just to ease this thread along a tangent towards an activity where our cars are being used as intended ...... why not come to Castle Combe on Monday 27th August and see the hotly contested PCGB Club races?

timetable here: http://www.castlecombecircuit.co.uk/racingclub/pdf...

don't flame me but this is one part of the PCGB empire that seems to work well ....... grids full-ish this year and some interesting on track battles between drivers and the different models.

Is Des going to take the 'parade lap spin' to the next level?

Goodness I hope not....... .......modified cars will be banned!!

Well I made the 220 mile round trip from a sunny south Buckinghamshire (23 degrees at 9am) also on the Saurday. I had even persuaded my parents to meet me there in their Boxster, because after all, it couldn't be as bad as Ragley Hall in 2007!!

OMG - as I pulled into "Chateau" Impney - I thought I had entered a parallel universe and somehow ended up in Russia (not helped by most of the hotel staff being Polish and surly). It was like the land that taste forgot .... What an absoluetely hideous venue! OK it was large and managed to accomodate the few members that did turn up (about 20 times over), but after stunning venues like Blenheim Palace and Eynsham Hall - this was quite a shock!

20 Degrees and with a few light showers definately didn't help, although the organisers couldn't be held to account for that!

Yes there were some decent register displays and even a few traders turned up in the trade hall(although not as many as previous years). The building itself was another monstrosity that looks like it was built to house the odd Trade Union Conference, but I suspect is used as a rather tasteless wedding venue for the locals. However, as others have said, what were the "craft" people doing on the upper balcony??

Porsche (or one of the dealers) mustered 5 nice new and shiny cars - but why were three of them stuck in the dingy entrance hall??

Food provison was OK but most people gravitated toward the main hotel, which consequently was busy and had precious little free seating as many of the would be dining / function rooms were closed / empty! Makes me think that they weren't expecting many people to turn up, but at least the terrace was a pleasant place to sit, even if we got sprinkled with a little West Midlands moisture!

Other than the Michelin precision driving area, there seemed to be very little to do or watch.

Like David, I saw a few nice cars on the run home after lunch and couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the temperature gauge climbing (with what felt like every mile south). So £50 of fuel, £10 on a ticket, plus a spot of lunch (the best bit) has left me underwhelmed, again!

I know! I did see the toilets and they were 50 shades of brown!

No taste - it was like the house out of the Adams family .... Mind you, this quote made me chuckle: "Today the Chateau is one of the premier hotels in the Heart of England specialising in conferences, banquets and exhibitions for customers seeking a venue with a style all of its own. It is independently owned and operated and is the life-work of its management team".

Be honest, it was Mrs Melv being happy that made your day?

I think some of your comments are a bit harsh MM911.

For those that don't know what the original Chateau looks like, here's a picture :



I suspect the chateau is used more for business conferences than weddings. I last ate there at least twenty years ago, Even back then, the food wasn't the best

In an ideal world it could do with a wealthy individual to buy it, demolish all the contemporary buildings that have so blighted it, and then return the original chateau to its former glory.

You can tell it was pretty good due to the lack of "whata load of crap" posts.

I was racing at Donington so could not attend this year.

Well done to those involved in organising and manning the event as you clearly did something pretty good

Herein lies the crux of the problem (doesn't apply to Melv as he's hard as nails, obviously)

Apologies to the owner of the 996 GT2 in the left of the photograph. I did a "fly by" of it in my old 964RS on the D/C leading up to the chateau. He followed us into Droitwich, I suspect thinking we were heading to the event. What I was actually doing was showing a mate how to get into the Chateau (FOC) via a back entrance on a public footpath . . . .

You can't tell anything - you weren't there!

Oh and I wasn't having a pop at my fellow club members running the event (who must have worked hard and could not have been nicer / more helpful), merely the choice of venue .....

We did and thanx for your offer of help.....