Scotland

Contact

Frank Grant
< See "Floating Power">

Ballater

Aberdeenshire AB35 <See FP>

Tel: 01339 742 272


Email: frankgrant<at>btinternet.com

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Club tools available here

Diary - 2007

Back by popular demand:  CCC Spring Weekend

As with previous years all TOC members are cordially invited to join CCC at Bridge of Tilt Hotel, Blair Atholl on the weekend of 23rd - 25th March 2007. 25 miles north of Perth - special rates for the weekend:

All for only £30 per person, per night!

alternately,

There is a small dance floor and live music for dancing will be provided on Saturday Night! Lots of local attractions, including Blair Castle, Scotland's smallest distiller - Edradour, fantastic scenery and a shopping experience at "House of Bruar". You can even arrive by train, alighting at Blair Atholl Station (a stone's throw from the hotel) on the main line from London to Inverness.

To make a reservation contact Ann or Liz (mention CCC Special Deal) at the Bridge of Tilt Hotel, Blair Atholl, PH18 5SU ( 01796 481 333. If you require any further information on this event, please contact Andy Burnett ( 01339 886 290

 

Social

September 2005
 
"Farming Yesteryear" at Scone Palace
 
At the beginning of September, TOC's Scottish members joined some hardy farming types at the annual Scone Palace homage to Scottish farmers, their vintage tractors and engines. This was their 29th rally and it showed in their organisation, which was faultless. The event has grown over the years and is now a huge festival. I had a wonderful day, viewing over 2000 entries to the classic vehicle section and managed, over the course of the day, to visit nearly 500 stalls.
 
Apart from the usual club forays into the display arena, there were also Scottish pipe bands and, in the surrounding fields, displays of past ploughing, threshing, binding and combine techniques. There was even a mobile sawmill, powered by a traction engine, which drew a crowd of onlookers throughout the day, fascinated by the machine and the skill of its operators. Does anyone know of a Traction Avant being put to work like this? The bacon/hamburger roll van had a similar crowd of onlookers throughout the day, all waiting patiently for something to happen. 
 
Kenny Cocker was asked to be a judge and went off happily, with one eyebrow raised, to assess cars from 1909 to 1939. Quite a task. Judges' rules were "Make up your own, keep them consistent and pretend you know how to judge a Model T against a Wolseley New Ten". Oh yes! And do it all in a couple of hours. Not a bad way to work up an appetite for lunch!
 
Scone's not like car-boot sales. It is palace grounds, after all. Here, the farmers lay out copious amounts of rusting metal objects, which appear tartan-like in their formation, and make a rather nifty sales display. The next stage of this open air shopkeeping appears to be to find a pal and jaw until it's time to pack it all on to the trailer again and go home. Everyone seemed to be in a very good mood, made better still by perfect Scottish weather.
 
Sitting in the endless queue of cars at the end of the day trying to go home, I watched Kenny, just in front of me, get more and more agitated as engine temperatures rose and those muscling in on our queue moved off into the distance. Beside us on the grass, by a dustbin, were two bits of metal, clearly from one of the displays and apparently thrown away. If thousands of bargain jumble hunters passed them by they must have been really useless.
 
I felt like taking them home.
 
I had expected a slow day and brought the Sunday papers to thumb my way through, but with so much to see, my time was fully occupied and it all passed far too quickly. At the end of the day, looking around our group, it seemed we had all been buying boxes of latex gloves! Does that mean the long winter nights in the garage will be here soon?
 
Farming Yesteryear 30th Rally will be on Sunday 10th September 2006.
 

January 2001
TOC members are always welcome to attend the CCC (Scottish Section) dance in Perth at the Jarvis Perth Hotel (City mills) special rates apply - phone me for details.
 

January 2000
Two members (Maurice Miller and Kenny Cocker) took part in the annual run of the Royal Scottish Automobile Club which started from their opulent clubrooms in Blythswood Square, Glasgow on Sunday 8 August. A pleasant 80 mile route meandered through the Strathclyde and Aryshire countryside taking in Greenock, Largs and Bridge of Weir (a former supplier of leather for Traction upholstery). The entry list ranged from such ancient transport as a 1909 Renault 8AX, through 30's Rileys, 40's Alvis. 50's Jaguar XK1 50s and even a Plymouth Barracuda! Traction honour was upheld with 3rd place in the post vintage concours for Kenny Cocker's 1939 Citroen Light 12.

Doune: Regrettably, this was the last year that this venue will be available for the CCC Scottish Section event to which TOC members have always been welcomed, but the good news is that an alternative venue has been found for the next millennium at Stirling Rugby Club - showers as well from now on! There was an excellent turn out of Tractions this year - eight including an almost completed Normale Roadster replica. With the ceilidh being held in a marquee this year there was more room for dancing too. The weather was excellent for the "Trossachs Trundle' and although we encountered a downpour on the way home an enjoyable weekend was had by all.

Royal Deeside Ceilidh Weekend: What a cracker! Andy and Sheila Burnett kindly gave us and the Traction a bed for the Friday night after a well attended supper at the Boat inn. The Saturday run through Deeside started with a photo halt at a glider strip followed by a highly informative and entertaining visit to the Royal Lochnagar Distillery beside Balmoral Castle. After a light lunch the cavalcade (headed by the three Tractions of Messers Burnett Holmes & Cocker), continued through Braemar to Linn of Dee and the recently restored Mar Lodge. After a final photo call here, the company dispersed for some free-time before the ceilidh - and what a night that was! Aboyne Hall had only just been re-opened by Prince Charles the day before after extensive refurbishment and was an impressive sight with stags heads, wood panelling and tartan drapes. The catering and entertainment were also to the same high standard and a great weekend was had by all.

RSAC Centenary Cavalcade: To mark their centenary, the RSAC recently invited 50 owners of a selection of classic cars to take part in a cavalcade from Edinburgh to their headquarters in Glasgow. However, due to a clash of date with the London - Brighton Run there was a lack of veteran cars but still a good cross-section of models, a 1913 Darraq plus the usual Rolls Royces, Bentleys, Rileys etc. The only Citroen was Kenny & Julie Cockers 1939 Lt12. Cars were flagged off from Holyrood Palace and took a route through central Edinburgh then via the old road to Glasgow culminating in a wonderful lunch at Blythswood House. Julie and I are looking forward to the next one in 2099!

Talking of the Millennium, does anyone else out there agree that there is still a year of this millennium left? - Before we start an the next one. Second thought for the day - how does everyone feel about Boston 2002 now that we have had time to forget about Chevetogne! Does it begin to seem like an attractive idea yet? What about a suggestion of one ro-ro ship for all the European Citroens - why does "all the eggs in one basket' spring to mind! - comments to the editor perhaps.

October 1999
An excellent turnout of Tractions were present at CCC's Scottish Rally at Doune at the end of July, where Kenny Cocker, Andy Burnett and Mick Holmes all collected trophies. After several years hard work, Frank Grant had completed a fine restoration to add to the growing number of active cars in Scotland, and Davie Williamson showed on a trailer, his progress on a roadster conversion, which could also be on the road soon. We were pleased to see John Savelli able to attend after recent illness, although in a DS, while D&T brought one of the Tractions.


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