2025  Tour of The Scottish Borders  –  Review

….Coming from Yorkshire, we chose Carlisle as our starting point, meeting up at Dobbies Garden Centre with the other southern entrants (the northern entrants were to start from Dobbies Garden Centre Dunfermline). Being first to arrive, with no other MGs in the car park, both driver and satnav had a few senior moments (had we arrived at the correct starting point?), but then the green TF 135 belonging to Mike and Lizzie Pelling arrived – relief! We signed on, goodie bags, route books and rally plaques were handed out, and we headed into the May sunshine to start our adventure.

….Our base for the next three days was to be the Peebles Hydro Hotel, and our scenic 90-plus mile route would take us through Gretna, on through Liddesdale and close to the edge of Ettrick Forest – we were in Scotland!
….The route book was excellent, giving the navigator time to help the driver spot the potholes hidden under the shade of the overhanging trees! Both Carlisle and Dunfermline starters finished their runs simultaneously at the Hydro Hotel – a total of 31 varied MG models, ranging from a 1930’s PA through to the latest MG3 hybrids.

….There was time to relax in the sunshine, have a drink and chat with our fellow participants, before retiring to our rooms prior to our evening meal. The hotel staff had set eight tables for our group in the dining room, so we were able to ‘mix and match’ with our fellow travellers (the Marque of Friendship), and to enjoy three courses from the varied menu choices.
….After breakfast on Day Two, we set off on the scenic route to Duns, taking us through Innerleithen, where the road divides the golf course. So, keeping a lookout for flying golf balls, and cyclists, we entered Heriot, heading towards Gilston and passing Soutra Aisle, which was a hospital for travellers and the needy from the 12th to the 17th century. Now in Midlothian, we continued on the B6368 into East Lothian – where we found that the road to Duns was closed! However, the diversion signs took us to our destination, the Jim Clark Motorsport Museum.

….Jim Clark’s life story was very interesting, but somewhat poignant; it made one realise just how far motor sport safety has advanced.
….Leaving Duns for our return journey to Peebles, we crossed Gavinton Ford, followed the signs for Fogo, and on through Greenlaw to Hume, passing Hume Castle on the left. Then on through Smailholm, where the Eildon Hills lie straight ahead, and within 4½ miles we were passing ‘Scotts View’, reputed to be one of the favourite views of Sir Walter Scott. Passing through Bemersyde and Clintmains and over the River Tweed, we then drove alongside the river on the last stretch of Day Two, back to our hotel.

….Our final run on Day Three was to the town of Moffat and return. We left Peebles and headed to the little village of Eddleston, where we turned along narrow twisty roads, passing Dawyck Botanic Gardens and through Drumelzier, making a left turn towards St Mary’s Loch and crossing over the dam wall of the Talla Reservoir.

….Some three miles along the road we came to Talla Linn, a famous 1:5 climb much used on rallies and competitions. No problem for a V8, but we had to stop several times to allow motorcycles go on their downward journey – never at a passing place

….The road took us past the Meggett Reservoir, through tiny Cappercleuch, and entering Dumfries & Galloway came to the Samye Ling Monastery, an international centre of Buddhist training. Our planned stop for refreshments there had to be postponed, as the café was closed. Fortunately. the Old School Hub & Café was only another mile down the road!

….After successfully reaching the final destination, the Edinburgh Woollen Mill in Moffat, we started the return drive to Peebles, back through Tweedsmuir to the Hydro Hotel. Before our farewell dinner, participants were assembled for a group photo, together with the oldest (1934) and youngest (1924) MGs on the event.

….The changing colours of the landscape, and glorious sunshine on all three days, made it a very memorable tour of the Scottish Borders, and on behalf of all the participants, many thanks to Mike and Lizzie Pelling for their time and effort in organising a very successful event.

Authors:     David & Carol Copeman      (Yorkshire Centre)

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  Spot the 1934 PA Climbing Talla Linn
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  Mike Pelling the man behind the The Tour

  Job Well Done

2025 Thirlestane Show – Review

Sunday 8 June 2025

Saturday

…From what looked likely to be a very wet weekend, it turned out to be just the opposite, well, on the Sunday at least!
The Gang of Three (Billy Wait, Nancy Crichton and myself!) duly arrived at around the agreed time of midday, the first
obstacle being to locate our stand space. This was not as marked on the site map, the organisers having omitted not
one but two trees on the stand space when drawing up the initial plan. Mild panic ensued until our neighbouring stand,
MGOC, directed us past the obligatory Portaloos (handy, I thought, for those of us on a certain medication!) to our
alternate stand site, situated close to the Castle overlooking the rest of the site.
…Bob MacGillivary had kindly offered to tow the club trailer, and while we waited for him to arrive, the usual banter
ensued, ranging from the effectiveness of a soft top and windscreen wipers on a classic when it’s hissing down with
rain, through to the current price of fish, all the while keeping an eye on the rain clouds hovering above. No sooner had
the trailer arrived and was being unloaded, than the heavens opened, just as we had started to erect the two marquees.
More “unprintable banter” ensued, but the marquees were duly erected, and stand gear placed in the dry ready for final
setting up tomorrow. So now it was time for two of our number to head off to our hotel for the night, with the other two
making their separate ways back home.

Sunday

…A complete change in the weather today, with sunshine forecast until late afternoon, albeit with possible showers from
around 4pm, the stand set-up was completed and last year’s Best Club Stand Award duly returned to the secretary of the
BVAC. I did suggest that as we had won the Award three years running, we should be able to keep the trophy, but the
answer was No! Club entry registered and entrant souvenirs collected, our entrants (smaller than in previous years)
started to arrive; cars were placed in our usual chevron pattern, with modern Fs and TFs on one side, GT’s and Roadsters
on the other, with a centrepiece of two 1955 TFs and an RV8 – some 13 cars in total – and very attractive it looked!
…We were kept very busy throughout day, welcoming both Club and non-Club members, with much interest shown and
many compliments paid on our display. We also hopefully signed up four prospective new members. We had three
Centre awards to present on the day: Best Modern F and TF, Best Other MG and Furthest Travelled. Glenn Neilson received
the Best Modern F and TF award for his very nice 2009 TF 85^th, with Ken Brown receiving the Best Other MG award for
his much travelled 1978 BGT, with Lee-Ann Hume receiving the award for Furthest Travelled to the Show, at 92 miles
…The real icing on the cake for our Centre – and to our surprise – was to be informed that we had won the BVAC
Challenge Trophy yet again for the Best Club Stand for the fourth year running! A big and sincere thankyou from me to
all members of the Caledonian Centre who helped to make it possible.

Mike Pelling
Chairman Caledonian Centre

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