I t W as O nly, 24 H ours @ L e M ans

Steve Taylor tells me that it started at Silverstone, but then many things do. In this case questions were being asked such as: "Don't forget to write something about Le Mans this year". Or even, "I’m looking forward to reading about your French trip". So don’t blame your Editor, you've asked for it. Readers with a sensitive disposition should avoid page ##.

THURSDAY June 10th.

Mick Ward, an old friend and ex TC owner (current vehicles include a Tickford Austin 7 and a bus), arrived from Bedfordshire to see the TC in full Grand Touring mode vis:
GB badge and "England" badges (including St George's cross) above rear number plate.
Flag pole affixed to the radiator cap which may have had a mascot on it at some time as it has a central hole. From this flew the Union Flag - a little ragged as it was designed to adorn dining tables and not suited to 60 mph winds. The luggage rack held our old cabin trunk, veteran of last years Le Mans & several camping expeditions to Silverstone.

The car had been checked over, but in a much more cursory way than last year when I spent every evening for two weeks making sure that important bits weren’t left in France. This year I spent my time on the parts that ensured it went more or less where it was pointed, and stoped when requested. When finally packed, the old car was FULL. The tonneaux cover bulged alarmingly, but, as Mick was to discover later, this made a soft and comfortable head rest.

Arriving at the car park of the Cock Inn at just before 9:30 am, we found Eddie & Dave Long staring into the open bonnet of the TF. Eddie was a little concerned about the amount of play on the water pump pulley, however it didn’t seem to be worsening so we set off avoiding the nearby motorway, through the Warwickshire countryside on that cool but bright day.

Crossing the M40 by Warwick, we retraced the part of the route of the Chicken Run of the previous month. South on what was the main A34 road to Oxford, before the motorway took the heavy lorries away, through the Cotswolds to Woodstock and onto the A34 past Abingdon. Just before crossing the M4 we stopped for the second "comfort beak" for me, and for Mick to take on some coffee. Thereafter the journey was to follow this pattern, with the "comfort stops" being in direct ratio to Mick’s coffee stops. There is something about hard TC suspension and driving on a cool day........but then I guess that many of you know just what I mean.

At the modern service station we saw the first signs of what was to become the flavour of the trip - other "Le Mansers". Now if you missed last years missive, and have not been to the race, let me explain (the rest can go onto the next paragraph if you like - that's if you’ve got this far). Le Mans is a curiously British - nay English event. Whilst there were supposedly over 180,000 attendees, estimates I heard put the Brit. contingent at between 60,000 & 75,000. Many of these seemed to be travelling in "interesting" cars. Hence later it was frequently noted that red Italian cars bearing the "sign of the frightened horse", or those strange German things "Porch" or something, with the engine at the wrong end - you know - were hardly worth a glance as there were so many of them. What did turn heads were the pre- war Bentleys & Aston Martins, and, of course (as always), the T Types. These particular cars, a real AC Cobra, a Ferrari, a couple of Caterhams, a left hooker Austin Healey 3000 and a few more, all bore a rally plate announcing that these were the "Naughty Boys" - on Tour to Le Mans and this was to be their last visit, the last, for the seventh time!

On arrival at Portsmouth the full force of the weekend’s trippers could be seen. Behind us was a 1934 Bentley whose owner uses it every day, and much to the embarrassment of his children, delivers them to school in it (I bet they ask "could we go in the Escort today Dad please?"). ACs both real and replicas, lots of Caterhams & Westfield (I cant believe it’s not a Lotus)7s, in all a real treat.

However there were not many pre ’56 MGs. WHERE WERE YOU ALL?? Its not that far, for us its only 160 miles to Portsmouth & then just over 100 to Le Mans. Now the Kimber Birthday Run is generally about 250 miles and many UK runs are longer, so our little trip to France is no great shakes - really.

The ferry trip was calm and uneventful. Our departure had been delayed, it seemed by industrial action by the french dockers. As we had no concrete plans where to stay on the first evening, and were likely to arrive later than 10:00 p.m., I was just a little concerned. Hardly adventurous, but I do like to know there will be a place for me to lay my head each night. There was a tourism booth on the ship, so I asked the young lady if she had a map of Ouistreham showing camp sites. She had and there was one marked very close to the port, just upstream on the canal-side. Would it be open that late I asked, yes came the answer it stayed open until 10:00 p.m.. But we were arriving later than that. I was told not to worry as " ‘E will be there. ‘E knows we are late"!

And so it turned out, after disembarkation we drove the ½ mile and found the camp site. The Patron appeared, seemingly from nowhere and spoke to us, not surprisingly, in french.

At this juncture, I think I should admit to having a near total lack of linguistic skills, my french is between basic and non-existent. Generally it consists of rearranging about ten words in different orders for different situations. One of the (few) advantages of increasing years is the reduction in embarrassment threshold. This means that one feels less upset making a fool of oneself whilst trying to speak french, in fact I find it a good ice breaker as it generally leads to a great deal of mirth for those I try it with. However, I gather he asked if I spoke french, I answered in french that I didn’t. Mistake. I believe he said "But you are" or some thing like that. However the rearranging of the ten known words worked, we were let in, knew the cost for three tents for one night and discovered we wouldn’t be leaving before 9 am as the gates would be locked (this didn't present a problem).

Finding an open space, not too near, not too far from the loos & shower block, the tents were unpacked and erected for the night.

and so on to Friday.....