Peter Scatchard
Castle Combe Track-Day Co-ordinator Bed and Breakfast in delightful Cotswold stone house. 1 mile from Castle
Combe race circuit. Large private driveway for parking. Double room £50; Single
room £45 per night. Contact Bee on: 01249 782550 weas795@yahoo.co.uk
UPDATE 31st MAY 2007
This is the last call for this event, and requires your immediate attention and action
if you are interested in attending via the MR2 Mk1 Club.
I have received requests for Entry Passes only from Tim Jones (x2) and Richard
Brett (x2) - Tim, please now send me your s.a.e. with First Class stamp (A5 not
necessary as you don’t want track-passes, which are too big for regular
envelopes) a.s.a.p (I suggest you post to me First Class as well as the s.a.e.).
Richard, please send me your cheque for £80 and an A5 s.a.e, First Class on
both envelopes, a.s.a.p.
I therefore will have 8 free-of-charge entry-passes still to distribute. If
anyone else wants these, simply send me a note with your request , stating the
number of passes you would like to have (remember, the entry-passes are PER
PERSON, NOT PER CAR), by First Class Post, including a First-Class stamped s.a.e.
IMMEDIATELY. Please also include your eAddress on your note, so I can let you
know I’ve received your request, and what allocation I have been able to give you
I will wait until Tuesday of next week to consolidate all requests, and then
divvy up the 8 remaining passes to best meet your last-minute requests, put
‘em in the post to you, and inform you by eMail how closely I’ve been able
to match your requirements.
PLEASE NOTE – I CANNOT ACCEPT ANY FURTHER TRACK-PASSES REQUESTS (Richard,
yours is fine, and I’m handling it in the usual way). If you want
track-passes, you must now contact Combe direct, through Maria
Fisher, maria@castlecombecircuit.co.uk, or 01249 782 417
I am on holiday in Italy the Combe weekend, so won;t see any of you there, but
hope the weather proves kind, and anyone going has a damn good time!!
Peter
UPDATE 23rd MAY 2007
At present, I only have one request for
tickets for the Castle Combe Classic and Sportscars Action Day on Saturday 9
June, from Richard Brett.
I know that Karl and Louise can’t make this
meet, but what about the rest of you? Are there REALLY no others wanting to
attend?
If you want to come, I need to hear from you VERY SOON.
To
repeat, I have 12 free-of-charge entry passes to hand out to club members and
partners, friends etc, and we would normally take up the offer of a ‘book’ of 6
special, cheap track-passes at £15 each, to be used from 09.00 until 11.00, and
from 4 p.m. until 5 only. At this rate, I will not be doing this, and anyone
wanting cheap passes will miss out.
Also, at this rate, we will not have
a club-pitch at the event, and than means we’ll not get the f.o.c. entry passes
either. It’s not much more than 2 weeks to go, so time to put the digit out and
contact me if you want to go!!
If you think you’ve been in touch before
to book, as far as I’m concerned I’ve only heard from Karl and Richard, so
please repeat-send any message you may have sent
before.
Rgds,
Peter
UPDATE 3rd MAY 2007
I know, we’ve only just had the Performance Cars Action Day at Castle Combe,
but I have to start the process of letting you know about the next one!!
This is the Classic and Sportscars Action Day on Saturday 9 June.
As usual, I will have 12 f.o.c. entry passes to distribute to club members
and, subject to your initial responses, there will be 6 x £15 track passes
available for use between 09.00 and 10.45, and 16.00 and 16.45.
I can also book £20 track passes for any time of the day from 09.00 and
16.45, excluding the lunch-break of an hour, usually 13.00- 14.00.
Please return eMail me with your expressions of intention regarding this
Action Day – at this stage I do not need money, but I DO need to know what you
want to book through me, so please respond a.s.a.p.
I myself will not be attending this Action Day, as I will be on holiday in
Rome then!!
Don’t forget the next Upper Thames Valley branch meeting at the Tally Ho pub,
Hungerford Newtown, a mile south of J14 of the M4 on the A338, Wednesday 11 July
from around 19.30.
Rgds
Peter
UPDATE 26th MARCH 2007
The deadline for my handling applications for Castle Combe entry and track
passes has now expired, and I have confirmed the MR2 Mk1 Club’s requirements to
Castle Combe and made payment to the organisers.
I have written direct to all applicants, confirming their allocations and
bookings, and requesting repayment.
I have allocated 10 of the 12 free-of-charge entry passes, but still have 2
left for those that would like them.
If you would like one or two free entry passes, please contact me by eMail –
I will provide instructions on how to get these when I confirm allocation.
Peter
UPDATE 13th MARCH 2007
Hi folks.
With Spring now apparently well and truly with us, it’s time to get those
MR2s of yours out-and-about!! And where better to go that merry ol’ Castle
Combe, just off J17 of the M4 near Chippenham for one of their Action Days, the
Performance Cars Day on Saturday April 21st.
I have a total of 12 free-of-charge entry passes, worth £8 in advance, £10
on-the-day / on-the-gate, for which I have to-date received applications for 4,
with further applications from all 4 for a second pass. However, people only get
a second pass if I have any spare, so I can still comply with requests from a
further 8 members, eager to pitch up and put their car on the Club’s allocated
display area for much of the day. You MUST come in your Mk1 MR2 to qualify for
the free entry pass.
So, here’s a final invitation from me for Club members to apply for a free
entry pass – the pass covers car and driver, but if you want to bring a
passenger, a second pass will be required – by all means ask for 2 passes, but
as I’ve explained before, I can only allocate a second pass once I’ve satisfied
requests for a first entry pass, and as I already have applications from 4
people for a second pass, it’s a little unlikely I’ll be able to oblige many
others in this respect. However, do try me!! Please indicate if you are prepared
to pay £8 for a second pass if I’m unable to give you more than the one f.o.c.
pass – alternatively, you can pay £10 on-the-gate, on-the-day if you decide to
bring a passenger at the last minute.
Even if you’ve no track-day ambitions, it’s a good day out for only the cost
of your petrol to get there, and perhaps £8 for a passenger to keep you company
– there’s loddsa nice cars to ogle, some trade-stands, sometimes a rolling road
to pitch yourself on, and the usual bacon ‘n’ burger bars, even a canteen /
restaurant and a half-decent bar once you’ve finished any track-session/s you
may have booked.
Turning to track passes, I have committed the Club to take up Combe’s
concessionary offer of a ‘book’ of 6 track-passes at £90, i.e. £15 per track
session, and so far, 4 of these have been snapped up. These represent the
cheapest way to get onto the track for a serious session (you can also do a
pobble-round parade-lap at lunchtime, if you want – contact Combe direct for
further details), as passes can cost as much as £30 per 15 minute session,
booked ‘on-the-day’.
These Club-Concession passes are, however, a little restricted; they can only
be used for sessions starting between 09.00 and 10.45, and 16.00 and 16.45, i.e.
early or late sessions. You need to attend a compulsory Drivers’ Briefing, so if
you decide you want to be out on track at 09.00, you need to be at Combe by
around 08.15 latest, to attend the first of the regular drivers’ briefings at
08.30.
We are also eligible to apply for some of the 200 further concessionary
track-passes Combe makes available to the Clubs that support their Action days –
these cost £20, and are not time restricted. They can be used for any of the
track sessions starting from 09.00 until the lunch-break (usually 13.00-14.00)
and finishing at 17.00.
Once these are all allocated, Club members can still benefit by
advance-booking track-sessions, at any time as shown above, at £25 per, compared
with the on-the-day price of £30 per session.
So, my invitation to you is to
Please respond to me by Saturday 24 March latest – at this stage, all I need
from you is a return eMail indicating your requirements. DO NOT SEND me money,
SAE or anything else at this stage.
As soon as the deadline is reached, I will consolidate the MR2 Mk1 Club’s
requirements, and place our order on Castle Combe. I will then check with Combe
what they can supply against our ‘wish-list’.
As soon as I know what we are allocated, I will write to all of you who
request passes, telling you what I’ve been able to get for you. At that stage, I
will then be able to tell you what you owe me (I will have paid for all the
requested passes using my own personal credit-card, so you will be repaying me
personally), and you will need to send me your payment by cheque made out to P M
Scatchard, to the address shown below.
Along with your payment, you will need to send me an A5 sized SAE, using a
FIRST-CLASS STAMP, for me to supply you your passes in as soon as I receive
these from Combe. The reason for the 1st class stamp is that Combe sometimes
leave things to the last minute, and it’s not impossible you will only receive
your passes in the week leading up to the event. The reason for the A5 size is
coz the Combe track-passes and coloured screen ‘hanger’ you will be given to
indicate what session you’re booked for are somewhat large.
If you’ve any queries I can help with, drop me a return eMail, or in
extremis, give me a bell.
Peter
UPDATE 23rd JANUARY 2007
Castle Combe, 5 minutes off J16 M4, is a fast, fun, ex-airfield circuit,
which runs 4 Action Days each year. Organisation is slick but friendly, so it’s
difficult not to enjoy yourself there.
These Action Days consist of a combination of open-air club-show for the
spit-and-polish brigade, and track sessions for the Boy-Racers (I include myself
here)
As a club, we receive 12 individual entry-passes. As co-ordinator of the MR2
Mk1 Club’s participation in these events, I allocate these on a first-come,
first-served basis, one per member committed to bringing a Mk1 MR2 and to
display it on our allocated club-pitch (when not in use on the track, if that’s
what you also want to do!). If I have any left over, those members asking for
more than one get a second, again on a first-come, first-served basis. Note you
require one pass per person, not per car - the pass admits car and driver, but
if you’ve a passenger, they’ll need a second pass. If the f.o.c. passes are
exhausted, I am able to pre-book additional ones at £8 per; the on-the-gate /
on-the-day price is £10, so it’s a worthwhile saving to pre-book if I get back
to say I can’t meet your demand for all the passes you want coz they’ve proved
too popular – it’s rare for me not be able to provide you with at least one
though.
I also handle club-members’ requirement for track passes; we are allowed to
take only the one ‘book’ of 6 concessionary passes at £90 (£15 per session), and
again, I allocate these on a first-come, first-served basis. If they’re not all
taken up (and there are time-validity restrictions on these – they can only be
used for 09.00 to 10.45-start track-sessions, or 16.00 to 16.45 ones), I
allocate a second (even third at times!!) pass to those requesting more than one
if the allocation isn’t taken up for any reason. Cost is £15 per 15 minute
session, and I need to know WHEN you want the passes for – I match as best I
can, but you sometimes have to accept some variances from what you’ve requested.
I also take advance bookings for track sessions outside of the
‘club-concession’ times or once our 6 passes have been allocated within those
times, again at a concessionary rate of £20 – Joe Public is asked £25 for these,
so it’s worth booking through me, even if you can’t take advantage of the £15
passes. Again, I need to know what time track-sessions you want, and again I do
the best I can, but can’t guarantee the exact times.
Otherwise, you can book whatever spaces are left at £30 per session
‘on-the-day’ – no concessions here for club membership, I’m afraid, but you’ve
the advantage of knowing what the weather is doing!!
For those wanting to get onto the circuit but to not thrash their cars, the
lunch-break, usually 13.00-14.00 provides an opportunity to do some parade or
‘cruise’ laps, cost t.b.a. whilst the marshals are tucking into their sarnies.
Once I’ve received all your requests, preferably by eMail (no money please at
this stage!!), I write back and inform you of what I’ve been able to allocate
you, and how much meeting your requests will cost you. You then need to send me
a cheque (I pay up-front on my own plastic, so you’re repaying me personally),
plus the ESSENTIAL A5 sized First Class S.A.E (bigger than A5 will cost
you extra with the new postage rates, smaller and I can’t get your passes in
very easily) – it needs to be First Class coz often I don’t get the passes from
Combe until the last minute, so please don’t spoil the ship for a ha’porth of
tar by saving a miserable few pennies on the stamp!!
Once I have your money and the all-important A5 FIRST-CLASS S.A.E., I place
our order with Combe; as soon as I receive the passes-pack, I split this up and
send you your requested passes, using your famous s.a.e.
By the time you read this in the Club Mag, it will be fairly close to the off
for the first meeting, the Performance Cars Action Day on Saturday
21st April, so you’ll need to move like greased lightning if you want
to participate.
The only other Action Day we’re eligible for at Combe in 2007 is the Classic
and Sportscars one, on June 9th, and I’m happy to start taking
bookings for that as soon as the Performance Cars day on April 21 is done and
dusted.
Please, wherever and whenever possible, contact me by eMail, pscatchard@yew-tree-house.co.uk.
Post is 2nd best, Yew Tree House, Dog Lane, Childrey, Wantage, Oxon
OX12 9UW, and home-phone is least preferred (01235 751 751). I provide those
booking with my mobile number in case of difficulties on the day, but otherwise
this is a business phone, so please don’t contact me on that as a matter of
course, unless I’ve authorised you to – and I don’t do texting except in severe,
grace, end-of the-world extremis!!
If you’d like me to put you on my Castle Combe track-days eMailing List, just
drop me a line at my URL.
PETER SCATCHARD
UPDATE 10th DECEMBER 2007
Here is information I’ve just received; please note that the Club’s
participation at Japfest is NOT confirmed as yet – I am unable to accept
responsibility for organising this event, tho’ I will continue to handle club
bookings for entry and track passes for other events at Combe, so until someone
else in the club picks up the baton, I am not sure we will be at
Japfest.
Peter Scatchard
Yew
Tree House
Childrey
Wantage
OX12 9UW
Tel: 01235 751 751
Mbl:
07775 631 044
eMail: pscatchard@yew-tree-house.co.uk
I will almost certainly be at the April trackday, and attending
Japfest in May if the club decides to participate, but am likely to be elsewhere
on holiday for the June trackday, though will certainly be attempting to handle
bookings for this as usual.
The 2007 Castle Combe Action days programme
looks like this:
Saturday April 21st – Performance Car Action
Day
Saturday 19 May - Japfest
Saturday June 9th – Classic & Sportscar
Action Day
Saturday Sept 8th – Eurofest Action Day
The MR2 Mk1 Club is
certainly eligible for the April and June events, but I suspect not for the
September Eurofest Day – the organisers have been asked for clarification, and
at present have indicated that this will be restricted to cars of European
origins only.
We will be eligible for a maximum of 12 free-of-charge
entry passes each for the two Action Days in April and June (note, all of this
information applies ONLY to the Action Days, NOT to Japfest, for which I have no
information at present). Further entry passes will be available at £8 per,
pre-booked, or £10 ‘on-the-gate, on-the-day’. I will be distributing the f.o.c.
passes on a First-Come, First-Served basis via an appropriate eMail at a future
date probably around late-Feb / early March 2007.
The Club will be able
to purchase track-passes at £90 for a ‘book’ of 6 discounted passes at £90 per,
i.e. £15 per 15 minute track session, usable only between 09.00 and 11.00 (i,e
track sessions starting between 09.00 and 10.45) and 16.00 – 17.00 (i.e.,
starting 16.00 – 16.45). I will make these available to Club members on a
First-Come, First-Served basis via an appropriate eMail at a future date
probably around late-Feb / early March 2007. Club members can also /
alternatively purchase additional passes, usable at ANY time during the day
excluding the lunchtime “parade” sessions (probably at 13.00-14.00, but not as
yet confirmed) for £20, again only via me. Individuals can advance-purchase
direct from Castle Combe at £25 per session. Additional track passes can be
purchased direct from Combe at £30 ‘on the day’.
Please DO NOT send me
your requirements for entry or track-passes until nearer the time, when I will
send you another eMail requesting your feedback on entry-passes, track-passes
etc – this is just intended as early information to enable you to mark your
diaries etc. I regret I will not record any request for passes etc received
before I send out a specific request for you to provide me with these, probably
around late-Feb / early-March.
Season’s Greetings, and I hope to see some
of you at the Upper Thames Branch meeting on Wednesday Jan 10th at the Tally Ho
pub on the A338, less than a mile south of J14/M4, from around 7.30 p.m.
onwards
Peter Scatchard
Castle Combe TrackDay Co-ordinator
