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

Find us on Google+

MG Car Club Tyne Tees Centre Cobweb Run

26/4/2015

Aaaargh! A bleary eyed 6am peek round the curtains revealed a coating of white frost on all the cars. Not the best sight with a long day ahead. Thankfully the sun was up and by the time we had old Numbum loaded up the temperature had gone up a bit. Just a bit though.

Once again the A68 was calling us. A bit further up than the Killhope Wheel trip, all the way to Brockbushes at Corbridge. We arrived in plenty of time to get set up for our signing on duties, in the warm with a cup of piping hot coffee. A bit of banter to get folks in the mood and it was off to the start. This was a bit later at 10.30 which gave us a bit more time to get sorted out. 60 cars on the list today. A couple were delayed due to breakdowns en route but started later.

While we were signing everybody on our senses were assailed by the smell of the bacon butties that everybody was eating, but we couldn't join them so we stopped a short way into the run for a sarnie & cuppa and took the opportunity to get some photos.

Suitably refreshed we set off to play catch up with the others. Superb roads and decent weather made the day a joy to be out. The only downsides were a couple of short sharp hail showers. Even small hailstones hurt a lot when they bounce off your head.

The halfway point was Alnwick where we managed to get parked and have a chat to others who were there. The return leg was just as good as the outward one and we were quite warm when the sun actually came out from behind the clouds.

Back at Brockbushes it was time for more photos before heading indoors for a cream scone and a cuppa. Once again, some good crack with great people.

Thanks to the two guys, who's names I didn't get, for telling me about my malfunctioning brake light. Thanks also for your kind words about the performance of Numbum. It's high praise coming from an RV8 driver.

Thanks also to Ian and all who helped him set up the day, with a special thanks to Lady C, the youngest Tyne Tees marshal, who did a great job getting people parked up. My arm is still aching from the power of her high fives.

Here's the video of the day. Watch it carefully, you may be in it.

A very good day. We arived home weary & windblown having put another 204 miles on the clock.

Picture from the Cobweb Run 2014

3/6/2014

Thanks to Nick Owens for this cracking shot of us gently crossing a ford.

MG Car Club Tyne Tees Centre Cobweb Run

27/4/2014

Once again it was an early start for us to do the 50 mile drive in Numbum to Corbridge to do our signing on duties for this great annual run. The drive up was uneventful apart from a slight misfire at higher revs and restricted visibility due to heavy mist.

We arrived in good time and were soon in the cafe having a warming cuppa as the entrants turned up to sign on. As usual it was good to meet old friends and some new ones too. Signing on is a bit hectic at times so chat time was limited but we made up for that later in the day. While we were doing our bit, it started to rain and that was it for the day. It never really stopped.

Our start time was 10.30 and we were the first away. The wipers had never worked so much and in time the sweep was becoming narrower and narrower but the motor was making its full range of movement so it was obvious that the clamp nut was not as tight as it should be. We pressed on and fixed the problem at the lunch halt at Allendale.

The afternoon section was just as good as the morning section and incuded a couple of fords. An alternate route was available for those who didn't want to run through water. No prizes for guessing which route we took!

Arriving back at Corbridge around 3pm, there was time for a few photos and a cream tea.

I had two in car cams running all day so hoped for some good video of the run. Sadly that was not to be. Despite everything appearing normal with the cams, there wasn't a single bleeping frame of video when I got home. I hate modern technology!

Thankfully Nick Owen agreed to set up my hand held camera at one of the fords and this is the result. Thanks, Nick.

Despite the cold & rain, we had a great day with good friends. Thanks to Nick for planning the route, Lyn for all the backroom work, and Charlotte with her team of marshals for making this all possible.

We arrived home 11 hours after we set out and covered 196 enjoyable miles.

MGCC Tyne Tees Centre Cobweb Run - more pictures

15/5/2013

A big thank you to Sheila & Barrie Hope for these great shots of Numbum running through a ford.

MG Car Club Tyne Tees Centre Cobweb Run

21/4/2013

I found out today that there are two six-0-clocks in a day. That was the time of awakening for a seven-o-clock departure with old Numbum to arrive at Brockbushes Farm, Corbridge to do signing on duties for today's run.

We set off on a bright sunny. but cool morning only to feel the temperature dropping as we climbed northwards and saw ominous clouds in the sky. Thankfully they were just clouds and we only saw a few drops of rain all day.

Once esconced in the cafe with a cuppa we set up to do a job we really enjoy, meeting new people and renewing aquaintance with folk we've met before.

We set off in fine form and the old gal ran well all day. The challenging route, organised by the Alexander family, was a joy to drive and we had a great time.

There were three fords on the route, but only one with any significant water. Barrie, our ex secretary paid a visit and was by the ford taking pictures. Did we manage to get him wet?

We missed him. He can't half move quickly for an auld gadgie.

I tried out an alternative video mount with a second camera. Not so good unless you believe that the back of my head is better to look at.

At one point on the run, with a biting wind blasting across the hilltops, Pam & I discussed why we do this sort of thing. This brought this video to mind. The comment at two minutes, sums it up perfectly.

We arrived back at Brockbushes and headed straight for the cafe for a cuppa & cream scone to warm us up. Time for a few photos of the presentations and the dwindling number of cars before setting off for the run home.

A safe run home, without the broken crankshaft of last year, saw us parking Numbum in the garage and getting the kettle on. Being weary, windblown and a bit chilly couldn't take away the enjoyment of the day.

A big thank you to all who helped to make it possible.

MG Car Club Tyne Tees Centre Cobweb Run

22/4/2012

Our signing on duties meant an early start to the day and it was cool but dry as we set off. We had a good run to Brockbushes Farm near Corbridge and arrived with enough time to get set up for the entrants to sign in. A nice warm location inside the coffee shop, and a good cup of coffee was a good start.

The run took us over some great roads, all kinds of surfaces, some even organic as we ran through farmyards. A few gated roads meant that Pam was kept active. Beautiful scenery when the sun was out, which did happen a couple of times. We also saw rain and hail across the hilltops.

The first part of the run was 39 miles to tea rooms where quite a few stopped for a cuppa and bit to eat. The last part took us 50 miles back to Brockbushes, where we had a cream scone and a cuppa and a chance to have a chat to others on the run.

It was a great run and even the changeable weather couldn't dampen our spirits.

We set off for the 61 mile run home in heavy rain, which cleared later and all was going well until about halfway home there was a tremendous clattering from the engine room. A quick stop was in order and luckily we found a safe spot. Investigation revealed nothing amiss externally, so it was obvious that Numbum wasn't going to make it home under it's own steam. Gutted is an understatement.

Thanks to those who stopped to offer help while we were waiting. You know who you are and we're thankful for your offers.

A call to the RAC produced a flatbed about two hours after we first called them and we arrived home later than expected, tired cold and hungry.

Once Numbum was safely locked away, I popped round to the takeaway for supper. Further investigation of the knocking will have to wait.

Despite the problems, we had a great day, and our thanks go to Lyn & Peter Ebdon for the planning of the route, and all those who helped the day go so well.

As you can tell from this video, the car was running really well all day with no indication that problems were lurking.

A date for your dairy.

4/2/2012

The MG Car Club Tyne Tees Centre's first big run of the year. The Cobweb Run is on 22 April 2012.

This is a great event and not to be missed. Entries fill up fast so get your application form here and send it in quickly.

MG Car Club Tyne Tees Centre Cobweb Run

17/4/2011

Today was Drive It Day in the UK, a day to encourage owners of older cars to get out on the road. The Tyne Tees Centre of the MG Car Club held its annual Cobweb Run with the start and finish at Brockbushes Farm Shop near Corbridge. As well as doing the run we were helping with the signing on and marshalling so it was daft o clock when we set off from home. Bright blue skies with not a cloud in sight, but sadly the great heater in the sky wasn't working too well and it was a bit chilly. The 60 mile run to the start was uneventful but we arrived to slight chaos as Peter Ebdon, our centre chairman and organiser of the run had suffered a breakdown with his TF1500 on the way to the start. This meant much rushing around by Peter and his wife, Lyn, to get everything in place in time. Thankfully it all went well.

There were 55 cars registered but I think only 53 actually turned up to the start. There were some substitutions as the registered cars had problems, one of which was Barrie Hope, our centre Secretary, who suffered head gasket failure on his ZB Magnette just the day before the event and had the ignomy of doing the run in an Audi,

There was an optional lunch break at around the halfway mileage where most of the cars took a bit of a rest.

The afternoon part of the run was a bit warmer as the wind dropped a little and we arrived at the finish having covered 100 miles. The run was 87 miles. The other 13 miles were the result of navigational problems. 'Discussions' are ongoing as to whether I was given the wrong instruction, or I wasn't listening.

One of the features of the Cobweb Run is that somebody not involved with the run, selects the car they would most like to go home in. This year Jan Kidd, the Brockbushes Tea Room Manager selected our TA. She said she chose it because she likes things that look well used. I think she was talking about the car.

Thanks, Jan. I have to say you have impeccable taste, and the cheque is in the post. Thanks too to Peter for taking the picture.

The drive home was thankfully uneventful and we arrive home about eleven hours after we set out and had been in the saddle for about seven. What a great day!

Events like these take a tremendous amount of work to organise so as usual a big thank you to all who helped make it happen.

MG Car Club Tyne Tees Centre Cobweb Run

26/4/2010

Today was the first of the MGCC Tyne Tees Centre's big runs. The Cobweb Run started and finished at Brockbushes Farm, near Corbridge where we had a dedicated parking area. The event was over subscribed as the MSA had limited us to 50 cars. One car failed to make the start because of overheating problems on the way there, so there were 49 who set off and completed the run of around 110 miles.

Cars ranged in age from my 1937 TA, the oldest, right up to modern MGs

The weather was kind to us, and although a little chilly on the hilltops, the rainclouds in the sky kept the wet to themselves and we had a great run. Lyn and Peter Ebden had found some stunning scenery and great driving roads, and thanks to them for all the hard work that went into making the day a thoroughly enjoyable one.

The TA had its, now customary, intermittent misfire on the way there, but performed faultlessly on the run. On the way home it began to run rough and lacked power, so there is some work ahead to find the fault.

As 25 April was 'Drive it Day', we saw other classic cars on the road, including about a dozen Morris Minors and some Lotus 7s or lookalikes (they were travelling a bit briskly to identify correctly.)

It was 61 miles each way to the start and with the 110 on the run it was another 200+ mile day..

MG Car Club Tyne Tees Centre Cobweb Run

26/4/2009

The Cobweb Run was the first major run of 2009 for the MG Car Club Tyne Tees Centre and it couldn't have been a better day for it.

Thirty four cars of all ages met at The Ridley Arms, Stannington for a drive of some 85 miles through some of the most stunning scenery in the North East.

With Pam in the navigators seat, we had the dubious pleasure of being the first car away.We were flagged off at 10.15 by the sales manager for Silverlink Specialist Cars, who had a TF LE500 on display for us to see.

We set off, consoled by the fact that there were plenty behind us in case we had snags, but the old girl behaved herself all day, and the car ran pretty well too.

The first leg of the trip was about 35 miles (depending on how often you got lost) to Otterburn Mill, where many stopped for refreshments.

Clouds had now started to replace the wall to wall blue skies, and it was a bit chilly when the sun disappeared but we didn't see any rain, even though some saw a few drops.

The second part of the journey took us some 50 miles to our destination at Brockbushes Farm near Hexham where we had a dedicated parking area. Lots of tales about the run, and a cream tea, rounded off the day.

Somewhere along the way the TA had been shedding water, as the rusty water marks down the sides of the bonnet showed. I topped up the radiator before leaving for home and we did the 50 mile journey home with no problems. The source of the leak will be investigated in due course.

All in all it was a superb day and I'm sure Pam & I won't be the only ones very thankful to Lyn & Peter Ebdon (Sorry your name is second, Peter, but I know which side my bread's buttered) for their hard work in planning this run.

Thanks also go to all the helpers who carried out the vital roles of marshals and keepers of the signing on sheet, without whom this event wouldn't have run so smoothly.