Club Arnage

Just a quick post to say Hi to everybody. Looks like a friendly Forum, and hopefully after I have read through the posts I can add some input.

Been going to Le Mans now for the last 18 years, and plan to double that figure  ;D although the doctor and the Mrs might disagree  :o

No need to read 'em all before starting...just jump in.

Welcome!

Welcome to the jungle. Youv'e been going for 18 years, Iv'e been going for 14. I havn't seen you there, could be something to do with your name.

Hi

If you read all the posts before you start contributing it'll be well past next years' race :)

As Smokie says just dive right in, any old nonsense will do.

Well I had to say something to break the ice!!

Thanks for the welcome though, nice to  be here.

Now, now, steady on old chap - cant have the standards being rasied too high now

Originally hailing from Kent meself like, whereabouts are you?

Born and bred around Welling and Sidcup but latterly was in Gillingham and then nr. Ashford before emigrating "north" 6 years ago to the flatlands of Lincolnshire!

Ooh, and welcome to the madhouse  ;D

From the wilds of Chislehurst (near Bromley for the ones not born and bred in the area like yourself).

I've supped many a few in the Sidcup and Bexley area, and my brother now lives in Halling near Rochester, so not too far from Gillingham.

What tragedy led to you moving up North?? Surely it cannot have been simply for the fishing?

Probably easier cycling, fewer hills :D :D :D

Ah, been found out!!!  ;) Used to cycle round Chis n Brom loads in me youth (long time ago!!). Supping houses frequented in Sidcup and Bexley were usually Ye Olde Black Horse and the Iron Lung (Horse) in Sidcup, and the George, the Kings Head and the Black Horse in Bexley. Those were the days..... Haven't been back to the area for yonks but still keep in touch with loads of old mates.

Move "oop north" was purely for a desire for a bigger house and I work from home so not tied to area. Bit longer to travel down to Lemons though....

 ;D Yep, I've drunk in all of those. I spend most of my supping time in either the Ramblers Rest, or now that one of my mates has moved to Bexley (did you know the old looney bin is now a housing estate??  :o ) the Kings Head in Bexley high st. Which is quite strange because all the people I used to drink with in Bromley 20 years ago seem to frequent this place.

Quite funny seeing all the 40 year old wrinkly divorcees trying to get it on with their old flames, who are now only interested in their daughters  ;D

Glad it's not just me then!! (Although I am still married  ;) )

Sounds like you are of similar vintage to a large contingent of the CAers. A whole raft of us have recently passed the "double top" milestone  ;D with myself actually achieving said mark at Le Mans itself last year (on the Sunday).

Used to make the occasional foray over Bromley/Chislehurst way (had a couple of mates based at the Acquila MOD place) but could never remember any pub names! (Always a sign of a good night!!). Do remember a particularly wintry/cold night and a long post-pub walk to a kebab house which ended up in a collapsed heap in some strange bloke's front garden!

Those were the days....

18 Le mans? Very impressive! Is that in a row or spread over the years? My first was 1981 which was on my 17th b'day (best present I ever gave myself!) and have only missed one year since in 1985 (long story and still hurts too much to think I missed one!!).

18 Le mans? Very impressive! Is that in a row or spread over the years? My first was 1981 which was on my 17th b'day (best present I ever gave myself!) and have only missed one year since in 1985 (long story and still hurts too much to think I missed one!!).  
 
There's a coincidence- My first year was also '81. Rode down on a 500cc Triumph. That was even before the infamous Black Granny was manufactured!!
 

Nice! My steed that year was nowhere near so impressive. Some dodgy school bus purloined by Page & Moy for their France-side travel. Didn't even have a loo on board (can you imagine on a beer trip???). Cue entire coach load doing synchronised roadside slash @ 4am on the way to Lemons!  ;D

What I didn't mention was that there was also a Triton and a Trident making up the motley crew. Of course we broke down!
Triton suffered a puncture on the way down that ended up with an invite to the Liseux MC club meeting. I have photos of our time in there but little recollection.
On the way back my bike suffered a coil failure ( No smutty jokes please!) and ran the last 100miles back to Le Havre with both spark plugs connected to the one remaining coil.

Next year should see me back on two wheels on a Guzzi.

Aha! As I suspected. Yes I passed the magic "DoubleTop" back in April this year  :-[

I am pretty sure I have made that same long walk as well, in fact did we possibly meet in that chaps front garden? Not that i would remember anyway  :D

18 on the trot! First trip was the summer of 87. A neighbor of mine had gone a couple of times with his father, who was suddenly unable to go, so I was asked if I was interested. This was on a wednesday night, and the following morning there I was in my mates Stag driving down to Dover. No messing around with bookings back then! Drive to Dover, buy a ferry ticket, drive down through France, stop in Bernay at a petrol station and buy the tickets (yep you could buy the lot, entry, camping and grandstand back then) then on to the camp site. I've been going ever since.

Over the years, it has grown from just two of us sleeping under the car (my original companion now no longer comes, but I am hoping to take his son this year), to up to 20 people with everything including the kitchen sink!! The only rules I now have, are that there can only be a maximum of two people in a car (spreads the luggage, and leaves room for emergencies), and the car/driver is able to keep up with the rest of the group.

I must say, I do miss the old roads down through Abbeville, Rouen, Bernay and Alencon. I really don't think it is any faster now they are plastering the route with dual-carriageway, and I am dreading to see what they have done this year south of Rouen. Traffic was an absolute nightmare on the return journey this year, all due to them starting to dig the place up.

 ;D Small world eh?

Given the amount of similarities, guess our paths might have crossed over the years!!

Must meet up for a beer or ten (shampoo bar on Saturday night would be good I guess, with all the other CA reprobates) to relive old haunts etc....

I finally made the Sat. nite CA revelry at the aforementioned bar after many years in the press room and being far too sensible - but this year I made up for 6 years of sobriety in one hit! Bottle of Spanish brandy to blame....  :-X

Our posse varies from year to year but we always seem to have a virgin. This year, our LM virgin will be 73 years young! Likes his ale and malt and still a damn fine racing cyclist (how we met). Last year, tow mates came just for my 40th having no interest in the racing and loved it so much they're both coming back again! I did warn them it's addictive .... wonder if Le Mans has ever been cited in divorce proceedings as a "mistress"???  ;D

Funny you should mention that. It wasn't quite put as a "mistress" but my annual trip away was cited in the proceedings, even though the woman in question had made a few trips with me in the early years!
Hope to bring my son next year which should put her nose out of joint somewhat!

Sorry to hear about that BG, but good work on bringing the lad! ;D My darling spouse came in 1990-92 just to make sure I wasn't "playing away", then got "oop duff like" and hasn't been since. Has also been brought up in many subsequent rows about my selfish week away etc... Guess we're not the only ones!

Sorry to hear about that BG, but good work on bringing the lad! ;D My darling spouse came in 1990-92 just to make sure I wasn't "playing away", then got "oop duff like" and hasn't been since. Has also been brought up in many subsequent rows about my selfish week away etc... Guess we're not the only ones!


No problem. New partner is very understanding and may be able to join us in a few years when her daughter is olod enough to leave for a few days.
My oldest is 16 next year and if he has finished his GCSE's by the 14 or 15th June he should be able to come over. He's got a skid lid for riding pillion1
(which will also p**s his mother off -Great!)

I went to Le Mans in 1982 right in the middle of my A level exams - mind you that might go some way to explaining why I failed two of them! Hey-ho, it was worth it to see Dinger and Mr. Ickx lead those Rothmans Porsches home 1-2-3 and to get my photo in the Grand Prix International special edition mag!!  ;D

In '85 I set off on the Wednesday evening from Portsmouth after finishing my professional exams in London at 6pm that afternoon. I failed that one but passed on the re-sit. My A- levels were a good few years earlier.( Another 2-wheeled year- 1000cc Moto Guzzi)

I hear that some invoices from the ACO are arriving- still waiting and hoping for mine!

Ooh yeah, got my invoice on Monday - better get that paid and back!  ;D

Still makes me larf, every year I put in my request on the Monday after the race and every year I try to change it and every year it is the same as it was about 10 years ago!! Think I'll give up and just accept it! Bless 'em....

Ooh, just realised that this little banter has finally taken me past the magic "mille" mark! Must remember next time I'm in Sainsbury's to get myself a life!!!  ;)

thet somehow mange to loose mine and bug*er it up, so I end up with frantic E-mails and trying to get the camping tickets I really wanted and sell the ones allocated to me which are for a site somewhere near Marseille.