What have you done today with your Austin Seven

[Parazine]

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Richard_Montgomery

[Bruce Nicholls]

We have sailed past the Richard Montgomery several times and I remember it looking very like the Wiki photo. Not a place to linger we thought!

[Denis Sweeney]

Not sure where my “70,000 tons ……” came from, local folklore perhaps or Chinese whispers
??

[joe]

Further to the nice pictures of foreign parts thought this snap of the road between Framlingham and Badingham in Suffolk might be enjoyed, ideal Chummy roads.

Joe

[Reckless Rat]

Isn't it wonderful to be able to drive about on quiet roads. Today, according to the "Crafty Bison" website (Bison Futé) it is BLACK SATURDAY on the French motorway network as half the population travels home from their holidays and the other half set off on theirs. Fortunately for me, Rekkersland is about an hour's drive from either the A7 or the A9 and most of the tourists round here have already left. Some places are still busy, but the Cévennes is a very quiet, rural and extensive National Park so the roads are generally quiet, especially when you're driving a Seven because usually they're all stuck behind you!

The river Cèze valley, with Saint Ambroix (our local market town) in the background. Our place is over the hill on the horizon.

   

[joe]

Raining in Suffolk now, put the kettle on Reckers we’re on our way. My apologies all, should have said Austin 7 roads, ( not Just chummy)

Joe

[Bob Culver]

Thanks Joe

When I was a boy and when running the Seven as everyday transport from all four main centres in the 60s, many of our main roads were much as your photo. Trucks were very restricted  by licemsing in favour of rail. So quite satisfying to drive at the then still common 45 mph or so, but there was a lot of dangerous overtaking with crowding in and oncoming vehicles. The road toll was much greater than today with half the population and far less car use. For such roads now generally have to hunt out routes which go nowhere significant. We do not have the huge selection of alternative routes between centres and villages as in much of UK. And roadside trees extensively removed. For many main roads and not just motorways the countryside has now been extensively reshaped which makes for boring travel with little feel for the natural contours.

[Duncan Grimmond]

Bob, if you want nostalgic feel to your motoring you'll have to visit France. The majority of the D (départmental) roads I've driven are as I remember English roads in my childhood/teens. You can drive 20k on some of them seeing only one or two cars, but keeping a weather-eye open for a wild boar to burst out of the woods!
That bally Covid-19 has deprived me of my habitual summer visit for 2 years now and I'm very cross!

[David Stepney]

Wales also has lovely Austin Seven friendly roads. I had occasion to go over to see a friend in Llanfihangel-yng-Gwynfa today, much of the journey along along single track roads:-


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On the back lane between Llangynog and Penybont Fawr


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Coming into Cwm-Nant-y-Meichiad


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Between Cwm-Nant-Y-Meichiad and Llanfihangel


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On the way back towards Llanfyllin. The red fuzz on the upper left is the hedge full of rowan berries (Goodness! Is it that time of the year again?)


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By the war memorial in Llanfyllin.

[Ivor Hawkins]

We used to have beautiful quiet lanes around this neck of the woods, but the advent of the M40, together with building of HS2 and the re-opening of the Varsity Line means they have been wrecked by trucks and heavy plant...I should move back to the home country judging by David’s wonderful pics!