Bayview International Track Room
9th October 2021 - The track room and what needs doing
At this stage there isn't really much to say about the Bayview track room, other than that it will be some considerable time before it can legitimately be called a track room.
Most of what I can say about it, will be a seemingly never ending list of things which will need to be done.
All I can offer you for now are a few photos, in the hope that you have a good imagination.
The Long Shed
Race HQ will be based in what's always been called the Long Shed, for obvious reasons.
Race HQ at Bayview
At 27 metres in length it lives up to it's name, and internally it's divided into three sections, the nearest one in the photo above being the intended site for the track.
The buttresses you can see have been put in place at various points to stop the wall at the end collapsing. The most substantial one in the middle seems to have done the trick for the last twenty years or so, but there are problems elsewhere.
The corner of the wall joining the main entrance to the side wall is on the move, the walls could probably do with some more buttresses, the electricity supply needs upgrading, and the roof needs replacing.
Views
At least the views from around the shed are pretty good.
The first photo below shows the fields which lead off towards Hunmanby Raceway, about a kilometre away.
Around and About
The second photo, looking north, and zoomed in a bit, shows the green, wooded promontory of Olivers Mount in the distance, with the distinctive communications mast standing up above the trees.
Interior
Inside, it looks much as you'd expect of a shed that's only ever been used as a storage space.
The Current State
It's a bit of a mess at the moment, but I'm sure all of you fellow slot racers would be thinking exactly the same as I did...
“...that, right there, is a track room!"
It's big, it has a solid concrete floor, the walls at this end of the building are holding up, it has a rudimentary electric supply, and it's reasonably water tight.
Obviously it will need a good clear out, and a clean up, but in theory I could use it, more or less as it is.
But that would be a bit of a bodge job, and really I think it would be a lot better if it were insulated, decorated, and had proper plug points, lighting and heating.
But I'll have a long time to mull over all of that, since it could be a year or more until my parent's estate is sorted out, and until that's done, I can't really do anything.
Bayview
One thing I probably haven't explained properly is the reason behind the name Bayview.
Well, my parents' home (and that's what it will always be to me) is quite special.
It sits on the high ground a couple of miles inland from the coast, looking down across the sweep of Filey Bay. But the wide open spaces, and the views down to Filey Brigg, and up to Scarborough and beyond are quite spectacular. The fields and the views were the main reasons my Mum and Dad fell in love with the place. I probably didn't appreciate it when I was young, but it is absolutely breathtaking at times.
Bay Views
Unfortunately, right now, we don't even know if we'll be able to afford to keep this place. Apart from the inheritance tax we'll have to pay, there are also substantial costs involved in running two homes, and since we can't really leave our current home over near York, the future is uncertain.
If it works out well, then I'll build the track, and the invites will be going out to anybody who fancies taking part in the Bayview Slot Car Championships, whilst enjoying a seaside holiday, and some wonderful views.
If it doesn't work out, well I'll be okay, but I'll be sad, because I want to keep hold of the memories of my Mum and Dad, who are still here in spirit.
Hope
Hopefully this page will expand over time, as that will mean that we've managed to keep hold of my parents' home, and make it work for us. It will also mean that I am starting work on the track room.
So cross your fingers for me, and look forward to updates, though not in the near future.
