Le Blat Part Deux - 11th September

[hearntd]

I'm up and ready to go.... see you all soon

[Tony B]

bon voyage chaps

[Nash]

I guess I'm the first one back as I live only 15 minutes from the tunnel.

What a cracking day. The weather didn't let us down and the roads and company was superb. We even had time for Trevor to satisfy his stocking fetish, although it did mean he had to meet us at Azincourt while he got a "man" in to help.

Even Marks Triple Salko didn't dampen proceedings even if it did dampen his trousers very good idea to separate into two groups, namely Blitzkreig and rearguard support corps. Meeting at strategic waypoints for coffee and rhetoric meant everyone went at there own pace and no-one missed out.

I loved the roads around Embrey and if Bob hadn't been playing with the dogs it would have been a quick run.

Good lunch at Hebdin and the run to Samair was interesting. Wouldn't have been the same if Mark hadn't took us down a single track farm road or seven. I reckon he has shares in s sump repair company.

The run back to The Chunnel via the coast road was topper and even though it threatened to rain I scared it off by putting my rainsuit on.

Thanks to everyone for making it another great French trip and hope you all got home safe and sound.

Richard PM me and I'll see if I can find those side repeaters in the garage tomorrow.

Cheers........ Neil

[Tony B]

green with envy, been p*ssing down all day here in Uckfield !!

Sounds an excellent day, and no mishaps, well done chaps, here's to 'le blat part trois' in the not to distant future

[Ben_Copeland]

"No Mishaps" ummm i'll let Mark and Trevor explain what happened. Though luckily not together and completely unrelated.

Excellent day, thanks to Neil for taking me along for the ride, even though you had to change down a gear on the hills

Just downloading the 5.5Gbs of film and pictures

[daxmatt]

Top day out,splitting the groups was good idea.Might have to get the aftersun out on my forehead(well nearly).It seems very strange how people seem pleased to see us all convoying through ,oh, and a big hands together for neil who made his first overtake today
thanks for a great day mark

whens the next one

[hearntd]

Well made it back . What a great day, Neil its actually a tight thing but I'll let you have that... Thanks for all the help offered all worked out in the end although I think a bit of TLC for the tiger befor any more real runns.

really enjoyed the day even with the unplanned stops (and he was a very naice man), looking foward to the next one.

Hope everyonr else got back OK too, catch you all soon

[bobg_24]

Top day out - all covered by the comments above. Re Neil's comment, the dogs wanted to play with the Tiger....or read another way, the Tiger nearly ran the bloody things over as they bounded up the middle of the road (farm track?) when they heard their master's call!

Fantastic to see the way the French react to the cars as they pass through towns or villages, even the cyclists & the scouts were waving as we passed.

Thanks again & see you all soon.

Bob

[greenwoo]

The Ofiicial (s ) Report, scripted by The Captain
( pics in short supply by me, send me any by email and i'll edit this post to drop them in)

So i'd cleaned the car......but those dirty lanes were preying on my mind. Clingfilm was my friend.......yep, a few sheets of industrial size cling and a bit of gaffer tape and the car was mint when i met with Matt. Equally good was the idea of cable tieing a pasty to the rocker cover, as a guide 30 minutes at 70mph is just enough to get it nice and warm - a perfick way to start the day. Anyway here goes.........

Lesson 1/ Its still dark at 5am and trying to find things by the light of a mobile phone isn't the best way to start a days outing! A quiet run down the A20 , Matt acting as Wingman - pulling into the meeting point revealed that everyone bar Trevor was already in situ......Well Trevor rocked up with Bob as ballast and immediately ponced Matts voltmeter to diagnose a flickering battery light. Err, even a muppet like me knows that there's supposed to be a big rubber band somewhere at the front of the engine, it turns things and makes things work ( not sure what ). Well not on Trevs' car!

Apparently its quite common in Ashford for blokes to be buying kiddies tights and querying the quality of the gusset, worryingly Trev showed a remarkable apptitude for ripping these super strong kiddie tights with his bare teeth - perhaps he's read Jonathan Kings biography? A couple of 3rd degree burns later it was clear that this temporary bodge idea was a non starter ( as was the car ).....so amidst a tearful goodbye we left Trev and Bob consoling each other, whilst we hooned to make the check in time ( where poor old Nigel was wondering what the heck was happening).

After regrouping in Calais and splitting into the respective Groups we learned lesson number 2. Flipping Garmins dont seem to work initinerary files in the same way as a tomtom. Cue the 'sedate' group arriving at the 1st coffee stop way ahead of us - pity for 2 reasons: 1/ Nigel/Kev's and my car were now caked in France's finest manure ( seems September is the time of year when French farmers cover the roads in the stuff ) - and the other groups cars were suspiciously clean. 2/ we had covered some cracking roads, the type that make you go ''ahhhhhhhhh' as you quietly contemplate the smooth open expanse of tarmac. On the upside we were now ahead of time , allowing an extra cheeky coffee break at Azincourt. Frankly at this point i decided a small Leffe was the day.......why?
well about 30 mins before Azincourt at the end of a rather tasty stretch of road ( that the 2nd group obviously missed due to Garmin issues ) there was a little bend, not worryingly tight, the sort of thing that a 7 would go round with ease - that is unless some clever so and so hadnt left a ton of loose chippngs all across the corner. Oh i exaggerate not, we're not talking a few stones, we're talking wall to wall marbles. Seems that Toyos however good need a secure surface under them to grip! Yep i had a 'moment', to be precise ( well as much as i can as it was a bit of a blur ) a sideways ''look no hands' moment. Kev's face as he rounded the corner to be faced with my sideways action was a peach ! ( inspite of suggestions to the contrary my underwear remained Daz White).

Hesdin the scene of our 1st Le Blat Lunch played host again. and what a treat, the sun was properly out by then, T-Shirts revealing the rippling muscles.......( of the waitress ) and we basked in the sun whilst enjoying a lesiurely bite. Now those of you who read the reports or have been out on an extended blat will appreciate the need to explore the countryside to its fullest degree - so i'd deliberately programmed 10 miles of single lane farmtrack- ok, hands up, it wasnt my finest choice of road. But without it there'd be one less subject to banter about! Up until this juncture we'd only had 3 'turn rounds' due to missed junctions, so i think 10 miles of small roads was acceptable. Oh nearly forgot......leaving Hesdin Team A were out infront, ring ring goes the sat nav, mm thinks i, i'd better pull over, its probably someone from Team B needing help - so being the good Samaritan that ii am i pull off the road into a car park. As i enter the car park i'm trying to check the missed call and there in my mirrors i realise that it wasnt Team B calling - oh no, seems io'd led 8 cars into the equivalent of Homebase! ( Turns out that Chris - Eliseman who is on a freebie at Monza wanted me to hear qualifying - cheers mate, you reminded me that i needed a gallon of Magnolia for the hall).....

Afternoon coffee was at Samer, a new town to us. A real one horse Town - that is until Neil turned up with his car and made it 2 horses
A democratic debate ensued.....with time on our side what should we do - to save anyone having the weight of a decision on their shoulders Team A decided to go exploring leaving Team B to their own affairs. We must have trod the same path at times, but whereas they enjoyed the full coastal scenery Nigel and I ( with Kev in tow ) were keen to reacquaint ourselves with a rather appealing set of roads that we'd found once before. A few quick blasts, interspersed with the odd tractor or ten and suddenly it was time to head for the Tunnel. Team B rolled in a few minutes after us allowing a final chit chat before we headed onto the train.

Lesson3 ( he says smugly ) always worth putting on waterproofs if it looks a bit iffy - 'cos it peed down for about 15 minutes down the M20. Lesson 4/ chaps ( Matt ) - dont bother with sidelights - use your main beam, i could hardly make out the flickering candlelight in my mirrors -and i knew you were there!

To those on the sidelines who wonder.........
the cost for a day like today - about £120 give or take, thats everything - fuel/tunnel/eats.
Banter - always plentiful
cameraderie - without question
roads, oh the roads - take your favorites from your patch, and imagine them devoid of traffic and then x by 20/30/40.....it seems wherever we've been there's an abundance of top top roads - if you like driving, you'll enjoy a day like today.
fast/slow......you make it what you want, no pressure to blat at full pelt, infact no one did today. Go at your pace and meet up at the various points or travel in convoy......options, options.....

[Furyous Kev]

Well, My first trip to France in the Tiger and what a day. Good company makes for a great day, thanks to all for making it a great day.
Will be spending tomorrow removeing 1/2 ton of cow sh@t from the car. Right, time for bed see you all soon