Ahoy me hearties!
It is a public holiday in Britain on this day, monday the 28th of August. We worked though...but Joe, (our painter) & I were a little slow today because of our 11 hour drive back from Brands Hatch to Stafford yesterday. We'd driven down on the Thursday to run a VERY hot Mustang for the weekend. It was a very big meeting & we were the only historics. All the other cars were ...proper. British GT championship, British Formula 3 championship, VW challenge ( with every modern VW entered from the latest Golf to the first golfs, new Beetles, Polo's & small van things.....),& British Formula Ford Championship. Our class the "Heritage Series" is full of Aston Martins, ( 6 DB V8's, 4 DB 4's) a couple of Jags, Rovers, Lotus' & a mixed array of American muscle.When Joe-verspray & I arrived at 10pm there were only a few spaces left in a very crowded pits. We met with Robin, our client who had got there early & parked up his Motorhome....well it is a bus really, with a living area that expands out sideways from the body of the bus, effectively doubling the internal width - this is no hippy rig with wood burner, lots of d.i.y cabinetry from old fence pailings & second hand crushed velvet cushions. Oh no! This is like a luxury hotel room- that you can drive.)......When we finally made it back to our hotel just out by the main gates it was 12.30 am...there was a wedding going on & another Bride & Groom came bursting through into the foyer, as Joe & I sat in the comfy chairs having wind down night cap. The Bride was full of the joys of life & quite a few puddings too by the look of it, she exclaimed in a loud & totally thrilled voice " OOOH! whorra suprise " - I thought going for a curry, down the local -now there's a suprise " OK wife, Biriani ? " Or the Seychelles...that's a nice suprise......But the Thistle Hotel at Brands Hatch ? It exists for drivers & crew only & we were all frozen, glasses paused at lips, searching for a look in each others eyes to confirm that we were all thinking the same thoughts....the same thoughts I was having. The next night-another wedding, more people, jammed packed full, with kids shrieking & chasing each other around at high speed, then huddling to confer on the next game- that involved chasing, high speed, yelling & each other.
Gary & Steve were away at Oulton Park this weekend with the black Lola & one Mustang. The Lola won its race & the Mustang came 3rd, so a good result for them. Joe-verspray & I had less luck. The weather was wet on friday & qualifying was a little damp. Robin shares the car with his daughter Zoe & thanks to her being a whole second faster than his fastest lap we were on grid 12 for the race -well up in our class. We weren't expecting a quick driver change owing to the sizing of our drivers compromising nimbleness & the ability to " suck in " when the crew are doing your seatbelt up. The race was going very well with Robin doing the first stint, but the same lap that we were bringing him in for the driver change......the engine blew up. Two conrods gone, a part of one smashing the windscreen of the Lotus Elan he'd just passed! Needless to say Zoe was unhappy to miss her race, she also couldn't understand why Robin was laughing so much when I took the responsibility because if I'd brought him in sooner it would've happened with Zoe driving & we could've blamed her....( plus methinks it might have shut her up at dinner......man she can talk herself & her driving up & UP & UP! She's nearly as bad as male racing drivers ! )
By the time the car got back we had just enough time to pack up & nip back to our room to change, before blasting back on the scooter to the Heritage hospitality tent. The Heritage series is fully catered for with 3 meals a day, & the " tent " is really a 40 ft lorry trailer that has a tent awning thingy out three sides, table, chairs, jazz band......oh & people devouring the whole pig that had been on the spit roast for the day, just behind the Aston Martin V8 race cars ( thats old 1970' & 80's models ) I don't know what was done with the left over meat- maybe they sponser a village in Africa & every monday send them htwo thirds of a pig & some horseradish sauce.
I had helped some Italians get their Ferrari 360 Marenello race car out for their GT race. I'd been wandering with my camera & they were struggling agains time to get the car repaire after an accident. I became the helpul elf & slipped in cable ties, the odd bash with a hammer, drilled & riveted repair patches, mud cleaner offerer & in the end we all succeeded. It was a great feeling to see it drive out of the tent & make it to the track. It was also great to be around that language again....I'd missed it ! And as a bonus I really enjoyed the GT race, that was exotic supercar stuff if ever I saw it. Ferrari's, Lotuses, Porsches, Aston DBR9's Plus one off race cars worth...Millions. So, my new Italian friends were at the Heritage tent too because they also run a Lotus Exige in GT. They'd bought that car off the Stratton Motor Company that is behind Heritage Series ( they sell exotic cars....& helicopters, as you do.) We talked in english, italian & hand gesture & drank Italian bubbly that they'd brought with them.....a vinyard as one of their sponsors, that's clever innit? So a crappy finish for the Mustang, but a good day all the same because Robin was very philisophical about the blow up ( it has had quite a thrashing that engine ), I met some fun Italians, & a village in Africa will eat tonight. Joe & I returned to the honeymoon suite quite knackered.
Our Sunday was to be an early pack-up & split for home...but Robin had his XJS Jaguar race car transported over from the workshop that runs that for him, so we had to do some prep on that....I'd already had to make a mercy dash to the hotel 'cos we couldn't find the van keys....they were in Joe's jacket pocket the whole time, with our luggage at reception. Plus another mercy dash to get fuel from outside the circuit- the pumps were closed inside the circuit.....I NEVER mind needing to rush somewhere on a scooter- especially with the challenge of having 40 litres of fuel gripped between my knees! But then we found out that the officials had officially changed their minds & we couldn't run the Jag. Oh well. We packed up & departed to drop the Mustang off to Robins nest. He is setting up his own business with 2 mechanics to run all his cars.....he's getting the most out of his 60's that's for sure. They say that to make a small fortune in motor-racing first you must start with a big fortune.....Robin won't notice the money missing from his huge fortune. It is like speed tax.
By the time we'd left, returned to get our luggage from the hotel, left again, sat in traffic for an horiffic crash on the motorway, sat in more traffic for no apparent reason, unloaded Robins car, eaten at 'The Fox Inn' near the start of the A14- or the M11, or the A504....some road in the midlands anyway .......fresh Rhubarb crumble fresh out of the oven, fresh like, with fresh custard.....
we were home.....
I took a wee break today- mainly to get breakfast- at the Eccleshall market & car boot sale, near work. The " Veggie spendour " curry was a bit much at 10:30 am...I'm not feeling too much splendour now I can tell you! The stuff on sale was the biggest array of worn out old or really crappy cheap new shit I'd ever seen - I did pick up a great Rhubarb crumble though! There were so many people there, it was huge. It was like march of the penguins, as we all waddled up & down the lanes of floatsam &... well shit really. The skies opened & dumped rain on us briefly, the Eccleshal market floatsam doesn't float. There was the steriotypical Englishman at the market banter ...." ok Luv make me an offer....oooh! you're robbing me - ok done!" ......." who here likes a bargain...?....anybody?...."
" which of you like streaky bacon..?...."....." 4 for a fiver, 4 for a fiver...ok - 5 for a fiver, 5 for a fiver & I'll frow in this luvlee 'and towel...!"
This time next week we'll be on the Tour Brittania with the car in the workshop that hasn't even run or sat on the ground yet...or got wheels for that matter. And I'll be running Dougs Mustang again....thats why I put the engine in it today.
This time in 2 weeks I'd have had a non stop 24 hour cuddle with Selene.
Keep the home fires burning, ta-ra !
Master Lambkins,esq.
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