Jim Clark weekend, Duns 16-17th May 2015

[John_W]

The High school is a fair way away. Maybe you could run a shuttle service for us plebs that have to park there . Do you know if there will be a shuttle bus, or do I have to bring my hiking gear?

It'll be good to see you, Alan. Last time I did the Jim Clark weekend you had the Ribenamobile looking great and newly polished. I remember we met up with Andrew Laing in St Andrews and drove to the Bo'ness motor museum for lunch, then on to Duns.

John

[Scott J]

we can all park together then the High School, Elans and MX5 plebs .

[Rambo]

John - I told Andrew Laing you were coming in a Specific Blue so if we get there early, say by 0900/0930 we might get ourselves in the overspill area/holding bay opposite the museum. I told AL that Scott was coming in his MX5 and he said "he can park at the feckin' high school"

PS From memory, the High School is at the west end of the village, probably a 5 minute dander along the road to the museum so if the worst comes to the worst no big deal

[Scott J]

Andrew Laing loves me xx

[GeoffSmith]

Is he sporting a new haircut?

[morciii]

I'll try and get on the M8 for about 8:00 tomorrow, should get me to duns before 9:30.

[John_W]

Mark,
Thanks to you, Karen and Jock for the hospitality. Especially to Jock for giving up his bed and his dinner for me.

What a lovely part of the country. I really must spend some time in the Borders. I enjoyed the event, despite the various organisational peculiarities which we weren't subject to the last time we went. The event certainly has grown. Lotuses were scattered randomly around Duns in every street you went down - sort of serendipitous art. It was good to see so many old LEC faces (yourself, Archie, Alan ab2cv, all the NE Scotland Lotus bunch, Scott the traitor) and new ones (morciii, the very tall American bloke).

I got back to Aberdeen about 6:30 after picking up my daughter in Edinburgh. I've attached a few pics.

Let's have an LEC meet in Scotland this summer. I have a large garden, Archie knows the Queen, and there are many distilleries in the area so we must be able to put something together so long as we can keep Monty and Dico out of the way.

John

[chipp]

In case the blue Elan owner is a mystery to you, it belongs to Warren King who has made the trip from Norwich.

chipp

[John_W]

... it belongs to Warren King who has made the trip from Norwich.

Wow! And I thought I'd come a long way. Shame we didn't meet him to talk to. Aqua is a rare colour and I quite like it.
John

[chipp]

Ex Lotus accountant I believe.
The car came off the production line when he retired.

chipp

[Scott J]

"Scott the traitor" WTF! At least I have a SPORTSCAR which is more than can be said for Alan 2cv lol. I took the scenic route home via Peebles, Borders roads are just perfect for Elans and Jap copies. Unfortunately the HD viewer was wasting my time & never showed up.

[Rambo]

A good write up and photo's John. God to see you again after 6 months of SORNbernation.

That aqua did indeed belong to Warren King, ex Lotus CA and he has made the Duns pilgrimage before as I recognise the no. plate and have also spoken to him

The extremely tall American bloke I was speaking to doesn't have an M100 but does have a big interest in Motorsport and anything British, particularly Scottish. He had some good stories about when he was the fuel filler for a race team in the States - on account of his height the team didn't need an overhead gantry so it was quicker. I got a sore neck just listening to someone who towered a foot above me

All in all a good w/e and I didn't even need to use the yellow defibrillator

We definitely need a Scottish meet more often so let's have a w/e up at Archie's/Johns. Maybe the Queen, Charles and Camilla will join us at Balmoral ?

Alternatively a w/e meet down here to sample some quiet, twisty Borders roads. Plenty of room for camping or beds for the chosen few !

[John_W]

Scott, it was nice to see you. Glad you had a good run home. I left about 2pm and took the wrong turning which meant that I got to Dalkieth via a single-track road with cattle grids every hundred yards and nobody on it but me and hundreds of sheep. Did Sir Jackie ever turn up?
Bummer that the Harley buyer was wasting your time.
John

[ab2cv]

I left about 2pm and took the wrong turning which meant that I got to Dalkieth via a single-track road with cattle grids every hundred yards and nobody on it but me and hundreds of sheep. Did Sir Jackie ever turn up?
John

John, sounds like you maybe found the road over the Lammermuir hills? (cracking road). Jackie Stewart appeared around 2pm for a short but interesting / mildly amusing speech. Afterwards was just a rerun of the mornings cars driving up and down the main road so you didn't miss much there. Sorry I missed you shooting off early on the Sunday - was hoping to catch you again before you headed off.

Great to catch up with old faces and meet some new ones as well. Agree another meet up would be good once I manage to officially re-join the 'clan' (sorry Scott it seems having no sports car is better than having the wrong sports car )

Overall I thought the format for the JC weekend was poor and disorganised (revving car engines whilst the pipe band were still playing and watching the same old cars drive up and down the street at 20mph?!) and there wasn't enough opportunity to let the public near all the cars on display (the ones that were lucky enough to be allocated a number to get into the special parking zone)

Alan

[Scott J]

a weekend get together would be good If Archie can organise, otherwise lets do Innerleithen.
ps; Just spotted an Elise on fleabay £5900, sounds to cheap to be true.

[GeoffSmith]

Whadaya want an Elise for? Thought you had a proper sports car now....

[Rambo]

Whadaya want an Elise for? Thought you had a proper sports car now....

[Scott J]

its rear wheel drive you girls