We now have reports in from two of this years entrants, Terry and Pip Secker and Richard and Sandra Sloman share their experience of the 2006 Classic Harvest Tour with you, thanks very much for sending these in, it sounds like you had an enjoyable day out.
All pictures have now been uploaded, a fantastic selection of cars and we look forward to seeing you again next year.
Just a few more touched to the page and I will be finished, hope you like it so far.
Tony Beale: webmaster

Bright sunshine greeted the 31 starters of the 2006 Classic Harvest Tour as they set out from the start near Reading to tackle the 120 mile, non-competitive event in the lanes of Berkshire and Hampshire.
The uphill hairpins at Theale gave drivers their first challenge as the route headed south-east past Stratfield Saye – the home of the Dukes of Wellington, and through Bramshill forest before returning to a 16th Century watermill for a short coffee break.

One objective of the Harvest Tour is to introduce beginners to some elements of classic car rallying, so as the second section took to the narrow lanes around the Roman town of Silchester, crews were introduced to the idea of navigational handouts being given at controls en route.

Those who had tried the navigation had had varying degrees of success and had learnt quite a lot, whilst others had ignored the navigation and had just enjoyed the drive and the wonderful English countryside.

Terry Schraider

Sunday 17th September 2006 the 3rd running of the Classic Harvest Tour run by the Sunbeam Rapier Club and our 2nd having missed last year due to a previous engagement at the Goodwood Revival.

Scrutineering was 8am Sunday at the start/finish Comfort Inn Reading South. With a breakfast of bacon butties to follow. A car park full of fantastic classic cars to admire, a clear blue sky above (special arrangement by Terry and Helen, we were assured) a perfect start to a brilliant day. Having done the 1st Tour we expected a few tricky bits in the navigation and were not disappointed, though newcomers should not be put off as the through the window handouts are not compulsory.

As we had decided to try to keep to the optional time schedule, and with a start position of 1 we had hoped not to see other tour cars unfortunately this was not to be, but more of that later.

At 9.31am we left on the section a called Wellington Country, a distance of 34 miles as the route took us past the estate of Stratfield Saye, home of the Dukes of Wellington since 1815.

A coffee break was made at Longbridge Mill on the river Loddon. This gave us a chance to have a chat with other entrants on how things were going so far!!

Section B called Rome’s Walls a distance of 35 miles crossing the Devil’s Highway on more than one occasion. Was once again a very picturesque route, there was a fair amount of wildlife about, being number one we were lucky enough to see a large Deer in the road. We stopped for it to run off into the wood, before continuing. It was during this section that the 1st of the handouts came through the window. These are only for the entrants that wish to add a little more spice to the event, with alternative navigation at certain junctions.

Mistake number 2, approaching a T junction with a give way sign, the navigator said no worries about being early, you can waste a few seconds stopping to cross the road.
Wrong a time control was just before the junction, another penalty point for being early.

The lunch halt was at Milestones, Hampshire’s Living History Museum, on the Basingstoke Leisure Park complex. It is one of those places that would be well worth visiting again with a bit more time to spare. During our stop here, we found out that Terry and Janet Powell, the only crew to have entered all 3 Harvest tours, unfortunately had to pull out due to Ronnie, their newly aquired Rover P6 breaking down. They were towed home and made it back to the finish in their E type, so were able to qualify for a finisher’s medal.

The last section was called Watership Down. After we were set off from the lunch halt, there was a 3.9 mile journey to the self start, we did remember to start the stop watch at our start time hurray! This was the longest of the 3 sections at 46 miles and again took us through some very attractive countryside. There were more handouts through the window. Some needing a little thinking about, some a lot, all added to the fun of the event. Halfway round this section the car began to cough and splutter, Terry stopped to see what was wrong, a hefty thump on the petrol pump started the reassuring tick, tick. It was at this point that cars running behind us started to come past. Shortly after the same thing unsurprisingly happened, on the third time Terry noticed that a bullet connector had been pulled apart by a warning triangle  that he had thrown in the boot just before leaving home, Another lesson, even if you are in a hurry always take a minute to stow items securely . Apart from this our car, an MGC GT ran well.

The finish was back where we started, stories of IF ONLY were exchanged, and without exception everyone seemed to have enjoyed themselves.

We would like to thank all the marshals and especially the organisers for a really great event, and look forward to 23rd September 2007 when the 4th Harvest tour will be run.

Pip and Terry Secker.

Its not long before Sandra tells me to turn right off the A4 and we are onto the interesting roads, narrow and twisting in beautiful countryside.  We take it steady, as there is only a penalty for being early at a control, we might as well take our time and be accurate and enjoy ourselves. 

The morning refreshment stop was at a Longbridge Mill for coffee and half an hour or so rest.  A few bonnets were up and fiddling underway, but nothing too serious.  The Cortina is behaving itself with only a little pinking.  After a cup of coffee and a chat with our fellow tourers we began to queue up for our allotted start time.  Off into the country lanes again and the road book became a little more interesting, with accurate mileage needed to send you the long way round a junction to see a proof of passage board lurking in the grass.  It wasn’t long before a Hillman Hunter GLS was following us – so we let him pass, its not a speed event and we wanted to go at our own pace.  We passed the ancient Roman walls of Silchester and took in some winding country lanes.

Lunch was at the Milestones museum at Basingstoke, where the cars parked up in front of the museum giving a great photo opportunity.  What a fantastic line-up of cars – from Porsche 911s to Sunbeam Rapiers to Ford Escorts to Triumph TR3s to Sunbeam Tigers to Ford Cortinas (of course), and all being used for what they were built for – driving. 

We had a look round the museum shop and looked down into the recreated Victorian streets in the museum, and had a spot of lunch and lounged in the sun.  It wasn’t long before the sound of starter motors and revving engines filled the air and cars started to move off as their allotted start time approached.  The afternoon session began with a ‘self-start’ that was four miles from the museum and we should be there in eight minutes – it took eleven!  But its not a race so we weren’t too concerned.  The afternoon was to be more challenging with handouts given out by the marshals describing, in a fairly cryptic way, how certain junctions should be negotiated.  So we chucked these on the floor of the car and carried on! 

The route took us up through the beautiful scenery of Watership Down at which point we had caught up with a group of cars as they stopped for the two gates across the road we had to open and close.  We soon dropped back and let the DAF that had caught us up go past. 

The tulip diagrams in the road book then became interesting, as the balls that denote which direction you are approaching a junction went missing.  So the accurate calculation of mileage became critical.  Just as we were slowing up to ensure the precise mileage for a junction, a Sunbeam Alpine came tearing past, and slid sideways up the road as they realised they needed to turn off!  No harm done – more haste less speed!

We eventually made it back to the start, having only taken one wrong turn and had a very enjoyable day out.  We sat down for some tea and sandwiches and a chat with some of the teams we had seen en-route.  As Terry read out the penalties that crews had collected, we thought we could be in the top ten maybe.  But to our surprise we had the second best score!  Not a bad end to a great day!

The Harvest tour is a great introduction to classic rallying.  You don’t need a sophisticated trip computer and a rally car with knobbly tyres and a roll cage – we didn’t.  

A few tips would be: -

• Read the instructions, take it steady – its not a speed event.
• Have courage in your navigation (the car in front might not know where they are going).
• Let cars pass (that way you don’t feel pressurised into going fast and won’t miss a turning or arrive too early at a control). 
• If you see a proof of passage board not on the route you think is right – ignore it!
• Enjoy yourself!  (Great advice – Ed)

Thanks to Terry and Helen Schraider and all the marshals and others behind the scenes, for organising a great day.  Roll on next year.