Last Saturday and Sunday saw the top historic rally crews from all over the UK converge on Talgarth for the Brecon Motor Club Old Forge Garage Gremlin Historic Rally.

Old Forge Garage Gremlin Historic Rally
Overall winners John Haygarth and Andy Pullan in their classic Opel Kadett Rallye navigate through the lanes above Llangors (Mark Griffin)

64 crews and cars were scrutineered at Talgarth Building Supplies before being lined up on the Gwernyfed rugby pitch.

After some tricky map plotting crews travelled to Glanusk estate for a special test followed by a regularity section via Bwlch, Cwmdu and Llangorse.

The section finished at Llangorse Activity Centre where crews enjoyed an evening meal and mulled over the evenings results.

Unfortunately top seeds Paul Crosby and Ali Procter retired their Porsche 911 at this point with a rare mechanical failure.

Leading the rally were Yorkshiremen John Haygarth and Andy Pullan who were paired together for the first time in John’s Opel Kadett Rallye. 

Saturday evening had seen wonderful weather and Sunday dawned warm and dry but with the threat of thunderstorms. 

The event restarted from Brecon Cattle Market where bacon rolls and coffee were taken before a special test within the market and then a long regularity section that traversed the roads around Heol Senni, Cray and Trecastle before heading onto the Epynt ranges for more tests and regularities.

After a coffee halt in Llandovery the route wound around Cilycwm, Rhandirmyn and Cynhordy and the lunch at the Trouth Inn at Beulah.

Haygarth and Pullan continued to lead with Matthew Fowle and Ryan Pickering in pursuit.

The rally then saw another long regularity that went through Llangammarch Wells and Merthur Cynog which was followed by yet more tests and a regularity starting just outside Sennybridge and ending in Felinfach.

At the finish at the garden centre in Three Cocks a Sunday dinner was served as results were calculated. 

Haygarth and Pullan prevailed to take the win with Fowle and Pickering second, the final podium place being taken by the rare early Toyota Corolla of Darrell Staniforth and Henry Carr.

Local interest was maintained by the solitary crew of James Chappelle and Liam Griffiths who did well to deal with the tricky navigation and get their little green Mini to the finish.

It is notable that Brian Dennis of the Old Forge Garage in Llanigon has now sponsored this event every time it has run since 1976 - when he was the winner.