Now Where Was I?

Oh?

 I've been away playing. It's the Land Rover National trials. My brother and I decided to both enter and compete against each other in his vehicle. mine wasn't ready, or some such excuse. Anyway, last time he trialled in mine, he broke my gearbox. I drove it for the next nine years without a first gear. I figured this was my chance to get even.

Pah! I failed to break anything. Well, the course was a lot more forgiving than a slate-quarry in Wales, it was mostly sand and flint.

My navigator was his wife. To her credit, she barely screamed at all, though she wasn't very keen on the side-slopes.

The car is older than its owner. older than me too, it's a 1952 80" Land Rover, with the two-litre side-valve engine. There were othe 80"s in the trials, in other groups, but very few in this unmodified state. Most vehicles were a lot younger, and there were lots of big engines and tyres, roll-cages, fancy suspensions. 

We were not fearsomely competitive, he beat me, damn.

I think we, well, he, first acquired this vehicle in about 1994? 95? It was a heap of bits on a trailer. His job moved him away, and eventually he gave up and sold the ongoing project to a friend's son, who, with his dad and uncle, completely rebuilt it. Then, after he'd run it a couple of years, he decided to sell. My brother'd said if he ever wanted to sell it.... 

So he bought it back. 

This trial, though... section one at 8 a.m on sunday was the very first time either of us had ever driven it off-road.

I can reveal that we were placed, respectively, fifth and sixth in class. I will not reveal how many there were in the class, as that might somewhat detract from our celebration.

Ducks are Optimists

Quaaack! This is my duckpond. Mine. All mine. see?