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The Scottish Rally Championship 1990 – 1999
The Scottish Rally Championship 1990 – 1999 by John Fife.
The second book on the history of the Scottish Rally Championship has now been published and is on sale – in ideal time for Christmas presents!
It follows on from the previous 1980-1989 book and covers the decade 1990 to 1999. If the 1980s were a ‘golden’ period in Scottish rallying, the 1990s burnished that reputation during which time three world titles were won by two Scottish drivers and one Scottish co-driver.
All three rose to prominence during this decade and continued to compete in Scotland before international success took them further afield.
This book differs from the previous volume in three main respects following ‘complaints’ received after publication of the first book. These ‘complaints’ were all received from buyers of the first book who wanted longer reports, more stories and more pictures!
This book has therefore complied with those wishes/demands/threats! Each of the 80 plus individual rally reports from the 1990s decade is longer and more detailed, there are more stories and even more photographs – again, many of which have never before been published.
The popular ‘McRae’ section has again been included which also features many previously unpublished photographs. This has resulted in a bigger book with more pages – and all due to customer demand.
There were also requests for more ‘personality pages’ and three have been included in this latest book. They are all there on merit, but where would I stop? Everyone who competes in the national championship is a ‘personality’ in their own right!
Do you think more should be included in the next book – the 2000s – or should there be a separate book devoted to such meritorious individuals?
Click on the image below to order your copy.
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Murmurs On Mull
Murmurs On Mull 1993 – 2010 by John Fife.
Following the success of his first book “The Scottish Rally Championship 1980 – 1989”, John Fife has released “Murmurs On Mull”, the inside stories from the Tour of Mull Rally 1993 – 2010.
The information in this book was compiled from notes taken and reports written at the time and using copies of unofficial provisional results calculated on the move and official Final Results as produced by the event organisers and are reproduced from the full set of ‘Mull Murmurs’ bulletins as issued on the individual events.
The A5 format paperbacked book is now on sale £20.
Click on the image below to order your copy.
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AGM 2024
VSMA AGM 2024
The 2024 AGM will be held on Friday 25th October prior to the Annual Dinner.
The meeting will be held in the Cora Linn Suite, New Lanark Mill Hotel, ML11 9DB.
Arrival 5.00pm, meeting 5.30pm
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The Scottish Rally Championship 1980 – 1989
The Scottish Rally Championship 1980 – 1989 by John Fife.
Ex ‘Motoring News / Motorsport News’ contributor for 50 years (1972-2022) John Fife has written the first of six planned books documenting the history of the national Scottish Rally Championship. What started as a single volume history during lockdown quickly evolved into a series of six books – one for each decade since 1960.
As John explained: “I simply couldn’t fit everything into one book, so it had to be six, and even now I’m still having to leave out information and stories. Who knows, there may yet be a seventh book containing all the scandalous bits left out! By that time I’ll be past caring getting sued anyway!!”
The first book covers the decade 1980-1989 simply because John has kept complete records since then with work already having started on the next book, covering the 1990-1999 period.
Sadly no one person, club or championship has kept complete records since the sport of stage rallying began in 1961 hence John’s current search for sets of rally results from the 1960s and 1970s. So if anyone has a pile of old rallying paperwork in the loft that are not completely mouse eaten, John may well be interested.
The first A4 format hardbacked book is now on sale with 216 pages and over 350 photographs at £35 or £40 incl P&P.
Click on the image below to order your copy.
The book wasn’t designed to be read from cover to cover, although some ardent fans may do that, but rather something to be dipped into as and when the need for a trip down memory lane arose. On the other hand some readers may turn only to the reports of those events in which they participated.
Of course there are now various internet sources which store rally results from the past, but that’s a bit like reading the last page of a thriller to see ‘who dunnit’ and missing out on the story of how the heroes and heroines got there. One other important aspect, the results as recorded in this book are accurate, unlike some website information – because the author was there, in person!
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Newsletter August 2023
Newsletter August 2023
We are sad to inform you of the passing in July of Stuart Parker, one of the founding members of the association
Forthcoming Events:
Note: for full details and entry forms for these events:-
- Click on LOGIN at the top of this page
- Enter your user ID and password. This will open your profile page.
- On your profile page click on MEMBERS HOME at the top of the page.
- On the MEMBERS HOME page click on FORTHCOMING EVENTS on the menu.
- On the FORTHCOMING EVENTS page click on the event you are interested in.
- There you will see full details of the event and a link to the entry form.
Dumfries House – NOTE: date change to 7th October 2023.
We are planning a visit to Dumfries House on Sunday 8th October
Starting at Caulders Garden Centre in Newton Mearns, the 35 mile route will head down to Ayshire using mainly scenic country roads to arrive at Dumfries House in time for lunch.
After lunch we will be treated to a 1 hour tour of Dumfries House which is part of the Prince’s Foundation having been purchased in 2007 by a consortium led by HRH The Prince of Wales and, in doing so, saved the house and one of the most important collections of Georgian Scottish and English furniture for the nation.
Annual Dinner – 10th November 2023.
Following on from our previous reunion with guest speaker John Cleland, our 2023 annual dinner will be held on 10th November. We are pleased to announce our guest speaker will be Peter Scott, a well known rally co-driver from Derry in Northern Ireland, who has competed alongside many of Ireland’s top drivers as well as several British drivers including our own Willie Crawford.
Spring Run 2024. Tuesday 16th April – Friday 19th April 2024.
For the Spring Run in 2024, we are heading south of the border to Slaley Hall Hotel Spa and Golf Resort, near Hexham, Northumberland. We decided at the board meeting on Tuesday 4th August to go for midweek since those taking part in the run are mainly retired and the rate midweek is substantially less than the rate for the weekend.
NOTE: The Hotel will only hold the provisional booking until 8th September 2023 so entries placed after that date are not guaranteed a room allocation.
On 8th and 9th July, V.S.M.A. were represented at An outing to Kames with the Eunos Ecosse Club.
Several members were present with their cars and Charlie Young was at the signing on table handing out recruitment flyers for VSMA membership.
The weekend was in celebration of the Eunos Ecosse club’s tenth anniversary and took place on 8th & 9th July. The VSMA were invited to come along to support this new and vibrant club.
It was a fun weekend and a chance for anyone to appreciate the exhilaration of the race track. There were plenty volunteer drivers and passengers for a three lap experience.
The Eunos Ecosse club set up is to provide low cost motorsport in Scotland for Mazda MX5 owners. The club has grown and is MSA accredited and the main reason why we have many more MX5’s competing in hill-climbs and sprints today.
The members are very supportive of each other and when one became severely ill and was unable to continue with the rebuild of his car, the club stepped in. Secretly, with the daughters permission, his car was taken and was rebuilt for him. It was done in accordance with his plans and what a magnificent job they did as it was literally a shell when they took it away.
Some members of the VSMA enjoyed the sunshine along with the fabulous home baking available at Kames. It was also a chance to encourage some youngsters interested and who knows perhaps a future champion!
It was a great couple of days at Kames with fun, friends and fast cars. In the sunshine too!
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Annual Dinner 2023 – Announcement
The Annual Dinner – 10th November 2023
The 9th ‘get together’ of the Association will be held on Friday 10th November 2023 in The Radstone Hotel, Ayr Road, Larkhall, ML9 2TZ.
We are proud to announce that Peter Scott will be our guest speaker.
Peter is a well known rally co-driver from Derry in Northern Ireland, and has competed alongside many of Ireland’s top drivers as well as several British drivers including our own Willie Crawford.
In his book “Icons of Irish Rallying” author Michael O’Mahoney has dedicated a chapter to Peter and his career in rallying which rapidly escalated from club rallying to his first International win at the tender age of 22 on the 1972 Donegal rally alongside Cathal Curley.
His career spanned many years and Peter remembers the 2013 Cork 20 Historic as being rather special. “Corkman Mark Falvey, invited me to do the International Cork 20 Historic in MEV 36J, the Mk1 Escort in which I did the British Championship events with Billy. We won, 39 years after last sitting in the car”.
We are sure Peter will provide us with a very entertaining evening.
The cost of the event will be £45.
Rooms at the Radstone (note: All rooms are now fully booked).
We have block booked a number of rooms in the Radstone with the discount price of £110 for a double or twin room and £95 for single occupancy. These rooms must be booked through the VSMA by email to vsmasec@yahoo.co.uk and will be on a first come first served basis. Nearer the time you will be able to contact the hotel direct to pay for the room, no money is required for the room at this time.
There are a few more Hotels in the vicinity.
To Book Your Place at the Annual Dinner (sorry, entries are now closed)
If you wish to attend please download this ENTRY FORM which can then be printed or completed using the PDF Fill & Sign function.
OR contact Margaret Smillie, Acting Secretary, at vsmasec@yahoo.com
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Gerry Birrell ii
24th June 2023 – Update by Mike Mitchell
Yesterday was the 50th anniversary of Gerry’s accident. These flowers were laid at the memorial at 10.30 yesterday morning. The large Saltire is on behalf of the family, friends and all the other organisations who contributed to the memorial, the smaller Saltire is on behalf of the VSMA, a tribute to the man after half a century, indeed to all these men, thank you all.
June 2023: Gerry Birrell Memorial – an update by Mike How.
Along with many other donors the VSMA donated some money towards the project to create a permanent memorial to Gerry Birrell who died at Les Six Freres corner at Rouen-Les-Essarts in 1973. Five other drivers, all French, also perished at the same corner before the circuit was eventually closed and are also remembered on the memorial. Nothing had ever been done previously to commemorate these losses.
It’s construction only happened through the dedication of Mike Mitchell who lives in France and raced against Gerry. He raised the money, jumped through all sorts of hoops to have it made by a local stonemason and with the support of the local Mayor of Orival it has come to fruition. Our thanks and those of Gerry’s friends and relatives as we are so grateful for what he has achieved.
It’s taken a long time but this photo was taken just a few days ago and can now be seen by the public exactly 50 years after Gerry’s death on 23rd June 1973.
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Newsletter – 2023 April
Newsletter April 2023
Membership
The club’s aim is to bring together those who have been actively involved in Motor Sport in a variety of forms, be it competitive or organisational. The camaraderie and friendships continue since the first meeting in 2001 and the formation of the VSMA in 2006. The mix of membership is wide with many members continuing to compete alongside those who fondly remember past participation. This echoes the ethos of the VSMA, and also an encouragement for anyone to join us, if they haven’t already done so! Membership of the Association is open to any person who has had an active involvement with any branch of motorsport held in Scotland.
We are sad to inform you of the passing of the following Members:
George Cooper in December, 2022.
George Head in February, 2023.
Netta Young in April, 2023.
Alan Muir in April 2023
Arlene McInnes also in April, 2023.
Apologies for any missed announcements.
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Gerry Birrell
Gerry Birrell Memorial – an update by Mike Mitchell.
It has been some time since I sent an update, indeed last year, so let me start by wishing you all a very belated Happy and Healthy New Year!
At last the stone and plinth have arrived at the mason’s yard, cut to size and polished. The engraving remains to be done but this is only two to three days work. During this week I have spoken to the mason, the builder who will be laying the foundations and the Mayor of Orival to arrange a meeting with them all at Les Six Freres to agree the exact location of the stone, I hope this will happen in the second week of March.
There was some mention of people coming to France in June to celebrate Gerry’s life and to Christen the memorial. Can I ask if these thoughts are turning into arrangements and, if so, who is organising it and how many are likely to be coming? I don’t know Rouen so if the trip is ‘on’ I will ask the Mayor for guidance on where to stay, to eat etc when I see him in March.
This is a seminal moment for me, the first tangible result of two years work and at last the certainty that this memorial is no longer a pipe dream but will be a reality. Again, thank you all.
With Best Wishes,
Mike Mitchell