Craigs Way Out West Route
by admin on February 05, 2011 in
Reports with
No CommentsToday saw us head for Alton in Hants, as Craig had promised us a ‘Great Road’ as a starting point. Neil and I met at Clacketts at 5.50 and trundled around the ’25 + a3 getting to the RV in plenty of time, meanwhile across teh Region others were mobilizing – Kenton and Tony hiking across country from further South, Trevor + Nick heading down from Hampton and the Sunrise Crew + Tony H, Craig heading down from Farnham/Guildford way (ish). So who was late – oh yeah, that’ll be the bloke that lives closest who smugly revealed that he’d had a nice lie in – well done Andy!
Spirits were high with not a drop of the damp stuff in teh air – until we’d covered about – oh 400 yards? Luckily it was that fine mizzle, pity though as it put a sheen on the roads that had us thinking once of twice. Well Craig promised ‘A great road’ and he delivered, top notch although being a Saturday we found ourselves behind the odd van of two. The first stop was Newbury – well we needed a pic of a Racecourse, so to the merriment ( ok piss taking ) of 1 or 2 others i gave the car a quick once over, well you have to make the effort don’t you! Onward we pressed, running in 3 small groups to make convoying as easy as poss, and suddenly after some dreary Town Work the road opened before us. So reminiscent of France. Steve C had sent me a photo yesterday – ‘A cartoonish road’ he’d described it as, a vertable rollercoaster of a road, peaks, troughs, swooping curves……but damp. Oh yes we’ll be back that way before the year is up – of that i’m sure!
Child Beale near Pangbourne received our attention next – ticking the box for ‘zoo’…..a chance for Neil to battle with his layers in his quest for ‘Percy’, whilst the rest of us jawed. As usual Rob was a font of amusing anecdotes, all revolving around the lack of tight nuts, things that maybe ought to be screwed a bit tighter – oh and a non existent starter motor that meant a push start at every halt.
Back Southwards we headed where events eventually became comical as Tony H alluded to. A closed road forcing each group to make a decision about how to get back on track. At this point the finely tuned plan of 3 groups was shot to pieces, as like something from Wacky Races cars appeared ahead of us , from the side of us – well from all over really – suffice to say that i suspect that most people were having a quiet smile as each new twist unfurled, leading Groups suddenly relegated to last spot as 2-3 swept by. Suffice to say that we arrived at Blackbushe Airport ( yep another photo ) in dribs n drabs, with Steve C and Ian H having clearly ducked some of the more erm testing roads ( dirty/wet ). For my part i got separated from the small group i was in and by chance found a beauty of a road, if i hadn’t been meeting folks i’d have turned round and done it again!
