Relocation of the family Chummy…

[Reckless Rat]

It's what happens when you have a French keyboard...and big fingers.

[Bruce Nicholls]

Remember the car well and it features in many of my 8mm cine films. I had stopped driving my RP, acquired in 1971 for £85, in the Midlands due to road conditions. Moving to Norfolk (near Dereham coincidentally) has put the Austin back into daily use so I am sure you have all made the correct decision. Here's to another 80 Ian!

[Tony Press]

From Bill Sheehan:

 Ruairidih - Well do I remember my wife and I arriving in the Bristol area and being met by a certain Blue Chummy complete with a trailer (which I presume is the same one you've been using for years?) for our luggage.  Ian and I didn't do a lot of miles in it then,  because we were busy putting the Pearl back together from a million pieces (four and a half days and it was MOT'd).  But Jen and Ian certainly ran us round the area in it later. You were only 4 then, so  probably don't recall it?   Good to see the Young Folks at Home still vertical and smiling - and Happy Birthday Ian!  Newcomers to the Forum would  perhaps not know that Jenny also loaned me her Top Hat to camp with them at Beaullieu and they very kindly loaned the Pearl for us to tour the UK for a couple of months.  And many years later you drove me  around the West Country in your Ulster - what a family!  And it's good to see you're keeping  the family cars together.  Best of Luck to All from a grateful Ozzie.   Cheers,  Bill

[Ruairidh Dunford]

I remember you and Margaret coming to stay, Bill.

You used the Sewing Room, the one with Stanley Edge’s bed in it! For years, after you both left, a carrier bag hung on the inside handle of the door in that room, full of Melbourne Club Newsletters. They had been sent to you, at our address.

The Cabriolet caused you quite a few issues, from memory. I have some film if you driving it around the rally field at Doune with Ray Stephens hanging out the passenger door looking and listening to the back axle…

Lovely to hear from you.

[Ruairidh Dunford]

The A38 is a superb road for Austin Sevebs. It’s a 1930s build - perfect undulations and curves to keep going in top gear.

It was one of the first roads I ever drove the Ulster on, coming south I felt I was pulling quite a lick in the car. Flat out, with a smile on my face I became aware of a strange noise in the background. It got louder and more machine-gun like. In a flash a 3 wheeler Morgan passed as though I was parked up. A solitary left hand was raised by the driver as he quickly became a spot on the horizon. This was the point that I realised my red Ulster was not, in fact, “the fastest car known to mankind”! What a crushing blow!

I stopped in the Camping shop, Attwools, to buy some gloves, something I’d missed off the kit list, and also some large rubber bands to stop my sat nav from rattling out of it’s cradle!

I was taught to map read at an early age. Pure necessity really as I felt I had to do something stop my parents from divorcing each holiday. With the onset of sat navs I still use a map and between the two I find wonderful routes.

Gloucester appeared sooner than I expected and was passed quickly, then on to Ledbury. The roads were quiet and travel was swift. Beautiful houses passed me by, the borders of England are very beautiful. Soon I was passing Leominster and found a 1950s style diner to eat in. Next to me a group of older gentlemen in wheelchairs were treating their young female carers to a lunch out. The chat was wondrous and the beer kept coming! I left them all in fits of laughter, comparing notes about “courting”, such a great thing to see. Both ends of life lifting the other up on a day out.

The car was running better as the day went on, it’s lack of use had made it sluggish at first, now it was loosening off, a bit like the gents in the wheelchairs!

I stopped to admire Ludlow, it is a place o would like to return to and explore properly, just divine!

   

At Shrewsbury I joined the A5, a busy but dualled road. I was able to maintain a reasonable speed and kept to the left, although busier traffic was passing safely and I was able to get miles done a little faster.

At Chirk I left the A roads and headed up into the mountains. The tracks are superb and the views amazing. Soon I arrived at my hosts for the night, Mark and Gaynor Fetherstone. I’d done an engine for their van the previous year and they were kind enough to be looking after me. I fixed a few issues on the van, then a few more on their neighbour’s Ruby before settling in to a wonderful meal and a superb nights sleep!

   

   

   

[Howard Wright]

Hi Ruairidh

I wondered a bit about your route until I realised you were headed for Chirk for the night. You are right Ludlow is a lovely town with an amazing cheese shop! It also has a medieval fayre just before Christmas when the castle grounds are full of stalls and eateries!

Enjoying the read and am very interested in how you get through Cheshire and Lancashire!

Cheers

Howard

[Steve Jones]

Assuming Ruairidh is doing his trip at the moment, yesterday was a good day for it. We're in the area at the moment and it's rained non stop since 8pm yesterday. Hope he's got his coat.

Steve

[Ruairidh Dunford]

I was driving last week, Steve.

[David Stepney]

Ruairidh’s remark about being overtaken by a Morgan 3 wheeler amused me no end. About three weeks ago, Leon and I were going up to the horses in the Seven. As we were proceeding at our customary 35 - 40 mph, we were overtaken in fine style by a chain gang Frazer-Nash driven by a young man in his twenties his passenger with his arm over the back of the drivers seat. (I had forgotten how cosy Nashes are!). A quick toot and wave and the Nash disposed of the two vehicles in front of us and shot through the bends and bridge by the Rhosygwaliau turning with much opposite lock and that was the last we saw of it.

Quite magnificent and Leon now wants one!

[Ruairidh Dunford]

I slept very well at Mark and Gaynor’s home, it is absolutely silent!

Mark cooked a tremendous breakfast for us all and we then headed out in both cars, the Van in front, to visit the aqueduct.

               


With no handrail on one side it requires nerves of steel to pilot the boats across.

Mark led me on a scenic route towards Chester, before they headed back and I continued on up the Wirral towards Liverpool. I have quite a job finding my way into the entrance of the Birkenhead tunnel, but eventually found the correct route in. It was not busy and the car travelled through without issue. The only dilemma was an unexpected junction with absolutely no signage, I kept right and emerged in the centre of the city.

Lots of traffic lights were red and the stop start became monotonous. However I was soon on the open road again, passing through Ormskirk and then on towards Preston.

The days distance was the shortest of the trip but I had envisaged it would be busy and tedious, I was correct.

Preston opened up the long awaited A6 and I was able to motor freely once more, soon entering Lancaster and a short drive to my lodgings at Longlands, near Carnforth.

The car had done well, no issues at all and was now running quite smoothly, the journey was doing it some good. I had a lovely meal and some ale, before heading to bed, early! Oh how the might fall!