Round One:    "Concours de'Elegance" 

       O/A Results: 

        Class Winners:  Middle/Campbell/Moore,  Freeman/Freeman,  Bonds/PhilM     Conditions:  Dry

With little time for us to even worry about the old Concours competition, a rather promising full entry gathered at the now std O’Dowd start venue in Dawley. But the orgs duly found time & the top three shiniest all carried away a prize at the finish. Nice touch.
So, after the Summer (!) recess, crew’s, including many new faces plotted what was to be a pretty serious route but at least the atmosphere was dry, even to the extent that map’s were out on some vehicle bonnets!Stories were rife at the end with all crew’s having made daft (rusty) mistakes including the Hella Trooper crew at the now infamous Charlton Hill triangle in sq 5807 (126)
Nice opening round, well supported, well done to the o/a & class winners, in fact well done to all…

The Route:   One section, starting as soon as we touched the yellow outside of the premises. West through Little Wenlock to Uppington & my favourite, multiple map swaps abounded from then. Wroxeter triangle's helped loop the field back onto 127 via said sq 5807 & onto Rushton, Leighton with the B4380 taking us West to 126 once again. South to Cressage & a nice route up through Upper Cound with the cracking slot left over bridge which pointed us toward Berrington. CB’s arrived thick & fast with no let up before an unexpected no code board section past Atcham. Classic stuff to finish off with lay in the shape of Hunkington, The Lees, the very difficult to plot Isombridge yellow’s & Rodington. A quick blast down through Sugdon allowed us to take stock & check our ref’s before sampling the rather good food supplied by the Tayleur Arms. Nice…

       Round Five:     "Back to Normanl..."
   

       O/A Results: 

         Class Winners:  Green/Green, Smith/Taylor, Bloxham/Bloxham..    Conditions:  Rather cold, icy.        

Even though those of us that competed in the Taylor’s’ event last season may have been prepared for more of the same… it still did not prepare us for the bombardment of Code Boards that we were to receive throughout the event!  25 (I think!) in all then, but once again a fair test & a fair route not helped in the least by super tricky conditions. Great result for Darkins & smiles all round with the three class winning crew’s.

The Route: Held at the Sun Inn due to route clash the following eve that may have affected the Telford Nov, the first half prior to returning to the base started just South of Culmington. Great lane’s just N of Bromfield led us to Onibury, a sexy loop through Bach & back due West to almost Craven Arms. The Hope Dale area allowed no respite as we plunged South via the Pedlars Rest loop to finish the first section & receive a new score card for round two!Bache Mill, Burwood & Alcaston filled our CB column just a little more & then Acton Scott x-roads put us on the way to Ragdon & Chelmick.
No snow but nasty enough gave us no time prior to the tight as you like route which meandered through Soudley, Ticklerton & the inevitable Wall bank loop. Quick ish blast down the Roman bank allowed us to finish this one NW of Beambridge with just enough time to check plot the CB’s before a pint & a rattle. Phew.

       Round Six:     "The Friday Night Project..."  

  Brick-Lite...

        O/A Results: 

        
        O/A Results: 

      Class Winners:  Poole/Ward, Rousell/Rousell, Darkin/Darkin/Darkin.    Conditions:  Clear but Filthy.     

With many folk chatting away with regards the recent tragic shooting in the very near vicinity of our murky wooded car park start venue, I was more intent on shooting myself if I messed up for the third time in a row!! Karl & crew came up with the goods this year… and some. The event, complete with the decision to vote an extended finish time at half-way, was a great round. Good call on the time extension... as long as we don’t make a habit of it I feel.
Full turn out, well done all with class win’s & awards going to a delighted Poole/Ward, a habit making Rousell duo & the Darkin trio taking the E class this time. Pete was a great chap & sort of did what I asked of him, we needed that one!

The Route: Three maps then, starting on 127 nr Giffards Cross. This route allowed us no respite, due West past Chillington Hall and on to Shackerley & the small maze just N of Albrighton. Still more, in the shape of the always confusing lanes that criss cross the A41 nr Beamish Farm. Dropping S through Boningale & then Burnill Green we changed to 138 & the familiar yellow's SE of Pattingham. The remaining few K’s just prior to ½ way & the second route hand out allowed us to sample the terribly mucky Shipley to Hillend yellow & slot left back up to the old A454 yellow loop cum laybye in the N of sq 8195.
Second section saw us travel East to Trescott ford, followed by multiple map changes to take crew’s South through Lower Penn, The Bratch & Swindon. For the third event in a row we were subjected to an unusually high rate of code boards, no pressure then. Our last map change took place heading West toward the Millions where we enjoyed the now std trek through Blundies, the surely, not as map Morfe House Farm yellow and onto Bobbington. The final part of the route pointed us toward “5 ways” where we found a board floating about in the mud. Subsequently scrapped, this must have given weary navs a small worry so close to the finish. So back to the Lion-O-Morfe then, where the craic was as healthy as ever… nice.

  Old stager...
        O/A Results:   

        Class Winners:  Green/Green, Rousell/Rousell, Bentley/Bentley.    Conditions:  Clear.

Whilst plotting, it very soon dawned on Pete & I that we better just switch into “just be a bit wary mode!” And so it proved that all was not quite what it seemed on the night, to use “longest” route for100% event, in my opinion, was just short of class! Loved the route & loved the 86 (approx!) black spots to keep you on ‘yer toes in places. So. Lovely Challenge winning victory from the Dark’s, another class, class win for the resurgent Mr. Rousell & the good Lady Wife. Mr. & Mrs. Green have all but wrapped up the class, as have the Freeman duo with a fine 5^th on this one.

The Route: As far East as poss then, looping Withington before the mandatory Wroxeter h/pins. Cleverly though, they were split in half as after the more Easterly dotted Yellow example crew’s (longest) were forced as far SE as Eaton Constantine before tackling the Eyton on Severn road to finish on the B at Atcham. S2 took us around Berrington through to Harley where we had a treat (!) in store with no less than 5 CB’s on the amazingly flat Yellow SW to Kenley Common. That was the first stretch that would probably elect the winner if anywhere on this event… we would see. Onto 138 then & section end at Presthope. A gentle run to the final short section three which started just SE of Crosshouses. And surprisingly, this was the second… it transpired at least three crews misread the black spot info (rad/dia) with the resulting incorrect route costing all three a top place…
Swan at Knowle Sands greeted us with the usual welcome where results were published in good time & even the chip’s were adorned with crushed pepper.

  Jeez... not another win!?!!?