Scottish shine
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SCOTTISH operators won the top awards at last weekend's National Coach Rally in Blackpool, which attracted a record entry of 75 vehicles.
Weather was kinder than on previous occasions, sun breaking out by Sunday lunchtime as events moved towards a climax.
National Coach of the Year was a Park of Hamilton Volvo B58 with Plaxton Viewmaster executive coachwork. It also won Concours d'Elegance Section H, the Plaxton Trophy, and the S&N Motors Trophy.
Alister Ross of Allander Coaches, Milngavie became Driver of the Year in a Duplebodied Bedford YMT, which also won the Bedford Magazine Trophy.
Runner-up national coach and Section G concours win ner was a National Travel (West) Leyland Leopard with Duple coachwork.
P. Bibby of Fred Bibby, Ingleton was runner-up driver of the year in a 1977 Ford R1014 and also headed Section C in the driving tests.
Other winners were: Concours d'Elegance A: Newsome, Barnsley (Ford Transit/Deansgate); B: KM Motors, Barnsley (Ford Transit/Reeve Burgess); C: B&S Motors., Todmorden (Bristol LHS/Plaxton); D: Bibby, Ingleton (Ford RI014/ Plaxton); E: National Travel (East) (Leyland Leopard/ Duple); F: Rostock, Congleton (Leyland Leopard/Duple); and Yorkshire (as Section E).
Driver of the Year A: C. Key (Newsome, Barnsley); B: J. Newsome (Newsome, Barnsley); D: T. Shaw (Shaw, Barnsley); E: J. Cassidy (Hutchison, Overtown); F: R. McLaughlin (Premier, Preston); and Yorkshire: R. Winn (Bibby, Ingleton).
Lady Driver of the Year Mrs G. Botfield. Runner-up: Mrs S. Rogerson (both Bassetts, Tittenson).
A Fred Bibby Ford R1014 with Plaxton body and driven by R. Winn took the REDeX Trophy for the highest road section, driving test, and driver knowledge test results and the British Leyland Premier Trophy for the highest overall performance.
Hill's of Tredegar won the CIBS (South Wales) Trophy for the most successful Welsh entry with a Plaxton-bodied Bedford YLQ.
Liveries varied from bold to simple, from radical to traditional, but were applied mainly to standard products.
A little out of the ordinary was KM of Barnsley's Ford Transit with Reeve Burgess Reebur 17 body, which had previously been fitted on Bedford CF chassis. Also from Barnsley was Newsome's Mercedes Benz 508D with Deansgate 18-seat body. It had luggage access through the normal van doors at the rear.