Festive Toy Run

Another year, another toy run. Instead of driving up to the start for this one. We decided to walk round the corner and catch it as it came past the end of the road. 1700 bikers ina  convoy that took the best part of an hour to pass us.







As ever, there was a mix of ages and machines. Everything from superbikes down to a tuc tuc were decorated and ridden along.









A team of reindeer riders flanked a sleigh on a trailer. The crowd cheered them on.











It was nice to have some sunshine for once, the good weather bringing the crowds out to line the road on both sides.









As the convoy finished, a lone Santa waved them away and the crowds headed home. Its always a nice end to the year to watch this heart warming sight.



Steve

Festive cheer at JK

Following the success of the last couple of open days, VW parts suppler Just Kampers, decided to throw open the doors once more for some Christmas fun. Blue skies and sunshine disguised the fact it well below zero as I chipped ice of the Camper. We met up in the carpark of the shop with only a handful of other people there. Kim and Lily took Passat power as they were going on to the Panto later and our friend Steve came in his new T4.





The company had set up a few of the staff vehicles out front and some stalls selling gifts and goodies as well as the seconds shelf in the warehouse and the counter to buy stuff at 10% off. We wandered around in the cold.









Inside Lily settled down to some colouring while we nibbled mince pies and hot chocolate. Thumbing through the catalogue so see what purchases to make later.





With minds made up we headed back in. New seals and parts for the T4 and a shiny new steering wheel and cup holder for the camper. I have to wait until the 25th for the wheel but the holder was fitted straight away. No more errant drinks in the van!



We noshed on free burgers before heading home. It was filling up nicely, the weather and the discount bringing people out for the day.



The camper got treated to a quick jetwash to get rid of the grime on the way home. The steering wheel will come later.

Steve.

Yomping in the woods on the Tempest

My first visit to the Tempest Rally in 2007 kept me in the Rushmoor Arena stage. A limited view of a couple of straights from a hundred yards away and the service park. I carried on like this for a bit before discovering by chance a corner of the nearby Warren stage. This year my brother and I went all out for the proper rally experience!



An early start in brilliant sunshine and freezing temperatures saw us at the Warren stage for the 9:30am run through. 2WD and 4WD cars run in two separate rallies on the same stages,but at different times (if that makes sense) Before too long the silence of the woods was shattered by MK2 Escorts and the like pounding along the gravel tracks. Our spot to spectate from was the inside of a big hairpin. Cars hurtled up the hill then arced around us before blasting back down the hill to the finish.



















For almost an hour the cars slid round, we moved around the area to get some variety in the photos and I suffered my first motorsport related injury when a MK2 Escort flicked a stone up which caught me on the old chap and caused much chuckles from those around! With the stage run we clambered back across the ditch to the car and headed to the next stage. Rushmoor was running both 2WD and 4WD as well as a service halt for both over a period of a couple of hours so there would be plenty of action. We caught the end of the 2WDs on stage and moved into the service area as the teams drank coffee and scraped mud of.













We headed to the back corner of the area and the most unusual rally car of the day, a 1.4 K Series engined Lotus Elise. Tweaked and modified by a couple of mature engineers, the guys had worked wonders on the car and were happy to talk us through the build as we showed them photos from the first stage.







Back on the stage the 4WDs were coming through. I don't know whether it was meant to happen or not, but the cars did two passes of the route, just before starting the second pass the next car was released which led to some close action and overtakes!











Back to service we went, the 4WD cars were being fettled ready for more action. Some needing little more than fresh knobbly tyres and a wipe down.









One poor Subaru had clearly had an altercation with a post or tree and was having surgery to a poorly rear door. Some hefty hits with boots, hammers and shoulders, plenty of gaffa tape and some cargo straps and it was good as new!











With all the cars back out again we had half an hour to get to the next stage, Pavilion was only a couple of miles away. Modern technology means updates in the field. A crash on the surrounding roads (not a rally car) meant a few minute delay which gave us time to explore the area for best photos. We opted to start just after a rise, the cars would be belting over the top and down past us, hopefully getting some air. Sadly they were too well planted and just stuck to the road and screamed past to the complex of corners at the bottom of the hill.







So, in between runs we hustled down the hill and tracked back to the series of corners. A hairpin followed by a straight and a 90°right then off to the finish. So many good spots for some photos.













Now normally we would be heading home now. But Warren stage was on our way back and the 2WD and 4WD would be coming through a few minutes apart. Having paid for a day car park pass we used it well and opted for the end of a long straight for the first runs.









Then w2e hot tailed it down the track to the start of another long straight and waited, it was getting colder and darker by the minute. Finally the 2WDs arrived, headlights illuminating the trees, gravel spitting out they rounded the corner near us and blasted down the straight into the dark. This was proper rallying. Photography was difficult though, but I struck lucky once as the media snappers fired off flashes I caught an Escort mid slide. Its a bit grainy, the bush blocks the front a bit but I'm very happy with it.







And that was it, the results popped up on my phone as the last cars came past and we trudged back to the car and headed home. Looking forward to a next year even more now!. The rest of the photos can be found here

Steve.