By 'Eck, It's Grim Up North

27th May – Arrows Club National
Rossendale Ski Slope, venue of the All England Champs, the 2007 Telford Summer Camp, the greyest skies and the coldest wind anywhere outside of the North East. Whoever invented the words 'bleak' and 'overcast' must have lived in Rossendale at some time.

Ah yes, the racing. In the minis Jordan, Nathan and Kirran all looked to challenge for the honours. Messer’s Fellows & Breese claimed fine 2nd & 6th places but Kirran split the seemingly inseparable duo with an excellent 4th place. Ashley had a frustrating morning with a brace of DNF’s whilst Ben scuppered a great opportunity to gatecrash the Grand Prix party by missing a gate on run 3 after a fine 1st run but Joe Humfress again impressed recovering from a first run DNF to post a highly creditable 12th place in category.

In the girls, Chi 2 (or what looks likely to be renamed the Dad’s Army category) our walking wounded girls placed well with a bruised Charlotte Shrimpton returning to action with 9th place despite being handicapped by a less than aerodynamic front tooth and George Gould hobbled down run 3 after a pulled muscle in the morning. Blimey, the paramedic gave George a paracetemol to ease the pain in her leg and it took her longer to swallow it than it took Dr Harmon Morse to invent and patent the bloody stuff. Claire Brown‘s seasonal debut was spoiled by a brace of morning DNF’s but sister Ellen showed Claire the way with an excellent 7th in category. The honour of racer of the day however has to go to Charlie Gould, recently re-christened ‘Bird’ and blimey did she fly. 3rd in Junior 1 and 18th overall was a fine reward for the hard work of the winter.