Convoy from the south, Sunday 14th

[73JPS]

Just got in to London. I plan to leave Heathrow by 0700 good luck willing... will try to make the spot by 0815 or so! ... in a non-Lotus rental car, of course..

[westhamtim]

Chaps

You can see what time I'm posting this....!

Unfortunately there is some kind of turf war / highly vocal game of hide and seek taking place outside our flat, so neither I nor the other half are asleep and are thinking twice about getting up before 7. Understandably we're pretty irritated, especially as I've been looking forward to the meet. Hopefully somebody will make a lastminute check of this thread, or by 8:15 / 8:30 guess that we're not coming. I would text the numbers above but don't want to disturb anybody with their phone on.

If I'm not there then hopefully catch some of you on the LEF stand.

Cheers

Tim

[Funkyyellowgibbon]

all in hand, don't fret. We'll leave at 8.30 with or without you

[Steve1]

Just say sorry I couldn't make it this morning. Unfortunatley my little boy who's only 2 weeks old had a bit of bad night so his dad didn't get much sleep. However I did get there in the end as his mum took charge (like she usually does) and said I could go. So I hope everyone had a good day and maybe next time there's event I will be in my Esprit. Best Regards to All

Steve1

[Turbo]

Hi Guys

We're home after a slow but uneventful drive. Not like some others however. we witnessed an Elise dump it's entire radiator contents at the Sainbury's roundabout (24 miles from Hethel on the A11). The girlfriend did not look happy and the guy could only look in disbelief at all the antifreeze pouring out.

It was great to meet everyone at the Stansted services this morning. Apologies for not remembering everyone but I do remember the two Dave's and who could forget Patrick for turning up from Canada. Respect to you mate.

The drive with 6/7 Esprits and 5/6 Elises was a great hoon. I was a bit sceptical about meeting so early but our half hour wait down the road from the factory gates was nothing compared to those that turned up later. As usual the Police couldn't organise a Pi*s up in a brewery.

Well done to Bibs and the team for putting together such a good stand.

All the best

Peter

(in the all white turbo)

[Iain]

Hi Peter - yes - great timing going up and great hoon - I was the one n the Silver Turbo behind you some of the time B)

What a brilliant Day!

[73JPS]

Hello Folks,

I just wanted to say thanks to all of you who gave me a warm welcome as I screamed along behind you in my hired Vauxhall Astra, and apologize for not getting a chance to say goodbye before I had to take off back to London Heathrow. It took so long to pay for my parts that I went past the time I expected to leave, and as I was getting pretty nervous about the drive back and making my flight, I am afraid I had to bolt!

I had a great time (though far too short) and it was made better by having the opportunity to meet some of you. I will definitely be back (consider yourselves warned!)

Patrick

[davegtst]

Excellent dedication Patrick, great to meet you. Drive up was fun and sitting in one of the most expensive traffice jams but fortunatly we weren't waiting too long. Great day. Really really pissed when i came to drive home, one marshals directing us out of the carpark directed me into a curb and its scratched one of my newly refurbished alloys

[Iain]

Hi Patrick - great to meet you - as Dave has just said - great dedication!

Dave - great to meet you and Setras too - sorry to hear about your alloy.

By the time I left there were two marshalls on the gate - one with a shovel to keep levelling out the soil were we joined Potash Lane and one on his hands and knees whatching out for clearance on front spoilers/undertrays...

Need to go find one of those AA spec tyre repair kits now

Iain

[davegtst]

It was the bloke on his hands and knees directing me. Foward, left, foward, foward Scrape

[Iain]

Bu**er...

As it was 'under instruction' from Lotus Marshall - perhaps the factory could help out?

Iain

[red vtec]

Sorry i didn't meet up, the old girl decided not to play ball and the imobiliser cut in at 7.20 in the morning, I spent till 10 cutting it out and got her started and then shot up to Hethel.

[EspritS3 Mad Coomsey]

Hi Guys,

Thanks to Dave for getting us Esprit lad's organised at Birchanger Services and enjoyed meeting you all. I have to agree, a massive thanks and effort from Patrick for tagging along with us all the way from Canada, thats what I call dedication, well done Patrick great to meet you (although very briefly). Although, we did bump into you while you were chatting to the Lotus "guru" on the new leather seats in the Evora!

Sorry to hear about you're alloy Dave, I left around 17:00 and the marshalls were still there, I saw the ruts made by previous vehicles and aimed my rubber at the last two remaining humps, 2 marshalls just stood their and watched while the 3rd lay prostrate on the ground waving his arms left and right, glad I did'nt follow his directions as I still had a spoiler when I reached home.

Great convoy up on Sunday with everyone, my son "Matthew" really enjoyed the run up, kept urging me to keep over taking everyone (well Peter actually), he really preffered your White Turbo Esprit to mine Pete. There's not accounting for taste! Matthew was just a tad keen to get along side the Elise's and Exige's, may think twice about handing the vehicle down to him in years to come!

Hopefully, I will upload some photos Matthew took during the day.

Thanks again to all and hopefully cu soon

[Turbo]

Hi Dave

Funny you should say Matthew liked my Esprit. My son said the same about yours!

We left at 4 pm to the exit from the field wasn't too rutted by then. There were a couple of kids sitting on a gate watching the cars leave and I head one say to other "Sub zero" as I drove past. A nice comment for a 23 year old car.

Yeah, hope to meet up with you again.

Peter

[Iain]

They didn't like the dirty Silver one with dodgy brake lights then?

Bah - no taste!

Have to say though - BOTH your cars looked immaculate.

Really good to be out with other Esprits in convoy - and as for G Turbos - just like number 11 buses - you never see another then all at once!

I need to get out more....