Beaujeu

Thurs.09.08.07. Isabelle is the extremely helpful contact at the ‘Office de Tourisme’ in Beaujeu. This tiny village in the middle of the Beaujolais region of Southern Burgundy claims to be the nadir of ‘Beaujolais Nouveau’. I have made a request to join their celebration dinner on the evening of Wednesday 14.11.07. at the ‘Mairie’, Hotel de Ville, this must be the best possible venue as they are having their dinner one day earlier than the rest of the world. She is also contacting the only hotel in Beaujeu to book all of their 7 bedrooms for the group of English that hopefully will be on the trip. 

Their e’mail address also has a certain ring to it, ot@aucoeurdubeaujolais.fr. Which roughly translates as ‘the heart of Beaujolais’, Isabelle will send me an application form to attend the dinner but at this point in time she perceives there being ‘no problem’: I seem to recall Katinka saying the same; only time will tell. The Thursday night could therefore be taken up with a formal dinner in Buxy at the Gormandaisse ‘Aux Annees Vins’ restaurant having spent the afternoon in the Cooperative cave sampling the local Montagny. The trip is taking shape, unlike the car.

I have been modifying several components of the dashboard alongside that of cockpit focussing mainly upon past successes, adapting, within these, the new proposals. Once the skeletal form has been defined I intend adding colour to simulate carpet wood and leather. I hope to be in a position by the weekend of finalising 80% of the ‘definitive’ design.

A pleasant afternoon was spent with John at Life’s Motors, sniffing around the wonderful array of cars but also purchasing four bumper brackets with the appropriate nuts and bolts, the remaining piece of rubber wing strip and two stainless steel boot rack brackets. The total cost was £120.00 cash which makes the brackets for the Burlington at about £25.00 each, ridiculously expensive: “I’ll tell you what Linda, they are the most expensive brackets I’ve bought, but they’re bloody good I say, just like my mate in Swindon”. I don’t like being mugged but it at least it was by a gentleman. 

     

More dashboard design

Weds.08.08.07. I am attempting to fashion the new dash at home instead of on site where minor or major alterations can be achieved much easier. I have spent most of the day cutting and re-cycling previous models working blindly in the hope that after the second ‘suit’ fitting the final design will edge towards completion. I realise that this is not the perfect working procedure but certain factors have pushed me into this corner. 

I can work quietly, remain focussed, become thoughtful, not distracted but more significantly have all my tools available my workbenches clean, clutter free. The fact that I have spent endless wasted time juggling, scribbling adjusting a day’s work on site then spending the following day undoing and re-doing is really beside the point. I know that I can make my concept work, I can design the dash as well as the rest of the interior, I can produce a practical aesthetically pleasing proposal all on my own without Brockie’s 1960 time warp input or Chris dithering, looking for problems, total lack of logic, unreasoned approach or destructured methodology. I shall take control of every aspect of the cockpit paradigm. I shall choose the scale, proportion, balance, line and colour ways. I shall choose the combination of materials, leather, wood and carpet. I shall choose the arrangement, position and content of the instrumentation, gauges and switches. I shall choose the steering wheel whether it be, Brooklands, Isotta, Sparco, Mountney, Momo, Motolita, Cakilita, Crapiotta, Plopimomo or even  Shitaki. I shall determine the rear storage space, its construction, finish and purpose: perhaps a refrigerated wine, cheese, pate, charcuterie or hidden smugglers hold to accommodate 20kgs of Moroccan Black. I shall decide all these elements no one else. I am about to take control.

Who says there is no ‘I’ in team?  

Parrots

Tues.07.08.07. I have the made the next cardboard maquette for the dash. I have truly lost count of the number of designs that have been proposed but hopefully this should be the ‘definitive’ (whoops, here comes that word again). After several adjustments the dash sits comfortably. The console being much lower at a more severe angle follows the tapered line of the forward compartment. Oddly enough, this concept bears a striking resemblance to the original design of Brockie’s back in the early days of the spring of 2006. Now that’s what I call a predictive, manipulative coincidence.

Breaking up the afternoon Chris, Dick plus myself had to collect an RX8 from Greenacres in Clitheroe. The car turned out to be something of shed, horrendously filled and badly painted. This compounded the journey because instead of having to suffer the outbound journey we were ‘double Dicked’ having to return without the car. Dick’s latest E’Bay conquest has been ‘talking parrots’. “They come in a variety of plumage to replicate the major breeds of the world, the rainbow parakeet of Australia, the salmoncrested Chilean cockatoo, the redcrowned Argentinian blue, the great greenspotted redbibbed Peruvian pink and of course the full range of Macaws, including blue, yellow, scarlet, red and green. They can all decree, exchange and discuss endless topical subjects by the use of supportive, reasoned argument, intelligent dialogue prolonged by amiable conversation, thus engaging the purchaser in stimulating, informative debate: from the global economic effects of emerging nations particularly the problems within the Republic of China to whether Chelsea or Man Utd will win the Premiership this year. They never swear, the batteries run for ever, they are very clean, they don’t need feeding because they’re just a toy, they’re not real, so you can sell them to little kids and old ladies for their birthdays. I’ve sold all the 50 that I bought making a tidy £20.00 profit, excluding P+P: it’s a piece of piss, it beats the shit out of banging your brains out with skanky car dealers who are always trying to turn you over.” We sensed there may be a Stella moment this evening.  

Eviction

Mon.6.08.07. It has been a day of re-planning the dash, console along with the general cockpit area. I have returned mid afternoon with various broken bits of cardboard, MDF and plywood that were the previous ‘definitive’ models. I am realising lamentably, that this concept called ‘definitive’ is a state of ‘nirvana, paradise, heaven, utopia or winning the lotto’, all of which are invariably impossible to attain, are perpetually illusive, consistently unbearably unachievable. Nevertheless, I sped around to my local B+Q to buy yet more MDF and, better still, ‘bendy MDF. The bendy stuff can be shaped every which way and so the nuances of the most recent design can be easily achieved, or so I am informed.

Eviction.

Late on Sunday night after a gallon of Deuchars the Doc stunned every one by announcing that he was about to be evicted. Chris whispered this revelation early in the evening supporting his information after having spoken to Billy Green earlier that day. Bill, above all, even after a liquid afternoon is still capable of picking up and even more crucially actually remembering such gossip the day afterwards unlike most people, myself included, who find such drunken babble rapidly disappears down the vacuous black hole referred as the ‘memory’. Both Chris and I began to speculate about the stubborn temperament that exemplifies the Doc. Looking at the most recent rain damage above the bar, the debate ensued as to whom’s responsibility it would actual be to repair the swollen ceiling. We both imagined the ‘Old American stand off’; gunslingers, index finger twitching, Serge Leone twanging in the background. “That’s what he’s done, he’s dug his heels in, he’s claiming that it is brewery’s responsibility and not his.” I can just hear him banging on- I won’t pay for the work as long as I have got a hole in my arse, furthermore, consider this, you’re not getting your rent until YOU pay for it- This scenario always finishes tits up with the bigger fish eating the small one. “They call this the food chain, Ni, trust me, trust me”, proposed Chris. “Think about it, Ni, that’s what he’s done, he’s upset the brewery and they’re booting him out!” Lowtie subsequently arrived to add to the speculation, speaking over three fields he reinforces the theory of non payment of rent. “The flood damage has got to him, he’s finally cracked, the walls are tumbling down, Prince Ferdinand has been assassinated, the Germans have invaded Poland, France has capitulated, he’s doomed!” Why Lowtie should always compare the slightest problem with the Great world Wars only he knows. Andy Lewis strolls to bar, Chris cops for another drink, but he doesn’t mind so much because Andy could perhaps add another twist to the story. “What do you think, Andy, about the Doc being evicted, tonight, by the brewery; he’s an obstinate, Bolshie bugger, it’s just like him to self destruct on a matter of principle. Bloody ‘ell, it’s just occurred to me there’s no where we can go for a drink, we’ll be wandering around, like the last time he spit his dummy out, like the Tuareg of Swinley, dipping in, not welcomed, unwanted, to the ‘fast and loose’ and ‘costcutters’, the right arm severed at the shoulder!”

“Is he not being evicted from David’s land, not the pub, because of the damage to Adele’s lawn? I don’t think Cockney Mick’s explanation of a stampede of rogue Roe deer, their tiny hooves churning up the ground like a 3 ton Massey Furguson, was actually believed by Adele. I think that maybe, Adele has had a quiet word with Paul to find a new home for the pigs. I would guess that her stables bulging with pig nuts, a scrap Discovery listing heavily in a newly created bog, a faulty electrical fence unable to contain the saddlebacks but worst of all a ruined family lawn at the height of summer may have something to do with ‘an eviction.”     

The laughter inevitably died down as David strolled in. “Hey mate, what’s this about your missus evicting the Doc, tearing a strip off Paul but moreover ejecting our pigs from Southpork?” asked Chris, diplomatically. 

Another useless programme of work

                                  Work Schedule August 01.08.07. Colin’s version.

I have by now written countless 'programmes of work: all of which have been totally ignored. Perhaps the power of Colin's pen may hold greater sway. I somehow doubt it.  

·      Set the car on stands to dry build: the wheels should be blocked at the correct height. Measure the chassis from the floor and replicate the other wheels. Space the body as required (4mm neoprene or similar between the chassis and the central tub).

·      Park the brake to adjust rear brakes. Measure the length of the cable required allowing for adjustment. Remove the corners from the tube.

·      Exhaust. Remove the primary pipes, alter the gasket and pipes as required, re-assemble.

·      Bumpers. With the exhaust in position fit the rear bumper using brackets provided by Morgan, fabricating as required. On the front, fit the body parts first and then make good the bracket, fabricate where necessary.

·      Radiator. Measure the radiator space, source the matrix, fabricate the mountings. Connect the hoses and filler.

·      Luggage Rack. Using Morgan brackets, fabricate as necessary. The spare wheel may be needed.

·      Spare Wheel Mount. Fabricate the mounting plate. A suggestion maybe to use 3+1 centre nuts. Fabricate from a second hand boot floor. Check the diameter of the floor ‘Top Hat’ with the dimension of the inner wheel.

·        Pedal Box. Remove the excess from the bulkhead to facilitate access. Fabricate the locating plate for the throttle cable and adjuster, modify the existing pedal and shrouds to the bulkhead. A suggestion here could be stainless steel mountings and plates.

·      Seat Belts. Source the required seatbelts. Sort out the mounting and fabricate.

·      Steering. Select the position of the wheel (the seat is required from Terry trim) taking into consideration the pedals, gear stick and hand brake. Source or fabricate the bulkhead and parcel shelf mounting to spread the strength. Split the shaft with a universal joint for a better position and break point.

·      Dashboard. Consider the instrumentation to be fitted and locate for ease of vision, touch for operating the switches and access for maintenance, using minimal fixing points, perhaps a retaining header, radius and cover. Sort out the proportion of leather to wood, explore the appropriate finish.

·      Transmission tunnel. Switches and covering should run through the final design and finish, remember to always consider the original lines within the car.

·      Tank. The tank could be mounted upon a rubber or fabric to reduce shock. A 90% hose to complete the filler point: a metal tube or fabricate as required.

·      Ignition. Could there be a concealed cut out for security?

·      Wipers. Without wipers will it be necessary to create some air flow over the screen?

·      Boot floor. Mark to the chassis before making a removable tray. Cut out the access hole above the rear spring centre mount. Cut a cover to fit, the holes should have radiused corners

·      Grill. Cut a grill back from MDF or similar to form a grill and fit to the nose cone. 

·      Inner engine panels. Aluminium fabricated at Catterall and Wood

·      Paint. Strip the car and prepare for primer. When the panels return with colour prep for the top coat, buff and re-assemble: touch up where necessary and buff. 

It is clear to me that there is a great deal of ‘fabrication’, which I presume Colin will be responsible for?

Another shopping list

So, although Chris feels frustrated as well as perhaps a little guilty for the apparent lack of progress over the summer period, the project has methodically matured due to these numerous impressive modifications. But, perhaps the most baffling element over the past few months is the lack of contact with young ‘Danny the Painter’ particularly his apparent apathy. He also, seems to be ignoring phone calls requesting him to paint the car. We may have to make some executive decisions about this? 

All of this recent enterprise as also produced another ‘programme of work’ that has been written up by Colin. This should be the definitive final schedule that could see the Burlington completed, perhaps, because Colin has produced this ‘order of work’ Chris may actually take some notice. There is also the inevitable shopping list.

·      Bonnet fasteners. (vintage supplied by Europa)

·      Accelerator, choke and handbrake cables with ends (John at Paddocks)

·      Heat shields and bulkhead panels in aluminium (Catterall and Wood)

·      Stainless steel master cylinder covers (Tatton Park)

·      Manifold inlet stud, 8 brass manifold studs (Paddocks)

·      Radiator (Wigan radiator company or Tatton Park)

·      Oil cooler and electric fan to blow (Phil H+H ignition services)

·      Overdrive loom (Paddocks)

·      Seats and other trim (Terry the Trimmer)

·      Wheels and Tyres (Minilite direct or Paddocks or Quick fit: my arse)

·      Badges (Haydn Davies)

·      Steering wheel (Motolita direct or John at Life’s motors)

·      Carpets and trim (Terry, woollies or Tatton Park)

·      Paint (Young Danny, if he can be bothered or Gordon at Pem)

·      Rubber wing strip, bumper mountings, brackets, chrome bumper bolts and the  

        necessary nuts for the windscreen brackets (Life’s Motors).

·      Seat belts (Europa or Tatton park)

·      Bulkhead bearing and universal joint for the steering rod.

·      Plugs, HT leads, filters, battery, 4 clips for brake and clutch pedals (Paddocks)

·      Midget rubber petrol hose (Welsh MG)

Summer Progress

Fri.03.08.07. Thankfully, as per usual, Chris has actually underestimated the progress that has been made. Sure enough, on the surface the car hasn’t changed much since my departure in May but after a ‘talk through’ on Friday afternoon the extent of the modifications, improvements together with numerous revisions that had been achieved has been grossly underestimated. For someone prone to childlike enthusiasm Chris had definitely undersold his summer achievements.

·      The handbrake mechanism has been re-designed. It is now lower, further forward incorporating a rose joint which acts as an adjustable pick up point for the cable; all enclosed within a totally new self contained bracket. The central section of the tunnel has been cut into a streamlined gentler profile, the rear segment housing the newly fashioned bracket. As a result the cable needs to be shortened with later a dished recess in the tunnel will be moulded to accept the handle grip of the brake. The action of applying the brake is now smoother, much more naturally comfortable.

·      Moving the engine back a further 6cm replacing the original 13/60 box with an overdrive unit has meant that the entire drive train sat higher on the chassis. The angle at which the gearshift extension rod exits the box was much higher provisionally running parallel with the chassis at a difficult higher plane. Colin and Chris have re-constructed the shaft, fitted an extra bearing at the box end, which enables the shaft to be angled to an acceptable level. This modified shaft has been made from tubular steel, the split gear linkage giving a snug operational height. The combination of this refinement together with the handbrake improvements has made the driving position management much more acceptable.

·      The pedal box has been fitted with an additional top spring loaded double bearing accelerator assembly instead of the usual ground anchored arrangement. The box had been built last year, again, with an input from Colin. Welding three original Triumph pedals together (two clutch and one brake) the box was created by using a central plate to accommodate the complete unit which then could be suspended from both of the master cylinders above. The distance to operate the clutch, brake and accelerator has been measured to facilitate a comfortable gear change plus the smooth application of power. 

·      To complete the rear exhaust configuration it had been necessary to lift the rolling chassis along with the central tub on to axle stands. The work had to be carried out in situ with Colin and Chris collectively working along side each other underneath the car. Additional brackets have been fabricated to secure the left and right sections to the chassis via bobbins. For future ease of assembly and repair or replacement a partially drilled stainless steel plate has been welded where the pipe splits at the ‘Y’ union. This enables both of the rear silencer boxes to be individually bolted to the front half of the system. Additional anchors from the chassis to the tub have been attached as further fixing points for the rear system.

 During that days activities Colin was accurately welding with aluminium, mild steel    and stainless. Clever bastard.

·      On the scuttle top the aero screens have been mounted by securing locating nuts on the underside using steel plates to hold the nuts whist also being ‘glassed’ once in position. The brackets can be fitted in two quite different ways to determine the exact level at which they lie: each being quite critical as one method severely tilts the screens whilst the other maintains a perfectly parallel plane to the rest of the top. These adjustments therefore cater for cars having a flat plateau plane to those that have a concave surface. Discovering these alternatives originally proved difficult for the team but after much scratching of heads their versatility was revealed. Much to the delight of Chris who naturally assumed that we had bought yet another lemon. A recessed seat to accommodate the base of the rear view mirror has been cut into the top so that the post stands perfectly upright allowing for total vision to the rear of the car.

·      The dashboard needs a complete re-think. Because the gear lever and handbrake have been lowered subsequently the tunnel cover has been reduced in height the dash now appears flimsy, oddly remote from the rest of the internal design. Where once the dash swept up at either end to lighten the heavy appearance of straight lines a more compatible option would be to have the corners develop a batwing downwards interpretation mimicking the curved sweep of the door panels. But, the gap now between the gear stick and the bottom of the dash appears to isolate the main body of the instrument panel from the console. A deeper section of dashboard must now be considered to bridge this unpleasant space. Simply speaking, a totally new concept must be calculated. The batwings together with the lower sleeker console area must remain as an improved modification; it is the actual dashboard that now needs to accommodate this stronger composition. To achieve the desired effect the combined proportions of wood and leather must be explored thoroughly. Back to the drawing board! 

Pigs

On the way down to the Oak that evening I decided it might be best if I do not disclose any of this information to the Doc but instead vow to find an alternative, much better venue, before releasing the true facts. As the evening progressed the usual suspects gathered each with a summer’s adventure to retell; the tastiest being the exploits of the pigs. At the same time as Adele was on holiday in Cornwall they escaped, ingeniously led by ‘Steve McQueen’ the self appointed ‘alpha’ male porker, following their noses to David’s rear garden to feast upon new grassland, create huge swathes with furrows criss-crossing their beautifully sculptured lawned grounds. Once discovered, the pigs fled back to their pen; all but one who sped up the lane in the direction of Haigh hall. David had chased in hot pursuit but when he finally caught up with the well rounded trotter it suddenly keeled over having suffered a massive heart attack, the brute had croaked. The pig was buried the next day with military honours; Adele went ballistic having returned from the holiday to discover a ploughed field instead of a bowling green.  

I, eventually, asked Chris how the project had developed since my absence. I was met with the dreaded, “not much really, I’ve done a bit, but not much because I have had to re-design many of the bits that I had done before, so I’ve been going backwards really; but, Brockies been, he also has recommended some other changes which we need to ‘get our heads around’ before fixing up, I’ve been in touch with Danny but he’s ignored my calls since July. We must get the panels painted plus the tub lifted off; so we had better get a move on if we are to finish the car for the Beaujolais run”. Oh bollocks. We will be travelling to the wrong place for the Beaujolais run but it doesn’t really matter because the car won’t be ready anyway. Welcome back.

French break

 

Burlington Diary July/August 2007

Weds.01.08.07. We have just returned from our massive French break with many minor adventures to relate.

I returned triumphantly to Tarascon with an exhaust pipe and all the relevant seals and membranes to make good the dripping fuel tap for my damaged motorcycle. I was accompanied by Vinnie and Linda Kirk, who will be staying as house guests for the next fortnight, I looked forward to some necessary R and R after the hectic 10 days juggling the Burlington project whilst securing the parts for the bike.  Jo having remained at the house whilst I was back in the UK had been cleaning and polishing the terracuit on the balcony finally rectifying the last ‘fuck up’ from “the robbing bastard Mikey” so she was also in the mood for some downtime. The first session around the table set the standard for the following two weeks: too much wine, not enough food, too many late nights.After a pleasant stay our friends returned home whilst Jo and I planned our re-visit to South Burgundy.

Coincidently our American friends in Tarascon, Bill and Sandra Payne yearn for pastures new, so we able to approach the adventure sharing common ground feeling even more justification for bailing out. With like minds we felt the town, regrettably but inevitably steeped in ‘demain french’ mentality, was always going to tread the path of ‘3 forward and 2 back’, even though we had both given this crumbling, grubby misfit of Provence a real shot it was time to seriously consider our real future. The kindest opinion that we both shared was Bills suggestion that he didn’t always feel that he was actually in a French town, that to him this was powering the move.

Jo and I travelled to Burgundy with great expectations of finding paradise, after much driving, searching and meetings with a variety of immobilier we settled for one of the very first places we had viewed earlier on our quest. The bid is in; we await conformation of the “Compris de Vente”. We know that with this property we shall be able create a proper family home for our immediate flesh and blood. I apologise, for this apparent diversion from the Burlington project but it does have some significance.

This is the place where the Burlington SS rested on the first Beaujolais Run in 1982, this has been the inspiration for the troubles and toil of the rebuild, it is so fitting that the car should enjoy the remainder of it’s life surrounded by wonderful manicured scenery, very pleasant, proud cultured people, good warm bodied wines and lugubrious, gentle Charolais cows dosing in the lush grass of Sud Bourgoyne. The car will match the colour of this rich landscape finding the curving undulating roads mildly challenging but always pleasurable. This is the true home for the car, not the dusty, arid, hectic impatient shithole Midi.

When the transactions had taken place we were soon travelling the 450 miles north to Calais crossing the Channel to Dover, then onto London to stay with our precious, pregnant daughter. After two peaceful days we were back to pick up the challenge of actually building the car but to also build up on the interest in the Nouveau trip. Whilst in Buxy I had firmed up the details of the run with Katinka, of the Office de tourisme, who promised to contact the co-operative cave to arrange for the 16 guests to have the celebration dinner on the evening of November 15^th and reserve the relevant amount of rooms at the local Logis, Le Relais Montagny. She did reply but it was not good news. The Co-operative is not having a dinner because they are not exactly in the Beaujolais region. What! I have based the entire trip around Buxy and they are NOT having a dinner. Mon bloody dieu, sacre friggin’ bleu! the event is torpedoed before it has started.

Plans for the Beaujolais

Sun.17th. June. I have made the promotional gear for the Beaujolais run which I have posted in the Oak today. Just like last year, Captain Salty has arranged his annual Scottish bonding trip to Keswick during the same weekend. I do have support from the Doc who is ‘bigging up’ the event with cries of “just imagine the jackbit on the way through France”. I am sure that I would much rather be eating local gastronomy complemented by drinking fine wines than eating Cumberland sausage, black pudding, bacon and mash, washed down with flat local ale. Anyway, Salty’s trip can be altered but this weekend is fixed.

Inevitably, I foresee a power struggle, the trawling of many consciences reinforced by elaborate excuses. Probably Chris will drag his feet, blow hot and cold, have many sleepless nights, but still go to Keswick?     

But I shall still post a ‘flyer’ in the Oak

                         BEAUJOLAIS NOUVEAU 2007

To celebrate the 25^th anniversary of the 1981 Beaujolais run we are repeating the event this year with same Burlington SS car and are proposing to travel the same route to the Burgundy region of France. It will be a charitable event raising money for a local heart foundation. Tragically one of the original members and co-driver recently died suddenly from a massive heart attack so it seems fitting that all the money that is raised either from sponsorship, donation or from the sale of wine should be offered to the local charity.

The car has been painstakingly and expertly restored over the past 18 months. It also has a very special history, being the first of its kind off the production line in 1980.  

The details of the run are as follows

·      Leaving the Royal Oak at midday on Monday the 12^th November to catch the overnight boat from Portsmouth to St Malo. Access to the ferry begins at 8.30pm. A few ales and Tony Romeo (pop and ballads), as the resident on board crooner, should encourage a good nights sleep.

·      Tuesday 13^th 7.00am. Driving southeast we shall pass through wonderful countryside via Rennes, Le Mans and Tours to the first stop at Amboise.  This picturesque town on the banks of the Loire has many small bars and restaurants; all of which will be closed at 9.00pm.

·      Wednesday 14^th. The Autumn sunshine will be breaking through by now and by using quieter ‘A’ roads the smaller villages of Vierson, La Guerches, Chatillon BaBazois and Chateau Chinon can be visually enjoyed until we arrive in Buxy where the festival will begin in earnest.

·      Thursday 15^th. During the day a variety of local visits can be arranged, if required.  There will then be a meeting with Katinka, the office of tourisms representative, who has made all the arrangements for accommodation and who has organised the invitation to the Gala dinner at the wine cooperative at night.

·      Friday 16^th. A straight drive back north using the motorway connections to Boulogne for fish and chips, should take approximately 6 hours.

·      Saturday 17^th. An early ferry crossing and the drive north for the ‘charity raising event’ at the Oak will complete the trip. Bon appetite.

The approximate cost of both of the ferry crossings for 4 people and a car should be in the region of £100.00

The cost of hotel accommodation for 2 people sharing about £25/30.00 per night

The 5 course Gala dinner is free and includes as much wine as you can drink. 

Please sign up ASAP as I need to submit numbers to Katinka at the Office of Tourism, for people staying in Buxy. This is a very worthy cause and should be a hoot.

If you cannot commit to the entire itinerary it is possible to shorten the trip by leaving England very early on Thursday morning to arrive at Buxy for 7.00pm. There are many permutations, in terms of travel arrangements, for the event.

If you require any more information, or better still, wish to sponsor the trip please see Chris Doc or Nigel Parr on 01942 322821.

I await the charge to sign up.