dapinky

Must be a late photo..... we'd had food by then

Unless I've been looking in the wrong place, i couldn't find any mention of this event on the forum.... .... anyone who is also a member of Club lotus should already know about it, as it is their anual Track Day event on the Saturday of the Bank Holiday weekend. There is no entrance fee to the event (as a spectator), and it is just under £100 to get on track (2 specified sessions, then 'open pit lane' later on). As I say, no requirement to get on the track (but you can do a free parade lap or 2 at lunch time) as it is a good social gathering. LEC are trying to get 50 M100 elans together at the event (unashamed plug here!) as it marks 30 years since the car was unveiled, and 20 years of LEC... and Clemo's simple maths means 30+20=50. We have been offered the 'preferential parking' along the paddock edge grass area as the 'featured model'...... ....... but obviously, it is a Lotus event and any model is welcome (or even anything else).... but they only allow Lotus cars on the track, so no XR3s or Ferarris to worry about.. We'll be making a weekend of it and eating/drinking too much - all welcome.

I'm very late to make my comment on this, for no great reason except that i forgot to write earlier! First, great thanks to @Bibs for the event (whether it was a 'Lotus' event or otherwise, I know who did the legwork both before and on the day). There have been questions/opinions/suggestions from others, all of which have been answered, so no need to reiterate them unnecessarily. The fact remains that Hethel is the current home of Lotus, and it has geographic issues which constrain access, and it was done as best as could have hoped. The only suggestion in relation to this is to perhaps stagger arrival times on the tickets (but there would still be a queue, so probably no advantage) - or even allow entry on the Friday afternoon for 'club' displays.... but the drivers still have to get there on the next day, so again, possibly no advantage. Can't comment on the food as I was limited to biscuits and doughnuts in the carpark whilst repairing cars! Coffee was excellent (even though I had to brew it myself). I know that there was a bit of ill-feeling about ticket allocation, but with a limit of 1800 cars, it wouldn't have been possible to serve everyone..... and for those who object to the fact that 14 clubs got an allocation of tickets (all of which were used, I believe), try living in Wales and wanting to get a ticket for the rugby international home matches without belonging to a smaller active club! (Oh, and any luck with the wall hangers yet?).

An 0800 departure has been anounced on LEC for our few Elans..... now it looks like we'll be fighting everyone else for a quiet bit of carpark at Dunston 😀

Smiffy has come up with a route which means that I am probably meeting Clemo at his house, then travel X-country towards Blenheim Palace or something..... bypass Oxford, and carry on. As he seems to know the route, I'll just be following. But when it all goes wrong, I'll probably get the blame. It is another Geoff..... sorry for confusion (Geoff Smith)..... and to avoid Friday afternoon, I may well be travelling Friday morning (the benefit of being retired - not susceptible to work schedules)

Back on 11the September, I did point this out.......... (and if there is now a spare space, I believe Geoff Smith may like it (as he made the first post after it getting to 100 on the list....)

I may well not be going on my own proposed convoy route now🤔.... ...it has been suggested that the M25/M11 will be a bit of a bugger, and that once I'm over the bridge to Englandshire, I should head upwards towards Gods own county (but hang a right before I get there), and go somewhere near Oxford, MK, Cambridge..... .... Google says it makes no difference, but Geoff seems to think that it does.

@Bibs Just to clarify (for your paper list on the door).... ...the 5 tickets I have paid for (#34-38 inclusive) are intended for:- Me, Dave Clement, Kathryn Selwood, Trevor Buesnel, Lynne Buesnel. {If I don't post it in public, Smiffy will only try to claim that one is for him, even though he failed to get in on time!}

I'll have to find mine.... especially after I was accused of spending the day in my pyjamas last year.

Just hold it in your hand and drive with the roof down........ Oh, wait a minute ..... I can do that, you can't.

There is no such thing as a "plus 1"..... A ticket gets a person through the gate, and an additional 'car pass' gets a Lotus through the same gate. Therefore, any car entering with 2 people will require a car pass and 2 tickets...... (at least, that is my understanding of it all).

@Bibs You're doing a great job, but clearly the membership here just aint quite got the hang of lists..... ...... there is simply not enough confusion and repetition (and arguements) about who is where on the list. (Oh, and the attempts by the French to confuse things is probably more of a language issue than deliberate confussion, so doesn't count..... in fact, the only person who appears to be playing properly is Maydharm - appearing at 48,49 & 50, and adding one more at 63 but aparently looking like there are another 3 of him - a man after extra burgers perhaps?? Good effort!)

Just changed the numbers a bit to include another one I've bought - adjusted to keep all mine in one place to avoid two entries on the list.... 1. Bibs - Ticket Purchased 2 + 3. internets - 2 tickets purchased 4 + 5. Pascal Massun - 2 tickets purchased 6. David Boyd - Ticket Purchased - (if I'm still stuck on the M25, can you send me a burger via carrier pigeon please?) 7 + 8. nigeninja - 2 tickets purchased 9. C8RHK - 1 ticket purchased 10. Sizona - 1 ticket purchased 11. Advantage 1 ticket purchased (if I buy two can a stuff my face?) 12 + 13. scotty435 - 2 tickets purchased 14. theelanman - 1 ticket purchased 15 + 16. Can't count Clark aka Sparky - 2 tickets purchased 17 + 18. johnwalsh - 2 tickets purchased 19 + 20. Timjgor90 - 2 tickets purchased 21 + 22. Dunsfold Dave - 2 tickets purchased 23 + 24 + 25. Dan E - 3 tickets purchased 26. chrisroy - 1 ticket purchased   27 + 28. cweeden - 2 tickets purchased 29 + 30. mayesprit - 2 tickets purchased 31 + 32 + 33. RODOLPHESPRIT - 3 tickets purchased 34 + 35 + 36 + 37 + 38. dapinky - 5 tickets purchased 39 + 40 + 41. Jan Blom - 3 tickets purchased 42 + 43. march - 2 tickets purchased 44 + 45. Trevsked - 2 tickets purchased 46. kim.com - 1 ticket purchased 47. bingoking - 1 ticket purchased 48 + 49 + 50. Maydharm - 3 tickets purchased 51 + 52. John_W- 2 tickets purchased 53 + 54. blindside - 2 tickets purchased 55 + 56. Steve A & Lesley - 2 tickets purchased 57. TomE - 1 ticket purchased

The composite list seems to have been usurped during the last few entries (as I'm from LEC, we do love a well-kept list!), so I make a single entry here..... ..... just sent money for 4 BBQ tickets. (Dave Pink, Dave Clement, John Orton, Grace Orton)

If we say 1300 at Chievely, we have a start of a plan - Kathryn, that allows about half an hour from finishing work to leaving home - is that enough time (I am happy to hang around a bit for you if the others want to push on - but would prefer to be off the M25 sooner rather than later). As such, to extrapolate the route backwards, I shall be leaving Pembroke at 0830 hours, Friday 28th September - with the following rough 'waypoints'........ 0830 - Pembroke Dock 1000 - M4 Swansea West services 1120 - M4 Magor Services 1210 - M4 Leigh Delamere (Eastbound) @clemo 1300 - M4 Chievely @CocoPops @Geoffers @Kathryn 1500 - M25 South Mimms 1600 - M11 Birchanger Green 1730 - Dunston Hall (except I'm staying down the road a bit!) The timings are a bit of a 'guestimate' based on Google Maps, local knowledge and hopefulness - I have tried to build in a bit of a stop at each location as required - just shortish breaks for a coffee and leg stretch - no meal breaks in there. The times are (sort of) leaving times from each location, so anyone who is joining should try to be ready to go at that time - ie, have your cup of Costa and petrol in the tank!!! As anyone who knows me will tell you - I'm hopeful that it will work, but expectant that the whole thing will have gone wrong by the time I get to Carmarthen, and I'll roll into Dunston just after they call 'last orders'. (Oh, and if anyone thinks that the times are way out, feel free to shout - I guesed it a bit - also if anyone else wants to suggest an added 'join point' then go for it - even if it is a phone call on approach to a junction, then a steady drive as you catch up..... the points above are mainly to allow for short breaks along the journey for those who want them - if no-one does, we can just crack on.)