From The Editor's Chair

By Bob Twigg

Back at last! So, events can be staged again, it seems a long time ago that we could attend, ride or organise anything.

Hope fully there will be no more limiting of entries, or too much "social distancing". The ACU's decision of no spectators would have been hard to implement. I can imagine a volunteer being asked to keep spectators away could have been a bit "hairy" for them, how would you do it ? There might have been some scary moments for whoever was asked to turn folk away.

As for trials observers not being used (I know most of us are old) our centre sec' had a good thought when he said that if there were observers the cards (the waterproof ones) could be deposited in a bag at the finish and not touched for several days. I'm sure riders wouldn't mind waiting for the results if they were delayed. The cards could then be recorded, washed and disposed of, that one sounds good to me.

Let's hope this horrid virus will be cured or at least made rare.

Alternatively riders could observe each other perhaps in groups of two, but of course that could present problems with honesty, (what a thing to say)!

I remember a top expert from our centre saying to me one day that at championship rounds every section must have an observer, otherwise he said there would be cheating!

Interesting bit on the South Midland trials forum Facebook page the other day. A rider I thought was just another "wobbler" told everyone of his enduro exploits five years ago. It seems he finished a twelve hour enduro without a rest, eating while riding and only stopping for fuel. It goes to show that you never really know about folk and who has done what until they tell you, he wasn't just riding between coloured cards in trials he had done some really hard events, well done all you "hard nuts"!

The trials forum brings up some good comments and photos. I particularly like the photos of riders some years ago with their long hair and moustaches, I'm sure that wearing a crash helmet every day for years contributed to my "spam head"!

Enjoy your return to our wonderful sport, Bob.