SE Region review of 2014

So the end of another year has gone and what a great year we’ve had. In conjunction with our winter report in the Xmas/winter edition of the club magazine we have uploaded some more photos from our events in the south east during 2014. As I keep mentioning we share our events with the south east region of the drivers club otherwise we would not be able to hold as many events as we do with the DC. That’s the reason you see other Mk’s of MR2 in the photos.

April 13th MR2 Kent Run
This is always a good event to start the season. This year Pete was driving his bright yellow Mk3 with “Zombie Outbreak Response Team” stickers all over it so it wasn’t going to be too difficult to lose him on the chase through Kent. He did his best though and to his credit we do have lots of stops along the way so we can all catch up and we had a long stop for lunch at the Britannia Inn Public House in the shadows of Dungeness nuclear power station. All very electrifying!

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Pete Mason wearing the shades at the Eureka Park starting venue

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Leaving the M20 at Junction 10

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The coastal road heading towards the Britannia Inn at Dungeness

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The Nuclear power station is in the background

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One of our frequent catch up stops

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Nearing the end back at Ashford

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Our final stop outside the French Connection restaurant in The Crescent Orbital retail Park, Ashford

April 20th & 21st (Easter weekend) Festival of steam and transport, Chatham Dockyard.
Although this is a weekend event we only went on one day. The Monday was the brightest sunny day that brought the crowds to the show. We are probably the youngest cars at the show, (cars have to be at least 25 years old) and placed near enough on our own right next to the entrance/exit to the show so everyone who came couldn’t miss us. What a stir the cars caused as well, there was always someone looking over them, we were also spotted and placed on the Drivers Club Facebook page asking who we were and could they come with us next year!

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Two MK1’s guard the entrance

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And they attract a lot of attention

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Steve Kingsnorth

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A chance to look around. Boarding HMS Gannet

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Linda Cayzer with our friendly neighbour Sue aboard HMS Gannet

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May 3rd & 4th (May Bank Holiday weekend) Magnificent Motors, Eastbourne Sea Front
Steve Kingsnorth and myself left on the Friday afternoon for a leisurely drive down to Eastbourne travelling the route through the Ashdown Forest, a favourite route of ours and staying for two nights at a travel Inn. Saturday was an early start. 8.00pm at our arranged meeting point just outside Eastbourne for a cuppa and bacon roll before heading off in a convoy the short distance to the winter gardens on the sea front where the show was held. Only five cars on this day so there was plenty of room for us. Not so on the Sunday though, the show was packed with classic cars and we had 12 MR2’s to cram onto our pitch. It was a tight squeeze but we managed to fit all the cars in although there wasn’t any room left for a gazebo and we had to sit any where we could.

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Joining the Friday evening rush hour traffic near Eastbourne. This queue caused by road works. Grrrr!

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Up and out Saturday morning driving along the Eastbourne sea front

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On Saturday it was busy but not as busy as Sunday

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Sunday morning meeting first at Richard Pells house for bacon rolls and tea

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A short drive to the sea front

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May 25th & 26th (May Bank Holiday weekend) Motorsport at the Palace. London SE19
Another trip to Crystal Palace for an action packed day of motor sport. Unfortunately as happens sometimes with the British Weather the heavens opened and it continued to rained on and off all day!

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Alan and Mark Cayzer with Debs sheltering from the rain

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Steve Kingsnorth with Mark Bailey

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Debs Watson with Paul

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June 8th Sunday. Bromley Pageant of Motoring. Bromley, Kent
This is always a popular show and this year was no exception. Blessed with good weather for a change, the sun bought out the crowds so the show was the busiest it had been for some years.

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Can’t resist a look at the Ferrari stand

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Jinxy and Mandy Joined us at Bromley
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Our Kitchen.Tea and coffee is always available at our shows

July 13th MR2 London to Eastbourne Run, East Sussex
The Eastbourne run started off at the Toyota HQ building in Epsom, a very modern building with offices and a show room in acres of grounds. The hosts at Toyota opened especially for us on the Sunday morning and laid on hot drinks and doughnuts for everyone. They also joined us in the run for a short distance in one of the very last MR2’s (a red Mk3 on a 06 plate) but had to return after a short distance so as not to put too much mileage on their heritage car. From there we went through a busy East Grinstead, the Ashdown forest then stopped for a break at Beachy Head before continuing to a pub nearby for a Sunday roast diner.

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The Toyota HQ building is very modern and impressive

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The car park at the HQ building

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Our first stop within the Ashdown Forest

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Second stop within the Ashdown Forest

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Beachy Head

July 14th Polhill Classic Car Evening
Polhill is a large garden Centre at Badgers Mount just 5 minutes from Junction 4 of the M25 and also 10 minutes from where I live. Every year they hold an evening Classic car show on a Monday which is very popular. Despite the promise of some company I ended up going to this on my own with Linda and my next door neighbour John who has an SP250 Daimler so at least I had some company that night. I ended up next to what everyone thought was a Ferrari 360 Spyder but as you probably guessed, turned out to be an MR2 based conversion. This is really a very friendly evening from 6.30 until 9.00pm with lots of people that are interested in cars and plenty of motors, and when it’s all over it’s all down to the local pubs for a quick pint before heading for home. A great evening if you can get there in time!

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Linda Cayzer with our neighbour John infront of his SP250

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The SP250 parked outside the Bulls Head in Pratts Bottom. (Yes really, there is a place called Pratts Bottom!)

August 24th Wings and Wheels. Dunsfold, Surrey
The Wings and Wheels at Dunsfold is a great show, or rather it would be if the Marshalls and organizers knew what they were supposed to be doing. When we arrived on the day we had 12 MR2’s but had been allocated a plot that was only large enough to fit just 6 cars. We complained but didn’t get any help or sympathy so had to extend our pitch onto part of the hard standing area at the rear of the show ground. I also had a bit of a run in with a Jobsworth after we had unloaded the support car which totally spoilt my enjoyment of the day. Such a shame as there were loads of spectacular supercars roaring along the runway and air displays on and off all day long with the highlight of the two Lancaster Bombers flypast.

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A very early start. 7.00am at Pease Pottage Services on M23

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The queue to enter the show

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Still waiting!

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Shamed. The Jobsworths!

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A MK1 and MK2 drive past

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Lancaster fly pass

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This unknown MK1 joined the supercars in the speed pass

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Somehow managed to squeeze everyone in but not on the pitch (which you can’t see)

OK, This is the last one!

September 21st. St Christophers Hospice Classic Car Show. Orpington, Kent
The second year at Tripes Farm in Chelsfield Rd for the local St Christopher’s Hospice (formerly Harris Hospice) and as expected this was much larger than the previous year’s debut show. This year we had a turn in the arena and said hello to the crowd and explained a bit about the cars, their history and about the two MR2 clubs that attended.

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Tripes Farm is in Orpington and is usually a venue for boot sales but suites a car show well.

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Entering the arena

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And getting dizzy driving round in circles

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Eventually stopping for a chat with the arena host

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Looks like you had a lot of fun last year!

Great write up and great shows

Alan

Is your motor the one with the seven spokes, DGC? It's very nice, and you had some cracking days out. I just wish I was a bit closer to the coast!

That show awning is very impressive and ultra modern, how about something like that Tom for this years events?

Jonathan

Hi Jonathan, yes that is mine DGC, short for "Dammed Good Car" we have good days because there are lots of shows to go to and other things to do here in the south east. Just wish we had more mk1 club members with us. Maybe this year we'll see more. That awning is good and fits in the boot of the mk1 unlike the red gazebos we have!
Hope you enjoyed looking at the photos

Great photos Alan. Thanks for posting. So sorry not to have turned up to more events but as you know my car had a catalogue of problems last year ...clutch, water leak, starter ...it just went on and on. I particularly enjoyed the last one, the Hospice event. I actually ended up going to Bromley in my Ford Fiesta and getting in as "support car"! Also, cycling to Toyota HQ!! Despite the offer I didn't cycle with the convoy that day :) . Thanks for putting in the time and effort Alan.

Good to see there are a good few meets in the SE. I'm in Winchester, so this is probably the region that I'm closest to so I'd hope to get along to something this year.

Is the 2015 schedule likely to follow the events detailed above?

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Originally Posted by andyj

Great photos Alan. Thanks for posting. So sorry not to have turned up to more events but as you know my car had a catalogue of problems last year ...clutch, water leak, starter ...it just went on and on. I particularly enjoyed the last one, the Hospice event. I actually ended up going to Bromley in my Ford Fiesta and getting in as "support car"! Also, cycling to Toyota HQ!! Despite the offer I didn't cycle with the convoy that day :) . Thanks for putting in the time and effort Alan.

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Hi Andrew, Thanks for your post. Yes you have had a bit of trouble with the car this year I know but I will always consider you one of the clubs best supporters of the club and I am very grateful to you. I look forward to meeting up with you and Sue soon!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AndyB

Good to see there are a good few meets in the SE. I'm in Winchester, so this is probably the region that I'm closest to so I'd hope to get along to something this year.

Is the 2015 schedule likely to follow the events detailed above?

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Hi AndyB
I have just posted the list of events in the SE area for 2015.
Hope you can make it this year

Thanks Alan, I'll Take a look and do my best to attend.

I am hoping to come to some of the meets this year too!

I'm going to try to go to a few shows this year before I sell mine.