England : East Sussex London to Brighton Veteran Cars Run, Sunday 6 November 2016

[Salty seadog]

+1 to that.

really want to break my duck.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Well that was a grand day out.....

It started with a 0445 alarm call, quick shower, kit on, scraped Ice off the car and picked Peter G. up at 0530 as planned, the M40 was closed for the first 2 junctions down to Lewknor, but other than that we arrived at my BIL Paul's house in Coulsdon at 7am as planned and met @User21629 and @Salty seadog at 0730 as planned for the ride to the station. All this surprised me somewhat as normally my plans don't go that smoothly. It was however cold and I was glad I had plenty layers and trusted Paramo.
On arrival, I missed the Ninjas, my eyes attracted towards @UserS Holdsworth fixed-build with as yet unproven auto-breaking function.
Introductions duly done, Panini and Espresso were in order whereapon I spied @slowmotion for a chat.
And then we were off! The sky even over Croydon was blue! Once moving I warmed quite quickly and soon delayered at the first pee stop. As in previous years the ancient autos bimbled along and unlike previous years we were dry and moving faster as a group than normal. Before the M25 we somehow lost Ausra for a while and Dan, Paul me and @Tim Hall waited for her to catch-up. As we crossed the M25 we lost Peter G. (not for the first time) and by-chance Dan found him in Crawley. Slowmo was somewhere ....
The usual cafe was closed but the locals guided us to an area of town with a lovely Italian stylee cafe with more Panini lovliness, decent coffee and cake, but only 1 loo. More research needed for mult-loo'd premises next time. Ausra's knees were giving her jip so we said our fond-farewells as she left for the station. For the rest of us - Onwards!
The second half of the ride is the scenic and lumpy bit, the sun shone bright in our eyes, hills came and went, various car-clubs had reclaimed their pitches from last time and much English eccentricity lined the street bolstered by wicker hampers and Prosecco. I got to the point where I was desperate for a pee. I attacked off the front of the group on a long downhill and bought myself time for a suitable hedge-break. I stuck the bike by the bushes of a nice driveway, got out of view (or so I thought) and wee'd like I'd never stop. I heard giggling. As I finished I could see across the road a mum and 2 kids on deck-chairs that in my desperation I'd not noticed. I apologised profusely and the woman replied, "It's OK, the kids were asking why a man was pissing in our driveway....."

I caught the rest of the group (Adrian, @User13710 , Paul, Peter) and we climbed the last big hill taking a rest at the top. After catching our breath we were all off ... at least I thought we were all off. Adrian duly reminded me to turn right before the dual carriage way and we all peeled off except Peter G. who somehow missed all this and carried onto the A23! After a terrifying few miles he managed to slipstream a vintage car to cross several lanes of traffic at the M27 Junction and enter Brighton Shaken not stirred. Adrian and Jenny continued, Paul and me hung around and then continued along the cycle-path, all uneventful except for me losing my bearings and trying to take us back up the A23 to London!
At the seafront we saw Peter G, with a woman in tow! He's pulled. Or so it seemed, it was his SIL come to meet him. We found Tim and settled in for F&C, a debate about pubs and then settling on the 'Evening Star' by the station which I must say was a super-fine choice, a beer-haven of the best kind. We had a call from Dan who was looking for us and happened to be 50 yards form the pub when he called! Bonhomie ensued before departing for trains.
Trains were packed.
Made it to Coulsdon south and onto BIL's house for a cuppa and a chat. Loaded the car and set-off on what was now a pretty quiet M25. Stopped a Cobham services for a curry! Pretty good I have to say and a decent drive back home, bath, bed. Feeling good.

So again, thanks all, nice to meet Danielle? and Accountant John, some old faces @User10571 @ianrauk @topcat1 and some others I've probably forgotton to mention.
Until the next time.
Cheers. FF et al.

 

[User10571]

What a great cold day (User10571 how did you manage the ride without an hat?)

Here's the hand held pics

https://flic.kr/s/aHskKYQUV9

The opportunity to toss my flowing locks into the stiff northerly, was one I found too hard to resist.
If you check your pictures carefully you should see that the hat was deployed on a number of occasions.

 

[Salty seadog]

It's OK, the kids were asking why a man was pissing in our driveway.....

A completely defendable position, it's good that she understood.

 

[Tim Hall]

The Foodster pretty much has the day nailed. Mine started with a chilly ride up from Crawley, toes and other extremities a bit numb by the time I'd got to East Croydon. A couple of hellos, photo-op for Danielle's magazine and we were off. The usual cat and mouse blast southwards followed, with brief stops to regroup. I had a chat with the couple in the Harrods electric car as we went past Gatwick. It was so quiet, and they'd only changed batteries twice by then, but were a bit worried as their tender carrying the next set had broken down...

I spied a big Alvis (best car England ever made, you ask Jim Prideux), and as it wasn't garaged I assumed that Alvis had left the building. (sorry)

The group got a bit more fragmented after we left Crawley, although I managed a bit of a natter with @Salty seadog as we whizzed down into Staplefield. At some time in the proceedings I was alongside the Harrods car, but it was now devoid of the passenger. Chatting with the driver (who I later discovered is the Harrods MD), his passenger had got off at Crawley, but was very nice and called Jodie Kidd.

I rode from Cuckfield to Brighton on my tod, tucking in behind various wheezing, clanking motors, trailing one up Clayton Hill, which increased its speed to just above walking pace by having its passenger leap out. I hooked on to something slightly faster for the dual carriageway into Brighton and then hung around until Fab Foodie, Adian, TMN and a few more arrived. Fish and chips, beer, train, home. All good.

 

[Salty seadog]

The Foodster pretty much has the day nailed. Mine started with a chilly ride up from Crawley, toes and other extremities a bit numb by the time I'd got to East Croydon. A couple of hellos, photo-op for Danielle's magazine and we were off. The usual cat and mouse blast southwards followed, with brief stops to regroup. I had a chat with the couple in the Harrods electric car as we went past Gatwick. It was so quiet, and they'd only changed batteries twice by then, but were a bit worried as their tender carrying the next set had broken down...

I spied a big Alvis (best car England ever made, you ask Jim Prideux), and as it wasn't garaged I assumed that Alvis had left the building. (sorry)

The group got a bit more fragmented after we left Crawley, although I managed a bit of a natter with @Salty seadog as we whizzed down into Staplefield. At some time in the proceedings I was alongside the Harrods car, but it was now devoid of the passenger. Chatting with the driver (who I later discovered is the Harrods MD), his passenger had got off at Crawley, but was very nice and called Jodie Kidd.

I rode from Cuckfield to Brighton on my tod, tucking in behind various wheezing, clanking motors, trailing one up Clayton Hill, which increased its speed to just above walking pace by having its passenger leap out. I hooked on to something slightly faster for the dual carriageway into Brighton and then hung around until Fab Foodie, Adian, TMN and a few more arrived. Fish and chips, beer, train, home. All good.

good to meet you sir...

 

[ianrauk]

I have to say that the rolling roads from Handcross, through Stapelfield and on to Cuckfield has to have some of the very best cycling that the SE can dish up. Usually one can zoom along at a great rate of knots on the lovely, smooth tarmac, except myself and Mark got stuck behind a bleedin' great coach which in turn was stuck behind a wheezing old crock.


And @Fab Foodie , it was Accountant Dave wasn't it?

 

[Salty seadog]

The opportunity to toss my flowing locks into the stiff northerly, was one I found too hard to resist.
If you check your pictures carefully you should see that the hat was deployed on a number of occasions.

i thimk i was following or not your good self untill i needed to void myself.....love a hedge

 

[Salty seadog]

i thimk i was following or not your good self untill i needed to void myself.....love a hedge

liquid mind.

 

[Fab Foodie]

I have to say that the rolling roads from Handcross, through Stapelfield and on to Cuckfield has to have some of the very best cycling that the SE can dish up. Usually one can zoom along at a great rate of knots on the lovely, smooth tarmac, except myself and Mark got stuck behind a bleedin' great coach which in turn was stuck behind a wheezing old crock.


And @Fab Foodie , it was Accountant Dave wasn't it?

I stand corrected!

 

[ianrauk]

I stand corrected!

The reason I remember was because when TC1 turned up we told her he was the Dave she was looking for

 

[Fab Foodie]

The reason I remember was because when TC1 turned up we told her he was the Dave she was looking for

Lucky man ;-)

 

[mark st1]

Usually one can zoom along at a great rate of knots on the lovely, smooth tarmac, except myself and Mark got stuck behind a bleedin' great coach which in turn was stuck behind a wheezing old crock.


And @Fab Foodie , it was Accountant Dave wasn't it?

If only the road was a one way affair

 

[Salty seadog]

can I just say I had a cracker...

 

[Fab Foodie]

can I just say I had a cracker...

I think you can :-)