Dave,
You could be correct I am thinking about 25 - 30 years ago, and rather eccentric a vast assortment would be a better description. Although a z1000 with knobblies is high on the scale of lunatic.
I bristle against authority more than most but IMHO those "headmasters" keep it the way it should be ands that’s why it’s unique, it’s been going for donkeys and long may it continue.

Steve

Ahhhh Tradition, got to keep it the way it has always been? keep it unique, thats what makes us BRITISH! cant change wont change attitude is pathetic!
c'mon Steve wake up n smell the Coffee!......


P.S. Sorry should that be Wake up n smell the Tea?

Steve, because of the headmaster attitude that is the reason that a good few members from our offroad club will not entertain MCC events, ask Ian how many bike entries were received for the 'Edinburgh' trial before F&M forced its cancellation? . And it is probably the same organisers now as it was 25-30 years ago.
There is no encouragement for riders to take up the 'sport' of Long distance trials, and I could just imagine the attitude of the 'headmasters' if 20 or so 20year olds entered one of the events!!!

__________________
'He who laughs last, was too slow to get the joke'
Never confuse the map with the journey.

Having started and helped organise an off road 4wd club for many years ,I can sympathise with the organisers .[ I used to smoke a pipe and wear tweeds too ,and was a scrutineer , never a schoolmaster though ! ]
It's impossible to please everyone and some newcomers will always try to bend the rules.
I've seen it happen many times , have given lots of advice to competitors so that they could continue and in extreme cases even banned a few vehicles.
Vehicle and competition regs have been refined over a number of years . RAC ,scrutineers,insurance and competition licences cost money - everything costs money !
If you want to enter and be eligible for a trophy , READ THE REGS , if you don't like them , don't whine about it , go elsewhere , very very simple .

I know the amount of work that goes into an event like this and if it wasn't for the the old f#ckers ,there wouldn't be an event .
If you don't like it , fair enough , it's a free world .
But why rubbish the event ?
200 quid for a long distance national event is peanuts !

If I could get back over to Blighty at the right time of year I'd love to do the Exeter .
I might even see if I could find the old briar .

__________________
Blessed are the cracked, for they let in the light. - Spike Milligan
"When you come to a fork in the road ,take it ! When you come to a spoon in the road ,take that also ."

"----------2008 HUMM Accommodation:

* Accommodation has been booked in the 4 Star "Hotel Riberies" in Llavorsi. We have negotiated a package price which includes all breakfasts and evening meals for 3 nights for £170 per person including VAT.
* This hotel has the best breakfasts in Spain, possibly the best in England - no exaggeration! Full cooked English breakfast PLUS fruit, yogurt, cereals, breads, cheeses, cold meats, fresh squeezed orange juice, etc. Three course dinners will offer a vegetarian choice as well as chicken, fish or beef. And after a hard day's riding, you will appreciate the luxury of this hotel. If your significant other is along, they will really appreciate the heated outdoor pool and the spa, jacuzzi, gym facilities, including manicures, pedicures and a variety of massages, and you will earn many brownie points ;-)
* The hotel also offers horseback riding and white water rafting for those wanting a little more adventure.
----------------------------------- "


My godfathers , " yogurt " ," freshly squeezed orange juice ", "vegetarian ", "manicures pedicures"-- it all sounds a bit nancy to me .
No I prefer:
the west country in winter ;
sleet and rain , cars with no heaters, grumpy pub landlords , muddy Barbour jackets , the steam rising from a tweed cloth cap , a pint of bitter, steak and kidney pie [if you are lucky] , spotty young oiks [with numbers on their heads] being put in their place , the friendly banter of retired schoolmasters , schoolboys on bicycles bringing fresh supplies of pipe tobacco for the marshals ---------------------------.

__________________
Blessed are the cracked, for they let in the light. - Spike Milligan
"When you come to a fork in the road ,take it ! When you come to a spoon in the road ,take that also ."

Spotty oiks Being put in their place by headmasters!????

Schoolboys on Bikes??

Im proper gettin worried Dude!

Got to agree with you Martyn....... and most of the headmasters that were putting them in their place are now on a register...and its NOT the school one either..

__________________
'He who laughs last, was too slow to get the joke'
Never confuse the map with the journey.

Dodger, I did that llavorsi route in 2006 as it was the original Pyreknees run, within 20mtrs of the hotel there was a superb campsite that a number of us stayed at, so you had an option.

£200 for a 'national' Long distance trial is peanuts :confused1::confused1:....really

When our enduro club runs an event we get 120+ riders and our organising 'team' live in the real world and EVERYBODY enjoys the event, ALL bikes pass scrutineering because any presented that have faults have the faults pointed out and our members are keen to assist that rider to get his machine rectified......Not thrown out of the event.

The 'proof' of the event is in the entries.......wait and see if Ian can give entry figures now, compared with the 25-30 years ago that Steve Attwood spoke about.

For a real Value for Money LDT's(1 day event) try The Exmoor clouds or the Neil Westcott Memorial events in Somerset, a great days sport and organisation that the MCC could do well by watching closely.

It would also be worth seeing what sort of figures the MCC have in terms of membership....then and now?

£200 is peanuts, you are havin a laugh... Pyreknees-up and even the TT are better value.

__________________
'He who laughs last, was too slow to get the joke'
Never confuse the map with the journey.

Actually you is well correct there my old fella, I am Unemployed and due to Illness live in Spain courtesy of my parents. I do odd jobs when I am well enough and earn roughly 80-100 Euros a MONTH! enough just to run my bike,
so 200 quid, to me at least is loadsamoney!

Perhaps things are very much different where Dodger comes from, and I see he is from Canada, the same nationality as our HU founders/hosts

so I'd better be careful what I say or Suzie may give me a dose of the 'Caminandos'

__________________
'He who laughs last, was too slow to get the joke'
Never confuse the map with the journey.

In the UK i believe you have to be 16 or is it 17 now to buy Tobacco? so a schoolboy bringing tobacco for a marshall would actually not be allowed...