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Mike should have been going, so we will await his report...
Sandy 
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Well Sandy, I don’t know about a report, and in any case Gordon has beaten me to it with his own excellent words.
Highlights for me were firstly that at nine-thirty we changed our minds and decided to brave the weather, it had been tipping it down since daybreak but eased off around then. I think we ran around the back edge of the clouds on the way down through Romsey, and it was fine for the rest of the day; not a drop all day at the museum.
On arrival we found that we were all on the barrack square this year – as the rally field was waterlogged. There were mixed views on this.
The gem of the day for me was Mike Williams’ 3 cylinder Blackburn engined special. He has not only produced a very useful sprint car, whilst overcoming a number of difficult technical challenges, he has captured the whole ethos of special building from the pre-war era. I could almost hear Bloody Mary stretching her muscles the other side of the wall in the museum and wanting to come out to join in the fun. John Bolster would have loved it.
Tom Hamblin’s immaculate Cadet was also a joy to me. How I lusted after one of these back in the fifties whilst doing National service in Germany. I even had pictures of them stuck on the wall by my bed!
For you delectation I have included engine room pictures of a couple of other splendid performance offerings. David Howe’s Works TT Ulster, and John Hunt’s Rochdale “Sacre Bleu”.
A mass exodus started around three o’clock, no doubt due to people not wanting to trust the weather for some long trips home. I think a vote of thanks goes to the organisers for pulling the fat from the fire and moving the whole event onto the hard standing at the last moment.
And, yes Sandy, a copy of the programme is winging it’s way to you so that you can check up on us all! A public thank you to you also for the work which you put in on the register.
And finally, whilst handing out the ‘buckets’, a big one to Mac and Jason for the Forum which is fast approaching six thousand postings.
Mike 
The pics ....
A general view of the rally
Hamlyn Cadet
'Sacre Bleu'
TT Ulster
Blackburn
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They are indeed.
- but I was not brave enough to climb onto the top of the plastic boxes. It was all a bit point and shoot
I like yours best - good pic which gives the taste of the day.
Mike
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My sincere apologies to Dave Williams. I was so overcome with his splendid engineering that I called him Mike in my piece yesterday.
Sorry Dave.
Mike
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Malcolm,
I am very sorry that I have offended you by pointing to some of the competition cars displayed at Beaulieu yesterday. I did however preface my comments with the fact that I was not writing a report, but only expressing my personal highlights.
Indeed Beaulieu is, as you so correctly point out, a festival of Austin Seven, but I seem to remember that Herbert was not averse to entering the odd competition car in his day. Thus to mention the competitive vehicles does not, to me, seem out of place.
Perhaps you would care to pen us a few lines on some of the many excellent standard road vehicles which were present, in order to maintain the balance.
Since the subject has been raised, I seem to remember that someone did once install a small steam plant in a Seven - has anyone got a reference on it.
Mike
