April breakfast meet proposal

[GloriaGTI]

Hi all,

This coming Sunday is the 3rd of the month and traditionally the date of the South Coast forum's monthly breakfast meet/jaunt to The Departure Lounge cafe at Alton.

Thread from the last one: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

As the date this month falls on Easter Sunday, some people may have family commitments/bank holiday plans already, including myself.

I was going to propose the idea of meeting the following Sunday (23rd) and changing the location to Wilton House for the first Wilton Wake Up of the year. I went to a few last year and it was a very intimate and fairly low key event with a great selection of cars on show. Nowhere near as busy as Breakfast Club at Goodwood.

For anyone who hasn't been before, Wilton Wake Up's are themed (like Breakfast Club) and the cars that are displayed in the courtyard are selected as they arrive if they fit with the theme of the meet - there's no registration.

The theme of this upcoming meet is 'Iconic Performance Cars'.

The gates open at 8am and the event runs until 11am but of course you can leave at anytime. The cafe/restaurant is large in size and the breakfast was pretty decent last year.

In terms of the route, there are pretty good roads leading to Wilton too, depending on your start point - A36, A338 and A30.

If enough people are interested, please comment on here so we can get an idea of numbers and propose a start point and time. I am happy to get out early and tie in a few miles before arriving to get breakfast!

Let me know your thoughts, obviously people can still meet this coming Sunday as normal

Cheers

Nic

[Stuart J]

I certainly agree on cancelling the one this Sunday, I was going to post the same as driving anywhere during easter can be " tedious " & that combined with others having plans would mean numbers light

Wilton sounds like an idea & then revert to Alton in May

I think long term it needs a regular venue to keep numbers up

[ecsrobin]

Stuart J said:

I certainly agree on cancelling the one this Sunday, I was going to post the same as driving anywhere during easter can be " tedious " & that combined with others having plans would mean numbers light

Wilton sounds like an idea & then revert to Alton in May

I think long term it needs a regular venue to keep numbers up

The idea of Wilton sounds good and a refreshing change from Goodwood breakfast meets.

I also believe a regular venue needs to happen however I don't think the departure lounge is sustainable with ever growing numbers and multiple groups attending, whilst the food is good the limited space and slower service because of numbers could become off putting.

[GloriaGTI]

ecsrobin said:

Stuart J said:

I certainly agree on cancelling the one this Sunday, I was going to post the same as driving anywhere during easter can be " tedious " & that combined with others having plans would mean numbers light

Wilton sounds like an idea & then revert to Alton in May

I think long term it needs a regular venue to keep numbers up

The idea of Wilton sounds good and a refreshing change from Goodwood breakfast meets.

I also believe a regular venue needs to happen however I don't think the departure lounge is sustainable with ever growing numbers and multiple groups attending, whilst the food is good the limited space and slower service because of numbers could become off putting.

We were fortunate with the weather last month that we were able to sit outside whilst we waited (well over an hour) for our food and for a table to become available inside. Even more fortunate for us, was the waiting staff did a great job of remembering our faces and where we had moved from and to.

It's only going to get worse as the fair weather bikers start coming out on their expensive bikes that do 1000 miles a year.

I completely agree we need a regular location but maybe The Departure Lounge isn't it. Shame really, because I love their sausages!

[Stuart J]

Agree with the others, we have proved it works so yes lets keep the third Sunday but try & find another venue. In the same area would be good as it has lots of great roads & is proving popular with quite a few people so anyone any ideas for somewhere in the Alton / Petersfield area ??

[RedAMG45]

Wilton House sounds like good one
I am on call so if I have to go I will just have to leave
I agree with departure lounge because it struggles now and it will just get busier

[alyR32]

I have sent a message to another venue close to the existing one, they have plenty of parking, most of which is in a flat field. They have held a super car meet there previously, so hopefully they will be willing to have us there, will keep you updated.

[Stuart J]

alyR32 said:

I have sent a message to another venue close to the existing one, they have plenty of parking, most of which is in a flat field. They have held a super car meet there previously, so hopefully they will be willing to have us there, will keep you updated.

Sounds good

[GloriaGTI]

I know we are looking at a change of location but I recall speaking with some of you regarding starting earlier and incorporating more miles before breakfast. I've been playing about on Google Maps looking at new routes today (yes, that's how slow my morning is going).

The route starts at Shell Winnall but does pass the Seven Stars (54 Winchester Rd), where I know some of you are meeting prior to joining up with the Shell group in the layby next to the WM Hut.

As our breakfast destination is under review, I've ended the route on Google Maps at the junction to the A31 from the A32. You'll see it now incorporates a few more twists, including "Little Switzerland" which Aly told me about on Sunday.

Depending on where our new location ends up being, the route can be revised to suit. If people are coming up from Portsmouth and the surrounding areas, we could meet you guys at Corhampton on this route.

I might go out and do a reccy super early on Good Friday if anyone fancies it.

Here's the link to view my proposed route on Google Maps - should open okay on mobile/tablets as well: https://tinyurl.com/mbrtvj4

Let me know if you have any revisions/suggestions

Edited by GloriaGTI on Tuesday 11th April 11:41

[ecsrobin]

GloriaGTI said:

I know we are looking at a change of location but I recall speaking with some of you regarding starting earlier and incorporating more miles before breakfast. I've been playing about on Google Maps looking at new routes today (yes, that's how slow my morning is going).

The route starts at Shell Winnall but does pass the Seven Stars (54 Winchester Rd), where I know some of you are meeting prior to joining up with the Shell group in the layby next to the WM Hut.

As our breakfast destination is under review, I've ended the route on Google Maps at the junction to the A31 from the A32. You'll see it now incorporates a few more twists, including "Little Switzerland" which Aly told me about on Sunday.

Depending on where our new location ends up being, the route can be revised to suit. If people are coming up from Portsmouth and the surrounding areas, we could meet you guys at Corhampton on this route.

I might go out and do a reccy super early on Good Friday if anyone fancies it.

Here's the link to view my proposed route on Google Maps - should open okay on mobile/tablets as well: https://tinyurl.com/mbrtvj4

Let me know if you have any revisions/suggestions

Edited by GloriaGTI on Tuesday 11th April 11:41

A good route. I've had a play trying to get it via selborne but it wants to do a u turn rather than follow the road (although looks like singletrack) https://goo.gl/maps/WzF8hiY4F2C2

[GloriaGTI]

ecsrobin said:

A good route. I've had a play trying to get it via selborne but it wants to do a u turn rather than follow the road (although looks like singletrack) https://goo.gl/maps/WzF8hiY4F2C2

Once you click the "+" to add to the route, you can just click on the map to create a waypoint using coordinates - don't need to write an address/landmark for it to populate the route. (in case you didn't know already)

We can't do any more singletracks - I got us in trouble leading the group on Sunday through some narrow and wet country lanes in S Wales!

[ecsrobin]

GloriaGTI said:

ecsrobin said:

A good route. I've had a play trying to get it via selborne but it wants to do a u turn rather than follow the road (although looks like singletrack) https://goo.gl/maps/WzF8hiY4F2C2

Once you click the "+" to add to the route, you can just click on the map to create a waypoint using coordinates - don't need to write an address/landmark for it to populate the route. (in case you didn't know already)

We can't do any more singletracks - I got us in trouble leading the group on Sunday through some narrow and wet country lanes in S Wales!

Sadly on the iPad it doesn't seem to let me do that. But agreed about the single track.

[alyR32]

GloriaGTI said:

ecsrobin said:

A good route. I've had a play trying to get it via selborne but it wants to do a u turn rather than follow the road (although looks like singletrack) https://goo.gl/maps/WzF8hiY4F2C2

Once you click the "+" to add to the route, you can just click on the map to create a waypoint using coordinates - don't need to write an address/landmark for it to populate the route. (in case you didn't know already)

We can't do any more singletracks - I got us in trouble leading the group on Sunday through some narrow and wet country lanes in S Wales!

Not to mention the ambulance also, it was rather busy through there on the way back.

[ecsrobin]

Are people still up for Wilton next week? It's Sunday Scramble but I can't be dealing with the long drive after last weeks Sunday service.

[GloriaGTI]

ecsrobin said:

Are people still up for Wilton next week? It's Sunday Scramble but I can't be dealing with the long drive after last weeks Sunday service.

I will be going as it's so close and there's a few good routes to Wilton from where I live just off of J2 M27.

Convoy?

[alyR32]

I'm in Nic.

[ecsrobin]

alyR32 said:

I'm in Nic.

I'm in.

[SamH216]

As we head into springtime, are the Sunday meets going to clash with the big carboot sale held at the Departure Lounge Cafe?

[GloriaGTI]

ecsrobin said:

alyR32 said:

I'm in Nic.

I'm in.

Great news gents

[GloriaGTI]

SamH216 said:

As we head into springtime, are the Sunday meets going to clash with the big carboot sale held at the Departure Lounge Cafe?

Quite possibly by the sounds of it then. Do they open earlier for the car boots?