Roy B

Duck - Nice one. Thanks for the identification. Have a look on Google Maps at Clint Lane, Bowes. It will come up as Barnard Castle but is closer to Bowes. At the Pennine Way (Bowes Loop) end there is a bungalow with yard attached and a few piles of gravel. The Google image was taken in 2009 so no sign of any vehicles then. The abandoned one was opp on the grass verge. Ozzy - Cheers mate, and don't crawl back under that rock

This week we start with Taunton, and then part two of the High Edge story. F2 Ben Fund & Saloons British at Taunton 18th/19th May Saturday: It’s always a great pleasure to visit this friendly little stadium at Smeatharpe, made even better as it is run by the Autospeed team with Crispin Rosevear at the helm. Crispin is a true fan at heart and as well as his promoting duties always finds time to write down the runners in each race from his position on the centre. He appreciates the drivers and is rewarded by good turnouts throughout the year. For the third year running this May Speed Weekend had a great line up of drivers, races and prizes. The glorious Ben Fund rosebowl trophy was up for grabs and a place in the National Series for the winner. The previous three victors in Luke Wrench, Gordon Moodie and Mark Gibbs saw the north west and Scotland take the laurels. Will it be the turn of the west country this time? Sunday also saw the Ray Tyldesley “641” Trophy raced for. This is always on the same day as the Ben Fund as Ray was the first winner of the rosebowl back in 1979 at Bradford. 53 cars were in attendance on the Saturday. The meeting began with the annual Ladies race for the Bill Batten Trophy with 11 cars taking part, and last year’s winner - Sarah Harley - successfully defending her victory. A three heat format then followed which saw Jon Palmer (24), Gordon Moodie (7) and Matt Stoneman (127) take the wins. A good drive from white top Andy Walker (328) saw him claim the Consolation. The Graders Award Trophy was up for grabs on the Final. David Hamer the official F2 grader had put up a host of bonus prizes for this one. A dramatic start saw Steven Burgoyne (674) tangle on the back straight with Joe Marquand (689). The 689 car’s front wheels being lifted off the ground and the car left perched on top of the fence with the cab facing skywards. A full restart saw the 7 car take an easy win followed home by Chris Rowe (76) and 127. Luke Wrench (560) took the GN. 42 Saloons were in attendance incl. 6 from Scotland, one from the north, and 18 East Anglians. The south west contingent completed the numbers. Cars were split into 5 groups and entered in three of five heats to determine grid positions for Sunday’s big race. Ht.1 saw Shane Emerson (888) take the win. Graeme Shevill (661) spun Daniel Parker (306) out in this one who then collected Diggy Smith (116) side on down the back straight. Ht.2 had Adam O’Dell (171) take the win. The biggest hit of the night in this as John Wagstaff (190) was cannoned into the fence by a train of cars led by Shane Emerson (888). Ht.3 was Jamie Sampson’s (149), and Ht.4 saw Scotsman Barry Russell (600) the victor. The last heat of the day went to Lee Sampson (148). This left Shevill on pole after a pair of second place finishes and a seventh. Sunday: The opening F2 heat was an all white/yellow top 19 car event. Lee Morgan (145) took the win. The 30 car Ben Fund race came next. All cars lined up in reverse national points order. James Rygor (783) on pole, with Paul Rice (890) joining him on the front row. 560, 127, and 7 started from the very back. At the drop of the green Justin Fisher (315) found himself facing the oncoming traffic on the home straight with Chris Burgoyne (647) also getting involved. As they tried to clear themselves 315 spun again and was hit square on by Bradley McKinstry (NI747), and then again by Lewis Geach (111) and Adam Rubery (700). Red flags and a full restart. 127 had made great strides through the pack on this opening lap and was already in the top 10. 8 cars less for the restart. Rygor held the lead at the drop of the green as the bumpers were piling in all around the circuit. That’s the beauty of this track. If you want to get ahead you have to get stuck in quick as the races are over in the blink of an eye. Moodie meanwhile was scything his way through and was 6th after only two laps. Rygor had built a good lead but at halfway succumbed to the Flying Fifer. The second half saw a few exchanges down the order with James Riggall (527) a retiree. Top 3 at the end were: 7, 560, and Kelvyn Marshall (101). Moodie had won it for a 5th time repeating his success from a decade earlier here at Smeatharpe. As is often the case once he gets in front there’s no catching him. “I just keep banging the laps in and keep it consistent. I just want to win everything so that there’s only four cars in the National Series”, he said afterwards. As we now know he need’nt have worried as he declined his place in the end. The Consolation followed with a lap one stoppage after two cars tangled together and were collected by the pack which saw Craig Wallace (16) diving skywards, and Becky Pearce (660) needing assistance. It looked like the roof was going to be cut off the 660 car to get her out but Becky was determined not to let that happen. After a lengthy delay she was extricated through the cab side. A thrilling restart saw bumpers going in galore and Ben Borthwick (418) emerge the victor. 560 won the “641” Ray Tyldesley Trophy Final with Ben Lockwood (618) in 2nd(whose father Dave would have raced with Ray) and 7 in 3rd. The GN went to 127 to complete a fine weekend for the 2’s. The Saloons began their second day with a last chance qualifier for the remaining six spots for their British. Paul Barnes (210) took his maiden win in this one. After a driver parade and introductions pole sitter Shevill led them away. He ran wide as the green dropped and Smith was through into the lead. No major incidents in this early stage but plenty of action. Diggy built himself an, “out of arms reach” gap. Tommy Barnes (26) was having fun barging his way through until his rad let go owing to the hits his front end was dishing out. A caution came with cars scattered and stranded across the track after an incident on the back straight. Smith had 3 lapped cars between him and 2nd placed Shevill at the restart. The race had settled down until 2 to go when the Irish Open Champ Adam O’Dell (171) took second place from Shevill. 661 came straight back and retook the place. However, a last bender from 171 removed him again and he spun it ending up an eventual 5th. Smith achieved the victory to win his second British Championship nearly a quarter of a century after his first! Top 3: 116, 171 and 600. The remaining races were an Allcomers won by Luke Dorling (120), and the Final which saw 428 win ahead of 116 and 661. Happenings from High Edge part two: Last week we concentrated on the immediate area around High Edge. We’ll have a look at where they moved all the munitions to this time. Before we head off let’s go to the disused Harpur Hill quarry and see, ”The Blue Lagoon”. The quarry has flooded since closure and a lake has formed. It is a natural lush blue colour and looks very inviting on a summers day. The sting in the tail quite literally is the reason why it is so attractive. It is a toxic soup caused by caustic chemicals in the stone. It’s ph level is only marginally lower than ammonia and bleach. In addition to this hazard are bits of cars and dead animal carcasses at the bottom. Children regularly go swimming in it and are told not to dunk their heads under, or of course swallow any water. The council have taken to dyeing it black to make it less appealing, but the natural blue colour returns within a couple of years. It was last dyed in 2018 so when I visited it was still black. As of yet there are no plans to drain and fill it in which I find puzzling. Ok then. Let’s head north. A couple of stops on the way. Up the M6 to junction 38 for Tebay. This stretch of motorway from J36 to J39 is a favourite of mine. Very picturesque through the Lune valley. We’ll stop for a brew in Kirkby Stephen and I’ll tell you a bit about the place. We’ll meet in Bryson’s Bakery and Coffee Shop. Everything is made on the premises and I can highly recommend the savoury cheese and onion barm (freshly baked and still warm) with black pepper and a bit of salad. Of course with lashings of salad cream(not that mayonnaise muck). Follow this with a huge slab of chocolate tiffin and you’re sorted. We’re in Sam Ostle country here. You will have passed Travellin’ Sam’s yard on the way in nr the active railway station, which is actually 30 mins walk from the centre . This is on the Settle to Carlisle line. There was another station nearer to the town which closed in 1962. That line ran from Darlington to Tebay. Stone age, and iron age settlements have been found on the high ground around the town. In the 10th century most of this area was settled by the Danes. The parish church is built of soft red sandstone and is known as the, ”Cathedral of the Dales”, owing to its size and elegance. The “Taggy” bell is still rung in the evening at 8 o’clock. The local saying is that if children are not home by 8 the “taggy” man will get them. Most of the town is a conservation area with 18th and 19th century buildings built on the sites of earlier thatched wattle and daub houses. At the entrance to the town there used to be a pig pool with a pond and grazing cattle. This became the tannery yard which discharged its waste into the open sewer. I bet that hummed in summer. Frank’s Bridge is a 17th century corpse lane bridge, and there are stones at the far end where the coffins could be rested on their way from the villages around. The bridge is haunted by “Jangling Anna” who was a prisoner in nearby Hartley castle. She escaped in chains by jumping into the River Eden but drowned. She is said to wait on the bridge jangling her chains! On a still night you can hear the clank, clank and rusty water appears sporadically!! There were four mills in and around the town during the 1700’s. Two corn mills, a fulling mill (a water wheel driven hammer for beating cloth into an even weave), and a carding mill (untangles, cleans and mixes fibres for the next process). There used to be a brewery and 17 pubs. Narrow entrances to the town and very narrow lanes were built to protect against invading Scots. A lot of history exists for a small place and this is only part of it. We’d better crack on. Let’s make tracks for our next stop. From here it’s along the trans-Pennine A66 to Bowes. This road has the worst safety record in the UK. I’ve travelled this route many times in the Aycliffe and Hartlepool days. A fair proportion of it was single carriageway, and Sunday evenings used to see a lot of hgv’s heading across. One memorable return trip from Aycliffe springs to mind along here. I had taken a girlfriend with me who was a wayward sort. Ahead was an artic. I had an old van at the time which needed a long run up to get past anything. The road ahead and behind was nice and quiet so I put my foot down to start the slow overtake. The ignition switch was to the left of the steering column. When we were halfway alongside my passenger decided she would turn the ignition off and put the keys down the front of her t-shirt! I could’nt risk bump starting it at that speed as the gearbox/clutch were a bit dodgy to say the least. Luckily no steering lock or power steering was fitted in those days either. Very fortunately there was a long layby on the opposite side of the road just handy for me to get stopped in. I was of course compelled to have a good old rummage around inside that t shirt for the keys. I made sure it took me a long time to find them! Great days. Part of the road is on the disused trackbed of the aforementioned Darlington to Tebay railway. At the highest point a sign indicates Stainmore Summit. This is a replica. The original is in the Darlington Railway Centre Museum. The line here had the distinction of being the highest in England. I’ve attached a wonderful video entitled, “Snowdrift at Bleath Gill”. You’ll see the original sign a couple of times in this. The film was made in 1955 and shows the determination to retrieve a loco that became literally frozen in. No leaves on the line nonsense for these lads, just hard graft and team spirit. Turning off the A66 at the Bowes junction finds us in the sleepy village. It was built around the medieval castle which stands on the site of a Roman fort. Bowes itself is mentioned as far back as 1148 so has plenty of history. More hauntings here as well. The 17th century pub has several ghosts, and played host to Charles Dickens on one of his tours. The railway crops up again as it served the village from 1861 until 1962. At some point in the future I’m going to dig deeper into this railway. There are some stunning viaducts still standing in the area we’ve travelled through. The castle was built in the late 1100’s to guard the strategic route known as the Stainmore Pass. It was a vital defence against a Scottish invasion which did occur in 1173-4. Bowes was besieged by King William of Scotland until Geoffrey, Archbishop of York’s army relieved the village. No further work was done to the castle after 1187 and the keep is the only part that still stands. Various changes of ownership occurred until the 17th century when it became redundant. Following the Civil War parts of it were dismantled and the stone re-used for other buildings. The castle at Brough, and Barnard Castle are more complete. Together with Bowes they formed a strong defence against invaders from the north. We are only a short drive from the village to our goal for the day – RAF Bowes Moor, a derelict site in open moorland. As we saw last week stockpiling of hundreds of tons of mustard gas and associated chemical weapons was not a safe option in sites such as Harpur Hill. A remote site such as this was needed and here stands the remains of the UK’s dedicated reserve depot for chemical agents. All the Llanberis and Harpur Hill stockpiles came here. I’ve gathered the following facts and figures for this RAF base from many resources online, but special thanks to crashed.out. The first delivery of mustard gas bombs started in Dec 1941. Ventilation was the obvious priority in storing these. In the beginning they were stored outside under tarpaulin sheets. However, the local sheep population decided the tarps looked good enough to eat. Not content with that they then started on the 65 pounders underneath, puncturing the thin shelled weapons much to their unfortunate demise! As WW2 progressed the facility was upgraded and sheep proofed. Many of the buildings are no longer visible. The ruins that remain today were grouped into six areas for specific sizes and types of weapon. Examples being: Aircraft mounted spray tanks (basically crop sprayers filled with mustard gas), and mustard gas bombs triggered with high explosives. Upwards of 17,000 tonnes were stored here. The corrosive nature of the contents were continually giving cause for concern. Within 6 – 8 weeks the shells start to leak and become very difficult to handle. Long term storage of ready-made munitions was not viable. Instead dotted around the UK were forward filling stations. The gas was stored in underground tanks with the bombs and spray tanks filled as req’d. Thankfully chemical weapons were not used in the European battlefields during WW2. Post war it all needed disposing of. RAF Bowes Moor became the central point for all the RAF’S stockpiles. In addition to the amount already stored here the inbound shipments were huge. In one month alone in 1945 2,500 tonnes were received. Initially incineration was the method used. Incendiary bombs doused in petrol were spread throughout the sheds of mustard gas and now Lewisite (affects the respiratory system and if exposed for a long period progresses eventually to death). The incendiaries were ignited with a few rounds of tracer ammo from a Sten gun. The resulting inferno and clouds of billowing black smoke would have given the good folks of Bowes a horrifying outlook. (There are some pics in the gallery of the disposal but the quality is not good as the photo’s become blurred with resizing) This method was only partially successful. Arsenic residue and unburnt mustard gas remained. By the end of 1945 the site was unable to cope with the sheer amount to incinerate. A decision was made to dump the weapons into Beaufort’s Dyke, a 300m deep trench in the sea between Scotland and Northern Ireland. Today, there is well over a million tonnes of munitions consisting of chemical, conventional and nuclear lying in that trench. A frightening thought. There are rumours of the storage here of the nerve agents Tabun and Sarin captured from Nazi Germany. These weapons were 1,000 times more deadly than mustard gas. As regards the site today there is still a probable chance of mustard gas and arsenic contamination. The massive amounts of storage and destruction that went on here make it a highly contaminated site. During the late 1990’s mustard gas shells were being found and people exposed to chemical agents. In 2007 the MOD carried out a survey of 46 former chemical weapons sites. Bowes Moor was one of 14 that req’d more detailed investigation. I have not been able to find any text on line relating to the full report. The probable reason why all the low lying structures have not been completely removed is that the ground is holding trapped contaminants. The mustard gas is denser than water and is not going to evaporate. The arsenic containing Lewisite residue is even worse. None of it is going to go away anytime soon. I had a good old mooch around the whole site and apart from a few lumps of metal lying around did’nt come across anything untoward. The only dodgy area was under an old pallet. It was surrounded by a broken down fence so I had to have a look. Underneath the pallet was a concrete lined shaft containing some murky liquid. The smell was not good so promptly replaced the pallet. A few areas were bare of vegetation, trees etc, and the lack of any living thing was very noticeable. Apart from one fly that is! It was sitting in a brick that had been damaged by some past event. Talking of bricks if there’s any brick spotters amongst you (yes, believe it or not I am serious, check out, “Old Bricks – history at your feet” ) I came across a rare pre 1962 Seghill. These were manufactured 70 miles away in the village of Seghill, nr Newcastle upon Tyne at the Hotspur works. The site was part of a colliery and the bricks were used in the village houses and the colliery itself. The colliery closed in 1962 but the brick works clung on until 1977. The Seghill name was not on any bricks manufactured after 1962 so I’ve left it there if anyone wants to add it to their collection! A side by side map/pic in the gallery shows the works in the late 1800’s complete with rail line, and the present day scene. You would never know it existed. After leaving the site I was walking along a very lonely road in the middle of beyond when an old pick up silently pulled up next to me. It appeared from nowhere. The passenger window was open and the driver leered across and said,”We’ve been watching you. What are you up to?” I thought if I give the wrong answer here I’ll be squealing like a pig, ”Deliverance” style by tea time. I told him my reason for being there and he dropped his suspicious manner. He was a decent bloke and he told me all about the trials and tribulations of farming. He actually rented the farm from the MOD as it was on part of the weapon site. He then got onto the ”Beast from the East” and told me all about the drivers who owing to the A66 being closed decided to go across country down the back lanes! His tractor was 24/7 towing people (or idiots as he called them ) out of deep drifts. We bid farewell, and I carried on and came to a dilapidated old garage with some Foden tippers parked up in various states of repair. There was one tractor unit dumped on the verge. It was too far gone to see the manufacturer. If anyone can identify it post it here. Well that’s the end of this journey folks. If you’ve got this far you’ve done well. Next week: Mildenhall for the Saloons National Championship, and bring your walking boots. We’re off to Bonnie Scotland. There’s something in them thar hills for us to see.

Gallery news: Pascal Spigt(H6)our friend from the Netherlands is overhauling his car this winter. He's going to upload some pics of the progress so far. It'll be as and when work and time permit 👍

Looking forward to these

Yes, definitely

Off Season Gallery 2019/20 Hello folks, The decision to hold back the Off Season Gallery until now was out of respect to Colin North. He will forever be in our hearts. I would like to send many thanks to everyone for their kind words regarding the pit news/gallery this season. As previously there is a varied mix of things for us to have a look at this winter. To kick things off this first week we pay a visit to the Mendips Raceway for their Golden Anniversary meeting on Sunday 21st April, and then it’s the first in a two part look at the varied history of the area around Buxtons High Edge Raceway and beyond. Bristol – F2 WCQR & Gerry Dommett Memorial Trophy – Sun 21st April In scorching hot weather it was a very special day for the raceway above the Mendip Hills. The unique track with the infamous dip had its grand opening on Easter Sunday 1969. Over the 50 yrs the venue has seen many changes, not least drivers and car styles. A reprint of the opening meeting’s programme was included in that days programme which I thought was a nice touch. The Gerry Dommett Memorial Trophy was the top prize on offer for the F2’s. Gerry was the visionary who saw the track from an aeroplane and developed it to what it is today. He passed away in 1998 and this was the 20th running of the memorial trophy. 46 cars in attendance, and a good geographical spread for this QR, incl. five from Scotland. A decision was taken to run to a three heat format which was a bit risky, but turned out ok in the end with some up to the mark racing. Ht.1 saw Gordon Moodie (7) and Luke Wrench (560) just catch the flying white top of David Shearing (564). Ht.2 was a foregone conclusion with Chris Mikkula (522) starting from the “A” grade. Dan Kent (976), & Paul Moss (979), in a new car completed the podium. Ht.3 had Andrew Palmer (606) holding off Matt Stoneman (127) for the victory, with Steven Gilbert (542) in 3rd. The Consolation had a belter of a finish. Harley Cornock (517) led the whole race until the last bend, and then Philip Mann (53) went in with a big last bender which saw both end up in the fence. Paul Rice (890) was the grateful victor. The Final was under waved yellows early on after a back straight coming together between Liam Rowe (105) and 979 which saw them collected by a number of star men. A complete restart saw 564 again away to a flyer only for another caution with cars stranded in turns 3 and 4. The 7 car pulled onto the infield soon after the restart, and James Riggall (527) took the victory and the Gerry Dommett Trophy, closely followed by 127 and Ben Borthwick (418). 23 cars for the GN. 564 managed to remain clear of the clutches of 7 to take the win. Gordon was glad later in the season when a red roof adorned the 564 car. Happenings around High Edge Have you ever looked at the land behind the back straight at Buxton and been intrigued as to its former use? I have many times so decided a thorough investigation was required. Join me now as we explore the area around High Edge Raceway. It has seen lots of changes over the years. A map from the 1800’s shows many quarries in the area. An ancient burial mound containing human remains and Roman pottery etc. have been found on the site of the track. Within a couple of miles is the former location of RAF Harpur Hill. As the threat of war loomed over Europe in the late thirties, the Army, Navy, and Royal Air Force were looking for sites to store bombs, ammunition and weapons. Disused mines were the preferred option, and north of a line from the Bristol Channel to the Humber to increase the distance from the airfields of Germany. It soon became apparent that there was a shortage of mine sites so a different approach was required. The Frith site at Harpur Hill was chosen as a new design of bomb store. A series of reinforced concrete galleries covered over with 60 ft of top cover would give a similar protection as a tunnel deep underground. A quarry close by with a rail connection was an added bonus. There were large amounts of quarry spoil available for covering the galleries, and the construction site could easily be mistaken for quarry activity in aerial reconnaissance. Work commenced in 1938 with the RAF taking over in Dec 1939. It was one of the biggest ammo dumps in the country. Gas weapons (mustard gas) and V bombs were stored here amongst other things. A twin facility in Llanberis suffered a structural collapse in Jan 1942, and as a precaution against a similar failure Harpur Hill was closed in May 1942. A total of 24,000 tons of material was removed from the two sites. We’ll have a look where that lot went in part 2 next week. Harpur Hill was eventually reinforced and re-opened but the storage of sensitive explosives was not permitted. The site continued until 1960 and was then sold off to local businessmen and saw use as a mushroom farm, cold store, and a bonded warehouse. Behind turn’s 3 and 4 of the raceway, and beyond the speedway track is the Health and Safety Laboratory. They bought the site in 1924. At the present time they do testing and evaluation on a huge range of hazardous items. Fire, explosives, crash testing, hydrogen and alternative fuels, batteries and energy storage etc, etc. The list is endless. They basically have the largest and biggest of anything to do with safety testing. A railway line has been constructed, and they used to have some old London Underground trains that were used to reconstruct the 7/7 tube bombings. The wartime connection between RAF Harpur Hill and this site is difficult to clarify. The HSE site is also named Harpur Hill and some sources give the RAF site as having a location as far as the Frith, which is virtually where the track is located. Maps of the time do not show for obvious reasons any location. In the gallery I have included an aerial shot and recent OS map which clearly show the bunkers. These are the smaller ones which have seen use by the HSE since the munitions were moved out. They were linked by a railway to the main base which had some huge concrete galleries. No doubt you will have seen the two reinforced buildings at the track, one in the pits, and the other behind the main stand. These are definitely from the years we are looking at as well. I had a couple of hours to kill before the Thurs F2 meeting during WF week, so join me now for a walk around the area to see what’s left. Adjacent to the grass opposite the pit entrance is some high ground. Usually a few people sit up there during the meeting. I climbed past that to the highest point and came to two pill boxes that had been constructed half buried. These were for defence against the sites mentioned above. The furthest one is the easiest to get into but involves going around the end of a fence which is over the actual High Edge. A sheer drop of some 60ft (20m). One wrong move and it would be more than clean underpants req’d. There were rumours of machine gun emplacements on the top but nothing remains today. From the top of this hill the bunkers stand out really well. As I returned to the road a distant siren went off followed by a ground shaking bang from the HSE site. My next port of call was to have a look around the bunker site. Plenty of pics in the gallery. Managed to get access to a couple of the bunkers but most were breeze blocked up. Both contained rail lines, and one had a large round magnet above the rails. Stalactites/stalagmites from the concrete structures were much in evidence everywhere. These were formed from a compound called calthemite leaching out of the concrete. (I came across these again a few weeks later forming within a disused and long abandoned railway tunnel. We’ll have a look at that another week). Further into the site I came across some concrete cylinders that had been used for explosive testing and a disused control room. Suddenly a high vis appeared from a cabin in the distance. Was it game over already and a case of, “I’ll come quietly officer”? Thankfully not. He had come out to wave the red flag to signify an imminent explosion. A siren went off followed by another earth shaker of a bang. Superb stuff! All this part of the site seemed to be abandoned. I do enjoy a good nosey around derelict and disused places. I found a couple of gauges still in situ. One of which was a 0-160psi pressure gauge manufactured by Negretti and Zambra. The company was founded in 1850 and became royally appointed scientific instrument makers and opticians to Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and King Edward VII, the Royal Observatory and the British Admiralty. A great pedigree, but no more as from 1999 the company ceased. As I continued I got closer to the active part of the site . I decided to keep to the path that has been designated to walk through as cameras and surveillance are everywhere. After getting off their land I walked back along the trackbed of the long gone Cromford and High Peak railway. In 1800 the Peak Forest Canal was built to provide a route between Manchester and the East Midlands for the mineral, cotton and textile traffic. However, this involved a lengthy journey via the Trent and Mersey Canal. A new route for a canal to go “over the tops” was considered, but the financial outlay v return made this unfeasible. It would mean carrying a canal over 1000 ft and sustaining a water supply in the dry limestone uplands. A railway was the answer, and in 1832 this section was opened to carry minerals and goods between the Cromford Canal at High Peak Junction and the Peak Forest Canal at Whaley Bridge. In those early days horses and stationary steam engines were used before locomotives arrived on the scene. There were a dozen sidings around the Harpur Hill area serving the quarries and lime works. Unfortunately the canals were starting a decline at this time but the line held on owing to the increased demand for limestone from the quarries. In 1887 the London and North Western Railway took over the line. Three years later they obtained permission for a direct route to Buxton by building a new line from Harpur Hill. This sounded the death knell, and various sections of the old line began closing from as early as 1890 with all parts abandoned by 1967. I think you’ll agree a lot’s happened in this small area around the track. I could hear the F.2’s practicing from all parts of this look around. It really is that close. If anyone has further info regarding any of the above, or corrections please post it. Next week: The F2 Ben Fund and Saloons British Championship from Taunton, and in part two of the High Edge story we move further afield and have a look at a toxic pool, a castle and a remote land where every move is watched.

Cheers David 👍. It'll be all systems go on Sunday as i'm working a 4 night shift until then. We'll be starting off with a visit to the Mendips Raceway, Bristol for their 50th anniversary meeting, and then in the first of a two part story we'll have a look at the fascinating history of the land surrounding one of our racetracks. Back Sunday folks 👌

515 - Oil filter came loose in the GN. Engine all ok. A big, big thank you to Queen Jane and King Nic for your season long dedication to the results service. Back from Brum next week.

Update on 515 - Car all sorted. Ready for battle!

Update on 1 - Car all sorted. Ready to go!

Pit news after the Final: 1 - The team working feverishly on the back axle. 515 - Ditto, but on the front axle. 445 - Welding outside front bumper corner. 20 - The car copped for a lot of left side damage. Plenty of welding in op. H410 - Porta power on the rear axle.

Pit news after the Consi: 55 - A repeat of Stoke. Propshaft let go again. 276 - Loading up. Prop and links damaged. 24 - Rear outside bumper half bent back. 345 - Did'nt make the Consi. Nige and Jake working on the power steering. 93 - Front inside corner bent back. 211 - Propshaft to gearbox bearing gave up.

Pit news after Ht's 1 & 2: 25 - Suspect clutch release bearing. Clutch pedal stayed down upon entering the track. It's a machined part that fits this particular transmission only so no spare. 259 - Flat o/s front. 280 - Loading up. Starter or ring gear u/s. 12 - Panhard rod bent. 463 - As 12. 16 - Steering box change after ending up in the t2 fence. 342 - Steering box attachment bracket sheared. The box is located in the engine bay firewall area on this car, so the team have managed to get a trolley jack in the cab to support it whilst welding.

Pit news after the Final: 515 - Flat outside front. 217 - Lost power. Car would'nt fire up. 555 - Front outside hub snapped off. 175 - Flat outside front. 483 - Rear outside bumper corner bent in against the wheel. 16 - Trackrod broken. That's it for the last time from the Stoke pits folks. Back from Belle Vue.

Pit news after the Consi: 55 - Propshaft let go down the back straight with only a couple of laps to go. 220 - Carb trouble, and also not 100% confident the oil pipe is fully tight so loading up. 502 - No brakes. The cars previous owner on the spanners. 445 - Welding rear outside caliper mount. Update on 268: Electrical fault traced to the ignition switch. Unfortunately damage from the Consi is a bent front axle and shattered inside front disc. 348 - Loading up. Right side nerf rail and front bumper badly damaged.

Pit news after Ht's 1 & 2: 55 - Outside rear shocker u/s. 1 - Left side wing mounts broken. Slight arcing in right side of engine bay. 275 - Steering box change. 345 - Jake welding front inside bumper brace. 502 - Porta power on outside rear bumper brace. 445 - Changing outside rear shock. 268 - Trying to diagnose an electrical fault. Car died on track. 220 - Oil pipe loose at the back of the engine. Difficult to access.

Pit news after GN: 469 - Dean hit the dip coming out of turn 2 which threw the back end into the fence. Rear axle shifted to the left, mangled shocker and bent rear corner. That's it until Stoke folks as it's now fireworks time 🧨

Pit news after the Final: The following all had flat outside rears: 1,16, 55, 212 & 515. 217's went with a couple of laps to go dropping him down the order. A hole in turn 3 appearing to be the cause.

Pit news after the Consi: 415 - L/h end of front axle sheared off. 445 - Nigel drove the last few laps with a flat outside rear. Shocker top mounting plate has come away. 532 - Kingpin sheared in right hand axle end. 12 - Front bumper upright parted company and a u/s front right shocker. Right end of front axle bent up.

Pit news after Ht's 1 & 2: 372 - A tangle with 326 in turn 3 during Ht.1 leaves Colin with a bent trackrod to change. 326 - Steering box change. 463 - Engine kaput. James having a bad run at present. 20 - Inside rear shocker change. 55 - Starter motor change. 166 - Working on the outside front brake caliper. 445 - Rear panhard rod inside attachment point fractured. Split in the rear axle. Hope to repair in situ. 5 - The team trying to locate a bad oil leak from the engine.

Morning all from Northampton. Bit of info: Pit area has a few large puddles around but i've seen worse. The field for parking is'nt too bad at the moment although it is quite soft in places. Terracing all ok and the track looks wet obviously, but hopefully after some racing laps it will settle down to a good surface. Best of all it's a gloriously sunny day, so get yourselves here folks 👍

It was 2/3rds Kingpin 👍

Cheers Hary

linky's right Will. Paul has bought it. He went down to the Yarrow team's HQ to get it as it was raced by 22 in the WF meeting.

Cheers 0s0. Good to know for the future. It's not normally a problem at Sheffield. It seemed to become intermittent when there was a slight drizzle in the atmosphere. Very strange.