It is with great sadness, that I announce my intentions that the 2023 training days will be the last that I organise and we are beginning the process of finding my replacement as training officer.

Unfortunately my life is currently too busy to sustain everything I have going on and this means it won’t be possible for me to do all the behind the scenes work for a training day and it is only going to get busier over the next couple of years.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the 3 years of training days that I have run so far, they have all been extremely different due to the pressures of the time and I hope that our 2023 days will be the best yet and a high point for me to bow out as training officer.

I will be remaining as a Motorsport UK trainer and will be supporting our new regional training officer as a trainer and as a guide through all the paperwork required.

If you are interested in taking on the role, see below for the job description.

If you want to know more about what the role entails please contact me on sm.training@marshals.co.uk and I will be happy to talk you though the role and my experiences.

It would be great to get our next training officer in place as soon as possible as you will then be able to attend our planning meetings for 2023 and attend the days to learn the role.

Matt

BMMC SM Training Officer

We announced the South Midlands annual awards after the AGM on 29 October.

This year our Member of the Year is Ian Greenwood, a Track Marshal at Silverstone. Ian has demonstrated that, despite suffering a serious illness, he has persevered with marshalling in 2022 and has provided strong leadership and guidance for new marshals on his own initiative. Unfortunately Ian was not able to join us in the evening, but had been surprised by being presented with his award by Chris at sign-on for the Birkett that morning.

Our New Marshal of the Year, and recipient of the Lesley Harris Trophy, is Ian Whiting, a Trainee Track Marshal at Silverstone. Ian readily offered to take on a committee role when the grading officer post became vacant and, despite having the challenge of adapting to the new marshals pathway, has offered sound advice and answers to queries regarding grading issues. Ian received his trophy after the AGM from June Copeland.

We have published the Annual Report for the South Midlands Region of BMMC, for review at the AGM on 29th October 2022. Below you can read or download the full details.

As a reminder, we are holding the Annual General Meeting for the South Midlands Region on Saturday, 29 October at the Saracen’s Head Hotel in Towcester.

The Regional Annual Report is available to read or download by clicking this link.

Annual End of Season Dinner including 55^th Annual General Meeting

will take place on Saturday October 29th 2022

At The Saracen’s Head Hotel, 219 Watling Street, Towcester NN12 6BX

AGM to start at 7:30pm, dinner to start at 8:00pm

Menu Choice (overview)

Starter: Ham hock & pea terrine; King prawn and avocado: Mushrooms with garlic sauce; Sweet potato, chickpea & red pepper koftas.

Main: Traditional roast beef; Chicken fillet with mushroom sauce; Salmon fillet & Prawns; Beetroot, sweet potato and butternut squash tart; Butternut squash and cashew Wellington.

Dessert: Afternoon tea cheesecake; Triple-Chocolate Brownie; Apple and blackberry crumble; Prosecco sorbet.

Please see attached menu for full description, allergen information and calorie content.

Two courses £15 BMMC members / £20:99 members’ guests

Three courses £22 BMMC members / £27:99 members’ guests

Members costs sponsored by BMMC National Council. Please pay for all meals on the night in cash (preferred). Please note that the above costs exclude any items in the “Make It Extra Special” section.

Please advise your dinner attendance and menu choice no later than 14th October 2022 by contacting Marion Quarrington on email sm.secretary@marshals.co.uk.

Note: a charge may be made if a pre-booked dinner is cancelled after 26^th October 2022.

Please also advise by 26th October2021 if you are attending the AGM only and will not be attending the Dinner, so we can make appropriate seating arrangements.

Marion Quarrington

Secretary, South Midlands Region

It is with the deepest sorrow that I have to announce the passing of my fellow Vice-President, George Copeland. George succumbed to the cancer he had been fighting for many years. He died peacefully with his family around him.

George has been a member of the Marshals Club almost as long as me. He joined the club in 1970 and quickly took on the role of Newsletter editor for South Mids. A few years later he assumed the position of Regional Chairman, which he held until 1978 when he retired from the committee to concentrate on his growing business concerns (He was MD of BlowMoCan – probably the first producer of the plastic milk bottles we all use so many of nowadays).

Less than two years later George was asked to look at the club’s books – which he did and was almost immediately co-opted onto National Council as Treasurer. To say his Scottish upbringing was seen in abundance is an understatement – he ruled our finances with an iron hand and was the lead in persuading the MSA and others to help fund our training (which, until then, had been financed purely from club funds!).

I always enjoyed Council meetings when George had a pet item he wanted sorting there was no let up until it was sorted – and many were the heated discussions with other members of Council.
In 1999 I had resigned from Council because I was spending most of my time jetting round the world on business, but it was at a Snetterton race meeting where I was MSA Steward and George was one of the clerks that we spent the whole weekend talking BMRMC business and George ended by persuading me to take on the role of National Chairman. We then developed an interesting relationship – at times very heated, since it was a Yorkshireman v a Scot, and we both had our ideas as to how the club should develop.

Not long after this the first signs of George’s illness started to make themselves known, but George took his usual stance – “The bugger is not going to beat me!”. George must have tried almost every drug and treatment available – he was lucky to have a very good relationship with one of the top cancer specialists in the country and was put on to an experimental set of drugs and treatments. He coped stoically with the sometimes-horrendous effect they had on him – always being positive whenever we spoke.

The marshal’s club owes George an enormous debt of gratitude – without his financial acumen the club would have gone broke many years ago and would probably not exist today. George had the club at the forefront of his thoughts every time we met and did everything he possibly could to ensure its continuing success.

He was proud of being a member of the club, proud of his involvement in Motorsport at National and International level, and very proud of being made a Vice-President when he retired from National Council.
June and his family have lost a great father, grandfather and Great Great Grandfather. The club has lost an irreplaceable champion. There will be a strictly family only funeral, followed by a wake in his memory, where, I hope, a great deal of whisky will be drunk in his honour.

I hope to produce a longer, more detailed tribute in the coming month or so, so if you have any stories, or would like to contribute words in any way, please email me – hobson.c@btinternet.com.
Chris Hobson
BMMC Vice-President.
8/8/2022
The BMMC sends its deepest condolences to June and the close family and friends of George. He was a stalwart of the club and will be sorely missed.

We are holding the South Midlands Annual General Meeting on Saturday 29th October, at the Saracen’s Head Hotel in Towcester, followed by the annual dinner. The details for the AGM are posted below. We are looking forward to seeing our members on the day.

The draft minutes from the 2021 Annual General Meeting are posted below.

The following was posted on the MG Car Club website, following the generous donation of £1000 to the BMMC:

“With thanks to the contributions made by MG Car Club Competitors throughout 2021, it was fantastic to be able to make a donation to the British Motorsports Marshals Club whilst at our latest race meeting.

MG Car Club visited Cadwell Park on 8th May and Chief Marshal Paul Stilling presented BMMC National Treasurer Stephen Woolfe with the donation in the sum of £1,000. A number of Marshals were able to join in the presentation as well as representatives from MG Car Club and all agreed that this would be a helpful contribution.

Stephen Woolfe told us that the money will be used to help provide some of the invaluable training that BMMC delivers to Marshals every single year. MG Car Club Competitors recognise that they simply cannot go racing without the ‘army’ of volunteers that keep them safe during every race.

The Clubs look forward to continuing to work together and support each other for many years to come.”

The original article can also be found on the MGCC website.

We held a Zoom meeting on 13 April to discuss the draft new Marshal’s Pathway. You should have received communication from Motorsport UK. asking for your feedback.

The meeting was an opportunity for our members to discuss what is in the new Pathway, and feedback on the proposal.

Below are a list of questions that were submitted before the evening, as well as the summary write up  This is also being forwarded to National as the response from the South Midlands forum, so it can be incorporated into the National club-level response in due course.

Motorsport UK have asked for your feedback, so please use the survey that was included in their e-mail to let them know your views – both positive elements and areas for improvement.

Calling all BMMC South Midlands region marshals! You are invited to participate in a Zoom meeting to discuss and express your views on the proposals for the new marshal’s pathway.

The meeting will take place on 13th April at 8pm (20.00hrs).

This is your chance to ask questions and raise your concerns. I am sure there are many things that you want clarity on. Positive and constructive feedback welcomed!

Please send your questions to Marion Quarrington and ask her for an invite to the meeting.