West Glos Riders at The Barrett Sammy Miller Championship

Stop Press: We've just spotted the results, Ian Hannam/Mark Kirby Won the Unit Sidecar Class. Neil Hannam came 4th in the trail tying on 3 with Mark Kemp. Our intrepid reporter...well... lets just say he didn't manage to beat Neil this round...Massively! (Is this a bit of needle I see here? see March Hare) Stan Howitt, Cliff Hannam and Steve Biddle had enjoyable but middling rides. Goff Hannam had a demoralising 5 early on which could not be recovered. Lastly, and not that we wish to show that experience counts or anything, but Julian and Clare Bishop came 3rd in the Pre-Unit Sidecar class on 17 Marks lost.. One less than Ian's Winning ride. (We'll have a look in the club's book of standard excuses to account for that!). Only two perfect scores were recorded. Nick Draper in the Specials class and Adrian Clissold riding the Easy route. Surely this confirms good layout of sections! Well done again CHG. (Stop press by Colin so don't blame Ben!)

The club was well represented at the Cheltenham Home Guard's Barrett Trial on Sunday, March 7. This was the second round of the Sammy Miller series and West Glos' members may even have won some awards. Backmarker, observer and reporter Ben Falconer didn't.

NEAR perfect conditions for trials greeted the 80-odd riders who gathered at the convivial Royal Oak pub, Gretton and it turned out to be a mainly dry day, where a dab here or there would decide the trial.

Observing the first group at Langley Hill, I recorded just a handful of dabs and no fives. Easy? Maybe not, as the trial took marks off the trail class rider to beat, Mark Kemp, later on.

Neil Hannam's trials pedigree shone through for the loss of 3, which judging by the feedback from observers as we moved on through the trial, means he's in with a chance of top honours.

So too Ian Hannam in his last run out on three wheels with passenger Mark Kirby. They have hit a purple patch just as Mark is off to pastures new and were looking good for just 5 lost until Humblebee Woods above Sudeley, which they exited with their score doubled. A finish on 14 should ensure a class win though.

Also on an outfit, Julian Bishop reckoned he and Clare had lost more than the England rugby team had scored against Ireland, but he seemed reasonably happy with a competitive ride and more than happy with the Royal Oak's beer.

After last week's Spanish excursion on Cliff's Bultaco, Goff Hannam was back on the Ariel and looking happy. He always rides that bike with a smile on his face.

Cliff Hannam, nursing a mangled middle finger, rued the decision to stick with a 15 tooth sprocket which had been used to good effect by Goff in the wide open spaces of the March Hare Trial.

The Barrett is a trial biased towards trials riders rather than trail riders and that was my downfall - you have to stay on the right line to be in with a chance. First though, you have to stay on.

Colgate Farm left Stan Howitt feeling less than minty-fresh after a high speed get-off on the grassy special test. Perhaps he was expecting a third wheel to materialise.

Entry secretary Debbie Smith did manage to stay on the growling Triumph outfit even when her driver Gerald Dyer had been pitched off in the last section at Farmcote. The outfit headed off downhill with a mind of its own, leaving Debbie to make the split-second decision between abandon ship, or rescue the plot. Bravely, she managed the latter and brought the machine safely to a halt by leaping from the chair on to the bike, avoiding a serious accident.

As for your correspondent, he was riding in a class above his level, but there's not much point riding a Pampera on the sidecar route - after all, bikes with no rear suspension take that option.

After cleaning the Pear Tree Lane rock last year, it took three off me but more from Dave Eeles, much to the delight of fellow backmarker Keith Wells. They enjoyed the banter like a pair of school-kids and Dave got his own back at the penultimate section when Keith took a dive. That pair and another backmarker Steve Venn should all be in the awards too.

Thanks to all the observers and Cheltenham Home Guard MCC for an excellent event which finished just at the right time and in the right place - a decent pub packed with riders who'd enjoyed their day.