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2004 Apart from monthly meetings we arrange regular drives and events. As you might appreciate the winter months do not lend themselves to open air driving. There is a break for the main school holidays. Drives are normally held on the Sunday seventeen days following the previous monthly meeting. Some ideas for future drives and events...
Use this drop down list to jump to the month you want... NO RUN
February Sunday 22 Organised by
Alan and Jenny Wilson
"Three Counties Drive" Meet at 10:30 for an 11:00 start at the Ashchurch Little Chef (BP garage), Ashchurch Road, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, GL20 8JN (01684 850270) - Map The meeting point is just off junction 9 of the M5 (following the A46 east towards Evesham). As this is the first drive of the year let's make it as well attended as we can! The run ends with a pub lunch at the Hollow Bottom in Guiting Power (01451 850392) - www.hollowbottom.com "The menu on Sunday consists of a carvery with a choice of roast sirloin of beef, roast lamb or roast pork with all the usual vegetables, etc. The price is £9.95 per person and this also includes coffee and mints. We can also cater for other requirements on the day such as vegetarian options and lighter snacks." - Hugh from the Hollow Bottom A total of eight cars turned out for this one. Thanks for the run, Alan! There are a couple of photos, one mid way through (71.7 Kb) and one at the end (83.4 Kb)
March Sunday 28 Organised by
Alan and Jenny Wilson
"Aberystwyth Drive" Primary meeting point is at 09:15 for a 09:30 start in Tesco's car park, Orchard Lane, Ledbury, HR8 1DQ (01531 617400). Tesco's car park is just west of the main road through Ledbury towards the northern end - Map The secondary meeting point is at 09:55 opposite the Bay Horse Inn, 236 Kings Acre Road, Hereford, HR4 0SD (01432 273351), on the A438 about two miles west of Hereford - Map Lunch will be a picnic, so make sure the wicker basket is dusted off! This will be at a place known as Devil's Bridge There were ten cars in all on this run though one or two did get left behind - or did they go astray on purpose? Some lovely views to be had!
April Sunday 18 Organised by
Chris and Louise Tarling
"Easter Run" Meet at 09:45 for a 10:15 departure from Safeway's car park, Caernarvon Road, Up Hatherley, Cheltenham, GL51 3BW (01242 862660) - Map Lunch at the Tudor Arms Lodge at about 12:15 (the owner has advised us to get there early), Shepherds Patch, Slimbridge, GL2 7BP (01453 890306) - Map Then an afternoon visit to the Slimbridge Wildfowl and Wetlands Centre (01453 891900) www.wwt.org.uk/visit/slimbridge - admission is £6.75 per person (groups of more than ten are reduced to £5.50 per person) Thanks to the Tarlings! A total of seven cars went on this run. Here are a few pictures from the day - 1, 2, and 3
May Sunday 23 Organised by Nick and Verena Higgins
"Ludlow Run with a Twist" Meet at 10:30 for an 11:00 start from the closed off road now forming a lay by, just over the River Theme bridge (if you are traveling from the direction of Worcester), at Knightwick, just off the A44, about half way between Worcester and Bromyard There seems to be a pub called The Talbot about two or three hundred yards away, Bromyard Road, Knightwick, Worcester, WR6 5PH (01886 821235) - Map Pictures available in the Photos area
June Sunday 20 Organised by
Trevor and Gloria Clark
"Treasure Hunt and Barbeque" Meet at 10:30 for an 11:00 start from the Bishopswood Village Hall car park. This is near Kerne Bridge, about five miles south of Ross On Wye - Map You might want to bring along some booze, some meat for the barbecue and perhaps a cold box for your perishables! What a great day! The weather held out after a somewhat shaky start. The whole day was so well organised. Well done to Trevor and Gloria The treasure Hunt was jointly won by Paul & Sophie Starkey and the Baldwin family. Each won a bottle of wine. In last place came Mike and Jenny who won the booby prize of a belated 2004 Elvis calendar" Pictures available in the Photos area
July Sunday 18 Organised by
Mike and Jenny Westley
"Wyre Forest Run" Meet at 11:00 from the Hundred House Hotel, on the A443 at Great Witley - Map From the M5 take junction 7 into Worcester. Go through the city centre and out over the river on the old bridge. This takes you past Worcester Cricket Ground on your left. Keep to the right hand lane and watch out for the speed camera. Follow the road as it loops round to the right then turn left at McDonalds. There is another speed camera down this road! This brings you onto the A443 heading north. Keep on this road through Hallow and Holt Heath. Just after Great Witley you will find the Hundred House Hotel where the A443 meets the A451 The run ends at Harvington Hall at about 13:30 for a picnic - Map There were eight cars and sixteen members on this run
NO RUN
September Sunday 19 Organised by
Alec and Pam Willis
"Down The Golden Valley" So-called because the Normans mistook the Welsh "Dwr" (water) for the French "d'Or" (of gold) Start at Wyevale Garden Centre (SO471416) on the A438 just out of Hereford towards Brecon (right 400m after the BP garage just by the A480 sign). Meet at the back of the car park (but not the overflow) at 10:30 for an 11:00 start - Map The drive is about 45 miles. Stop off points at Arthur's Stone, Red Daren and Abbey Dore. Finishing at the Pandy Inn (SO335226) on the A465 Hereford Abergavenny road for Sunday Dinner at 13:30 (01873 890208) - www.theoldpandyinn.co.uk - Map Food is home cooked rather than gourmet and they claim five vegetarian options. Sunday lunch (beef, pork or lamb) - £6.50 one course, £7.50 two course and £8.50 for three courses. Beers - Brains SA, Hook Norton Best and Fullers London Pride Report It was Sunday September 19th 2004 at 10:30. A select group of five MX-5 owners gathered in the car park of Wye Vale Garden Centre in Hereford. The attraction was the forthcoming drive through the Golden Valley. New members Wendy and Lester had arrived in their attractive steel grey Arctic. The organiser (Alec) had assumed that as is the fashion nowadays Wye Vale would open for viewing at 10:30. It was not to be. However Hereford was chilly and so the assembled members voted to wait until the coffee shop was open and fortify themselves.
Accordingly the group left Hereford 15 minutes later than planned. As is the way this mismatch to schedule was exacerbated firstly by the stringing out of the 40 limit an inordinate distance out of Hereford and then by a convoy of 3 tractors conveying potatoes which took the same turn off the main A438 as we did. The potatoes were good solid baking ones and the potential damage to an MX-5 bonnet necessitated giving the potato convoy a good lead.
Eventually our paths diverged and we took the narrow single track road up the hill to our first stop Arthur's Stone. It was a bit of a baptism of fire as there were four or five cars wishing to come down as we ascended. We reached the small car park next to the burial site and surrounded the car that was already there. The information at the site was digested and after the obligatory photos we set off again.
A sharp descent led us to Dorstone, the B4348 and 15 miles of exhilarating open road motoring with an almost compete lack of other traffic. This led us to our second stop, the romantic Abbey Dore. Romantic or not it was also furnished with Portaloos and 12oz cooking apples retailing at 20p. After re-grouping we turned west towards the forbidding ridge of the Black Mountains. We crossed from the Monnow Valley into that of the Orchon. After bridging the Orchon we climbed through the primeval scrub oak woods that fringe the lower slopes of the valley. After recent storms and with the lack of conventional traffic using the lane the lead navigator also found himself pressed into service to clear the branches that still littered the roads. One we missed attached itself to the underside of Pam's car making expensive sounding noises before being removed. The low slung nature of the 5's undercarriage revealed an unexpected use. It can reduce the height of a pile of horse droppings to not much more than 100mm just by driving over them.
Arriving at Red Daren the spectacular views with a 180 degree arc revealing the Clees, the Malverns and the Forest of Dean were matched only by the keenness of the wind. A member of our party was moved to exclaim how much more attractive were the sheep of West Herefordshire than his adopted Worcestershire. Suitably bemused we let the Pandy Inn know that we would be ten minutes late and set off on the last leg of the journey. A nasty surprise awaited where the tarmac road was joined by a concreted farm track from the left leading to another expensive sounding impact. Fortunately no damage was done. The Old Pandy Inn proved most hospitable and lunch occupied us all from quarter to two until four o clock.
October Sunday 24 Organised by Graham and Margaret Smith (01531 635964 or 07889 678078) "Coventry Transport Museum" Meet at the Little Chef near Tewkesbury to leave there at 09:30. The tour of the museum can take about two hours. Admission is free! We will be eating at a pub along the way. We have obtained secure parking for the trip On a fresh sunny Sunday morning eight fully occupied cars set off from the Little Chef car park near Tewkesbury. We picked up another car at the Aircraft Museum, making nine in all. We had a great lunch on one large table at the pub. The museum was very good.
NO RUN
December Sunday 12 "Christmas Dinner" 1230 for a 1300 start, bring your bibs! What about prizes for "Run of the Year" and "Web Master of the Year?" I might stand a good chance of winning that last one! :) Scrumpy House, The
Bounds, Much Marcle, Herefordshire, HR8 2NQ
(01531 660626)
The after dinner quiz will be held at the Bishopswood Village Hall, Kerne Bridge, which is just a 12 mile hop. We have the hall from 1500 to 1700. With thanks to Trevor and Gloria for organising this at late notice - Map Now what a great day to finish the year? An excellent meal at Westons followed by a really good quiz at the village hall. It doesn't get much better than that!
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