London Rally M40/M4

[over_the_hill]

Something like

M40 Warwick
onto High Wycombe - anywhere around J4 that would be a good meet point ?
down A404/A404M
onto M4
M4 Heston
join with West Country crowd and hopefully someone who knows way through London.

is this the basis of a plan ??

[gandalf]

Sounds like a fine start to me OTH

[over_the_hill]

OK Gandalf I will follow you again. Don't think I was ever more than two cars behind on Friday. Great hat by the way.

[pdgriff]

just off jncn 4 - turn left towards aylesbury (A4011 - i think) large 'TGI Fridays' & cinema could meet up in carpark. Good run then into london on either M40 or M4 depending on starting point, sure good meeting point for all bucks & berks tiv drivers - paul

[ajp4.2]

I had to miss Blackpool due to work !!! Joining this route would be ideal for me. How about a meet up at Hopwood Services (M42) then Warwick before joining the everyone else???

[over_the_hill]

Both sound Good.
I personally don't like Oxford services (too much messing about) so the Cinema sounds ideal and shouldn't be busy at that time in the morning.
Hopwood would be great for anyone coming in from the west end of the M42 or M5 before going on to Warwick where all the east end M42 crowd can join in.

[icraigmy]

Anyone from south west going ?

[byker28i]

Me probably - M4 from Swindon. Membury services might be a good place to meet, or the ones at M4 Junc 13 if we pick up anyone from the A34route.

[slikk]

pdgriff said:

just off jncn 4 - turn left towards aylesbury (A4011 - i think) large 'TGI Fridays' & cinema could meet up in carpark. Good run then into london on either M40 or M4 depending on starting point, sure good meeting point for all bucks & berks tiv drivers - paul

There are some mahoosive modifications being made to Handy Cross roundabout at the moment. Dont know if lane closures are planned for the weekend, but there have been some unholy traffic jams in the area due to this.

kim

[pdgriff]

true, i'll take a blast up there over next couple of days and have a look, other option is heston services on m4 or m40 junction 2, left to beaconsfield, road has very large lay-bys on both sides of carriage way & very easy access to m-way

[netnewt]

Some of these suggested meeting places look good to me as I'll be coming from Worcester. I'll keep my eyes open for the final places, but M42 before M40 (eg Hopwood as suggested) wouuld do it!

[V-GOM]

icraigmy said:

Anyone from south west going ?

A few of us are coming up from D&C to Bristol and then M4. Stopping at J17 at about 10.00am then onwards to London. Where can we meet up closer to London with other groups?

[marz92]

V-Gom - I've updated the last post on the South West gassing station (take a butchers), best you guys regroup at Leigh Delemare services (T break or P break etc!), you bell us when you leave the services then we can join you a mile away on the slip road of Junction 17, saves you guys coming off.
Suggest we stop at the services of the M4/A34 (Chieveley Services) where we can again regroup picking up more from any body enroute of the A34. How about it?

[icraigmy]

V-GOM said:

icraigmy said:

Anyone from south west going ?

A few of us are coming up from D&C to Bristol and then M4. Stopping at J17 at about 10.00am then onwards to London. Where can we meet up closer to London with other groups?

Sounds good to me .

[PTOTY]

I live near M40 Jnct 4 - It is undergoing R/works but lane closures are sympathetic and not affecting general flow....Should be fine on a Sunday.

John Lewis also have a Massive Car Park, just past the TGI Friday / Cinema complex. If you all think that it's a good stop-off point I can make some enquiries and check it out.

BTW - come off at Jnct 4 and follow A4010.

Alternatively there is a nice pub just off of the Handy Cross interchange. It has a fairly big car park (30 plus cars IIRC) - I will also check this out.

Cheers

Beno

[over_the_hill]

How do these timings look. I have deliberately left some slack in, as there will always be the inevitable glitches.

For those coming in from M42 West
Depart Hopwood Services 9:15 and onto Warwick Services

For those coming in from M42 East go direct to Warwick Services

M40 Warwick Services
depart 9:45

M40 J4 (parking options being explored - see above)
depart 10:50

M4 Heston Services
arrive approx 11:15, meet with anyone coming along M4
depart 11:30

Central London - place to be confirmed
arrive 12:00 (ish) for 13:00 Rally Start

An hour may seem a lot of spare time on arrival but allowing for everyone to get parked up and sorted out it isn't that long.

Edited by over_the_hill on Wednesday 8th November 22:21

[gandalf]

All looks about the same as my calcs using Autoroute and as you say 1 hr can soon get eaten up with parking/nattering/fuel/toilet stops.

[ropey]

I live in Chiswick (East of Heston M4) but will do a loop to meet up with you guys there. Better than travelling in to town on my own!

Dunno what your knowledge of London is like, but I may be able to help/advise on the best route to the Rally meeting place once we know where that is!

Ropey

[over_the_hill]

Thanks ropey.
My thinking is that at Heston, everyone who knows their way around should intersperse in the convoy. Then if the group gets split by traffic lights, roundabouts etc. there is a good chance that each sub-group will have at least one person who "knows the way".

[ropey]

Sounds like a good idea.

Not guaranteeing that i won't get us lost, although we should just be able to swicth off our engines and listen for where the meeting place is!!

Ropey