10-05-2020, 03:30 PM
I completed a JOGLE 'out of season' in late Sept/early Oct 1989 with two friends. I agree with the consensus that noone would sensibly do so today, at least not on major roads, as witness our twice yearly trek to Cornwall along the usual main routes which is tedious (and risky) enough in a modern, and only about 230 miles. The hardest part was the Thursday afternoon going up the M4 to Euston through the London rush hour when in Euston High Road a headlamp and bracket fell off (not my brazing but the local garage...) and was run over by a double decker at 5.00 p.m!
We took the overnight car/sleeper (sponsored by British Rail) to Inverness, and thence to Jo'G hotel (sponsored by Peter de Savary), refuelled at Wick (sponsored by the late Victor Gauntlett of Proteus Oils) ate a full English (and a Scottish one, Ruairidh - at Dunkeld) every day (sponsored by Little Chef) and kept in touch with the Oxford Mail (another of our sponsors) and families using mobile phones the size of a brick (sponsored by Vodafone) and raised £5,600 (at today's value) towards the cost of a defibrillator for the Oxford Ambulance Service via the British Heart Foundation. Every penny we raised one to our fund, and any shortfall we funded ourselves - proper fund-raising. I am with Ruairidh about the scenery 'up there'; I still have the mini-cassette tapes I made en route and to play them back today is to hear my wonderment at the spectacular and panoramic scenery in late September. Sadly we have never been back, and that was the only time I have gone so far north...
We followed a 'sort of main roads' route over a five day period via Aviemore, Carlisle, Silverstone, Taunton* to the bottom end. The five days' runs averaged from 160 - 280 miles per day. Total mileage 1035 - with various diversions (like avoiding Shap on local advice - 'Don't you take those "old ladies" up over Shap' - best find another way...') and getting lost in Somerset at 11.00 p.m. (not my navigation, I was solo, but a co-pilot in the lead car). Average 26 mph, and 42 mpg.
*The Taunton day's run was 280 miles due to poor navigation!
Definitely never again, but great to look back on.
We took the overnight car/sleeper (sponsored by British Rail) to Inverness, and thence to Jo'G hotel (sponsored by Peter de Savary), refuelled at Wick (sponsored by the late Victor Gauntlett of Proteus Oils) ate a full English (and a Scottish one, Ruairidh - at Dunkeld) every day (sponsored by Little Chef) and kept in touch with the Oxford Mail (another of our sponsors) and families using mobile phones the size of a brick (sponsored by Vodafone) and raised £5,600 (at today's value) towards the cost of a defibrillator for the Oxford Ambulance Service via the British Heart Foundation. Every penny we raised one to our fund, and any shortfall we funded ourselves - proper fund-raising. I am with Ruairidh about the scenery 'up there'; I still have the mini-cassette tapes I made en route and to play them back today is to hear my wonderment at the spectacular and panoramic scenery in late September. Sadly we have never been back, and that was the only time I have gone so far north...
We followed a 'sort of main roads' route over a five day period via Aviemore, Carlisle, Silverstone, Taunton* to the bottom end. The five days' runs averaged from 160 - 280 miles per day. Total mileage 1035 - with various diversions (like avoiding Shap on local advice - 'Don't you take those "old ladies" up over Shap' - best find another way...') and getting lost in Somerset at 11.00 p.m. (not my navigation, I was solo, but a co-pilot in the lead car). Average 26 mph, and 42 mpg.
*The Taunton day's run was 280 miles due to poor navigation!
Definitely never again, but great to look back on.
True satisfaction is the delayed fulfilment of ancient wish