Club Arnage
March 28, 2024, 01:25:02 pm *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Did you miss your activation email?

Login with username, password and session length
News: … welcome to the Club Arnage Le Mans forum …
 
   Home   Help Search Calendar Login Register  
Pages: 1 [2] 3   Go Down
  Print  
Author Topic: Tales of Le Mans 2005  (Read 17400 times)
Kate Shaw
CA Veteran
Jr. Member
**
Offline Offline

Posts: 87


I'm a llama!


View Profile
« Reply #15 on: June 22, 2005, 01:45:35 pm »

I arrived Saturday morning and Smokie picked me up at Heathrow and took me to an excellent pub/b&b in Wokingham, which I will recommend to anyone (over 35 -- it's a great place for alleged grownups); Saturday night is Karioke night there and you can't even imagine how much fun that was.  I'd go back only for that, even if the other amenities had not been as great as they were.

My race week was a tangle of logistics in connecting up with various gangs of people, but everything went smoothly and didn't meet any really impossible people all weekend.  Grin  Only in the Media Centre, really, where the English translator went home at 22:00 and left the very tired Anglais with what they could see on the screens and puzzle out of the hourly French updates -- a good lesson for all of us, but at 1:30 a.m. it was definitely not fun.  However, we staggered on.

After the race I had to lug my gear from Karting Nord to Pigletville in Maison Blanche, and having been deserted by the crowd of young men with cars where we were camping, this appeared to be a very long trek ahead.  Hitch-hiking did not work; however, a group of 'likely lads' as they called themselves, hiking from the Airtrack site in search of a bar, obligingly helped carry my gear to the front gate where aid appeared in the guise of a French taxi.  I do not think he has ever been greeted with such huzzahs in his life!  Fortunately for him another group at that campsite required a taxi the next morning for a longish trek to Tours, so arrangements were made on the spot for him to return in the morning for them, and he went away wealthier and very pleased, and I had a glass of wine from a sympathetic Piglet and then a shower, popped up my tent and went to bed, deaf to the fireworks everywhere around us.

I too was attacked by the intestinal blight which I am convinced, after hearing from a number of people in our area who had it, was caused by the lack of sanitation provided by the French for the beginning of the weekend.  I predict an epidemic of cholera one of these days.  If I go next year I will get immunized against that eventuality, I think!

I must make mention of my arrival back in London on Monday night.  After Keith dropped me off at Heathrow, I located the Hotel Hopper bus and a bus driver told me (erroneously) that the one I needed had quit for the night.  In search of a taxi for the 5 mile trip, an airport employee steered me to a taxi driver who quoted me $125.00 Canadian for the trip!  Needless to say, I was not about to fall for that -- and the next day I found that the going rate paid by Brits was $30.00.  I lodged a complaint with the airport; working for lawyers means taking note of all the details when you think you have been gouged.  Then off to my hotel, which proved to be a 3 star disaster -- the Quality Hotel had no air conditioning and the room was stifling hot.  The manager, who was Indian, told me that most hotels in London have no air conditioning, regardless of the number of stars; he opened the window, letting in gnats and flies and the full panoply of noise from the venue (no screens in a hotel with no air conditioning -- normal in London too?)  There was also no soap provided, and the high speed internet advertised cost $25.00 extra, which you didn't find out til you signed onto it.

The next morning I met up with a large number of other travellers leaving the hotel early (as I did) who said they had not been informed of any of this either. A group of Australians said they had not slept all night because of the bugs.
 
And to top it off, we missed one of the best F1 races in the calendar!   Grin Shocked Grin
« Last Edit: June 22, 2005, 01:51:52 pm by Kate Shaw » Logged
Cissie
CA Veteran
Jr. Member
**
Offline Offline

Posts: 76


I'm a llama!


View Profile
« Reply #16 on: June 23, 2005, 12:15:18 pm »

Last year was my first visit to LeMans and I had a great time in Beausejour campsite, everyone was friendly and accommodating the only problem was I wanted to be nearer the track so at the end of the race we walked down the track to our campsite and I saw these tents right up against the fence and said to my husband that's where I want to be next year.
That turned out to be Karting Nord which I got this year and it was nowhere near as nice as Beausejour as far as the people were concerned.
We arrived on Sunday afternoon and there was only one other camper van set up who were Brits, so far so good. They introduced them selves as the MG Club and gave us a beer and left us to set up our tent.
Everything was fine until the Monday night when on our return to our tent at around 1am after visiting the Liverpool boys there were five guys from the camper van having a few drinks and playing VH1 on the tv very loudly, no problem, until at 3.30am it was still pounding and I had now got a migriane.  We asked them to turn it down, no joy so my husband had to take me to the hospital for some medication.  We returned at 5.30am all was quiet.
When everyone finally rose later that morning my husband went and had words and things got a little heated. From that point on they totally ignored us which was great but on the Sunday night after the race when most of the campers had gone and you could now see grass they had a firework display and guess where they set them off from... yep right by our tent even though there were loads of spaces with no tents to have this display.
This has not put me off LeMans and I have booked for next year but it has put me off Karting Nord as these Brits go every year and camp on KN.
Logged
Lorry
CA Veteran
Club Arnage Master
*******
Offline Offline

Posts: 2529


I won't join any club that'll have me as a member


View Profile WWW
« Reply #17 on: June 23, 2005, 03:21:35 pm »

The highlights of the story goes like this:

1  Overtaken by 2 JPC vans on M27
2  Couple of beers on the Normandie
3  Beermountain gone to bed, Team JPC in bogs - give up
4  Rip rear of caravan off on the ramps - resort to gaffer tape
5  Meet rest of team at Auchan
6  Set up at MB with electricity
7  Run in goped
8  Start MB visit - see Paddy building DFH site, offer cold Kanterbraus
9  Commence display routines - crash heavily trying to loop the loop in the Jaguar tunnel - head ribs and bum in poor state
10 Sit still for 5 days
11 Watch others drinking the demon Kronenberg and collecting gravel rash
12 Discover ideal mix of Ibuprofen and Bacardi
13  Come home for a rest
« Last Edit: June 23, 2005, 03:25:47 pm by Lorry » Logged

GENTLEMEN  -  Start your livers

For and on behalf of the Kent Kronenberg Owners Club
Bob U
CA Veteran
Club Arnage Master
*******
Offline Offline

Posts: 3613


You're either at Le Mans, or waiting for Le Mans!


View Profile
« Reply #18 on: June 23, 2005, 03:51:03 pm »

Kinnel Lorry, If your #1 highlight is being overtaken on the M27 by 2 JPC vans what the hell did you get up to the rest of the week? Did you attend the annual meeting of La Sarthe flower pressing society or somethig similar  Grin
Logged

There is a corner of a foreign field that will be forever England ------ Houx Annexe
  
And the bastards have built on it.
Jay (Team Cannonball)
CA Veteran
Sr. Member
****
Offline Offline

Posts: 452


Guided by a force greater than curry.


View Profile
« Reply #19 on: June 23, 2005, 03:55:43 pm »

I'm afraid Cissie that people like this appear to becoming more and more the norm. We moved from KN after spending the last two years there due to a uneasy air that surrounded the place last year. I still maintain that it stems from the ACO overselling this site. I mean the Danish buses take up a huge area and the rest of us are left to cram into tiny spaces that are left.

Beausejour (where we were this year) was a far friendly atmosphere but does have the disadvantage of a long trek to the track.  I am not sure what to do for next year? Maison Blanche or Houx Annexe, i'm thinking.
Logged
Neal
CA Veteran
Sr. Member
****
Offline Offline

Posts: 332


That's put the Halibut amongst the Iguanas


View Profile
« Reply #20 on: June 23, 2005, 05:30:23 pm »

I agree Jay BSJ is jusy to far away, though I had never been to the Porshe Curves before. As a result it is MB for us next year, tickets already booked Grin
Logged
nick12dmc
CA Veteran
Newbie
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 14


I just fix em' man, I don't break em'!


View Profile
« Reply #21 on: June 23, 2005, 06:59:27 pm »

Team DMC had a great time on our first Le Mans!

Some High Lights included:

Gate Crashing the Classic British Welcome with our 3
DeLoreans.

Meeting up with DeLorean no 4. (Dan) in Arnarge Village
on the Friday Evening. Driving down the main street
with the doors up in convoy. The crowed just went mad
cheering!

Beausejour Campsite initiation as we drove in (the guy's
in the pool with the waterpistols, you know who you are..).

Van Surfing on the Sunday night Wink

The one thing Team DMC is all agreed is will be back next
year!
Logged
Cissie
CA Veteran
Jr. Member
**
Offline Offline

Posts: 76


I'm a llama!


View Profile
« Reply #22 on: June 23, 2005, 08:57:53 pm »

Well Jay we have booked MB but I doubt if we will be lucky as it seemed full of regulars but I live in hopes.
On KN everytime we went out some one would take down the markers and put up a tent, we ended up with the car being round the next corner totally out of sight! and if you needed to go to the little girls room at night you would end up tripping over a new tent pegor person...
Logged
Lawnmower Man
Homme de Tondeuse! 42%
Administrator
Club Arnage God
*******
Offline Offline

Posts: 2228


I'd rather have another Tropillama!


View Profile WWW
« Reply #23 on: June 23, 2005, 11:09:17 pm »

Cissie,

I think you can find noise a problem no matter what site you go to.   But not the aggro side you describe.

A few years ago we were drinking and talking in to the early hours and got asked to shut up and go to bed.  But I think he regretted it as we did what he said but seemed to make more noise snoring.  Smiley
Even so everyone remained in good humour.

I've been on KN and one of our guys got fed up with the "Thump Thump" music for some pople opposite and set off to talk to them about it.  I ran over and stopped him.  Pointed out it was not a good idea to go over with the carving Knife in his hand.  He came back put the knife down and went back and they did turn it down.
 
I thought BSJ was very quiet this year.  Even so one couple did say that they would be leaving early as it was too noisy for them.   I had warned them that it can be a bit ott.  I think they will be back but staying on a regular camp site away from the Circuit.   I know a couple of guys that do that.
The are real petrol heads and often watch the whole 24 hours.  They don't really like the party side of it.

t.
Logged

La Légend s` écrit sous vos yeux.
Cissie
CA Veteran
Jr. Member
**
Offline Offline

Posts: 76


I'm a llama!


View Profile
« Reply #24 on: June 23, 2005, 11:18:23 pm »

Lawnmower man I love the noise the cars make so that was not a problem being so close to the track just their music and attitude.  My only consolation was when we arrived at Le Harve monday night to catch the over night ferry they were in the queue waiting for a space which i dont think they got!
I also noticed that KN is not as clean as BJ
Logged
gibberish
CA Veteran
Club Arnage God
******
Offline Offline

Posts: 1492


Old Smoothy


View Profile
« Reply #25 on: June 24, 2005, 04:03:33 pm »

11:00 Wednesday - Chevy pickup has a tyre blow out


Steve............was that your lots Chevvy pick up in the underground carpark in the town centre on Friday.  If so, I was parked almost next to it.  Did you happen top see the yellow Marcos opposite.  Fantastic............
Logged

Reality is an illusion caused by alchohol deficiency!
Piglet
CA Veteran
Club Arnage God
******
Offline Offline

Posts: 1871


I'm a llama!


View Profile
« Reply #26 on: June 24, 2005, 04:33:41 pm »

Cissie

On the subject of migraines and Le Mans - I find that it's the stress of getting worked up about the noise that is significantly more likely to cause a migraine than the noise itself (if that makes sense).  

When I'm out there I take my medication at the slightest hint of an episode and I sleep with ear defenders on.  That way only the vibrations from the mortars get through to me and then they only rouse me when they are really close.  My only disappointment is that I then sleep through most of the fireworks and I love fireworks Grin

I don't think you'll find any of the onsite campsites much different to what you experienced this year, MB was at least as loud as Houx last year (granted we didn't have the Danes and their Technotrash this year Grin).  By the sounds of things you'd probably be better on an offsite campsite for the run up to the race.  If you fancy overnighting next to the noise of the cars try and set up a baby tent in one of the normal campsites for racenight.  

TBH it's the noise and atmosphere of the campsites that makes it for me - I love listening to the eclectic mix of music and looking at the weirdo's - it wouldn't be Le Mans without it!  How long is it till next year?  Grin Grin
Logged
LangTall
CA Veteran
Club Arnage God
******
Offline Offline

Posts: 1527


Llama's kick ass!


View Profile WWW
« Reply #27 on: June 25, 2005, 12:41:11 am »

TBH it's the noise and atmosphere of the campsites that makes it for me - I love listening to the eclectic mix of music and looking at the weirdo's - it wouldn't be Le Mans without it!  How long is it till next year?  Grin Grin
Only a couple of days left, you can safely go to sleep, we will we wake you when we head back to Le Mans. Grin
Logged


This film should be played at high volume, so don't come complaining about it! And who the hell is Steve?
Snoring Rhino
CA Veteran
Club Arnage God
******
Offline Offline

Posts: 2086



View Profile
« Reply #28 on: June 25, 2005, 12:20:17 pm »

Cissie,
Sorry to hear of your unfortunate neighbors, we were at KN last year and where as our immediate neighbors were great typical Le Manners, there did seem to be a higher hooligan element. Compared to Camping Blue where we were in 03 it was not as friendly and of course compared to MB this year it did not compare.
AS for the noise, LM is never going to be quite but the vast majority would have appreciated your request especially at 3.30. We were right next to DFH and their speaker system so did not think sleep until exhaustion was going to be an option anyhow. Apparently before we got there on the Wed night somebody asked them to quiten down at around 3.00 - no problem, they did. Also heard that sombody complained to the ACO on Friday night(?) and they (the ACO) got a bit stroppy, but again they just shut it down - guess somepeople find it harder to approach people for fear of rejection.

There were rumors that my snoring was actually going into competition with DFH at full blast, but I am sure this is not true, anyhow we always have our warning sign hanging from our tent just in case any unsuspecting souls should camp too close.

Seriously though if you do get migraine or just need more sleep, then make sure you take a good supply of ear plugs,very high noise is always going to be a feature of LM, best try to account for it in planning.  
Logged
vqdave
CA Veteran
Club Arnage Demi God
*****
Offline Offline

Posts: 723


world humbering


View Profile WWW
« Reply #29 on: June 27, 2005, 12:46:43 pm »

As with last year we were at BSJ, which again i rate as a campsite, good neighbours, good atmos, clean bogs and showers (cold water only though), but yes yes and yes, BSJ is a hell of a treck to the circuit, especially in that LM heat.

I spent far more time at camp this year than any other due to the logistics of getting my arse off my seat to the village, but hey perhaps i'm just getting old.

As ever though LM was a brilliant weekend, the £50 merc made it there and back, probably my most sober year, probably my biggest hayfever year, but still up there as one of the great weekends.

And on the way back we spent the night in Rouen which was very civilised watching the projections with classical mucic being beamed onto the cathedral facade whilst eating my menu de jour with a caraff or 3 of vin rouge.
Logged

Pages: 1 [2] 3   Go Up
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!