Grin all day

Had a grin on my face all day, after approx 7 years at Lotus during which I have asked to have a company product licence every year its finally happened, today I had driver training in an Elise and Evora on the Lotus test track and public roads.

My Chariot awaits.

The Venue.

All I can say is wow, wow, wow.
We had various tests to do, one to prove recovery from understeer and oversteer on the wetted large turning circle in the Lotus Elise, amazing how quickly you have to drive in a circle for the Elise to understeer.
We then had brake tests on the main straight, having to brake hard and steer around obstacles at speed, I knew the stopping distances where good but not until you approach the obstacles at 70 and see the distance you are expected to stop in or steer round do you realise how good the brakes and handling of these cars are.
We then had laps of the complete FIA approved circuit which was just fantastic, gaining speed with each lap.
The afternoon session in the Evora was on public roads, just testing awareness, road position, etc. Only had a couple of chances to open up the V6 in the bigger car, very impressive and comfortable too. Such a grin on my face all day. I can now do mileage accumulation on the cars and occasionally use one at the weekend. Cant wait.
Would have liked a chance in the new Exige S but these are a bit rare at the moment as we can not make them quick enough and the driving academy does not have any yet.

In the factory gift shop Lotus F1 have a car on show in this years new livery, not quite an E21, I think it is last years car with the new livery added, also no DRS on rear wing.

Lotus F1 Show car.

Drive it Day

Sunday 21st April I organised an unofficial run for a few friends of about 30 miles from Attleborough to Gooderstone Water Gardens near Swaffham. Was a reasonably sunny day but there was a cool breeze, still hood down weather. Outward to Gooderstone I chose country lanes, then after tea and cake and a look round the gardens a rather faster route back to the pub at Attleborough for a Sunday Lunch. Forgot the camera so a couple of pics from the phone. Did not see a lot of other classics about on the day everyone is supposed to drive their classics.

Narrowboat's Across the Wash

During the week I had heard that a couple of narrowboat's where due to cross the Wash from Boston to Wisbech, weather permitting. Sunday was shaping up to be the perfect day for a crossing with very little wind and sun all day. The forecasters got it right and I read on Twitter on Sunday morning that the crossing was on.
At 6-30 on Sunday morning 3 boats locked out of Boston Grand Sluice on a level tide, They where NB No Problem, NB Balmaha, and NB Anastasia.
I decided to have a drive down to the River Nene to watch the boats come in from the Wash.
After parking the car near the old lighthouses at Guys Point I walked along the built up flood banks for approx a mile and a half.  Through the binoculars I could see a large tanker but no narrowboat's in sight.

Converted lighthouse at Guys Point.

The narrowboat's hove into sight about half an hour later and promptly stopped and dropped anchors, well out of reach of my camera.
I had checked the tide tables so I reasoned that they had to wait for the tide to come in before crossing the various sand bars, they had a pilot with them from Wisbech who would be advising them on the route and conditions.
So it was back to the car for Sandwiches and coffee then, good job I had brought some.
After an hour or so the tide turned and the boats showed signs of moving, first heading East, round a marker, then heading West, all seen the through the binoculars before they turned in to the River Nene at further markers, thus becoming in reach of my camera.

Heading in to the entrance to the Nene round the marker buoys.

Boats well into the River Nene.

At this point they really picked up speed on the incoming tide and I had a job to keep up with them, from little dots in the distance I could now pick out the names.

NB Anastasia in the lead, NB No Problem next, NB Balmaha last.

At this point they overtook me, and I had to rush back to the car to get to Sutton Bridge, 3 miles away for more photo's.

The NB's reaching the lighthouses on each bank at Guys Point. The
level at high tide is seen on the far bank.

I arrived at Sutton Bridge with just enough time to park up and get down the bank. No need to swing the bridge for these.

NB Anastasia comes through Sutton Bridge, you can see the tide coming
in and pushing the boats along quickly.

NB No Problem.

NB Balmaha.

They then receded into the distance to Wisbech, I did not follow them to Wisbech as access is limited at the Port (where my wife Gill used to work) and Yacht Harbour.

Boats heading towards Wisbech.

Well done to Anastasia, No Problem, and Balmaha for completing the crossing.
Links to the blog of one of the boats. http://noproblem.org.uk/blog/   http://waterwayroutes.co.uk/blog/

Drive it day Route Checking

Sunday turned out to be one of the better and warmer days of Easter in Norfolk, even with a couple of snow flurries, so we decided to check out the route for Drive it Day due to take place on the 21st April.
I had planned the route with O/S maps and the use of Google earth to check junctions and road signs, then written the route out and we just had to drive it and check for correct signs and junctions, I think Norfolk was last mapped on Google earth in 2009 so there where a couple of minor changes.

Pickenham, between Swaffham and Watton, still not warm enough for Gill
to put up with the hood down!

Typical Breckland Lanes, long and straight between the trees.

Heater on, hence the leaves against the defrost grilles.

Today was spent helping a friend remove the engine and gearbox out of a rotten TR7 at Beeston, near Dereham.
Not a easy job when the unmovable car has been beached on gravel for 7 years.
He also got rid of a rusty old Spitfire today too. Pictures not good due to crappy camera phone.

Rotten TR7.

Rotten Spitfire.

Even more White Stuff

By late Friday most of the overnight snow was gone and it was looking like we could get on and clean the exterior of NB Centurion. However it started again about 4pm.

Centurion in Alvechurch Marina among all the other share boats just as
the snow starts again.

We had a good evening meal in the Red Lion in Alvechurch and a couple of drinks, this morning we woke to another load of white stuff.

Snow covered boats.

We had to get round to the wharf for the toilet pump out, diesel,and gas before handing over to the next owners.

At the Marina Wharf.

We left for Norfolk around 11am with continual snow all the way home, stopping of at Bar Hill, Cambridge to call in on the daughter.

More White Stuff

Woke this morning to a couple of inches of the white stuff. Bit of a blizzard last night and blowing a howlie. Set of back to the Marina at Alvechurch around 9am.

White Stuff at Hopwood.

Very windy going past the Bittel reservoir, so windy it blow the coolie hat of the chimney.

Lower Bittel Reservoir, coolie hat still there.

Coolie Hats don't float so its lost in the depths.

Near Alvechurch.

Nearly Home.

Back at the Marina now, just driven Gill to the NEC for a Hobby and Sewing show, bit too dangerous to try cleaning the boat exterior as we keep getting short flurries of snow. Luckily it is not too dirty so hope the next owners are OK about that.
Have enjoyed the week with just the two of us despite the cold weather, at least we avoided rain and snow while cruising, the idea was to avoid too many locks so tally is 8 locks, 3 tunnels in either direction, and around 50 miles clocked up. Hopefully on our next trip we will have better weather and make it down to Worcester and Gloucester.

Hockley Heath and Hopwood

We somehow let the stove go out overnight and as we turn off the central heating when the stove is lit we woke to a very cold boat, after a good breakfast we set of from Earlswood heading the last few lockless miles to Hockley Heath, there was some very weak sunshine which brought a bit of warmth.

Sun at last.

GIll working hard at the lift bridge at Hockley Heath.

We winded at Hockley and re-traced our steps, calling at the bakery at Illshaw Heath for fresh bread and an excellent pie for lunch. We where passed while having lunch by a butty towed by a another boat.

LMS Butty "Olive"

We soon caught them up and followed them all the way to Shirley where Gill walked ahead to operate the lift bridge for them.

Last bit of rural near Majors Green. Next more suburbs until
Wast Hill Tunnel.

Shirley Lift Bridge.

We let the butty get ahead when we stopped for water at Warstock and caught them again as they turned off the Stratford heading for Birmingham. We headed left to Wast Hill tunnel before mooring for the night at Hopwood. It got very windy and cold as the day ended.

Kings Norton Junction.