Bell's Banter 2022

[John Elwin]

Originally Posted by morninggents

It'd been cleverly constructed as there must be thousands of deceased's estates around the world where relatives/beneficiaries can't be traced but which are known to solicitors, bank employees, etc. Was the name of the deceased traceable on the net?

Many years I had one of these scams & the person was traceable on the internet - I even knew who he was! He was one of the victims of the Concorde crash in Paris. He was a German who worked for BMW.

I brought it to the attention of the police at the time, but did not even get a response...

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by John Elwin

I brought it to the attention of the police at the time, but did not even get a response...

May be they thought it was a scam!

[andy97]

Had a really enjoyable day on Saturday on the Salford Van Hire Neil Howard Stages rally.
We finished 74th out of 83 finishers (seeded 85 and c100 starters) and 26th in class C (1600-2000cc) out of 30 finishers in very tricky conditions (rain, gravel, water splash, mud, fog, dark) - the sort of conditions I crashed the Escort in last December at Donington Park, worse than Donington probably - with no real “moments”!
I was pretty pleased overall!
I may have been in a class with >30 starters in it, but that was all irrelevant really as there was only one other car that I could tell (might have been a couple of Pug 205s or Novas, I suppose) that was of a similar spec/ philosophy to mine in being an pre 90’s OEM engined car with a H-pattern ‘box and therefore what I have nick named a ”club classic” type car, and I finished ahead of them so to my mind I “won” my class (of two) Lol!

[Peter Mallett]

Good stuff Andy. It's all about being there at the finish.

[andy97]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

Good stuff Andy. It's all about being there at the finish.

It certainly is in rallying! People deride the circuit rallies as “not proper rallies” but Oulton Park is usually quite tough with a high DNF rate. This year, 83 finishers was unusually high. Last year it was 67, I think.

The rally class structure is a bit frustrating as unlike circuit racing it is very much “libre” in nature, based mostly on engine capacity, so in my 1600-2000cc class I am usually us against many real expensive monsters with 2 litre bespoke rally engines (Millingtons and the like), sequential boxes and multiple adjustable suspension, even traction control in some cases. Many cars are “special saloons”really, hence my comment about winning my class of two - we were the only two Pinto powered Escorts in the rally!
Good fun, though, and I do think my circuit driving has improved from doing even just a few of these rallies. Recommended!

[morninggents]

Received the HRSR Historic Saloons Trophy back today from the 2021 winner to get it engraved for the 2022 presentation.
Noticed that one Gordon Streeter was the winner in 1991. Where have the last 31 years gone?

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by morninggents

Received the HRSR Historic Saloons Trophy back today from the 2021 winner to get it engraved for the 2022 presentation.
Noticed that one Gordon Streeter was the winner in 1991. Where have the last 31 years gone?

That was when it ran with the BRSCC. I have found that the older you get the time goes quicker! I can't find enough hours in the day to do all the things that I want to do, and I was supposed to be retired 10 years ago

[morninggents]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

That was when it ran with the BRSCC. I have found that the older you get the time goes quicker! I can't find enough hours in the day to do all the things that I want to do, and I was supposed to be retired 10 years ago

I know what you mean. I retired from full time work in 2007 but still work part time for a family business. It helps to keep the mind active.


Your name on the trophy is in good company. Ronnie Fielding won it the year before and the year after you.

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by morninggents

Your name on the trophy is in good company. Ronnie Fielding won it the year before and the year after you.

Ah,the intervening year was just an aberration,then!

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

Ah,the intervening year was just an aberration,then!

Mike, after that year I joined up with Pete Hall's ICS series, it was terrific, and I stopped in it until it finished a few years later.
I was very fortunate to be sponsored by a lot of my true friends from way back otherwise I certainly couldn't have afforded to do it!
What with people supplying parts & tyres to keep me running plus free hospitality suit tickets/ZX1 oils etc, Larkins Brewery not only paid all the entry fees but supplied a barrel of beer for each meeting as well

[S griffin]

Pete Hall, there's a name from the past. Good of him to organise his own series, shame it came to an end.

Certainly you've given a good insight into the world of sponsorship there Gordon. It's amazing how much they can provide

[morninggents]

It was a good series and certainly brought more drivers in to the historic saloon ranks.
It became problematic to many when it became a support for the, as then, British Saloon Car Championship, as it was far more regimented with the historic saloon drivers having to arrive within specified time slots the day before the meetings. Many HRSR drivers at the time, including me, were salaried folks who couldn't just take an extra day off work to fit in with these schedules. Having then to remain at the circuit after the support race before being allowed to leave also meant later arrival home for many with a working day to follow. I think this was the start of the 'monied' crowd being attracted to historic racing and we can see now in retrospect where that's got us.
Great racing, though, with some fantastic cars. I really liked the Chevvy Chevelle that John Young raced initially before Alan Minshaw of Demon Tweeks bought it - that car was so wide! I think allowing the Camaros to race was a mistake as they were the next generation of historic saloons.

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by morninggents

It was a good series and certainly brought more drivers in to the historic saloon ranks.
It became problematic to many when it became a support for the, as then, British Saloon Car Championship, as it was far more regimented with the historic saloon drivers having to arrive within specified time slots the day before the meetings. Many HRSR drivers at the time, including me, were salaried folks who couldn't just take an extra day off work to fit in with these schedules. Having then to remain at the circuit after the support race before being allowed to leave also meant later arrival home for many with a working day to follow. I think this was the start of the 'monied' crowd being attracted to historic racing and we can see now in retrospect where that's got us.
Great racing, though, with some fantastic cars. I really liked the Chevvy Chevelle that John Young raced initially before Alan Minshaw of Demon Tweeks bought it - that car was so wide! I think allowing the Camaros to race was a mistake as they were the next generation of historic saloons.

I agree that it did attract the "monied crowd" and I didn't think that I would ever be able to do it. However, I was secure and earning good money working for myself and could take a day or so off in the week to sort the car and get to the meetings. After I did the sums and spoke to people, I was surprised how many were willing to actually part with money. I think the fact that at the time I was involved with "Fast car" magazine certainly helped.
Incidentally Peter, it was a "Chevvy Malibu" along with another load of "suspect" cars that appeared with trick suspensions and engines.

[GORDON STREETER]

Well, it's the end of an era. One of my best mates for 50 odd years Bob Dockerty of Larkins went to the great Brewery in the sky last night. Without him I couldn't have spent years wearing out cars around the circuits. RIP Bob you will certainly be missed.

[Peter Mallett]

Very sorry to hear that Gordon. RIP Bob.

[Mike Harte]

Condolences, Gordon.

[E.B]

Thoughts and commiserations. RIP Bob.

[John Elwin]

Sorry to hear of the loss of your long-time friend & sponsor, Gordon.

Bet you sank a few beers between you in those fifty years!

RIP Bob

[morninggents]

It was a Chevvy Malibu, Gordon, though the internet seems to infer the 1965 model was called the Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu SS. Whatever it's proper title it was one hell of a car. Do you know if Steve Warrior built it for John Young? I seem to recall he had some input and used quite a few Camaro parts to make it competitive.


Sorry to hear about Bob Dockerty. I was at Spa around 2011/2012 and you gave me a glass of Larkins. Someone I didn't know was with you. Would that have been Bob?

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by morninggents

Sorry to hear about Bob Dockerty. I was at Spa around 2011/2012 and you gave me a glass of Larkins. Someone I didn't know was with you. Would that have been Bob?

It wasn't Bob as he very rarely went anywhere except the local pub
He was fantastic character always willing to help anyone in need, he called a spade a spade and would love a stand-up argument as he was well educated.
His parties at Larkins farm were notorious and hundreds of people would appear out of the blue via the jungle telephone, starting at midnight after the pubs chucked out with unlimited free beer and wine complete with a rock & roll band, and went on until at least 6am. He certainly could organise a p**s up in a Brewery

[Lancsbreaker]

Sounds like a real character, Gordon - not so many around now. I imagine there should be a good wake, for a good and generous man......

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by Lancsbreaker

Sounds like a real character, Gordon - not so many around now. I imagine there should be a good wake, for a good and generous man......

I would think that there will be hundreds that turn up as he was such a generous happy go lucky bloke. He was a Lloyds name when the Exxon Valdez disaster happened and took a hit for a "very" lot of money. He sold some of his land complete with his own farmhouse and several other farmworkers houses and moved into one of the farm buildings that he was using to make beer. He then decided to go full out and made Larkins Brewery into a very profitable business and reinstated the original hop gardens. I think that a lot of us would have given up, but it didn't seem to faze Bob. The parties that had been going on since the 60s even got better

[midgetman]

I see Silverstone Classic is being re-branded Silverstone Festival.

https://www.silverstone.co.uk/events...stone-festival.


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[midgetman]

And I got a mailer about it

Edit: Sorry it's so lo res you can't read it! Tapatalk clearly doesn't like screenshots




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[Peter Mallett]

Yes, I'm not sure what the implications are but assume it's to get more non-historic punters through the gate.

A bit depressing IMO, I liked the feel of the classic, but with GT3 and 4 cars running, perhaps the re branding fits?