Le Mans has a certain pull for me, but for the 2nd year in a row our Le Mans 'crew' were unable to make the pilgrimage. So it fell to us to re-create the camping experience ' Chez Greenwood'. Plans were hatched and a bunch of SKCC'ers came along to bolster the normal Crew.
and for the 2nd year in succession we were destined to hear the phrase ' man down' - more of that later........
No such event is complete without a run out, so a motley cast headed down to Hawkhurst for the 'meet' - kits mingled with the Crews Beemers in the car park as we availed ourselves of a healthy full english ( and at the same time caught up with Rob/Karen and 'newbie Speedy aka Anthony). Suitably replete we headed back, a chance or two to get into mini blat mode around a few of the better lanes of Kent before descedning en-masse on the 'campsite ' ( my garden ).
It wasn't quite all hands to the pumps ( normally at LM we all pitch in and get settled asap as its normally drizzling ), this time it was a more languid affair and Rob was delegated to mow the 'camping pitch area, although it seems that work shy Tony couldnt resist the lure of the second mower. The 2 Ferraris ( well they're red mowers) fought a duel in the cutting stakes and then more literally as the 2 protagonists picked up a weapon each for a bit of a joust.: Thanks for the help guys.
Meanwhile the marque was erected and the 'sounds' wired up.....time for a sit and a natter over a cold Becks ( yep the LM freezer was working just fine)......a few stragglers arrived, with James lugging in the biggest strobe light i've ever seen and Matt added a laser to the mix - the foundations were truly laid for a proper nights entertainment. With Ash sparking up the BBQ and Rob/Bob in close attendence as Fire Officers were were soon tucking into a burger, lining our stomachs for a few more bevvies.
At this stage a thanks is in order to Bob/Rob + Ash who not only cooked that first BBQ but who repaired the puncture in my rear bike wheel (damaged in last years LM festivities).
ah nearly forgot, well i had actually! the unscheduled race around teh garden which saw an ambitious leap of faith off the patio by Rob - 1st skin of the day broken!
Little Trev gives some directions to a passing van...
Rob takes a tumble
The call was sounded to mount up and the brave and the stupid grabbed their bikes whilst Mrs G fired up the Jeep to take teh non runners down to the local village. We accomplished the 2.5 miles with only 1 incident, an over zealous attempt at a wheelie resulting in a quick kiss of the tarmac for one of the riders.......however it seems that there are those amongst us that are more adventurous than others........
Adventurous may not strictly be the right word.....as one of our party no names no pack drill ( green caterham owner??) decided to hitch a tow by the Jeep. Jeeps it seems have a bit more torque than many expect......kiss of teh tarmac number two......
But a sore wrist wasnt about to dampen proceedings - oh no. So we alighted at the Chequers, a quaint pub always busy - perhaps due to the imported bar staff who are quite 'decorative'......it seems ( if i recall ) that it was here that amongst the sensible pints there were also a few 'shots' being handed out, and that certainly continued in the next 'venue' as SKCC'ers and 'Crew' bantered amongst themselves. It was then time for the 'off' the big offensive to get back to the final pub where we'd plot up for a while and where it seems that my bike is destined to end up without wheels or 'parked' in some clever place - this time on the front of a shop and then off a gutter. Oh how amusing..........
we also learned at this pub that Matt ('i don't like sports') quite liked Darts although he'd never picked a set up before!
Johns attempt at infiltrating the bar to change the music wasn't well received....
The witching hour came and it was time to head for home......the sensible ones getting in the van that i'd arranged to pick us up, the slightly daft amongst us having already set sail ( i say daft 2.5mile uphill in the dark versus a lift in a van - work it out for yourselves)......We picked up a few stragglers up the hill, with bikes and 'personnel' jumping in the back and a few minutes later we were cracking open the next Becks and restocking the freezer....until the fateful call came through.....
'man down'........ambulance required........NOW.
A gentle roll down the hill on a borrowed bike revealed a beer corpse, trouble was this 'corpse' was indeed playing dead, a bit too well for my liking. Chris the car was at his side trying to get some sense out of him, infact trying to get him to talk.....to say that there was barely more than a grunt would not be an exaggeration. Mmm worrying. The ambulance came - well a bloke in a white estate car, and the radio hissed with static as he called for a 'real' ambulance that took our tarmac kissing friend to the local A+E....by which time he was relatively lucid of word but still not able to move his legs! By about 3am he had the use of teh right leg back, and was sent off for a CAT scan and X-Rays, and finally at 6.30 with an arm in plaster our 'care in the community' hero was released into the cold morning sunshine.
Numpty getting plastered for the second time that night!
Ash greeted us on our arrival back at Camp and soon Bob + Rob emerged from their tents eager for an update on their fallen comrade. We headed up to the boys room to watch a bit of the race as Tony,Trev and Bryan were clearly after a lie in.The topic of conversation switched as it often does on any SKCC related event back to cars ( and women i suspect ) before some bright spark decided that it would be fun to roughly check teh corner weights of the cars. All i can tell you on that score is that if Tony asks you for a sweet, a cake or some chocolate ' do not feed the animal' - because we had to find a substitute to sit in his car as the scales came up with an 'error' message due to weight! ( i wont say what they're rated at)......( you can give me the fiver for my silence later fat boy).....
One by one the remaining Possy drifted off and i was left to face the wrath of Mrs G ( apparently any accidents are my fault ).....and to watch the end of what was an exciting race.
piccies will be uploaded soon.....
Swards at Dawn 
