Whilst most other motorcycle sportsmen (and women) take a well earned rest after a year of competing, there's no such luxury for the trials fraternity, who are all-year-round and all-weather motorcyclists.

The more hardier members of the Barrow & District Motorcycle Club, and a few guest riders, spent Boxing Day competing in the club's traditional Fun Trial in and around the Torver woodland.

A good turnout of competitors set off around 10:30am, the rainfall we had in Barrow thankfully having avoided Torver until mid-afternoon.

Riders were given the choice of three routes set out by club stalwarts, Andrew Mawson and Pete Blowers, the Green, the Clubmans, and the easier Black route for novices and beginners. Pete himself contested the Green route to finish in a commendable fifth position.

Each course consisted of ten sections to be covered four times. Overnight rain had made some of the sections slippery, but most coped with it quite well.

At the end of the afternoon, competitors and observers were treated to a well earned bacon buttie by the club.

The closest finish was on the Green Course, where Coniston's James Johnston, riding a 300cc Scorpa, pipped Broughton's James Postlethwaite, on a another 300cc Birkett Scorpa, by just one mark.

Barrow club member Angus Jenkinson from Ulverston took the honours on the Clubmans route on his Vertigo, whilst the visiting Holmes clan from Grayrigg, near Kendal, grabbed the top three places on the Black route.

Results

Green Course: 1. James Johnston (300cc Scorpa, Coniston, 9 marks lost), 2. James Postlethwaite (300cc Birkett Scorpa, Broughton, 10), 3. Tom Swindlehurst (Sherco, Kendal, 13).

Clubmans Course: 1. Angus Jenkinson (Vertigo, Ulverston, 12), 2. Jack Dixon (Scorpa, Grasmere, 15), 3. Jeremy Hackett (Sherco, Kendal, 19).

Black Course: 1. Nathan Holmes (Beta, Grayrigg, 8), 2. Tate Holmes (Beta, Grayrigg, 30), 3. Tony Holmes (Beta, Grayrigg, 56).

As always, the club would like to thank all the observers, officials, and landowner, who gave up their time to make the event possible.

* The TT scoreboards on the start/finish area are under threat.

The Isle of Man Department of Infrastructure are upgrading the start/finish areas and are considering replacing them with digital displays.

TT and MGP fans are already expressing their concerns, as the boards are part of the TT's heritage and have been in existence since 1911. They are operated by over 70 scouts.

Each rider has a dedicated clock below his race number, which is manually moved when he reaches Glen Helen, Ramsey, The Bungalow and the start/finish indicating where he is on each lap, or an R is displayed if he has retired.

It also features a warning light when he`s approximately one mile from the start, so his crew can prepare for his refuelling stop.

I, for one, would like them to remain as they are... only time will tell.

* I'm sure all Guy Martin fans will be pleased to learn the charges of having a fake HGV licence have been dropped by the courts. The case was due to be heard next Monday.

Guy, a former TT star, holder of many bizarre world records and now a TV personality, had been charged with 'possessing a document so closely resembling a driving licence as to be calculated to deceive' and using it to drive HGVs.

The offence came to light after he'd taken an HGV test in Ireland and passed the documents on to the DVLA in good faith to have the status transferred to his English licence.

It turns out Guy, who suffers from Aspergers Syndrome, had been duped into parting with cash for the test ,which was not valid, and given a false document by persons unknown.

* If you ride motocross, you are well catered for, as local clubs have released their dates for 2020.

The Cumbria MX Club at Haverigg are running on March 14/15, April 10/11, May 2/3, July 18/19 and August 29/30.

Further up the coast, on the Dean Moor track, the West Cumbria MX Club have meetings on April 25/26, May 16/17, July 4/5 and August 22/23, and the East Cumbria MX Club are reopening the old Bassenthwaite track on May 23.

A little further east, just off Junction 37 of the M6. the Westmorland Motor Club are holding events on the Firbank track near Sedburgh on May 30/31, June 20/21, July 18/19 and September 12/13 and the popular Classic Revival Scramble is planned for August 9 at Crooklands.

Cut out this page, pin it on your garage wall and plan your season. Good luck.