Members of the Otterburn Society have traditionally met on the Friday of their annual conference to enjoy something educationally stimulating.
Otterburn XXXVIII was no exception and members met in the grounds of Slaley Hall, Northumberland, to assess the off road capability of a traditional Land Rover Discovery.
Members were impressed with the capability of the Discovery. A variety of different terrains were successfully negotiated on the purposely constructed test track.
At the 37th Annual General Meeting of the Otterburn Society, Randall Flack was pleased to be elected to the office of Treasurer to the society.
Prior to this appointment Mr Flack had spent fifteen or so years of his very successful and enjoyable career, searching out the finest hotels, restaurants and places of culture that the world has to offer.
When Randall retired from business he decided to bring all that is best in the world to his residence, to create a perfect sanctuary for contemplation and a haven for relaxation.
Mr Flack has been to some very interesting and cultured places through his career and has indeed been able to bring the best of these places to his home.
Of the places that Mr Flack has enjoyed over the years, there are few places that he enjoys more than his local pub, the Boathouse Inn at Wylam.
As the Treasurer himself admits, at heart he is “just a simple Ulster farmer’s boy, happy to potter in the garden, walk in the hills “ and drive his Porsche turbo along the country lanes of Northumberland.
So with this in mind, Mr Flack has recently commissioned a faithful reproduction of the lounge bar of his local pub, the Boathouse Inn, at his residence.
Mr Flack was very pleased to invite members of the Otterburn Society to the grand opening of o’Flacks Irish Bar, Wylam on the evening of the Friday of Otterburn.
Members were joined by a very special guest who had travelled specifically to Northumberland to participate in the inauguration ceremony.
O’Flacks Irish bar was officially inaugurated by the Chairman of the Otterburn Society, Jeremy Featherstone.
The inauguration ales where Wylam Gold and of course Guinness.
Members enjoyed a most convivial evening.
As part of the grand opening celebrations, there was a spectacular firework display.
At the end of the evening, a traditional take away curry was served.
Members agreed that the meeting at o’Flacks Irish Bar on the Friday of Otterburn was a tradition that members were looking forward to enjoying in future years.
Despite the indulgences of the night before, members were able to enjoy a traditional Northumbrian breakfast at The Osborne on the Saturday of Otterburn.
Gentleman have often enjoyed the competition of motor sport and members were pleased to be invited to attend Karting North East for a very early 09:30 hrs pre-racing briefing.
Members of the Otterburn Society have enjoyed several trips to Le Mans to enjoy the 24 hour race there and the associated entertainment, particularly that enjoyed in Paris. Unfortunately, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest have long since abandoned the traditional Le Mans style “running start” where drivers would start the race by running across the track to start their engines.
Karting north East have adopted a similar policy and there was to be no running start to the races on the Saturday of Otterburn. On the contrary, members were issued with full personal protective equipment (PPE) and instructed to sit through a comprehensive safety briefing before any racing could commence, much to the enjoyment of the societie’s SHE Director, Dr Mark Cooper.
Go Karting can be an exhilarating experience, especially considering the sensation of speed and handling that can be achieved with the centre of gravity of a man machine combination is so close to the ground.
The success of this configuration however relies on a reasonable coefficient of friction between the tyres of the go-kart and the track.
Whilst slick tyres provide a good coefficient of friction on a dry track, the same cannot be said if the track is wet.
On the Saturday of Otterburn there had been torrential rain. The track was very wet with standing water on a number of sections.
The effective coefficient of friction between the slick tyres of the go-karts on the wet track on that day was almost the same as the coefficient of friction achieved between a pair of newly waxed skis running down a freshly prepared Alpine Piste.
Members were confident that the racing would be cancelled but no such luck.
It quickly became obvious that traditional racing techniques would not be applicable for the conditions that day. At least half of the participants were at an immediate disadvantage as they wear glasses. Members were not to know that glasses tend to get steamed up under racing helmets and this, coupled with the torrential rain, meant that half the participants could hardly see where they were going for most of the race.
One technique employed by at least one driver was to deliberately drive through standing water. The bow wave created would completely drench the driver but the wave of water would clear the driver’s glasses and visor of any built up of condensation, thus allowing the driver to see for at least a quarter of the circuit.
All drivers know that to brake whilst a vehicle is negotiating a turn can induce over steer and loss of control, however this is only true under normal driving conditions. When a racing track is wet, a film of water builds up between a tyres and the track. The only way to achieve contact between the steering tyres and the track and thus achieve a change in direction, is to brake as the turn is approached. By braking, weight is transferred to the steered wheels and this provides for contact between the tyres and the track thus enabling the turn to be negotiated. The problem is that if the weight transfer is lost due to excessive braking and subsequent loss of enabling deceleration arising from the weight transfer, the vehicle reverts to a toboggan and control is lost resulting in a spin and a significant loss of time.
Members of the Otterburn Society are familiar with the principle of weight transfer, having studied the Ferguson System in some detail in the past, so readily adapted to this instinctively alien technique of driving.
The results of the race were:
1st Randall Flack
2nd Basil Firth (19.6s)
3rd Aaron Flack. (1 L)
This was a particularly impressive performance by the son of the Treasurer, Aaron, particularly as Aaron has yet to drive on the open road !
Mr Flack raised the trophy high over his head victorious.
Following a change of clothes, members returned to the comfort of o’Flack’s for a most welcome traditional lunch of Irish Stew.
Members then traveled to the conference venue, Otterburn Castle.
The Society Lectern was assembled and filled. The Chairman’s modification, that had been kindly implemented by the Heraldic Officer’s staff, was re-tested.
Presentations
Alastair Scarborough talked about the Tiyeni Agricultural Project comissionsed by the Nchima Trust. The principle of growing crops without compacting the soil and controlling drainage would appear to offer considerable benefits.
John Beck talked about the laudable environmental initiatives he is leading to reduce pollution from ocean going vessels.
Andrew MQ Jordan talked eloquently on corporal punishment, milk quotas and various other matters.
Jeremy Featherstone got straight to the point and described the relationships enjoyed by Sir Edwin Landseer with his friend Georgiana, Duchess of Bedford.
Treasurer Flack talked about vintage Porsches and in particular 2 wheel drive versions used in agriculture, an example of which he was pleased to show outside the Tower.
Dr Mark Cooper used three examples to emphasise the importance of HSE.
Basil Firth talked about “Production of endogenous opioid neuropeptides and peptide hormones in humans and other animals” and his latest invention.
Big dick Tarn talked about the important role played by street pastors in preventing abuse in the city.
Members were pleased to welcome the Treasurer’s personal special guest for Otterburn 38, Colin Sparkes who talked about the development of his vineyard in Canada.
The water cannon proved highly effective in encouraging members to dispatch their toggies.
Following the conclusion of presentations, members dressed for dinner and Champagne was served.
Annual General Meeting
Apologies for absence were received from Messrs Beattie, Hall and Woods. Members were disappointed that Karl had decided to attend a family society wedding as opposed to an Otterburn Society conference.
Election of officers.
Secretary. Mr Featherstone was nominated for the office of Secretary to the Society and duly elected to remain in office.
Treasurer. Dr Cooper mentioned the particularly peaceful location that his Chateau in the south of France enjoys. He suggested that this location might offer a more relaxing few hours in advance of an Otterburn conference compared to the excitement and exertions of the go-kart racing earlier of that day. Having then realized that he may have accidentally nominated himself as Treasurer to the Society, Dr Cooper quickly sought the support of Mr Sparkes, another resident of the south of France, to join him in taking some responsibility for the success of Otterburn 39. These nominations were carried unanimously.
Chairman. The retiring Chairman Jeremy Featherstone proposed a vote of thanks to the outgoing Treasurer Mr Flack and had great pleasure in nominating Mr Flack as Chairman of the Otterburn Society. This nomination was also carried unanimously.
Wolfgang Award. A MQ Jordan was nominated for the award by Mr Scarborough, on the basis that his presentation was a masterclass in the expression of logical thinking. This nomination was carried unanimously.
There being no further business, members proceeded to enjoy the roast beef sandwiches.
An excellent breakfast was served at the Otterburn Castle.
On the Sunday morning members went their separate ways, in the sure knowledge that members of the Otterburn Society will always receive a warm welcome at o’Flacks Irish Bar, Wylam, particularly on the Friday of their annual Conferences.