another day on the backroads

Settle - Hawes - Egglestone - Stanhope - Hexham - Kielder - Bonchester Bridge - Aberlady

Featured Road :

Unmarked Road      

Start:               Kielder Visitors Centre        

Finish:            Saughtree      

Distance:         9 Miles           

Road Width:   Varying         

Road Notes:   

This is a road I have known about for many years and keep returning to. Busy in the high season, the run alongside the reservoir has long sweeping bends before things tighten up after Kielder Village. There is even a Kielder style wooded rally section before a narrow, but totally open section running alongside a stream. Attacked with second and third gears, it’s a mini rollercoaster of a road. Remember to keep a lookout for logging trucks, which frequent these roads.

4 Stars 

porsche evolution day, silverstone

So I did the Porsche Evolution Course at Silverston Yesterday with a couple of other elise owners.

First the amusing bit, two of the three Elises broke down getting either there or back, they had clearly taken the hump. For reference mine did about 90 miles on battery alone before I was stranded on the M40.

Anyway, we arrive at the smart centre on the outfield and are ushered upstairs to a very very Porsche dining area where we meet our instructors and get a free Cappuccino and breakfast delicacy.

So the story is we drive an old Whale Tail porka, a 993c2 and a 9972C2, which turns out to be a GTS – back to back 30 minutes in each car.

993 C2

So car number 1 for me is the 993 – radio switch falls off when I close the door! Strangely enough my instructor announces he doesn’t like the old cars…slightly off putting I love 993s and if I had any money I would like one. Anyway out onto the circuit and it’s a good old thing to punt around in, but if I am honest it is more about learning the circuit than feeling the car at this point. The handling circuit is basically a good Scottish twisty right down to the lack of run off.  It’s fast and neat rather than fast and leary like you might be on track.
Then we take the 993 on the ice hill and low friction course. Ice Hill, you have to slalom downhill through two fountains at low speed in second. I have a couple of spins and a couple nice slides and catches – fun. Then the low friction course, its tight 1st gear corners that you pop the back end out of on exit.  and you do have to boot them, there is a fair bit of friction, I find it a bit micky mouse, would rather have a faster corner in 2nd  than slow 1st.
Anyway time over in the 993 and I am a bit undecided on it, the RS I have driven feels so much better, maybe understandably so, but it didn’t feel like I had long in it, given that I was spending time thinking about the layout and having the features and track explained to me..
Anyway next up the 997 GTS

Handling circuit.. This thing really goes.. not dull, not boring etc etc, it’s a flyer and it really handles. It is wickedly entertaining on the handling circuit and would be absolutely sublime on a good country road. Then onto the kicker..a device that you drive over onto a low friction area. As you do so it kicks the back end sideways. After a couple of false starts I get the hang and am soon drifting the GTS on the power for the length of the area – this is huge huge fun. The default speed for the kicker is 5 and as we have it to ourselves my instructor gets out and cranks it to 8. His best is 32mph over the kicker on level 8 – I spin, then again, then again. I just cannot get the lock on fast enough. Fun though.
In summary this car is absolutely brilliant.

Last car, the old whale tail 911

What a dog of a car, the gearbox is totally fucked, Almost impossible to get into 1st even when stationary – down changing on track is a no no, even tired some heel and toe. On track I just leave it in third. And the slow speed steering is painfully heavy, unbelievably heavy. It feels like there is something wrong with the car heavy.. Its fun on the low friction stuff though then onto the handling circuit for the last 15 minutes. This was maybe the best 15 minutes of the whole experience, the circuit was full of people in new GTSs and I was hunting them down in the shagged out old nail. Magic. It really was a lot of fun round the track, but then again my Elise steering felt magic heading for home.

sporting bears charity trackday, aintree

Note that are all photos are by Paul Griffiths whose website can be found below

http://www.paul-griffiths.net/

Great trackday for Sporting Bears giving rights to families who have children in various hospices in the north west.

Thanks from the parents & families

I was invited by Claire house children’s hospice, which is a very special place my family loved to visit with my son Harvey. Sadly we lost Harvey last year age 4 but our whole family are continually offered support by Claire House. This event was especially important to my 9 year old son Charlie as he misses visiting Claire House and meeting his friends.

I did not know quite what to expect of the day and to be very honest the first hour was very emotional for me as I know Harvey would have loved to travel in a racing car! I have never in all my years of attending Claire House events seen so many happy, excited, smiling children’s faces. It is difficult to find an event that the whole family can enjoy together but you succeeded, I could see whole families with healthy children and children with health problems all smiling and enjoying the thrill of being a passenger in a fast car. The look of joy on one of the boy’s faces as he was lifted out of his chair and sat in a very fast yellow car will stay with me for a long time, I am sure the boy and his family will also treasure the memory.

My Son said it was one of the best experiences of his life and even wrote about it for last night’s homework when he had to describe the best day of his school holidays. I will attach his short piece but pardon any inaccuracies he is only 9!

++++++++++++++++++++++++I just got off the phone from an Andrew Lomas (Emily’s Dad). He just wanted to say a huge thank you for yesterday. Andrew was genuinely moved by the gesture and could honestly say, quote, “it was the best day they have had in their lives”. Due to Emily’s condition the family are not often able to a) afford or b) have the time to go out with the boys so for this to happen was a true gift for them as a family
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I just wanted to write to say a massive thank you from myself and my family for providing us with such a wonderful day.My daughter Holly has complex health needs so it is very rare for us as a family to be able to go out and enjoy an activity all together.
Myself and my husband were blown away by everyone's kindness today and the fact that they all give up there time and petrol and of course their amazing cars so that our children can enjoy a day out is just so lovely.

Today my daughter Holly got to ride in a Bentley and feel the sensation of driving at speeds of up to 100mph and that is something I never thought I would see and it's a memory I will treasure forever and without each and every one of you that would not of been possible.

My other two children Josh and Ruby have not stopped talking about it since we arrived home and Josh said it was one of the best days of his life,so from the bottom of my heart thank you for brightening up our lives today and all the other families from Claire House I don't think I have ever seen so many beaming faces.