Click on the images below for a full size image!

All photography (c) Chris Nevard 1998

Now! Is it going to rain? After the 1997 GWR this was perhaps our greatest worry. Well, the weather was just fine but then, we didn't reckon on the sheep. Arriving on the Saturday morning to set up, the woolly population of Bowood were having their own event. They soon obliged to move aside but unfortunately, left their mark in abundance!

I was looking forward to the Saturday road run but my Sprite's exhaust manifold most certainly wasn't. It snapped just above the clamp leaving my brand new stainless steel exhaust system with little to do. Fortunately, Trevor Scantlebury was looking for a navigator so we teamed up for the 50 mile run which this year, had railways as the theme. We left my Sprite in the campsite and set off clutching map, road book and question sheet in an attempt to catch up with the twenty or so other cars on the run.

Sensibly, there were no questions to answer whilst driving along, all clues on route were of the park up and search on foot variety. Trevor and I came totally unstuck in Malmesbury simply by not parking in the 'advised' place. Here we missed all the answers that were most conveniently displayed all on one signboard. However, thanks to our tenacity and sheer hard slog, we found the answers by other means and no, we didn't cheat either. Final stop off was at the Swindon and Cricklade Railway where we caught up with several Mini Coopers. We completed our answer sheet and full of pride, handed it in to the Road Run organiser, Steve Neathey. Then our undoing, the bulldog clip on my board obscured one question, and we failed to answer it. That was all it took to knock us back into second place, sorry Trevor!

As in previous years, the Road Run took in some wonderful countryside, villages and towns. Trevor certainly enjoyed bending his Sprite's throttle pedal where ever possible which was just about everywhere I think. Finish was at Black Lands campsite near Calne where the BBQs were being warmed up ready for the evenings activities. As I limped off home with exhaust held together with wire, I will have to leave it to someone else to give a full report on this bit.

Onto Sunday and Bowood to find that the wind had made a good job of re-arranging all the cones I had laid out the previous day. Soon put to rights as the wind had by now departed but not the underfoot obstacles as left by our woolly friends (fiends). The rally goers started gathering around the arena at 10.00am whereupon I set too to give a demonstration of the two driving tests. The exhaust parted company again so I soon attracted everyones attention. Sprite again left in shame for the day.

The Midget and Sprite Club proudly erected their two new gazebos, much to the amusement of everyone else who were left in no doubt that these were indeed - new to us! In one, we set up our club table and welcoming committee in the form of John Canning, Nigel Williams and Dave Gilbert. Alongside, we displayed David Sharpe's white Frogeye as our 'Forty Years Of The Sprite' theme complete with giant logo in the windscreen.

To go with this, I devised a 'FORTY YEARS OF THE SPRITE QUIZ', Laura Peaple and Chris Banton proved to be our most knowledgeable Spriters of the Rally and won a Frogeye for their efforts. OK - it was an Airfix plastic construction kit. We also had our 40 Years Of the Sprite photo folder to hand which recorded our day at the Healey factory in Warwick and road run back in May. Thanks to those contributing photos for this, any more please?

Craig Harris proved to be champion 'IDENTIBIT' detective with his extensive experience of the little bits that make up our cars. Yet another Frogeye was awarded complete with plastic cement and paint! Whilst the club was in awarding mode, the self judging 'SPECIAL SPRIDGET' trophy was jointly awarded to Chris Eccles with his Innocent 'S' and Laura Peaple with her real Frogeye. Both cars incidently have been featured in CLASSIC AND SPORTSCAR magazine. And whilst on the subject of magazines, also attending were Paul Radford with his Frogeye and Dave Gilbert with his Midget MkIII, both having been featured in the 'glossies' in recent times. As always, we give a prize to the member travelling the furthest to the Rally, this year going to Andrew Hau who came all the way from Swanwick in Derbyshire, a distance of 176 miles no less - thanks for that Andrew.

In the two arenas, the driving tests were under way but sadly, with little activity from MASC members. Indeed, only Craig and Chris Harris had a go and naturally enough, won a trophy as recording the fastest MASC time. If a gigantic Wolesley 6/110 can have a go I am a little concerned about what is happening in our club these days. Ultimate victory went to a Triumph Stag - shame on us!

However, we did get a team together for the car push. Surprising how heavy an A30 can be to push uphill on grass. Our team came 3rd out of 5 so no prizes there but thanks for flying the club flag all the same.

Around the Rally field, a goodly variety of cars were to be seen. Even larger than the Wolesley, was a Rolls -Royce Silver Shadow and an Austin Princess Limo. Mini - Coopers were out in force as were Triumph Stags, MGBs, A30/35s, A40s and of course, our Spridgley things of which we had over twenty on display.

The PARADE OF CARS saw around 40 vehicles being driven around the arena with a commentary from Trevor Scantlebury. Representing MASC were Laura with her Frogeye, Dave Gilbert and the Amals, Mark Foreman with round arches full of Minilites, Brigette Purnell with possibly the last chrome bumpered Midget built for the home market and bringing up the rear, the Innocenti of Chris Eccles.

With the arena clear, wife Jan went out with a parachute for parachute games for the younger rally goers. A bad time for the wind to spring up again but all participants managed to keep their feet on the ground - just!

My thanks to all who came and supported the Rally, helped out and to our co - organising clubs, the A30/35 and A40 Farina clubs. Overall, the numbers were well down this year with around 108 vehicles attending but all seemed to enjoy the atmosphere of the Rally nonetheless. And at least it didn't rain of course! Finally, apologies from Trevor and myself to those we didn't get to chat to over the weekend, we were kept rather busy with our GWR 'hats' on (well - 'T' shirts actually) but we were very pleased to see so many MASC - CARS making up the club display.

MASC members at the Great Western Rally were...........

Terry Horler

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