2024 Rendezvous

[John Elwin]

Happy Birthday to Dr Bob - the same week as me!

[drbob]

Thanks for the birthday wishes guys . Yes a big one lol

[Mike Harte]

Birthday greetings, Dr Bob.

Out of interest, what now constitutes the "big" one? To me, it will always be when I reached 40, and my then wife organised a secret birthday bash with all friends and a lot of family. A rather grand surprise because I had never really celebrated my birthdays in the past, or even now.

[drbob]

Big 7zero Mike. Like the previous big 5zero and 6zero

[E.B]

Dr Bob. Enjoy your day. Welcome to the (septuagenarian) club. Plenty here.
Age is just a number!

[drbob]

Thanks Chris

[Mike Harte]

As you say, Chris, age is just a number. I first tried retirement at the tender age of 42 at the same time that I also retired from my marriage. Was bored so un-retired, if such a word exists, within two years and had a new partner a year later.

Then all change again at the age of 57 when I had had enough of working and the miserable weather in the UK, so by mutual consent, my partner and I split and I trotted off to settle in Spain. Only decided to settle back in the UK because of health problems, initially experienced when stepping off an aircraft on a chilly November evening in Leeds whilst on a trip to visit my son and family.

[bauble]

Just back from Westminster Abbey, for the Stirling Moss Memorial service, so a Very Happy birthday Dr Bob.

From plain old, Bob.

[delta]

Pleased to hear you went to Sir Stirling Memorial Bob.

[E.B]

Originally Posted by bauble

Just back from Westminster Abbey, for the Stirling Moss Memorial service......

I read an article of that, sounds like a wonderful day, with Bob joined by lots of other 'Champions, celebrities and Royalty' (including Fangio Junior and Elliot Moss), paying their respects, JYS, Derek Bell Damon Hill, our Nige, Bob etc.

Good turnout of both cars and guests



Article:https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a...minster-abbey/

or https://au.motorsport.com/f1/news/f1...bbey/10608371/

[Peter Mallett]

Yup, it looked like a wonderful tribute. Glad you got to it Bob.

[lotustwincam]

I am just about to have a birthday containing the same numbers as Dr. Bob (Happy Birthday Dr. Bob)
I believe I have to renew my driving licence, but I am concerned as I would like to keep the 7.5 tonnes entitlement. How have any other of you young springers gone about it?

[Lancsbreaker]

I didn't bother about it, as I no longer have a need for it, but I seem to recollect that you can retain the entitlement but may have to have a medical. It seems that you can't do the renewal online, but have to follow the procedure outlined here: https://www.gov.uk/renew-driving-licence-at-70

[lotustwincam]

Thank you. It looks like the same medical as an HGV! Seems a a bit over the top just to tow a trailer behind a van.

[Tel 911S]

Originally Posted by lotustwincam

Thank you. It looks like the same medical as an HGV! Seems a a bit over the top just to tow a trailer behind a van.

Have a look at this link for driving licences ..https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/l...ies-explained/
I think it show that with Cat. B licences you can drive car/van with trailer up to 8.25 ton, but not a Tacho truck . From memory , the medical to keep your C1 / C1E licence costs about £60 , [ or it did a few years ago ]

[Tel 911S]

Originally Posted by Tel 911S

Have a look at this link for driving licences ..https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/l...ies-explained/
I think it show that with Cat. B licences you can drive car/van with trailer up to 8.25 ton, but not a Tacho truck . From memory , the medical to keep your C1 / C1E licence costs about £60 , [ or it did a few years ago ]

Just as an add on . If you are driving with a trailer with a total of over 3.5 ton , and it is for " Hire or Reward " , then you must have a Tacho , even in a 4x4 , which I think means that you must have Cat. C licence .

[lotustwincam]

Thank you. No hire or reward, just possibly towing my own Cortina occasionally.
Probably should have stuck with a Mini!

[Paul D]

Originally Posted by Tel 911S

Just as an add on . If you are driving with a trailer with a total of over 3.5 ton , and it is for " Hire or Reward " , then you must have a Tacho , even in a 4x4 , which I think means that you must have Cat. C licence .

This seems to be a grey area - or certainly it was a few years ago. I used to tow a large car trailer with an equally large 4x4 all over the country with all sorts of vehicles on-board.

I tried to find a definitive answer as to whether or not I should, by rights, have had a tacho. Some said yes, because I was nearly always over 3.5 tons, but others argued no, because my 4x4 was not a commercial vehicle, and tacho law applies only to 'commercial vehicles', which is not the same as 'vehicles used commercially'. For example: a rep driving around the country in a Mondeo is 'using a vehicle commercially', but that doesn't make his Mondeo a 'commercial vehicle'. My 4x4 was indeed not a commercial vehicle - it was registered and taxed as a private motor vehicle, same as an ordinary car.

I never did get a definitive answer from anywhere - even the government's own websites seemed pretty vague on this issue. So all I can say is this: I did many tens of thousands of miles over a number of years with this (or a similar) outfit, and never once did VOSA show any interest in pulling me over to see if I had a tacho fitted. I did, on the odd occasion, get pulled over by the boys in blue, and none of them ever suggested I should have had a tacho either.

So I reached the conclusion that, as it was a privately registered vehicle of a non-commercial variety, and as it wasn't clearly being used for business purposes (never lettered up in any way), they probably weren't interested in arguing the toss, so just left me alone.

However, that was years ago, and YMMV...

[Tel 911S]

Originally Posted by Paul D

This seems to be a grey area - or certainly it was a few years ago. I used to tow a large car trailer with an equally large 4x4 all over the country with all sorts of vehicles on-board.

I tried to find a definitive answer as to whether or not I should, by rights, have had a tacho. Some said yes, because I was nearly always over 3.5 tons, but others argued no, because my 4x4 was not a commercial vehicle, and tacho law applies only to 'commercial vehicles', which is not the same as 'vehicles used commercially'. For example: a rep driving around the country in a Mondeo is 'using a vehicle commercially', but that doesn't make his Mondeo a 'commercial vehicle'. My 4x4 was indeed not a commercial vehicle - it was registered and taxed as a private motor vehicle, same as an ordinary car.

I never did get a definitive answer from anywhere - even the government's own websites seemed pretty vague on this issue. So all I can say is this: I did many tens of thousands of miles over a number of years with this (or a similar) outfit, and never once did VOSA show any interest in pulling me over to see if I had a tacho fitted. I did, on the odd occasion, get pulled over by the boys in blue, and none of them ever suggested I should have had a tacho either.

So I reached the conclusion that, as it was a privately registered vehicle of a non-commercial variety, and as it wasn't clearly being used for business purposes (never lettered up in any way), they probably weren't interested in arguing the toss, so just left me alone.

However, that was years ago, and YMMV...

Yes , it was never very clear , but there was a case of a Land Rover towing a car/ trailer which went off the road onto a railway line , which I think caused a change to the law .
And this one seems to say it now needs a tacho for hire and reward use .https://professionalpickup.com/towin...es-exemptions/

[GORDON STREETER]

Talking about confusions regarding driving on the road! Back in the 60s I used to fit a lot of side windows and rear seats in various vans for customers, at the time I tried in vain to get an answer from the DVLA (or whatever it was called at the time) regarding paying tax on the vehicles as they were now altered.
It was impossible to get a definitive answer so I just gave up and carried on and didn't bother any more. It was all to do with the tax bracket on cars and vans when they were bought new as the vans were less.

[Tel 911S]

Here is another one on tacho rules for towing.https://www.gov.uk/tachographs/tacho...light-vehicles

[Mike Harte]

Having had a quick glance at the Gov.UK site, my view is that a tacho is not required if the driver is not subject to maximum driving hours. That is subject to the vehicle and loaded trailer being under 3.5 tonnes, and the journey is not for hire or reward.

[Tel 911S]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

Having had a quick glance at the Gov.UK site, my view is that a tacho is not required if the driver is not subject to maximum driving hours. That is subject to the vehicle and loaded trailer being under 3.5 tonnes, and the journey is not for hire or reward.

A lot of motorsport towing will be over the 3.5 ton gross .
VOSA are a bunch of ***** , and will often stop you and it is up to you to prove that you are not driving for hire or reward .
If you own both tow and towed vehicles you have a good case , but get all of your facts in place before you might get stopped .
They might even suggest that winning any event awards counts as [ Hire or Reward ]
But many years ago , I was doing rallies all over Europe , and often got start money . So I checked with the relevant authorities and was told that it was not hire or reward unless I was making a profit .
So if you know what is what , then you have a good chance of no problems if VOSA do stop you .

[bauble]

Thanks for your messages about my attendance at the Moss Memorial service, it was a very grand occasion and well attended by older, but not aged, types. Having to use a walker these days I sat at the rear of a row of seats along he length of the Abbey so could not see the great and good processing in and out of the service, apart from a few heads, on taller people. The actual service was typical 'high church', lots of very loud organ 'music', interspersed with readings and prayers, all mercifully short, and to-the-point. for the Order of service, Stirling Eliot Moss, had written a Biographical Note, and Charlie Shields, Charles March, and Derek Bell did the readings, while Simon Taylor gave a tribute to Stirling, outlining the things that made him so special. Jackie Stewart added another tribute, and the Dean gave an amusing address, explaining he had little knowledge of motor racing, but that his father had always read Motor Sport magazine.
My friend Peter who races a Morgan (what else) and I had travelled to London by train, and took a taxi to the Abbey, the driver seeing the the massive police presence, and general congestion, said 'I'll drop you off round he corner.' Wow! Getting out we saw a massive queue stretching as far as the eye could see down the pavement, however, as I stumbled awkwardly out of the taxi several gentlemen instantly waved us in front of them. Such a nice class of people, motor sport types.

Why did I go? After all, it was quite a daunting journey at almost 87 years and suffering from Spinulosis. I have been lucky enough to have been a guest at Fangio's 80th birthday party at the Dorchester, and shaken the great man's hand, I was also at Farnham for the service commemorating the 50th anniversary of Mike Hawthorn's 1958 World Championship, so it seemed right to remember Stirling Moss, who was a constant in my early years, and indeed won the first motor race I saw on the Isle of Man in 1951, driving a Frazer Nash.

In my guise as a BBC Motor Sport reporter, I had interviewed Stirling on a few occasions, and he had always be friendly, relaxed and happy to chat about his career, at one time when I said thought one of his outstanding wins was the 1954 Sebring 12 Hour race driving a 1500cc OSCA, up against works Ferrari, Lancia, Cunningham etc. He remarked; 'I'm surprised anyone remembers 'that'.

Thank you Stirling Moss for so many wonderful memories. God Bless you.

[Peter Mallett]

Great story there Bob, thank you for taking the effort to share it.