Laon A Trip to France
Discussion
Just got back from Laon and it was Fantastic, excellent drive over and back, the wonderful company, Hotel, food, and the organisation by Continental Car Tours, in fact couldn't fault anything except the weather on Fri, Sat, Mon, but even that couldn't dampen our spirits.
Sat
The drive out through the French countryside around Laon was a bit tough going at times for the Ultimas but we lasted until early afternoon then went back to the hotel for lunch, then later on went down to the Hipperdrome for a glass or two of Champers and a chat to everybody, there were open top Renault Spyders, Westfields, MGB's, and vintage cars all in the heavy rain but nobody bothered as we were all having a great time.
Sunday
Totally Awesome, the sun shined upon us all day throughout the entire event, (I ordered it sat night with the big fella) this was a meet at Laon Town Hall square where all the cars were on display, the streets are made one way and marshalled, you run the cars through the narrow streets lined with hundreds of people then it opens up going down the hill through some great bends and hairpins and the same back up, to finish in the square again for another run. The whole route is lined with people taking photos and encouriging you to wind it up, and when you do, they just go mad with excitement waving there arms about and jumping up and down (at least I hope it was with excitement) boy what a wonderful day. You are encouraged to as many runs as you like, or just chill out in the Resteurants around the square and watch everybody else.
The Continental car tours organiser came over to me on the Sat and said how pleased he was that we had brought the Ultimas and mentioned that the French Mayor and his French counterparts had said ( The Ultimas they are here !! ) made me laugh anyway.
My thanks to Kyle and Jackie for suggesting the trip.
Simon and Dawn for there wonderful directions and Dawn for her French-English inter
Graham and Lana for there company.
Also to Darren Gosbee who built my car because she covered 721 miles in the weekend, never leaked through torrential rain, and ran totally faultlessly a credit to you Darren.
All in all a totally wonderful trip that Julie and myself will treasure.
Got to admit, the Ultimas did steel the show
Sat
The drive out through the French countryside around Laon was a bit tough going at times for the Ultimas but we lasted until early afternoon then went back to the hotel for lunch, then later on went down to the Hipperdrome for a glass or two of Champers and a chat to everybody, there were open top Renault Spyders, Westfields, MGB's, and vintage cars all in the heavy rain but nobody bothered as we were all having a great time.
Sunday
Totally Awesome, the sun shined upon us all day throughout the entire event, (I ordered it sat night with the big fella) this was a meet at Laon Town Hall square where all the cars were on display, the streets are made one way and marshalled, you run the cars through the narrow streets lined with hundreds of people then it opens up going down the hill through some great bends and hairpins and the same back up, to finish in the square again for another run. The whole route is lined with people taking photos and encouriging you to wind it up, and when you do, they just go mad with excitement waving there arms about and jumping up and down (at least I hope it was with excitement) boy what a wonderful day. You are encouraged to as many runs as you like, or just chill out in the Resteurants around the square and watch everybody else.
The Continental car tours organiser came over to me on the Sat and said how pleased he was that we had brought the Ultimas and mentioned that the French Mayor and his French counterparts had said ( The Ultimas they are here !! ) made me laugh anyway.
My thanks to Kyle and Jackie for suggesting the trip.
Simon and Dawn for there wonderful directions and Dawn for her French-English inter
Graham and Lana for there company.
Also to Darren Gosbee who built my car because she covered 721 miles in the weekend, never leaked through torrential rain, and ran totally faultlessly a credit to you Darren.
All in all a totally wonderful trip that Julie and myself will treasure.
Got to admit, the Ultimas did steel the show
Hi Russ,great weekened mate loved every minute of it !!!! what a cracking event !!
I think you guys deserve a medal the weather over the weekened was absolutely crap,apart from sunday but the trip home !!! my god the fact that your cars run well over the weekened was a testimant to how well they were built and maintained !!
The two Ultimas stole the show with out a doubt there were more people stood around the ultimas than the 5 million pound ferrari !!
The trip around the town was awsome and the french people made us so welcome !! great fun blasting back up the hill .
Russ and Graham were the stars of the show answering questions and letting people sit in there cars all day .
Russ you are a fine gentleman taking that disabled french you lad for a ride was a very kind thing to do !! the look on his face said it all .
Thanks to Kyle and Jackie for suggesting it
Russ and Julie for making me laugh all weekened
Graham and Lana for still smileing even after the weather tried its best to dampen your spirits !!!
and to Dawn who let me thrash her little BM all weekened .
I think you guys deserve a medal the weather over the weekened was absolutely crap,apart from sunday but the trip home !!! my god the fact that your cars run well over the weekened was a testimant to how well they were built and maintained !!
The two Ultimas stole the show with out a doubt there were more people stood around the ultimas than the 5 million pound ferrari !!
The trip around the town was awsome and the french people made us so welcome !! great fun blasting back up the hill .
Russ and Graham were the stars of the show answering questions and letting people sit in there cars all day .
Russ you are a fine gentleman taking that disabled french you lad for a ride was a very kind thing to do !! the look on his face said it all .
Thanks to Kyle and Jackie for suggesting it
Russ and Julie for making me laugh all weekened
Graham and Lana for still smileing even after the weather tried its best to dampen your spirits !!!
and to Dawn who let me thrash her little BM all weekened .
What a great weekend it was, weather was a bit crap for some of the time but the sun came out for the display and the run through the town, which was totally awesome, going through narrow streets and just accelerating hard making as much noise as we could and boy did we make some noise. Russ and I couldn’t believe that we were getting more attention than the Ferrari from the locals.
But it was the company that made the weekend, we all had a good laugh, mostly at my expense, as my car got really muddy on the Saturday and I was desperate to clean it for Sunday!!
Thanks to Simon, Russ, and Kyle for putting up with me and giving support when needed.
On the Saturday going to register (a bit wet)
Group hug
Parked up for some champers
Sunday, just parked up in the two spaces they saved for us
But it was the company that made the weekend, we all had a good laugh, mostly at my expense, as my car got really muddy on the Saturday and I was desperate to clean it for Sunday!!
Thanks to Simon, Russ, and Kyle for putting up with me and giving support when needed.
On the Saturday going to register (a bit wet)
Group hug
Parked up for some champers
Sunday, just parked up in the two spaces they saved for us
CanAm Dave said:
That is unless it is a supercharged, chargecooled, fuel injected, Dart blocked 383 small block and stabling more horses than is decent mate! 
Regards Dave
PS Love all the pics. Maybe next year.
PPS I bet Kyle has a pic of your GTR in the door mirror of his oil burning Leon.
Yep a great weekend, im sorry if we were a bit distant on the Saturday but my best friend was having a big operation and i was a bit pre occupied.Regards Dave
PS Love all the pics. Maybe next year.
PPS I bet Kyle has a pic of your GTR in the door mirror of his oil burning Leon.
Yes fantastic time, your cars are a credit to you boys.
The highlight for me was the faces on the frenchies as Russ did blasts down the high street and then to his credit he collected a little handicapped lad and gave him a run around the town, that is what the event is all about!!! I will definately be going next year in my GTR.
Yes Dave they did struggle to keep up with me in my oil burner, i think if i had a Reliant Robin the same would apply. The boys like to pose not race.
Well done on taking your Ultimas, I saw them at Hipperdrome but didn't recognise them as PH, I was very suprised that you'd been on the Saturday Rallye, some of the roads must have been very interesting for you
Even bigger congratulations on getting to talk to Jonathan (Mr Elusive) we spotted him but only got a wink and a smile, he recognised us
Unfortunately we didn't see you on the Sunday "parade" as we were busy using our English car to help out a Jap car (no one will believe that) we were in the scruffy maroon Midget but I did manage to do a sneaky overtake of two Furys on the uphill bends as one of them struggled to get fuel thro' the engine
I had a great time with a Honda S800 which was behind me for two "parades"
Pity you didn't get a photo of the "Bucalli" as that's an awesome car with a very interesting story I overtook that with great care on the downhill bends
Also it's a shame about the weather on the Saturday run as many more people are usually out in the villages waving, one village centre a chap with a PA stopped the cars to descibe them to the crowd and then ask the drivers to rev the engine before pulling off - can you imagine this and the waving locals happening in English villages?
Even bigger congratulations on getting to talk to Jonathan (Mr Elusive) we spotted him but only got a wink and a smile, he recognised us
Unfortunately we didn't see you on the Sunday "parade" as we were busy using our English car to help out a Jap car (no one will believe that) we were in the scruffy maroon Midget but I did manage to do a sneaky overtake of two Furys on the uphill bends as one of them struggled to get fuel thro' the engine
I had a great time with a Honda S800 which was behind me for two "parades"
Pity you didn't get a photo of the "Bucalli" as that's an awesome car with a very interesting story I overtook that with great care on the downhill bends
Also it's a shame about the weather on the Saturday run as many more people are usually out in the villages waving, one village centre a chap with a PA stopped the cars to descibe them to the crowd and then ask the drivers to rev the engine before pulling off - can you imagine this and the waving locals happening in English villages?
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