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2025 Reunion Report

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The Club met once again to enjoy our Reunion Dinner, returning to the New Lanark Mill Hotel in the village of New Lanark, a former 18th century cotton spinning mill village located on the banks of the Falls of Clyde.

The venue had proved very successful in 2024 and therefore we returned for 2025.

VSMA Chairman Chris Paton was pleased to welcome 76 members and guests to this our 11th reunion.

The day started in the early afternoon as there was work to do setting up for the AGM and also finalising the table plan for dinner.

As always there was a good mix of rallying and racing buffs and a few hill climb fans joining together for an excellent meal and several refreshments.

Our guest speaker this year was Barry Wood, describing himself as “an old car racer”.

 

Barry was born towards the end of WW2 in North London and lived for 23 years in the Hertfordshire town of Barnet (home to the famous garages of Gerry Marshall and John Britten). His first contact with motor sport was in the early sixties with the local Klaxon Motor Club where he was introduced to navigational road rallies, driving tests, circuit sprints and autocross and very much enjoyed their Sunday night meets in the local Cuffley pub.

In 1995 a chance walk past Scottish Motor Services in Glasgow’s Woodlands Road led to much more fun with classic cars. The purchase of a Red 1955 TR2 and a Green Morgan were the first of many, enabling Barry, his son Tony, Tony’s wife Niamh, her dad Eddie and a number of close friends to race classic cars throughout the UK, Europe and as far afield as Macau, achieving many podiums. Barry’s favourites include:-

Winning in 2002 the Spa 60 car, two-hour Gentlemen Drivers race in our 1959 Lister Jaguar

Winning in 2009 at Portimao the first Stirling Moss Throphy Race for 50’s Sports Cars in our 1959 Lister Jaguar.

Winning the 2011 RAC Woodcote Trophy for 50’s Sports Cars in our 1952 RGS Atalanta Jaguar.

(click image to expand – press ‘Esc’ to return)

Barry had brought along a slide show of some of his extensive collection of exotic cars, some of which he still enjoys taking out on road trips..

Next we were treated to a quiz set by David Fotheringham which proved to be very tricky but was eventually won by “the mens” table.

The Andrew Cowan Achievement Award

We are very privileged at the VSMA to have been given the responsibility of being the custodians of the “Andrew Cowan Achievement Award” which was commissioned by Linda Cowan in memory of her late husband Andrew and his long and distinguished motor sport career.

The award is inspired by the picturesque Luskentyre Beach on the Isle of Harris, a favourite spot of Andrew’s where he loved to fish and relax away from the pressures of business.

The award this year was given to Billy Cater in recognition of the immense amount of work he does behind the scenes of several events.

Billy is currently Secretary of the Meeting at both Doune and Bo’ness, but this does not come close to describing his commitment to these two and also to Forrestburn Hillclimb.

Doune has 4 meetings a year, with many championships which include rounds of the British, Scottish plus 4 other championships and an Historic event.

Billy is there days before and after, living at the venue (been known to sleep in the loft above the paddock office!) to ensure their smooth running.

He thanks/blames Kenny Allen for getting him into the sport and says that he raised his head at the wrong time at a Lothian Club meeting and ended up on the committee! The Lothian Club has won the Hillclimb and Sprint Associations Award for Doune as the best organised Event of the Year on a number of occasions.

He lends equal enthusiasm to the Bo’ness Revival Meetings.

He is well known throughout the UK Hill Climbing family as he has, for years, travelled the country accompanying Scottish competitors who go south of the border, to support and assist their efforts.

He has never restricted himself to a rigid job description of any official post he has held over the years, but has become “Mr Fix It” for anyone competitor or official who needs help.  He can direct you to fellow competitors who may have spares, welding and has even rescheduled runs to ensure everyone gets a chance to compete.  Possibly everyone in Scottish Hill climbing has his phone number! (And many in England too!)

 

Click on the image below to view the Programme.

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2026 Reunion Dinner

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VSMA Reunion Dinner 2026

The reunion dinner this year will be held in the New Lanark Mill Hotel on Friday 13th November 2026, 7.00 – 7.30pm.

The cost of the event will be £40pp for members & their spouses and £50pp for non-members.

Members can book their places by clicking this link to WEBCOLLECT.

Non-members can download the following form and send the completed form by email to Nancy Crichton at vsmasec@yahoo.com or by post to: 42 Turnberry Gardens,  Cumbernauld,  G68 0AZ.

Members can also use the downloaded form if they wish.

2026 Reunion Dinner Application Form

The cost of the accommodation in the hotel is as follows:

Single occupancy room – £105

Double occupancy room (Standard) – £140

Double occupancy room (Deluxe) – £180

The accommodation can only be booked through the Hotel. The phone number: 01555 667 200.

Please inform them you are attending the VSMA event.

There are a limited number of rooms in the Hotel, so if you are sure you want to attend, please contact the Hotel sooner than later as in a few weeks’ time, we will open the event to non-members.

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2025 Race Against Dementia Uncategorized

2025 Race Against Dementia

Grand Prix Walk – Race Against Dementia

A few years ago, West Dunbartonshire Council hosted an event to celebrate Sir Jackie’s 80th birthday, this was their first Grand Prix Walk, which now has become an annual event in support of Race Against Dementia.

JOIN US FOR A 1,965 METRE LAP AROUND LEVENGROVE PARK IN A DEMENTIA FRIENDLY WALK IN CELEBRATION OF THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF SIR JACKIE STEWART WINNING HIS FIRST F1 GRAND PRIX IN 1965.

FREE ENTRY – NO NEED TO BOOK.

TUESDAY 17TH OF JUNE 2025, MEET AT LEVENGROVE PAVILION, DUMARTON G82 4AE AT 10.45AM FOR 11AM START

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT SANDRA ANTON, WDC GREENSPACE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT RANGER ON: 07580 811903 OR E-MAIL – sandra.anton@west-dunbarton.gov.uk

The event will take place in the shape of a Dementia Friendly Walk which will be 1965 metres long around Levengrove Park, in Dumbarton G82 4AE. This represents 1965, the year in which Sir Jackie won his first F1 Grand Prix

The walk will also help raise the profile of Sir Jackie’s charity foundation, Race Against Dementia, which he set up following his wife Lady Helen’s diagnosis with the disease. He continues to work to find a cure or effective treatment for the condition. https://www.raceagainstdementia.com

Interested participants are asked to meet outside the Levengrove Pavilion on 17th June from 10.45am. Walk leaders will commence the walk at 11am. There will be tea, coffee and juice available afterwards.

The route takes in paths around the park and is suitable for wheelchair users.

There is no need to register, just turn up on the day if you want to join in. 

The route can be viewed here: https://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/6430602016

Participants are encouraged to wear a wee bit of tartan in a nod to Sir Jackie ,who famously had a Stewart tartan band on his motor racing helmet.

So lets see you on the starting grid at Levengrove Park and  help bring down the Chequered Flag on Dementia.

Some pictures from Grand Prix Walk 2024 (click on picture to expand – Esc to return).

 

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