COBWEB RUN - KEILDER FOREST Sunday 2nd February 2004
We celebrated the regions 2nd birthday with the now traditional run out to Keilder Forest
and surrounding national park. I had previously been contacted by a guy called Austin who lives in Dublin, as it happens
he owns a MK1 and has been following the progress of the club on the website. Austin has family who lives very close to
the Church Mouse and has regularly visited the pub and spent many a happy hour sipping lovely geordie Guinness.
He would be in the north east on this particular day and was very keen on meeting us at the Mouse. What a
great guy, is there an Irishman who isn't!, so enthusiastic with an obvious love for the MK1.
We set away from the Mouse with Austin, Mike Johnson, Viv Allison and Mac and Jackie Sheavills all of us in
Superchargers to the next meeting place
at Kingston Park where I had arranged to meet Steve and Jo Austin. From there we headed off for the run through
Ponteland towards Jedburgh and the Scottish Border to meet up with another member who was interested in meeting
more people from the club.
The run up to Scotland was superb, tight twisty roads meandering through the mountains still capped with snow.
Soon bellies rumbled and we decided to stop off at a lovely restaurant for a traditional Sunday carvery.
From here we headed off into the depths of
Keilders famous forest drive, although it was closed to the public we ignored this advice and decided to
brave the icy, wet, snow covered gravel road and headed into the darkness. The run is about 10 miles long
and I tell you what you have to concentrate very hard not to fall off the edge, brilliant run. At the end
of the drive we stopped and assessed the damage, Mac was at the front of the pack and his Supercharger
became a snow plough for the rest off us, that would explain his white face.
From the forest drive we headed off to Keilder water to take some picture postcard photographs. The weather
turned awful and we didn't manage to take any at all with day almost turned to night.
We decided to head back home with a stop off in the beautiful ancient town of Corbridge for a pint.
On reflection a great drive and a great day, see you next time.
Michael Sheavills
