and no change

Mk7 to marina again.

Lotus is still sitting there.

Then Seven out in the late sunshine - parked for watering. Spotted the Dart in the bum carpark as I passed.

Then tested the E-type - still rumbling but seems fine at speed. It will have to go into the garage.

Nothing obvious

Spent time under the E-type looking for loose stuff.

Nothing obvious, although I did find an under-tray that might rattle so I shielded that.

Then the rain set in so no car action.

SAAB 2 - Alpine 1

Alpine first thing to Harkstead - parked in the lay by.

Then SAAB back to check progress.

Then SAAB back again - and then to the marina for plumbing jobs on another Swede.

Found a Lotus Excel parked down there - looking very red and very much a wedge.

More clonks - but great turnout

Good news.

SAAB to the boat and just fitted in the spinnaker poll - although with the boot propped open it did suck the exhaust fumes in.

Then SAAB to the creak and there was that Daimler Dart again in the driveway. Best angle too.

Then the Caterham off to the shops in the sunshine - great run too. Parked in the shade though.

Finally the big event. Tidied up the odd bit on the Jag and then set off for the Shotley ECR meeting. It was HUGE - must have been the mag that sponsored it - but they were still coming in at 8 pm.

Jag was looking good though.

Mind you made a lot of 'clonking' noises on the way back too...

Pride before the - non-start

Washed the E-type for the ECR meeting and gave it a polish - looked good. Very good.

Then pottered in the SAAB to the creak to take pictures. Spotted this Dart on the way back.

Probably the best view.

Later in the sun set tried the Italian. It was hard to start - so I should have started to worry - but decided to go to the re-cycling (let's ring the changes eh) and then filled up with petrol. Chaps at the bus stop liked the car and asked the value... um...

Then it would not start ... for several minutes. So not a lot actually. Time to get it sorted.

No better

SAAB to the dump to earn its keep late morning.

Then Ferrari battery connections re-done and tightened.

... and it was no better. In fact harder to start.

Then cleaned the Mk2 (and noticed the increasing rust) and ran it to town and jobs.

Fate - Karma - and an idiot

Aston out first thing to pick up a package.

Then took the Mk2 out to collect the SAAB wheel. Young chap in the yard liked the car.

I fitted the wheel back on - but I let it fall over first - so I damaged it again. I suspect it is fate so I'll leave it for a while.

I might try to repair it myself as it is not too bad.

Then the Caterham out at last - but only up to Harkstead. Sounded like it was rubbing in reverse down the hill ?

Then the charging would not work - as a wire had come out - so I fixed that. I can do simple things.

Good Pic - Bad Pic

Sailed back to home in real hot weather. Nice and colourful too.

BAck late and home in the Mk7.

Finally I found it is possible to take a bad picture of an E-type after all.

That was a late evening run for supper after arriving back from sailing. Not had the car out all month before then. Lots more rattles though which was odd.

Also found that I'd not used the Caterham all month either. Well we were only home for

Fourth Emergency Service ?

Sailed from Burnham up the river to moor at North Frambridge to see the Macmillan boats come back. As you can see they were late.

Afterwards back down the river to Brightlingsea. Quite a good sail once we got the cruising chute up again too.

Then in the Wallet Spitway we managed to rescue a stranded boat too. Towed him for about four hours.

G2R and onward

Golf down to the boat for a few days away.

Cold on the water despite the sunshine.

Long sail to the Crouch, but were rewarded with a decent sunset.

Moving on to another Alarm problem

Alpine out in the blustery sunshine to see EB early pm.

Then decided the 308 needed a run. I have become a bit reluctant to use it with the alarm issues. Checked and the last time I used it was June 1st  - almost 4 weeks ago. Not good.

So as usual I set the bloody thing off opening the door before switching it off. Then it would not start first time - but obviously did eventually. Redeemed itself by looking good in the sunset - although seemed a bit jittery over the bumpy roads. Started first time in the car park.

Realised I'd not done the simple job of making sure the battery connections are tight - might be worth it just in case...

No longer so alarming now

Alpine out to the boat and get a gas cylinder as the clouds looked threatening.

Looked nicer at the marina though.

Then Aston out in the evening gloom to test the alarm after the new battery. It was fine and as the light was flashing I assume all is back to normal.

More Alarm issues ?

Took the SAAB wheel in to get refurbished in the boot of the Mk2.

I can get the BBS wheels done for about £400 - after the bodywork perhaps.

Then Aston out and the alarm triggered again - seems the battery might have worn out so I changed it. We'll see.

Back East

Left late as the weather was turning.

Better run back late afternoon - although why the Sat Nav thought going through Oxford was the best plan only it knows.

Despite the threatening clouds and the forecasts there was no real rain all weekend - so perhaps I could have risked a toy.

How many of those do you see ?

Mk7 to a small car meeting in Cirencester.

Quite a few nice cars crammed in as well as the Lancia Stratos I was following the day before. Chatted to the owner who was a Woman about our age - which was a nice surprise.

Not as tight a fit as you think either.

Then as we were leaving a very rare Aston Martin DB3S turned up for a few minutes.

Later a few more cars at an open gardens and a few more pics.

Oh and to answer the question, I think there are only two cars in existence.

Going West

Mk7 Golf down to LV. Dull 4+ hours A12, M25, M4 etc. ... and yes the adaptive cruse is a boon on the M25.

Saw a few Scimitars on the way and a nice red Stratos we chased up the bypass. Arrived and parked up on the grass - which is getting longer.

Then A3 evening ride to an open air cinema. Could have been a drive in - but we had seats.

More of the Mundane

SAAB out for jobs and gardening early on.

Then Mk2 into town.

Looked very small next to the van when I filled up with petrol.

Hemmed in - but risked it

Now resurfaced both the roads out of the village.

SAAB first thing for jobs - and shopping.

Then late run in the Aston for recycling. I must work out how to use a phone-camera too !

Mk7 Dash

Ride in the Mk7 up the Heath Hospital for a 6 hour wait - and then back home again.

But I did get the Drive a Suzuki !

Escape route

Mk2 Golf out to the allotment first thing - before the work had started.

But I was trapped ... and had to go the long way round.

Hemmed in again

SAAB to town as the road to Ipswich is being resurfaced (again) but the gravel is now settling in so that's ok...

However next they are doing the other way out of the village - just to teach me a lesson.

Drying out time

Left the Alpine open to dry the carpets out etc.

The car was not too wet at the end which was odd - it was not coming in through the doors either.

RAF Coningsby

Saturday 15th June saw a small group of six cars (two Alpines and four Tigers) head across the Fens and on into Lincolnshire. Our destination was RAF Coningsby, just north of Boston and over 115 miles away from home. Our visit had been organised by Tomas Carr on behalf of RGEA (Rootes Group East Anglia) which is our local group that gathers once a month to celebrate all things Rootes. I had also arranged to meet another long term Alpine owner who was joining us at the base, for reasons I will explain later.

After a very wet and windy June week it was a relief to see clear skies and even a bit of sunshine on Saturday morning for the long run. I’d checked the fluids and tyres and loaded up a few spares the night before and I’d decided to go the scenic route and avoid the A14 as much as I could, so at 8:30 am, top down, snugly wrapped up, we set off and headed for Bury St Edmunds.

The run up was great, diving into the countryside after Bury the roads open up and provide sweeping bends and long straights - definitely suited to classic motoring in an open top Alpine. Passing through Thetford Forrest the sun shone through the trees and the early morning traffic was light so we made good progress. My car was also enjoying the trip having been stuck in the garage for most of the month and definitely felt ‘on song’. We swung west as we passed Kings Lynn and the Wash, soon crossing over the River Nene at Sutton Bridge deep in the Fens. After quick stop for petrol and another hour on the road we were skirting the base getting glimpses of a Spitfire and looking for the entrance.

Coningsby is a fully operational airbase active in the role of national defence. It is home to two frontline, combat-ready squadrons of Typhoons and specialises in Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) - meaning that it ‘scrambles’ aircraft when a threat to UK airspace is detected.

It is also home to BBMF (Battle of Britain Memorial Flight) which consists of six Spitfires, two Hurricanes, a Douglas C-47 Dakota, a Lancaster (one of only two aircraft remaining in airworthy condition) and two de Havilland Canada Chipmunks. The base maintains these irreplaceable aircraft in airworthy condition and is constantly displaying them, so most of us will have seen them flying over events around the country.

We were met at the gate by security and when all of the cars had arrived, our official passes were issued and we drove in convoy onto the base. We were honoured to be shown round by the base Commander, Group Captain Mark Flewin, supported by some of his team. We quickly assembled outside one of the Typhoon maintenance hangar and were escorted inside the main building. The tour started with a short presentation by the Group Captain about the base, its history and its day to day activities - which were quite a revelation. As he concluded the noise of the Lancaster firing up caught our attention, so we quickly went outside to see it.

The four engines of the Avro Lancaster were fired up in succession and warmed as the crew settled themselves in. Standing a couple of hundred yards away the noise was powerful, rising slightly as the plane moved off onto the runway for take-off. A couple of minutes later it roared directly overhead, the noise considerably greater, then did a circuit of the airfield before heading off.

As the Lancaster was leaving a Spitfire had been rolled out of the hanger and was now also starting up. A few minutes later as it taxied for take-off, we were ushered forward much closer to the runway. The Group Captain had arranged for the Spitfire to do a short private display for us before it headed off. Over the next few minutes we were treated to several fly-pasts as it banked dramatically and swept around the airfield showing off the manoeuvrability of the aircraft.

Next we were taken into the hanger where the Typhoons were maintained. One plane was sitting with its canopy open and the electronic systems were engaged as we climbed up to be given a quick lesson in how it flew and the armaments it carried. In fact the aircraft is so complex that it is not ‘flown’ in the analogue sense, with computers constantly tuning the flight for stability and automatically defending plane with chaff etc. should it be attacked - making it the world’s leading in combat fighter.

Here was a photo-opportunity not to be missed. Using the Typhoon emerging from the hanger as the backdrop we assembled the cars in a ‘V’ formation in front of the plane. I’m not sure we’d qualify for the aerobatics team but we made a good job of creating a symmetrical pattern with the patriotically Red, White and Blue cars.

After a short bus tour of the areas of the base we were allowed to see we arrived at the Aviation Heritage Centre. Containing the historical archive of base operations from the first WWII missions to the present day it tells the story of the base operations and service personnel. It traces the evolution of the aircraft operating from the base - from the Lancaster (including the famous 617 Squadron known as the Dambusters) to the Vulcan bombers and Phantom jets, the Tornado and the modern day Typhoon.

We then returned to the huge BBMF hanger where the historic aircraft are stored and maintained. It was a garage that would have made any enthusiast dreams come true. We were given a talk on both the Spitfires and Hurricanes lined up along the sides of the hanger and walked around the planes in for routine maintenance and repair. I spotted a Spitfire I had recently seen in Normandy as part of the WWII commemorations, as well as the commander’s Hurricane having an oil leak diagnosed.

It was hard to leave but we were running out of time, so after a quick BBQ we were just in time to see the Lancaster buzz the airfield and land on its return. We thanked our hosts, said our farewells and were escorted off the airbase in convey again.

As the others headed for home we joined John Hancock at the nearby Petwood Hotel. John is a long term Alpine owner having had his Series IV since 1969 and lives locally. He was able to give us a tour of the building which had an aviation connection as it was where the Dam Busters officers mess was based and all around there was memorabilia from the squadron.

The reason John and I were meeting was also WWII and RAF connected. Many months earlier John had spotted my name (Brazill) next to photo of my Series I in the Horn and got in touch to ask if I was related to William Brazill ? William (or Scottie as I knew him) was my grandfather and was a Navigator in Wellingtons with 150 Squadren. Shot down over Belgium on a night mission in September 1942, Scottie evaded capture and while recovering from his injuries was hidden on a farm near Maredret by a Belgium family. After getting better, Scottie was transported by Réseau Comète (the Comet escape line) through occupied Belgium and France eventually being guided across the mountains by foot and into Spain. He made it to Gibraltar and finally returned back to the UK in January 1943. Scottie went on to be Chair of the RAF Escaping Society and from time to time returned to Belgium to meet with members of Comet and the family that sheltered him.

This is where the connection was - as it turned out that John not only knew the family that sheltered my grandfather but had visited them. John met his partner (Andree) while working in Belgium several years ago. It turned out that Andree’s niece had married Michel Housiaux who was a little boy when his grandparents hid Scottie during the war. Michel still lives on the farm in Maradret which John and Andree visit from time to time.

By that time however it was late and we needed to start back - so we said goodbye to John and headed to the car. As we started to take the tonneau off the heavens opened and we drove the car under a large oak tree and hid under the cover ourselves. After a torrential downpour and thunder claps overhead the rain eased enough for us to brave putting the full hood up and set off home.

Somehow the worst of the weather conspired to follow us back and for the next hour flashes lit up the sky as the storm that hit Lincolnshire that evening tried its best to flood the roads and float us into the ditch. However I’m glad to report that despite running a little rough for a time, the Alpine kept going and got us home. Over the next few days I dried out the carpets, amazed how well the roof had kept the weather off us.

A final thanks to Tom for organising the day and to Commander, Group Captain Mark Flewin for his hospitality and the time he spent with us. We all enjoyed ourselves immensely and learned a lot about the bases modern operations as well as being lucky to get up close to some fantastic historical aircraft.

Home for ECR and prep

Long run back from the North in rain and wind that eased to cloud and then sunshine by the time I hit Suffolk.

Home and jobs again. Started the Alpine - then checked the tyres and oil - both fine.

Had time to prep the Golf Mk2 to take it to the Shotley meeting in warm evening sunshine.

Returned and finished prepping the Alpine for tomorrow.

Then SAAB to the station for late night taxi service.

Busy day.

Big Boys Toys

Mk7 to York then look around the Train museum in the afternoon.

Returned to more rain though.

But I did help get the oil filter on Steve's Stag - and it started sounding good.

Little Jobs

Back up on the train as the rain faltered a bit.

Jobs in the afternoon so we took the trailer into Mathewsons.

Spotted this lot of retro campers in the yard - but not nice enough to want to take home.

Settled for a ride in the new Triumph Renown. Nice period run to the shops in the rain.