Brett King has been in touch to say :
“ Well, ladies and gentlemen… Swindon DMCC have some news that will surprise a few old centre stalwarts with long memories and also (hopefully!!) enthuse some of the younger members to come and take part, observe at or even just spectate at the 2nd round of the Club Championship… !!!
Long, long ago when trials were really straightforward with no complicated rules about hopping, backing-up and the like, a club called Minety Vale MCC used to stage a number of trials in and around the area of Minety, 20 minutes north-west of Swindon. These trials ceased to exist beyond the late-80′s as the Club’s members dwindled and the ability to hold the events became impossible. Such well-known events as the MVMCC Boxing Day trial became the thing of folk-lore alone and the venues ceased to hear the roar of Triumph twins, the thump of the Ariels, the biting tread of Pirelli MT43′s and clouding the haze of Castrol oils… all very sad.
However, late in 2011 a chance conversation took place between Swindon DMCC’s pivotal chairman (a certain K.Wooster Esq.) and one of the landowners of an old Minety Vale MCC’s venue. Mr. Graham Williams asked why trials had stopped being held in the famous (or infamous – depending on your point of view) Flistridge Woods situated between Minety and Oaksey. A handful of conversations later and it became clear that the classic Wessex Centre venue was available to host trials once again.
Happily we can report today that an agreement has been reached that enables Swindon DMCC to hold some events in this great piece of natural trials terrain. This is all thanks to the extreme generosity of Graham Williams who simply wants to see trials folk making use of his land in Flistridge Woods for the staging of organised events and thereby maintaining the connection with trials of years gone by.
After a recent reconaissance mission, the Swindon DMCC are pleased to announce that they will be staging the second round of their Club Championship in Flistridge Woods on 19th February with a 10.30am start, as the Club start a new chapter in the story of “Trials at Flistridge”.
This venue used to be a serious challenge for all-comers, but we are keen to encourage people to come to this fantastic venue and enjoy some truly “natural” trials terrain. With this in mind, we wish to emphasisie that there will be three routes marked out, catering for everbody’s ability: Youth A & B, Over 50, Twinshock, C, B, AB and A: all riders will have something that tests them without becoming a battle of “survival of the fittest”. 4 laps of 10 sections will be plotted on banks, gulleys, rooted cambers and classic woodland fare, so please make a note in your diaries to come along on the 19th February. New members are most welcome.”
Frank says: Were they the good old days when we all rode the same route ie there weren’t 3 or 4 routes to get from the start cards to the ends card & if you were riding your first trial you rode the same hazards as the experts? Back then you would have had a good day to get a three in a section yes I mean that in ‘a’, that is one, section & fived the rest? Then when the Results were posted to you & you got them by Tuesday or maybe Wednesday (when you could see the class winners in MCN anyway) discovered that the winner had only lost perhaps 10 against your own feeble effort with say 148 marks lost. Took me a long time to accept that winning a trial was not achieved by having the highest score like most sports!
Anyway good for the Swindon Club, current Trials riders, & thanks to Graham Williams for his generous ‘welcome back’
Don’t forget to get your Entries in for this one, & don’t forget the WWMC Championship Trial on the previous Sunday. Look forward to seeing you at either or both of these events, — Frank