A few photos taken during 2013's Berwick Classic. First picture is Jen plotting the afternoon's special tests at the lunch stop at Stenton, near Dunbar. Second picture shows the Sprite at the end of the rally (after it was ignominiously towed there from the last test, which it failed!) - Whitekirk Golf Club, near North Berwick.

The third picture is Jen and the car after we got back to the cottage we stayed in for the weekend at Chirnside, near Berwick-on-Tweed

Pictures of 'Marlbury' Station

'Marlbury' Station, somewhere in Gloucestershire. Got to get on with making the station building, refurbishing the signal box (that was on my 'Chipping Norton' layout), and making the village pub, which will feature the Marlbury Morris Men! There's also much detailing to be done, as well as building the new extension (beyond the overbridge visible in the final photo), before the line disappears into the hidden sidings around the corner.

Photos of the midget pre-1981

Some months ago Ed Littlefield sent me some scans of the Midget in action prior to its lay-up in 1981.

Also I thought I'd add some photos I had of the garage when the midget now resides:

Next time I'll add some info and photos of the Marlin, and tell you why it's not running very well, then I can also add some photos of the railway!

Latest News (April 2012)

Trying hard to find time to add to this blog, but as we're away for Easter and relaxing at our daughter's house in Northumberland, she has persuaded me to post some news!
Latest news is that last weekend Gordon and Barbara Craigs joined us, with many family members and friends for a party to celebrate Barbara's 'significant' birthday.
Gordon, along with Michael's late father John, drove took the Midget to many trials and rallies thoughout the north-east until the car was 'retired' in 1981.
Gordon and I took the now road-legal Midget out for a drive around the Bedfordshire lanes, it took ages to get the smile off his face! Gordon said that the car felt and sounded just like he remembered it from over 30 years ago!
I was certainly proud of the way it ran, and it behaved itself impeccably. All I have to do now is decide what I'm going to do with it. I've joined two clubs - the local Falcon Motor Club, and the Berwick Motor Club, and I need to get more confidence in the car and my abilities to enter it into some local competitions.
Next year (2013) I hope to bring the car back to Northumberland to compete in the Berwick Classic, a terrific two-day classic car rally held in the Borders region, where it competed many times. There are several people competing today who remember the car in its previous appearances.
I'll try to post more news about the car and any events it competes in, as they happen.
Meanwhile, here are a few photos of the car as it was, and is now.

I've since fitted the chrome bumpers back on, which i think makes it look much better!

Got to go now, I'll be back soon with some more news and photos!

The 'Midget', as it's always been known, spent 30 years in a garage, belonging to my son-in-law's Father, John Craigs. John and his brother Gordon used to rally the car extensively around their native North-East, until it was put away in 1981.
After john's untimely death in 2009 I acquired the car, to try to put it back on the road, and enter it in some of the Classic Car rallies back in Northumberland.

Here are a couple of pictures of the car as I first saw it, and then on its journey to a new home in Bedfordshire.

I'll post some more history of the 'Midget' soon, including the reason why I put 'Midget' in inverted commas!

New Blog

I've decided to try a new blog to cover not just the Austin Healey Sprite, but the Marlin Cabrio as well, using an interface I can work. I'll post some history and photos in the next couple of days....