Oily's MG Blog - Oily Hand's Life with MGs

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Citroen 2CVs Raid Tan Hill

5/1/2014

Around 50 2CVs and variants ran from Leeds to Tan Hill, the highest pub in England.

The 2CV isn't my favourite car but the chance to see so many together wasn't to be missed so we headed off in the B GT to the Hawes side of Buttertubs Pass to get some pictures & video.

There was a light covering of snow on the hills as we crossed the pass.

Once at the other side, it was just a case of waiting for the cars to arrive. We had plenty of time for a cuppa & bite to eat.

I found a vantage point, fairly high up at the side of the road. It was good for video but bitterly cold with a strong wind.

Thanks to Pam for freezing her fingers off to get these stills.

Some of the cars struggled with the inclines, which isn't surprising given their lack of BHP.

We followed them to Tan Hill, planning on getting some hot food and a warm up but the menu and pricing wasn't what we were looking for so after a short while we drove down to Reeth with friends and had some delicious hot soup.

Suitably refreshed we set off for home.

Le Jog 2013 Ropeworks Test at Hawes

8/12/2013

We took the 71 GT across the dales to Hawes to marshal at one of the tests on Le Jog. Le Jog is a run from Lands End to John o Groats for classic cars. The route avoids motorways and is very challenging with regularity road sections and timed tests along the way. This was one of the tests. We enjoy marshalling as it gets us up close and personal with some great cars.

The weather forecasters got it wrong again and it was very cold and wet. It rained all afternoon and it was an interesting drive home in the dark with lots of standing water on the roads.

Once we got home a huge plate of fish, chips and mushy peas along with a cuppa, soon had us feeling great again.

Tees Valley MG Owners Club Sunday Lunch

1/12/2013

We took the MGB GT to meet up with other members at Yarm Station for a scenic run to The Golden Lion in Northallerton for a good feed.

It was a pleasant run with some treasure hunt questions to add some interest. We got them all correct but there weren't any prizes.

Other members who lived nearer to Northallerton went straight there and there was a good crowd of us in the end.

Good food and great company! That's what it's all about

Ryhope Pumping Engine Steam Day & Classic Car Show

27/10/2013

This annual car show is held in the grounds of Ryhope Pumping Station in Sunderland.

This grand old lady of the Victorian age was in steam and added extra interest to the day.

Despite the windy day and the forecast rain showers, there was a good turn out of cars of all ages.

Here's a car I lusted after when it was introduced, and still do. The nearest I got to it was the Cortina GT.

As well as the cars there were some autojumble stalls, but I didn't find anything to encourage me to get my hand out of my pocket.

The blacksmith was hard at work.

It's amazing how quiet this engine is. Those beams weigh in the region of 40 tons each and they move effortlessly and almost silently.

This is also a day to meet folks we see only occasionally as well as those we meet more often. I managed to snag this new (to me) steering wheel.

Before

After

MG Car Club Tynes Tees Centre Autumn Leaves Run in memory of Peter Ebdon

13/10/2013

Autumn, season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, and rain and wind and wind and rain. OK you get the idea.

This run was always organised by Peter Ebdon, late chairman of the Centre. This year it was organised by his widow, Lyn and run in memory of Peter. The turnout of cars shows how highly regarded Peter was.

As we set off in the 1971 MGB GT it was cool and windy but dry and we wondered if we should have chanced going in Numbum. Later we were glad we made the choice we did.

It was an uneventful run up the A1M to Dobbies Garden Centre to meet up with a decent sized group of 39 cars. We arrived with plenty of time to grab a cuppa & a bacon sarnie, and thought we would be one of the first there. We thought wrong.

After great value refreshments and a natter, we set off about 11 o clock for the 43 mile run for lunch. The video cam was running all day and the idiot light said it was recording, but I've got the beginning and end and nothing at all of the great roads in the middle. One of these days I might get to grips with modern technology.

The food at lunch was good but it was rather disappointing to have to wait over an hour to be served. All the meals were pre ordered and they knew our arrival time so there really wasn't any excuse for the delay. It's a good job we topped up at Dobbies or we would have passed out with hunger.

At least the conversation was good.

I reckon the view across the valley would have been super without the rain.

As we followed a route book, we had no idea where we were. Thank goodness for the sat nav that got us to a road we recognised. We hope our fellow travellers got home OK.

A big thank you to Lyn and all who helped her. It was a fitting tribute to Peter.

MG Car Club Tyne Tees Centre Old Speckled Hen Run

15/9/2013

This was a bit of a strange day for us. Saltburn hillclimb was cancelled because of weather so we decided to help out on this run instead of doing the run.

We did the usual signing on duties and had a bit of a chinwag while taking some video shots of the start. The plan was to try to get ahead of the pack for more photos & videos.

The plan didn't work too well. We hadn't prepared the route and had some difficulty translating the tulip route book to our Ordnance Survey map. It soon became apparent that to get ahead we would have to abandon any hope of video from the morning part of the run and head for somewhere in the afternoon.

We picked Hamsterley Forest Drive and arrived there in plenty of time to find a spot and have a bite to eat before the first cars arrived.

We had the in car video running all the time but the rain on the windscren made it all blurry and the shots were useless.

I set the other camcorder on the wall and covered it with my cap and let it run. When I picked it up as we were leaving I noticed that it wasn't pointing where I'd pointed it. Tne wind must have turned it round. Thankfully I still got most of the cars in video and stills while we were there.

We left there and headed for the finish to see the last few cars return. The cars were gleaming this morning but they were quite different now.

Cream scones and welcome hot drinks followed. Everybody seemed to have enjoyed the day.

This roving reporter lark isn't as easy as it seems. Thank goodness for digital technology as the outtakes cost nothing. This is nothing like the vision I had in my mind when I set out to do it, but it gives a flavour of what the day was like.

Homeward bound

24/8/2013

We pretty much retraced our outward route on the way home. There were a couple of deviations as Pam found better ways and we didn't visit Holmfirth three times. The traffic was much lighter in the towns and we made much better time.

It was still back roads most of the way.

On our way down we passed through Heptonstall, a quaint village with a cobbled street. We passed through it again, this time I had the video going. A good test of the suspension and nothing fell off.

We made it home, tired but happy, with loads of good memories. Met some great people, saw some great places and ate some super food.

Door to door we covered 658 miles with only two slight problems. The passenger door lock came loose in the door and I had to buy some tape to hold it in place, and the door release handle became disconnected which meant that Pam had to wind the window down to open the door from the outside.

Not too shabby for a 42 year old car.

National Tramway Museum at Crich

23/8/2013

This place is definitely worth a visit if you're in the area. It's a little off the beaten track but well signposted. Their website & brochure doesn't do it full credit.

An added bonus is that if you turn up in a pre 1973 vehicle and are prepared to display it in the street for at least three hours, the driver gets in free. Needless to say that's just what we did.

Three hours goes by in a flash. There's so much to see and do, we were there for about five.

Trams are running all day and you can travel as much as you want.

We took the tram up to the woodland walk where there were some super wooden sculptures hidden around the place. We probably missed some.

The exhibitions were really informative and the trams on display were great.

Good weather helps on a day like today but it would still be good day out even if the weather wasn't so good. The tea room served good grub at reasonable prices, which is a bonus in tourist areas.

All in all a good day out.

Dambusters Day

22/8/2013

We pointed the BGT northwards to visit the three linked reservoirs, Ladybower, Derwent and Howden. There is a road which travels most of the way round the reservoirs but like most roads, views of the water were few & far between. I did take some video but it's lost in the depths of this computer and I can't find it.

You'll see from these pictures that the water levels were quite low.

Derwent reservoir was used for training before the famous Dambuster's raid on the dams of the Rhur Valley because of the similarities in geography. It was also the setting for the 1954 Dambuster's movie.

A testament to canine devotion.

From here we headed to Glossop for lunch then it was find a road & drive down it. We ended up at Tittesworth Reservoir near Leek where we enjoyed a stroll in the sunshine and a coffee. My feet were roasting and I found a rock near the edge of the water so it was off with the shoes and socks and I dunked my feet in the cool water. Apologies to the Staffordshire folks for any strange taste in their water. Thankfully there is no photographic evidence of this.

Belper, Wirksworth & other places

21/8/2013

Some of Pam's ancestors hailed from these two places so we went to see what they were like now. Most of it nothing like what it would have been in the early 1900s but Belper had some interesting old houses.

After exploring Belper for a while we heaed for Wirksworth which is quite a pretty little place. We didn't stay long before heading off to explore the countryside. No particular plans, just see a road and drive down it. A steady afternoon before heading back to the cottage for a freshen up before going to a pub for food.