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#Post#: 72600--------------------------------------------------
Drew's little LATP reportage.
By: Drew Date: August 29, 2013, 8:33 am
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Well, here's a more complete overview of my experience getting
to, enjoying, and getting back home from LATP '13.
I took no photos, sorry.
Firstly, gushing thanks must go to the 'Catering Corps' and all
those who threw their shoulders against the large wheel that is
organizificationing such a show, which has, if we are honest,
become something a little larger than the way we originally
steered LATP - tents, beer and a line-up of motors.
Yes!...that's a dominant aspect which will always remain; but
not everybody who now attends is a user of OLLR, as the gig has
become a fixture on the broader L-R calendar. Which is all the
more reason that it is still impressive that it is organized in
a seemingly informal and 'let the chips fall where they may'
manner. It's like a duck...gracious above water, but paddling
with a fury below. And I pride myself that I used to be involved
very much with the organizing, but accept that my remote
position now makes such efforts a little impotent.
Anyway, on with the tale.
An 05:30 departure from home on the 22nd August (happy birthday,
FenCub) saw me hoof the 500km up to Le Havre, with a fuel stop
at Ecommoy, lunch in a lay-by South of Gace, and another fill-up
at Le Havre, just before I got on the boat. All was well and
peaceful.
21:00 saw us dock in Portsmouth, with a slight pop and backfire
when I started the motor. Assuming a cheeky dizzy adjustment was
required, I popped the bonnet, only to be told by the stevedore
that I would have to wait 'til I had disembarked, whereupon I
was told I would have to wait until I had left the port, at
which point I was directly on to the motorway, only to have some
heavy popping and jerking when under rev-load.
Limped off and found myself in a lay-by just off J11 of the M27,
where Moogling, having previously called me because I was late
for our meet at J2 of that road, came down to take some parts
from me and give whatever help he could. Phone-calls to the wise
matched assumptions I'd made, that it was indeed electrical. But
I was pretty fucked by now so got myself across the seats and
set my alarm of 05:30.
Up, cleaned the carb for good measure, new dizzy on and points
set, all with the help of a chap called Surlo, who's a mate of
Landyboy's. Then I was off, with me being just the wrong side of
09:00 hours to go where I was supposed to be going first...the
home of Wooden, who was having a tailgate from me and furnishing
me with breakfast. Indeed, I was intending to drive there from
the port, cheekily park on a forest track close to his home and
surprise him at 08:00, but it wasn't to be. So I ankled my way
straight to Lurch's, where I decided a pukka old Lucas
distributor was going to give me better service than the ropey
Chink copies which I had, one of which I'd recently bought from
a company called SimonBroadcastingCorporation (the only
redeeming feature of which is the red rotor arm). I mean, it
turns out that they really are the crappest of components, with
the central drive pin having developed float within the space of
one trip and the caps still having play when on the locating
pin.
Tea, second dizzy of the day fitted, and Pete and I are on our
way North, enjoying occasional traffic stodge on what is, on
paper, the most direct and, supposedly, quickest route. We
arrived at Caphouse at around the 18:30 mark, as I recall.
Now I could go into lengthy detail about the event itself...but
I won't. I've been around Leafers for 26 years and all shapes
and sizes have been in my ownership or have had me porn'ing over
them. I'm in no way bored of them...I've seen Land-Rovers,
they're like that - and I'll always have one. I just wanted to
meet my friends and share time with them, some of whom I'd never
met and others who've been absent from the regular function of
my life for far too long.
It was great camaraderie, healthy swilling of ale along with
fine camp-site grub, with a couple of interesting motors which
I'd wanted to see for a bit; namely FenTiger's Stage One and
Mick Outhwaite's 2AFC. It was also a boost to see 'The Humph'
back on the road.
Many folk were on form, I had more than one person, when Tommy's
bonnet was up, comment that it's nice to actually see a 2 1/4
petrol for once, and doing such a journey to prove that whilst
they may not be locking horns with a Prius engine on economy,
they can still run well, be enjoyable and get you there and
back...which is exactly what Tommy began to do, once I left on
the Sunday.
So I hoofed it over to Oldham to spend a day-or-so with family
and to collect my mother, who was only too apprehensively happy
to make such a journey back to SW-ish (SW patent pending with
Parksy), France, departing at lunchtime on the Tuesday. Taking
it coolly down the M6/M42/M40/A34/M27 to Portsmouth, we arrived
with a couple of hours to spare before the 23:00 sailing, which
gave me the opportunity to slap together some Stilton Tortilla
wraps and grab a pint of cider in the terminal bar.
Peaceful crossing, no repeat of poppings on start-up, and ten
hours after the 08:30 disembarkation, at 18:30hrs, we crossed
the gate at Chateau Drew.
Unloading all but tools (and my purchasomaniac mum who'd been in
the UK for an extended holiday since June made sure there was
much), a late dinner of...d'you know what...I can't remember.
Guess what? LATP '14 is definitely going to have to suffer
Drew...but he won't actually be going for the Land-Rovers. Yes!
I know this is the raison d'être of OLLR; but people whom I
reckon to be the salt of the earth, the pillars of granite which
support the whole Land-Rover scene, hover these corridors, and
it was those self-same people who made this event what it was
for me...so it was (copyright DKSIII).
HUZZAH!!! OLLR and all who engage low-box on her!
Thank-you, to all. :thumbs:
#Post#: 72686--------------------------------------------------
Re: Drew's little LATP reportage.
By: Joskin Date: August 29, 2013, 4:49 pm
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Excellent stuff Drew , couldn't agree more with your sentiments
!!! :thumbs:
#Post#: 72688--------------------------------------------------
Re: Drew's little LATP reportage.
By: Albert Ross Date: August 29, 2013, 5:05 pm
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Not bad for a foreigner. ... . :rolleye0012:
#Post#: 80727--------------------------------------------------
Re: Drew's little LATP reportage.
By: Landysid Date: November 23, 2013, 3:00 pm
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Drew we are classed as SOUTHWEST France, Parksy is a bliddy
Spaniard (well almost).
Sid near Cognac, southwest France!
#Post#: 80731--------------------------------------------------
Re: Drew's little LATP reportage.
By: parksy64 Date: November 23, 2013, 3:39 pm
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I'll take Basque over Spaniard ;-)
#Post#: 80740--------------------------------------------------
Re: Drew's little LATP reportage.
By: Stuey Date: November 23, 2013, 5:28 pm
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That's strange, my Dad lives in Deux-Sevres and he says that is
Mid-West France and I'm inclined to agree. However South-West
sounds a bit cool, rather than Mid-West sounds a bit like
Hicksville, USA.
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