Southrun Two, 29th October 2000
"October Swimmers"
See Southrun Two Details
All photo's kindly supplied by
and Copyright October 2000, Dai Harris
I have never experienced the sort of enthusiasm and
team spirit as I have at S2. We all knew that we could have been in for some bad weather,
but the forecast for that day had been varied from different sources. The day for my self
started at my new home where I had prepared the car (oil check and a wash) and then Cain
and Matt Shelley arrived. Down the drive way, a quick stop for some photo action by Matt
and then off we go, mapless, and directionless! More about that later. The day has started
dry and although roof off weather, both cars remained closed.
After driving through some fantastic countryside on
the way to the starting point, time was getting on and we both decided to stop at a small
sharp lay-by off a dual carriage way. Craig Tomes informs us that we are going the wrong
way but that we weren't too far away and the group would make a start but take a slow trip
to the M5 so we can catch up. Off we go, the floor is wet, I learn to do on-the-spot
doughnuts to turn around, I really did loose count of how many times I did that, but the
smell of burning rubber that day was far too easy to produce. Cain is in front taking the
lead now and hammers his car back on to the fast running dual carriageway. The one thing
that stuck out most about his car and it's front wheel drive set up, was the cloud of blue
burning rubber smoke as he got the car up to the speed of the dual carriage way. I asked
him about this later and he didn't even realise it happened.
So we're travelling down now
looking for the next turn around point and luckily at one point only doing 55Mph as we
pass a policeman pointing a hand held speed trap on our side, standing next to his motor
bike. Eventually we're on our way, nothing could have prepared me for our next encounter,
and although I would have loved to meet you all at the start, this for me, and, as far as
I know for my passenger Matt, and Cain and Matt in the Elan, this was the best part of the
day.
We're now on a leafy, tree side
sculpted road. We're coming around a corning which opens up to a roundabout. As we come
around the corner, the site we have is of Lotus after Lotus after Lotus, Elise, Elan,
Esprit, Elise, Elise, 340-R for Christ sake!(respect!). Then a Seven, Exige galore, Dai
Harris in the Excel. It's worked, Cain and Matt have shaking fists out of the windows!
This is the most amazing automotive site I have ever seen. We join and drive.
The M5 was just a pool of excitement as each
Elise with a different exhaust noise follow on. An Esprit drives slowly up in the middle
lane on my right, then suddenly with a blast of noise is accelerating forwards even more
past us. This is what separates the sports car from the super car. Long live the Esprit.
As you now know, we are still directionless, so follow everyone else up the slip road and
around that amazing bend where you can watch the other cars going back on yourself as you
approach the bend. As time goes on the group starts to divide as round abouts cause fall
backs and each person takes to their own pace. We're following an Esprit (Laurence?), Dai
& co. is following us (are you mad!), we go once around the round about and follow on,
in the wrong direction, the Esprit is off to the services. Anyway, they'll be catching up
with us later and Dai and us turn around and back to the round about. I cant remember if
we had anyone else with us but we're back to the pack. Going around the town centres was
amazing, cars at the lights, Elise in front, Gavin behind in the Inferno Elise, but
eventually it was just down to Dai and us, and we get a little lost as we head down the wrong road, but we get back on
track and head back into Stratford-on-Avon. At a give way we meet a Ferrari F355, which
doesn't seem particularly interested in us, but would you, in that? As we travel through
Stratford, we get separated when we stop at a pedestrian crossing. That was the start of
being lost. By the way, click on the lost word at any time to get my full explanation why I
was mapless! After many more roads, calls with Craig Tomes, and basically heading the
wrong way towards Oxford on the A road, we're finally heading in the right direction.
We
find the turning for Broadway Towers and with great relief as we've been travelling far
too long. We park amongst some fantastic cars, and surprisingly, clean cars. Greeted
inside the restaurant by the organisational star, Craig T. I have to be fair, the
restaurant did a fine job. The seemed quick and for a Sunday, very patient. Big thank you
to both Craig and the Restaurant. Also this goes for everyone for turning up and being the
nicest bunch of people I have met from all walks of life. Both Matt and myself go for the
chocolate sauce pudding in case you were wondering.
After the meal, everyone is outside but we all set off as you will all agree I'm sure that the weather just got so cold and wet. This time for myself, getting lost was a lot less likely. A trail of Lotus cars leaves the Broadway Towers Country Park, the sound on warm exhaust notes and slight tyre scuffing as each car left the junction was good. Another good sight. Eventually we get through to the next and last stop, but the town centre is fairly full, and I think this is where much of the group get split up. Myself, I am amongst three Elise and Dai in the Excel (do you know you are now known as the Welsh Boys). Eventually we pull over in the middle of nowhere on a B road and decide to call it a day, which was definitely a good idea, especially as we have now seen what has happened to the UK weather. As we all say goodbye and spin the cars around, who passes again, the bloke from Stratford in the F355, this time looking on in interest. A little further on, Dai and the other Elise's take for the Gloucester sign, I take for the Cheltenham sign, I know my way around Cheltenham town, so I'm not risking it any more. Back on to the M5 and half way towards the M4 we stop at the services, who's stopping also? Dai Harris!
We got home safe and with full respect to Mark in the roofless 340R who bared the elements to attend Southrun and respect to you all, each and every one of you made the day happen. I have decided to name this Southrun after a song we heard on the radio on the way back which we though was appropriate, JJ72 with October Swimmer.
See you at the next one!
Craig D.