Club Arnage

I have just seen over on 10-10ths that the start of next year's race is to be brought forward from the traditional time of four o'clock. The race clashes with the second round of the French parliamentary elections which take place on the Sunday (17th June). The race could get underway as early as 14:00.

Didn't it start at 3pm in 1984 due to their general election, the only time apart from last year it's not started at 4pm?

A 2pm finish would be cool, plenty of time for the mass exodus to the ferries, leaving a relaxed time for those of us staying until Monday.  But less time for the support races

Certainly the elections clash http://www.electionguide.org/country-events.php?ID=75 but I should treat this with a bit of caution at the moment as it doesn't necessarily move the race (2002?)

If I remember rightly they also moved the time in 1969 because of the Presidential elections.

I think it started at 2pm that year.

4pm always seemed to me to be a perfectly idiotic time to start a 24 hour race seeing as half the spectators need to run for the ferry. These things should start just after lucheon, that is the civilised way.

I had that avatar and was told to remove it by our ever vigilant mods!! :police:

French idea so must be a cr*p one, is that it AZ?

Mr Zarse how did you get it down in size, I've had that one for some time but just can't get the gif down in size.  cant see what the prob is with it, cant see a titting thing, can i say that, its not swearing.  anyway they're falsies, nothing moves.

I always think a subject always comes across best in its home environment, don't you ;D

here is one of my "friends"

Guess I just don't want to look at bouncing boobs (I have a couple of my own) when I'm on a sports car site (which is why I just don't look at the Girls Girls thread).  But each to his own I suppose.  Don't find it offensive particularly - you learn to get over that at my age as women have more important issues to worry about - just boring.  You've seen one, you've seen 'em both.

I prefer the earlier start time, less hanging around saturday morning and more time to get to the Hotel Sunday for a cold beer and Duck Kebab.

Unless of course you are Chris Z and into looking at pictures of amputees... :(

Never my intention to cause any offence (wrong word I know, maybe boredom, ennui?), so I've changed it to one with people having their heads cut off with a rotating saw blade. Apologies to one and all.

You have some very nice pals Peter. Did you meet them in the course of your charity work?

Well you'd think they'd have more consideration to their visitors, but no. IMO 4pm is not really an appropriate time for a gentleman to be walking around the curcuit to watch the start. The ideal day would be a pleasant early luncheon with a bottle of wine, watch the start of the race at 2pm latest, then back to the Bar by 3pm.

I'm talking generally here of course, but it seems to me the French waste pretty much their whole afternoons with an idiotic habit of indulging in unecessarily long and lingering lunches. Whilst the rest of the world is busy making money and being productive, Jean-Claude is fast asleep on his day bed. And once they're up from their nap at 4pm they are remarkably liverish and it's often unpleasant to keep their company. This surely is a major reason their country is going down the pan economically and once we wake up and stop them stuffing their faces with our money via EU subsidies and State support of industries they will be properly rogered.

It is worthwhile analysing the reason why are they like this. Quite simply it's because they do not see fit to eat a proper cooked breakfast in the morning and so they're starving by midday. It is this error of judgement that's at the root of their uncivilised culture. And to prove the point further, it's also the reason that none of the countries with a mediterranean-type influence are any good at fighting wars; you won't beat Johnny Hun without some good bacon and eggs in you first.

Paff!

as you know Mr Zarse, it is important when overseas  that all laws are obeyed.  In Indonesia it is one of their laws that you must employ so many locals per foreign employee.  Who am I to argue ;D. 

So when I go diving I effectively become a local employer, dive guide, driver, kit carrier, kit cleaner, personal assistant and so on, bit like in the colonial days when on safari.  In modern management speak its whats known as a win-win situation.  I get a very enjoyable diving trip, they get employed and can feed their family for another month instead of one of theses multinationals getting my hard earned cash.

Surprisingly, Made has a few chums just like herself.  You may not know this but in Bali the boys and girls names are the same, they only have four names, child 1, Wayan, child 2, Made, child 3, Nyoman, child 4 Ketut, and then back to the start again.  It can be very confusing sometimes.

Especially as they can change their own personal names and their family and close friends can choose names for them; normally a personal attribute.  I guess most of us at LM would be know as "goes motor racing gets drunk and falls over.... again".

Fingers crossed, I'll be back in Bali next year on a semi-permanent basis, so maybe you could come and visit?

Works a treat every time, AZ! ;D What I really need is a smiley with a large wooden spoon.

Getting kinky, are we? :-X


Nah, I think a 14hr start would actually send a lot more people home on Sunday :-\

Probably not as most of us have already booked the ferries.  ;D

Having to de-camp for one night away from the circuit is too much effort. I admit that I would like a 2pm start as the morning waiting goes quicker and the shampoo bar visit is easier as not so much of a rush:-
 
watching the start
watching a couple of hours racing
Eating dinner
Running to the Shampoo bar.

The last time the start was earlier I found that the start finish straight GA area still did not fill up any earlier then normal on the Sat or Sun. Arriving 3 hours before the race at 4 or 2 hours before the race at 3?

101 things for a bored girl to do with a wooden spoon. Hmm.  ;)

Personally, I like to linger over lunch then get back to the grandstands to watch a bit of the prelims before the off.  Also, as the point was made earlier, little time is left for support races, club runs of the circuit in the early morning (see my, non-sexist/violent avatar) and time to get over the mad-Friday hangover before the real fun starts.  There are also people who come to the circuit from all over France and across the channel (the first time I did it was by overnight coach from London leaving at midnight on the Friday) for whom time's a bit tight if it's a 2'oclock start.  And there's also the small matter of tradition but hey, since when did CA'ers care about that.  ???

Provided that booze and motorsport continue to exist at Le Mans, probably only if the Stella bar ceases to exist..... ;D

MG Mark

It's still there - don't panic!! The man in the tramway advice shop thinks it's hilarious that I am so interested in the future of this place - we both agree that it's more important than the tram service. ;D

Why not go for the full cutlery set ;D

(http://www.smiling-faces.com/smilies/bestek.gif)

The fork's the tough one.

depends how well the potatoes are done ::)

You set 'em up, I'll knock 'em down!  ;D

The pleasure is all mine on the subject of the failings of the French. Itt's not that I dislike them, I don't. It's just their ill-judged superiority complex I disagree with, that and their absolute rufusal to believe that they have anything to learn from the rest of the world.

Apart from language, as in le parking etc.  The expression I love is, "allez-go"!
Although I do sort of admire this part of the national psyche - when I lived in the UK all I ever heard was how bad all things Brit were. A bit (although just a bit) of national pride ain't a bad thing.

(http://gathering.tweakers.net/global/smileys/vork.gif)

;D

Excellent Tony Blair impersonation!

I suppose you are the People's KPY?  :( ???

Just to bring it back on track  ;D a 2pm start and finish would be good, less time to get boiled on the start finish terreces more time to chill after the race. It would be a shame if they sacrificed the support race though, however it would seem likely.

Nope just commenting on your Blair-like rufusal ...  ;)

If it does start at 2pm will Smokie see the finish? ;D

Maybe they are actually changing the times just for him!!  ;)

He will be running out of excuses now that the caravan/trailer towing times arent in the equation as well.   ;D

F

I was thinking of leaving on the Friday anyway...y'know, get away from the crowds 'n stuff.. ;D

This has just put the wind up me, as I looked at the ferry booking and its for the 10th, the wrong weekend, but I do go for the week.  Idiot.

How about nipping across to the 'Ring first?  Tempting ain't it?

Some people in our crew even suggested that this year, just to pack things up on saturday morning. ;D Would be an amazing sight, but also a bit silly on the other hand, 'cause then we would have missed the Poo bar.  :o

Yeah, just for the laugh, right? And then park up at Beausejour :-\

;D

Hi Termie,
                It has crossed my mind. I will buy an extra Lotto this week ::)
Phil

You couldn't make it up. I know the world thrives on cultural differences, but what a bunch of bone idle lazy sods.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,13509-2575364,00.html

Things just seem to be getting better for the French workers all the time......

......only last week Renault agreed that all engineering and admin staff now have the option to work two - four days a week at home!

Only needing to be in the office for one day of the week. Renault even provide all the computer, phone and office gear to help staff achieve the work from home policy.

Fantastic.

In my extremely limited experience though (we've probably only had about 30 different bods here at various times working for us - so it's by no means a picture of what goes on everywhere) when they do work, they work.  No tea breaks, no stopping to chat, they just get on with it.  OK they're away 1.5 to 2 hours for lunch but the moment they come back they're straight back to grafting.  When we've been charged for a 35 hour week, we've certainly got 35 hours of work out of them.

If the race starts at 2pm that means I'll be able to make the 6pm Le Havre - Newhaven ferry!

So when will we know if there is any truth in this allegation?

2 hours less to recover from the Friday night hangover :(, 2 hours extra to wait for the Poo bar happening :(

There is no way this will happen now - in the past if the start time has been changed it's been known about long before this. Especially as the elections which were supposedly going to be responsible for the change are not exactly a surprise to anybody. 

Thank the Good Lord. A nation rejoices! Jean Claude won't need to be disturbed from his afternoon nap.  ;)

Hi Andy,
             Do you have a shot from the other side of the piano ??? Rather see a motorcycle than that fat arse 8)

Phil

This is awful anoraky, but its only an MZ

What do you means only an MZ? I spent many happy times travelling round Bucks during the 1970's on one those...............happy days  :'( ;D

And it's still prettier than that butt!

 ;D

Phil, sorry the shot from the other side shows that the naked rider is naked too and his not insubstantial penis is clearly visible.

Lorry/Monkey you're correct it's an MZ, did you tell from the crazy angle of the exhaust downpipe? Always a worthy workhorse they went on forever. I remember in about 1979 when they tarted the MZ250 up a bit to bring it into the 1950's. They replaced the old hideous fuel tank with a new hideous fuel tank. Hilariously it was painted orange, the seat went halfway up the front of it- presumably to keep your tackle warmer in winter- and it didn't have the rubber knee pads. Wow. As for MZ's addition of a disc brake, well, that was virtually rocket science I seem to remember.

Yes that dependable single cylinder just  thumped along, sounded a bit like a distant ‘dumper truck.’ Top speed was slow and I think flat out the RPM was about 15!! ;D

Errmmm well I looked at the Automobile Club de L'Ouest today and it says
"One of the major changes for the 2007 race is that the start has been brought forward to 15h00 because of the second round of the legislative elections. This modification will help facilitate the return journey of the hundreds of thousands of spectators who will have attended an exceptional race."

Now I really must sort out my ferry but still not sure if I can get to Le Havre to catch a ferry at 8pm.

[
Errmmm well I looked at the Automobile Club de L'Ouest today and it says
"One of the major changes for the 2007 race is that the start has been brought forward to 15h00 because of the second round of the legislative elections. This modification will help facilitate the return journey of the hundreds of thousands of spectators who will have attended an exceptional race."

Now I really must sort out my ferry but still not sure if I can get to Le Havre to catch a ferry at 8pm.

[/quote]
 What are you racing  driving ???
Phil

A Hyundai diesel 4x4!  RAC website reckons its a 2hours 40 drive to Le Havre, need to be there by 7.30 (stuffed if I miss it the only crossing of the day).

However living dangerously is always fun!  So maybe the traffic won;t increase the journey time to 4 hours!