colman, Ian Cunningham, Bill Cuthbertson, Peter Girvan, Bill Henderson and son William, John Jeffrey, Rob McKinna, Mairi Parker, Margaret Baillie, Val Bruce, Jim Pettigrew, Iain Ralston and Boyd Tunnock.

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Officiating VSMA Members were:

MSA Steward: John Fenwick

Chief Scrutineer: Rob McKinna

Club Stewards: Ian Smillie and Bill Wood

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Fourteen Competing Members: 

Stephen Smith: Austin 7 Special

Tom Richardson: Riley Brooklands and also in a Riley MPH

Jim Grant: Lotus Elan S3

Hugh MacKinnon: Porsche 911 3.0 RS

Kenny Allen: Lotus Elan

Bob MacGillivary: MG Midget

Alistair Muir: Triumph TR4A

George Cooper: Cooper Sports

Jamie Gibbon: Morgan 4/4

Stephen Cooper: Cooper T59

Malcolm Wishart: Cooper T65 FJ

Alex Graham: Vauxhall Firenza

Olly Ross: Triumph TR8

Brian Hopkins: Morgan

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Members’ Results:  Best results were from George Cooper in Class 6 “Sports Racing Cars from 1st Jan 1947 to 31st Dec 1960″ – he was 1st in Class on both days. Similarly in Class 7 “Sports Racing Cars from 1st Jan 1961 to 31st Dec 1973” Jamie Gibbon was first in Class on both days.  In the “Formula Junior Racing Car Class,” Stephen Cooper was 1st on both days with Malcolm Wishart being 2nd.  As for others, they all seemed to have had a great couple of days despite not collecting any silverware. Sympathy does, however, go to Hugh MacKinnon who was well beaten by his son Colin in the same Porsche!

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Thanks are due to the many who helped in setting up and manning our presence at this event, especially to Bob and Margaret Baillie, Mid and Val Bruce, Charlie and Netta Young, Duncan and Adele Paterson.  Thanks too to William Henderson for providing his father Bill’s historic images from previous Bo’ness Hill Climbs which were on display at our stand. I’m sure we will all be back in 2013 to enjoy another great Motorsport event.

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