Monday 14 July 2014

Va, Va Vroom!!!!! Part 2 - Zoom zoom machines and other bears

Searching for friends

So this was our campsite when the sun was shining - you don't get to see it when the sun wasn't. On Friday night we heard and saw some of the vroom vroom machines playing practising on the circuit and Himself used the time to sort out where he could get some pictures from. (Some,  some, did I say? 1800 in three days!)

 I thought I would be unique, but when we walked around there were several bears. This is the Lotus bear in an old ambulance painted up as a Formula 1 John Player Special Lotus support vehicle. We waved at each other, but he wasn't allowed out.
On Saturday morning we got all poshified to go into the paddock so the humins could ooh and aah at the cars. On the way we passed a little Austin Healey Sprite with a very contented looking co-driver. He sat there looking out happily, wearing his googles (goggles, bear, goggles). If I wants to call them googles it's up to me 'cos it's my blog - OK (Sigh - Whatever)

Pillocks In the Paddock

While we wandered around inside the circuit we came across these two old geezers (Hey, that's Ian that invited you on the right, and Tony who brought your tent and most of the beer!) As I say we met these two old geezers and had to sit down for a coffee, though Tony said it was only alright.
Ian thinks he'd make a good racing driver. Snigger, what, like he was Britain's next skiing sensation. (What's got into you? Maybe falling off your skis at 70 isn't sensible, but he did drive us all that way and shared the tent with you.) Sorry, I couldn't resist, I'll be kind to him.
This is a pretty little Triumph Spitfire from 1964. I like the very red nose.
This is an Aston Martin DB3 from 1952, that makes it as old as the Staff. It belongs to one of Tony's friends and he was racing it, except when we looked into the car there was no seat and no gearbox. Apparently the old one broke and he had to borrow another one. Hey Alan, does that mean when your gearbox breaks we can ask someone for a spare?  No Jock, humans don't work like that, though with the number of artificial hips and knees, pacemakers and stents out there, maybe you're right in a sort of a way. So far I'm alright. I'll just keep cycling and dancing, but not at the same time.
Still, I managed to sit on the shiny shiny bonnet. Do you like my deflection? I am upside down in it. (That's reflection). Is it? Oh well deflection, reflection they're almost the same. And, to repeat your comment, Whatever.

RRRRacing

There were very complicated rules for the racing. First everyone was split into six "Grids" each covering a number of years.  This Bentley was in Grid 1 (1923 to 1939). Everyone got three one hour races spread over 24 hours so everybody had to drive at night, but they also got to race during the day. Even within the grids there were different classes so the little Bugattis weren't racing the huge Bentleys. Well they were, but they weren't if you know what I mean. No? Neither do I.
As evening drew in Grid 4 (1962-65) whizzed around in the gathering gloom. This is an early Ford GT40.
Grid 5 (1966-71) had this amazing Porsche 917, one of Alan's favourites with a flat 12 engine!
The night racing was mostly fun. We went into the stands and watched from under the covers out of the rain.  Can you see the paper bag behind my head?  That was filled with doughnuttie wormy things that we very tasty, and just what a bear needed (As well as the occasional nip of whisky from a hip flask.) Well, yes they did help though I found after a while that there were two racing tracks and I'll swear that some of the headlights rotated.
Next morning we went to see Grid 3 (1957-61) and two cars came into the last bend on the last lap with the big Aston Martin trying to pass the ickle Lotus.
They appeared from behind the screen and the Aston was trying to race backwards, and then sideways and finally forwards again. It didn't work and he got passed by a D-Type Jaguar and came third.
Grid 4 cars were having lots of fun. Just under the bridge is that little Triumph Spitfire racing the Fords GT40 - but not very well.
Grid 6 - the most modern cars from 1972 -79 - were very very noisy but also very fast indeed.

Time to pack up

Soon it was all over except for the party where people helped to drink our beer, but left us the dregs of a bottle of Jameson.
As the campsite emptied there were fewer and fewer cars and we went over to drool over this Aston Martin V12 Vantage and there in the car was its rightful owner - Angus the Bear. I made short work of meeting him.

Look - He got to go on the piste, a bit like us really, I mean 17 pints each, and we didn't need a ticket.  (No, no, no, it means he got to drive around the track with his staff. Oh, I see, that must have been fun.
Before we finally set off I thought I'd try to be the bonnet mascot, but himself reckoned I'd blow off.
Here we are again - notice that we were leaving and the rain had stopped.
Our last Normandy site was the Merville Battery, a very famous battle where 150 British Paratroops overcame 200 Germans manning the battery.  That plane is like the one the came in.

The worlds most valuable ferry

It was only a few minutes drive to the ferry port where we lined up with everyone else.
Did I say everyone?  Some of the cars were priceless. That Bentley was racing and we had passed it on the Autoroute.
Here we are parked up. To the left is an old Mustang, then a BMW, a Triumph TR5 and behind is a Shelby Cobra, not a replica.
Onboard ship and we were surrounded by millions of pounds worth of cars, a couple of bikers gobsmacked by what they saw, but no, definitely no commercial vehicles.  Soon enough we sailed and then drove through the dark in England until we were back at Ian's. Our great big adventure all over. Everybear say, "Aah."

Till the next time,

Hugs,

Jock

4 comments:

  1. Hi Jock,

    So, you're a little bear living in the fast lane, good for you. Mr. Rob has a 1973 Lotus Europa that he is restoring, maybe next time you visit the USA you can come up to the mountains and work on it with him.

    Hugs,
    The Mom

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  2. Hi The Mom,

    We had a great time and I'm sure we'd love to come and see Mr Rob's Lotus. Maybe if we're up in the mountings we can look for bears too.

    Hugs,

    Jock, Zeke, Ruby and Tom

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  3. Hmm, car, car, bear, car, car, old farts, car, car, bear, beer, car, car, pished...

    Jack, Boo & The Clan

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  4. Hi Jock, Zeke, Ruby and Tom,

    I have to say Jack's comment above had me in stitches! Nevertheless I will try to regain some composure and say wow! What an adventure you've all had. That must have been really exciting for your staff seeing as how they get to do fun stuff when you take them places. I'll bet you'll have lots of stories to tell a certain someone when you recover!

    Hugs,
    ~ginger and Sebastian

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