The rainfall in the previous 48 hours left BMCA riders in little doubt about what to expect at Pattingham.
The scrambles track was, in one rider’s view, reminiscent of the Somme…so the sections were carefully plotted by Pete Reed, Stephen Leyshon, Kevin Walker and Les Richardson to minimise those on the track.
Joe Owen, Drayton Bantam
Section three was a new one with a tricky cambered turn passing under a fallen tree trunk, calling for limbo dancing skills, and remembering that in times past a flat cap would probably have given a few more inches of clearance… You would be correct in thinking there were a few headaches here!
A variety of tight turns between the trees on four, and then into section five, a Pattingham regular, with the experts descending into what felt like a bottomless sea of mud. Only two experts managed a clean here – Bantam exponents Paul Howells and Bill Woodcock.
Whenever you see Neil Roberton, pencil in hand at a section, you can bet your Dunlop trials wellies that it’s a good’un! And so it was at section six, an old favourite, but this time run in reverse, deceptively easy at first, but got steadily worse…or better in Roberton’s view!
The big banking contained eight, nine and ten, and eight in particular got very slippery.
Kev Taylor, BSA C15
The Clubman class was well supported and the 350cc Royal Enfield of Ian Brittain thumped into first place, just a single mark away from Steve Haines on the Cub. Andy Hunt eased the Banvill into third.
There were two “stars” – Colin Billington was the only rider to conquer section two, on his Golner Bantam and Tony Hill took his Bantam all-clean through section five.
Inters rider Joe Owen carefully coaxed his Drayton Bantam, with distinctive tank finish, onto the rostrum on 22 lost, and his name into the records as the only rider to tame section eight on every visit.
Second place man Kevin Walker (Cub) managed the sole cleans on section seven.
The last time John Colclough visited Pattingham, the cylinder barrel on the James was bouncing on the crankcase mouth, and it all sounded expensive… but everything was nice and “snug” this time and Colclough persuaded the James into third…
For Mark Lucas, however, it all stopped after section eight, when the chain on the C15 broke. And, deary me, the spare link was the wrong size!!! Aw well, a welcome extra observer, but I’ll wager he’ll have his spares well sorted for the Highlands…
In the Experts a fag-packet covered the top three, with yer man Jim Pickering (Drayton Bantam) clinching the win over Steve Hay (BSA) and Paul Howells (Ban). And Pickering was the only all-clean on section six.
Results:
Clubman: Ian Brittain (Royal Enfield) 39, Steve Haines (Cub) 40, Andy Hunt (Banvill) 44, Colin Billington (Golner Ban) 45, John Davies (Greeves) 58, John Cope (BSA) 62.
Inters: Joe Owen (Ban) 22, Kevin Walker (Cub) 29, John Colclough (James) 35, Mark Strong (Ban) 39, Mike Butler (Ban) 41.
Experts: Jim Pickering (Drayton Ban) 12, Steve Hay (BSA) 13, Paul Howells (Ban) 14, Kevin Taylor (Drayton C15) 18, Bill Woodcock (Ban) 21, Paul Munslow (BSA) 28.
Report: Hammertight and Les Richardson
Photos: Eric Miles