27th to 30th April

Friday Morning Start

This year’s Spring Tour was destined to be held in Cumbria, primarliy to visit M-Sport a loction which had been requested to visit for many years by several members.

As usual the event had been organised by Bob Baillie and started fron the Hetland Garden Centre south of Dumfries just off the A75.  A simple route had been devised by Bob Baillie using Google Maps.

The usual entrants (33 in all) gathered at the garden Centre prior to starting off at around 11.30.  The route would by-pass Calisle, down the A689 towards Cockermouth and hence into M-Sport’s premises in time to start the tour of M-Sport by 1.00pm.

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M-Sport

Overview of the M-Sport’s eventual facilities at Cockermouth. The track is now complete. Other areas such as 1,6,7,8,12 and 13 in the above plan are currently under construction.

To those who don’t know, M-Sport was an enterprise started and now run by one of our members, Malcolm Wilson.  He was a well known rallyist in the UK as well as in Scottish events. During the competitive phase of his career, while he was searching for bits for his rally car, he decided that he could make a business by selling these “bits” to fellow rallyists……… the rest is “History” as they say.

Having spread his wings he now runs an International company that produces complete Rally Cars for major manufactures for the World Rally Championship, as well as a few privateeers.  Malcolm nearly always accompanies his cars around all the World Rally Championship events!

Our members were delighted to be taken round M-Sport’s facilities.  Understandably, we were not allowed to take any photographs of their workshops or the vehicles being prepared – not just for World Cup Rally cars but racing cars including several Racing Bentleys!

He has certainly come along way since I first met him while running the International Burmah Rally during the 60’s and the 70’s.

ALL photographs shown in this article are curtesy of member Margaret Smillie, unless shown otherwise, and they were taken in M-Sport’s own “Museum”.

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Friday Evening

Following our amazing visit to M-Sport the route took us down through the centre of the Lakes to our headquarters in the Newby Bridge Hotel at the foot of lake Windermere.  Bob had arranged a reception followed by dinner in the Hotel.

Having been suitably refreshed we proceeded to dinner where most of us were to be seated at one very long table.

Following dinner it was back to the bar to plan the following day’s activities.

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Saturday Morning, Afternoon and Evening

The plan on Saturday was firstly to visit the Lakeland Motor Museum which was less than a mile along the A590.  Prior to visiting the Museum a few members took time to visit the Hotel’s garden to inspect several ancient statues.

After this visit having left our cars in the museum car park we were bussed along to Lakeside where would board a steamer.  This would take us up Lake Windermere to Bowness where we could alight to shop or have some lunch.

Unfortunately the rain came when we were cruising on Winderemere but a nice relaxing afternoon none-the-less.

“Back on land” we were back to the Hotel for Dinner, etc.

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Sunday Morning

First thing on Sunday Morning was to visit one of the only remaining bobbin mills in existence in the Lake District.  They first began during the Industrial Revolution when the cotton trade was at its height in the Midlands. Being close to where cotton cloth was being made, the Lakes were ideal place to produce bobbins used to hold the threads used in weaving.  Lots of water power and plenty of trees were the ideal magterials to produce the many millions required initially in the Midlands but latterly throughout the whole world. With the advent of used for steam power, the use of water declind as did the many mills themselves.  Today there are only a handful left.  The one we visited is now just a museum but a very whorthwhile place to visit.

Following the visit to the bobbin mill we were left to visit several sites south west in and around Burness-in-Furness, includingCumnria Crystal in Ulverston.  We visited the Dock Museum in a Victorian Dry Dock in Barrow-in-Furness which was also worth a visit.  Following this was a pleasant run back to Newbridge via the north edge of Morecambe Bay.

Sunday evening was a good bit quieter than the previous evening causing a number of our members having an early night.

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Monday Departure

Following a leisurely breakfast most gathered in the Hotel forecourt for a “photoshoot” unfortunately not all stayed on for this event.

Finally it is time to thank Bob and Margaret Baillie for all the time and effort they had put into providing yet again a marvellous Spring weekend.  Where to next Bob?

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