Another brief Newsletter but firstly a report on last years’ AGM which was held on Wednesday 8th October 2008 in the Glynhill Hotel, Paisley. I suppose we would have been surprised if it hadn’t been the uneventful occasion – and surprise surprise it was quite uneventful. Including Chairman Jimmy McInnes, 13 members in total just managed to make it a quorum! Nothing of any great importance was decided – Bill Dryden decided to step down as a Director while Kenny Allen was elected to replace him. The other Directors remained the same – Jimmy McInnes Chairman, Bob Baillie Vice-Chairman, Alan Carlaw Treasurer; Mike How, Duncan Paterson, Adele Paterson, Andy Watson all Ordinary Directors; and myself Secretary. A VSMA Website was proposed (see later) but that was about all the business!
“The Run” 8th/9th May 2009 – Bob Baillie, who is organising this event sent me the following letter to pass on to you:
Dear Member,
The spaces are filling up for the run to Grantown-on-Spey with more than half of the rooms in the hotel now taken! If you haven’t already booked, it would be advisable to do so as soon as possible.
The entry fee for the event is £30.00 per person and this incorporates the entry fee, îplatesï for the car, the reception at the hotel, the first two entries for the Scalextric event ( the proceeds of which are going to charity ) and incidental expenditure on the weekend.
I would stress that the classes for the event refer to the date when you first became involved in motorsport and not to the car which you will be driving on the weekend. Cars in keeping with your class would be preferred but are not essential.
There will be routes provided to get entrants from Glasgow and Edinburgh to Blairgowrie on Friday 9th May where a soup and sandwich lunch will be available from 1230hrs to 1330hrs. Cars will then leave at one-minute intervals from1330hrs on a route to be provided from Blairgowrie to Grantown-on-Spey.
I would point out that this is intended to be a relaxing fun weekend and the final instructions will be issued to all entrants shortly before the event.
Yours sincerely
Bob Baillie.
In case you have misplaced the information that Bob had sent earlier (Entry Form, etc.), either Bob or I can send you a replacement. Bob can be contacted at:
Garden Cottage Tel: 01290 550 696
1 Netherplace Gardens Mobile: 07721 755 917
Mauchline Email: bob@rbaillie.wanadoo.co.uk
KA5 5SU.
Membership – Since the last Newsletter, Membership now stands at 281. We welcome the following to our ranks:
Roy Alexander, Balerno Johnny Blades, Ponteland Sandy Denham, Edinburgh
John Fenwick, Stranraer Paul Hindle, Preston Mike Kean, Montrose
Bob Lowe, Newport-on-Tay Malcolm Noble, Mauchline
Death of Member – It is with sadness that I have to report on deaths of two of our members.
Amy Matheson (Nee Scott) Newmilns, Ayrshire – died on 27th June 2008 after a very short illness. She and her husband Lister had dropped into our stall at the Knockhill Classic Speedfair only a couple of weeks before she died! As Amy Scott she will be remembered primarily by our rallying members – she was a very active member and competitor in the Kilmarnock Car Club during the sixties and seventies.
Bill Dobson, Colinton, Edinburgh – died on 13th October 2008. Bill was involved in racing in the early fifties. He raced in Scotland, England and Eire with the BMW 328. He was a Founder member of Ecurie Ecosse, driving the XK 120 Jaguar.
Knockhill – At a recent Board Meeting the Directors decided, as a change, to support an SMRC Club meeting later this year rather than the event we had been involved with over the past few years. We have decided instead to support the Scottish Motor Racing Club’s Club event still at Knockhill on Sunday 6th September. Details will be sent to you nearer the time.
However, Knockhill will still be running their popular Speedfair as a one-day event on Sunday 19th July. You are very welcome to go along, and although we will not be there officially there will be plenty of things to watch and see. Stuart Gray reports that Interest is again looking good for this year’s event. He has changed the branding slightly to more accurately reflect the nature of the event. Its new title is the Scottish SpeedFair and Classic Festival and this year will have the following features;
Formula Ford Golden Helmet and Sir Jackie Stewart Trophy – See some of the UK’s top single-seater racers battle for arguably the most prestigious trophy in British Formula Ford – the Golden Helmet. Wheel to wheel racing guaranteed!
Scottish Classic Sports & Saloons and Legends racing – Great variety of sports cars, from Lotus to Astons, MG’s to Morgans, as well as our ever popular Legends, based on 1950’s American Hot Rods, compete to top honours.
50 years of Mini – Almost everyone has owned, driven or wanted to drive a Mini at some time. Knockhill will be a mecca for Mini models of all ages, from the earliest through to 2008 – a special tribute to a special car. If you have had a successful history in a Mini (of a sporting kind) and or know the whereabouts of any special Minis that have featured over the years, Stuart Gray of Knockhill would be keen to hear from you.
100 years of Morgan – An iconic car and a special gathering for this unique British marquee.
50 years of Austin Healey – there will be a display of some of these classic British Sports Cars.
SpeedFair Classic Rally – 30 classic sports and saloon cars being thrashed on the special stage, rallying from yesteryear for the SpeedFair Trophy.
Peugeot 205 demonstration – A modern classic and sneaking into the line-up this year! These modern classic rally cars are being driven by rally stars of the future – something different this year!
Motorcycles are back! A special display of these wonderful pre= and post-war machines.
Hundreds of Classic cars on display and, new for this year, paraded on the famous track.
Aerobatic display – Look to the skies as a Starduster bi-plane performs stunts that defy gravity. New for this year will be target flying – busting balloons mid-flight! The plane will also be landing on track so we can talk directly with the pilot, another first for Knockhill!
VSMA Website – As mentioned above the Directors have given me the go-ahead to develop our own Website. The general format will let people know who we are, what we are about, who are eligible to join and how to contact us, plus a little history of the Association.
However, the main part of the Website will be a “Private” area only available to members! You will be able to access this part of the site only with a “User Name” and “Password”, both of which will be issued to you in due course. If you remember when you joined our Association you were asked to provide a short history of your previous (and current) motorsport involvement. Indeed Article 3 “Objects” of the Memorandum of Association states that one of the Objects was “…to keep a database of members which would detail the nature of their previous and current Motorsport involvement.” Most members did submit such data and it is this data we intend putting on the Website along with any additions, photographs, etc. that members care to submit. An assurance was given that this data would only be available to members of the Association and this assurance remains. The data will also contain contact details – email addresses, home addresses and telephone numbers.
Although most members did submit data on joining – some fairly brief, some quite extensive – some members have yet to send anything! If you are in the latter category what about letting us know a bit about you and your past exploits? If you have lost the proforma I sent out, I will send another – just give me a call or send an email. Photographs will be more than welcome – old ones, recent ones of yourself, plus any of your motorsport activities. Ideally, if the data and images can be sent electronically, so much the better, but I can cope with “hard copy”, slides, photographs and negatives. Please, could I ask that you put your name on the back of the photographs as well as the year they were taken. Obviously, I will return the originals if requested.
Lastly, I am conscious of the fact that, although the data on the Website will be for “members’ eyes only”, some members may not wish to have their data publicised in such a way and this is a wish we will respect. Therefore, if you are of this opinion would you please let me know by 1st MAY 2009, by email or in writing that “You do not wish your personal data to be published on the VSMA Website” and I will then ensure that your data is not published on the Website.
That’s all for now.
Stuart Parker