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After attending the National Weekend for each of the last two
years in a none-TR each year (differing cars) it was good to have
Trisha on the road during July for a change and make it to a the
weekend in a TR7. Actually this was the first time since something
like 1993 that TRisha TR was in attendance - and, 
a bit like her pilot, she looked a lot better all those years
ago!! Having been a fully paid-up member of the TR Drivers club
since 1992/1993 the attendance record for me is quite atrocious!
I blame holidays, house buying (meaning that the little blue car
sat idly rotting for the best part of 4 years - you can cry at
this point…. If Spielberg buys a TR7/8 and finds this site he's
apt to turn the TRisha tale into a full-length feature film. And
believe me he'd make sure the 4 blank years would be a tear-jerking
scene with probably some god-awful wailing performed by Silly
Dion) err lost my thread. Oh yeah I was making excuses - well
they are all valid and maybe there's even better reasons that
I've not thought of why we didn't show-up.
Back in 2001 I attended - fleetingly - in Norene Neon. That year the
TR field was where the Capri crew have held their shindig. In 2002
we had Indian Jones and the Lost Keys…. See the review for last year
to see how some pillock managed to lock his keys in the boot of Priscilla
Probe. And finally 2003 it's TRisha, at last. We trundled down the
A508 from Leicestershire leaving a trail of rust in our wake - and
some startled onlookers not quite believing how this old wreck could
be allowed on the highways and byways of Blighty!
At 11:40 on the Saturday we arrived and parked up on the embankment
away from other TRs - I didn't want my plague of tin-worm thinking
"yum yum fresh meat" and leaping onto any pristine wedges! So we parked
up, pushed the speaker wires back inside the door and headed for the
bar. 'Cept the bar wasn't open!! What!? 11:43 and no-bar. A quick
"hurrumph" later and we'd found another source for the sauce.
Sometime later the call went out that those wishing to take part in
the convoy run should drive down to the gate. Not having been around
for the past few years when the convoy run has gone on I thought this
years line-up was a bit light. TRisha was the only nail partaking
- but she sounded as sweet as any 2.0l out there, or was it the sound
of more rust shaking loose? The route was well planned out taking
in some good Northamptonshire countryside and villages. It was a shame
that so few deigned to take part - a lot of effort goes into planning
a convoy run and nothing promotes the marque quite as well as a good
line-up of vehicles.
At 'the stop' - the official one not the later pause for the retrieval
of lost vehicles! Anyway at the stop some people commented on
the authenticity of TRisha's rust and how it was very much a period
fitment…. I think that's what was said! 
"Oh that needs a lot work" was the remarkably perceptive comment of
some wise old sage. "How on earth can someone let a car get into that
state." Said the same person not realising that it was the same owner
who'd her restored and then rot again (ie me!). The answer - had I
explained - was the simple fiscal policies imposed when one buys ones
first house. When you are moving 150+miles away having a TR7 as your
only mode of transport is not ideal. Neither is it a good idea to
be honest with the Social when your girlfriend (12 years on she's
now the official co-pilot) finishes Uni and moves in as she's no longer
entitled to unemployment benefit… I digress. 150+miles away what is
required is a reliable car which can chug forever up and down the
motorway. So "Hello Ford Sierra" and TRisha goes into storage - before
getting kicked out of storage onto the driveway and becomes the home
of millions of tin-worm!
Well it was all quite funny because as we moved off the woman of great
perception (not taking the mickey really as both her and her husband
were very friendly people) got into their TR7 and we got into ours.
Turned the ignition key in TRisha and the recently installed Aldon
(Pertronix in USA) Ignition system kicked in with a healthy roar.
The car in front went 'eeek eeek' and errrm nothing. 'Eeeek, eeek'
- diddly squat. On about the 4th attempt it started and simultaneously
8 calls to the RAC were cancelled.
After the run we didn't really hang around - another pint back
at the field and we headed off. The co-pilot elected not to travel
down on the Sunday as she was a little under-whelmed by Saturday's
experience; I arrived back at Billing around lunchtime and what
a difference a day makes! Lot's of wedges - a nice collection
of three vivid  green
ones (can't remember the official colour and I'm not about to
get the chart out!) greeted all those coming through the gate.
There was a challenge to TRisha for 'worst of show', however despite
being multi-coloured it wasn't actually in bad nick.
The standard of the cars at Billing was actually very high with an
obviously high quotient of 'limited use' or 'dry use only' vehicles,
however there was a good number of daily runners too. As expected
the DHC far outnumbered the much nicer FHCs (a tad mischievous, but
it's my site and I am biased!), though I do think there were more
FHCs there this year than in the previous couple. The Sunday had a
great buzz around the field with a tremendous atmosphere and enthusiasm
for the vehicles. It was a great testament to the owners that it was
hard to discern a noticeable difference between none-concours and
those in the line-up! Next year TRisha will be one of those looking
splendiferous in her new clothing and re-upholstered interior (and
cloth headlining now).
Overall it was another good w/end - hats off to the organisers (the
TR Drivers Club) once again. My only comment would be that ways of
picking up the first day attendance and increasing convoy run participation
would be nice. Maybe that's something this website can help promote.
There's some pictures from the weekend in the Photo
Album.
We do have a couple of small AVI (movies clips) of the day
if you wish to download and view. Right click your on the links bleow and
save them to your PC.
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