Hi Mark - if the ticket's still free I'd be very grateful. Have got tickets for every other day but failed for Saturday.

At the Revival please!

Seen it in the paddock at Goodwood on more than one occasion. It also made it to the Circuit des Remparts in Angouleme last September.

My understanding from Andrew, the disconsolate chappie sitting on the front wing, who owns the car is that it is a Phantom I limousine from 1931 that was rebodied in the fifties. There was apparently a matching trailer at one point. It is a much travelled old bus, travelling from North Norfolk to Brighton every year to enable a bunch of drunks to watch the vintage car run. Much like the race at Le Sarthe, this excursion lasts from Friday morning through to Monday evening just to watch three or four hours worth of old motors. The Rolls also featured at the Goodwood Revival in 2005 & 2006, latterly being part of the display for the Saturday night ball. With all the bottles of champagne floating about that night really did hurt.

A proper shooting brake - just south of Cherbourg on the run home in 2005. The third puncture - two spares and a long story about RAC European cover.

Arrived last week - the postal strike was not so solid in West Sussex. Passed it all on to the 15 year old son of a friend.

Went to Angouleme in 2004 for the Sunday demonstrations and racing. The demonstrations had practice in the morning as did the races. The demonstrations lined up in the afternoon in grid formation, fastest in the  front. So did the races. The demonstrations drove hard with the first across the line getting the chequered flag. So did the races. The difference? Buggered if I know. A couple of highlights were watching the drivers get breath tested after the lunch break and before the demos/races and the driver of the immaculate Bugatti in one of the demos. We knew that the chequered flag must be about to drop because he was coming to the end of a fairly substantial cigar!
This year is looking good as well. Goodwood Revival at the beginning of September, the next weekend off to Saumur for two weeks, with a run to Angouleme the following Sunday. All that's missing is the blower Bentley and I'm depending on Camelot to help me with that.

I know that this may not be in the spirit of adventure that we are all supposed to demonstrate when gracing Johnny Foreigner with our presence but for the past couple of years the French authorities have both announced and demonstrated their intention to clamp down on speeding. This is countrywide and all year round. Is it entirely surprising then that the major roads from the Channel ports to La Sarthe are teeming with radar guns, particularly in light of previous years experiences where a significant minority of English visitors both announce and demonstrate their intention to drive as quickly as possible.
The answer to avoiding eye watering fines is to either keep to the limits or keep off the major routes, unless of course paying a fine is seen as either demonstrating that you have huge cojones or that the frogs are out to stuff the English. Me, I prefer to spend the money on something more enjoyable (beer, vin, more beer, more vin etc. etc.)

JT

As far as ferry costs go I booked on Transmanche a week or so ago - out Wednesday evening at 19:00, return on Tuesday morning at 00:30. Now I know these are not the most convenient times but it cost me £54:00 booked via the Association of British Drivers website.

JT

To put it into some sort of perspective I've just booked with Transmanche - out on Wednesday at 19:00 and back at 00:30 on Tuesday morning. Now I know that these are not the most convenient of times and it's not the most luxurious boat but the total cost was £54:00. So, compared to Brittany, that leaves me around £600 better off. That should pay for a couple of beers then.

As my plans for the trip over are rarely finalised until the last minute ferry bookings can be a bit of a lottery. LD and Transmanche are normally pretty sensible as living in West Sussex the trip to Dover is a bit of a waste. Just for a laugh I thought I'd check on Brittany from Pompey to Caen or Cherbourg. To Caen, out at 23:15 on Wednesday with a reclining seat and back on Monday at 17:00, one person in a MX5, £642.84!  To Cherbourg on Thursday on the 08:00 fast ferry and back from Caen on the 17:00 on Monday - £687:69!
Starts to make the extra drive to Dover and from Calais look a bit more attractive.

Pretty good for work in progress I thought. It was nice to walk around without running the risk of being flattened by a testosterone fuelled scooter driven by an acne ridden gofer. (Have I had a problem in the past?) On a slightly different tack was anyone else pissed off with always having to get out of the way of an Audi taxi (or VW minibus). They were everywhere, seemingly only with one passenger (the cars) or a couple (the minibuses). The highest number I saw on a windscreen was 78 so I assume that there were at least that many. I saw one convoy across the airfield, including a Bentley Continental, of at least 6 cars, all with one passenger in the back. What's the point of stressing the economy of diesels if you need one for each passenger? And are Audi's guests unable to walk? The bloody things seemed to be everywhere.

Scrambles off high horse and skuttles back into his corner.

JT

Thanks for the advice. Norauto on the way out of Carrefour did the business on Monday morning. Took longer to get through the roadworks than to find them and conclude the deal. All I've got to do now is to get under and get dirty and fit them.

Thanks again

JT

Thanks for these recommendations, seems I should be OK.

JT

Bonjour all

I'm hoping that one of the French experts can help and point me in the right direction. I have a Renault Twingo as a runabout in West Sussex, and very good it is too. I normally buy service items at supermarkets during our trips to France. However the little bugger has let me down and the exhaust system has dropped off. I was hoping to buy a replacement during the annual pilgrimage, but does anyone know what the French equivalent of Kwik Fit is and where I might find one in Le Mans? Hopefully I can get one and fit in in the car without taking up all the space reserved for vin!

Thanks in advance

John T