Wot, No Kent Run?

[barry_j]

The guys in Essex have the "Sunday Fun Drive", the guys in Surrey do the "Surrey Run", the guys in London do the "Tunnel Run", the guys in Bedfordshire have the "Dunstable Hoon" so isn't about time we had a KENT RUN??

Here's the problem; I've been on a few of the Essex runs which are excellent and you need someone with a really good knowledge of the B-roads roads to lead the run and avoid constant stop-starting due to traffic / cameras / towns / etc and I just don't know the roads around Kent well enough to volunteer.

Is there anyone willing to volunteer to lead the run?

If we can get a volunteer, would anyone be up for a Kent run?

[ncs]

Thanks for offering - we're all looking forward to your first effort

Nick

[romanymagic]

Yep, having attended some of the London Tunnel Runs, would definitely be up for a Kent run. Perhaps anyone interested could suggest some initial runs so that we can come up with "The Run"!

[jaykaybi]

I can't remember the exact route but I went on a great hoon with Tony H down to Rye from the Maidstone area - Tony, any chance you could offer up the route details?

I also seem to remember some great roads outside Tenterden and Headcorn, and some south of the Sevenoaks area, but I don't 'know' any of these well... Maybe someone else here does?

[barry_j]

jaykaybi,
Thanks - any suggestions welcome


romanymagic,
Good idea. If we can't get a volunteer to lead the run, maybe this will be the best way forward. I was thinking that if we stayed within the boundaries of the M20 to the East and the A26 to the West we could string together some decent B-roads with the odd A-road.

The problem is I have no idea how good these roads are so anyone with "the knowledge" to lead, please step forward!

Edited by barry_j on Thursday 24th August 13:51

[jaykaybi]

Perhaps we should gather together in decent numbers and go about finding decent roads for ourselves - most people have some sort of vague recommendations to make, perhaps to get a Kent run started a group should just meet up and drive all day around the areas that are most commonly recommended.
Perhaps rotate the the lead in 1/2 hour sections and go where the flow takes you?


*wish I could have got the word "frontier" into that!


I reckon I'd be in with my Elise, and my best mate's got a VX (weather permitting on both counts).

[3200gt]

Shouldn't we be suggesting suitable dates and venues, then worry about where to go?
Id guess it wants to be somewhere roughly central, Maidstone area? there are some decent roads out the back of maidstone, down towards headcorn, ashford or yalding.
ps, dont make it in the next 4 weeks, gotta go do some work on the tan.

[romanymagic]

Other factors to mull over as well (based around experience of the London Tunnel runs) are:

Keeping to speed limits
Sensible driving
Stopping undesirable activities occurring i.e. will the Kent Run forum/thread become restricted (as with the tunnel runs)
Different meet points
If enough interest, creating teams
Dates: could do a monthly run, based around the last weekend of each month.

I am going to sit down over the weekend with a couple of like minded people with some good experience of Kent and see what we can come up with and perhaps post suggestions early next week.

[ncs]

Lets talk about it at The Woodman

I am aware of a few good roads in the area

& NO - Im not putting my name down to arrange this, Ive got enough on my plate

Nick

[DamienCBR]

I would be up for this when i get my Westie. I have done some good routes on the bike, obviously the A20 is a bit of a blastfrom Maidstone down to the coast. Seconded on the Headcorn, Frittenden across to T-Well and the B-roads out that way.

Good place to meet would be the Great Danes Hotel (Ramada Jarvis now)nice and central and just off the motorway so easy to get to.

Got a broken shoulder at the mo and still waiting for insurance payout on the bike then the Westie will come. Probably not very welcome in my 156. I will keep an eye on the thread though.

D

[barry_j]

ncs said:

Lets talk about it at The Woodman

Good idea but I'm only 50% likely to be at the Woodman as I may be heading away for the bank holiday. Just give me an update next week if I don't make it.

ncs said:

NO - Im not putting my name down to arrange this, Ive got enough on my plate

No problem. Given that I started the thread, I'm more than happy to do all the arranging. Just on the day, I think its best if the convoy is lead by someone who knows the road rather than someone looking at a map otherwise, its just going to end up being stop-start rather than hooning.

I'm keen to follow the successful format of the Essex Fun Drives:
- keep things simple and fun
- limit the numbers (or split into groups according to pace)
- avoid dual carriageways, built up areas, traffic
- start early on a Sunday morning
- dont publish the route and meeting times on the forum

Edited to add "(or split into groups according to pace)" so anyone welcome.

Edited by barry_j on Thursday 24th August 18:21

[drogo]

I`m up for this whenever
Also hope to be at The Woodman, we can make a start on a route.

Hi RM, we know someone who knows the back waters of Kent like a very, very nice man.



Probably not very welcome in my 156.
D[/quote]

And what makes you think that sir, this is Pistonheads, all like minded are most welcome.
An Alfa 156 1.6TS is a nice car but a Westfield , Yea, Ok bring that.

[barry_j]

I suggest meeting at Wrotham. "The Moat" has a good car park thats used by several owners clubs meets, its easy to get to, there's a Shell garage nearby and there's the B2016 "Seven Mile Lane" heading south from there which should make it easy to stay within the boundaries of the M20 to the East and the A26 to the West that I suggested before.

Edited by barry_j on Thursday 24th August 19:03

[jaykaybi]

barry_j said:

I suggest meeting at Wrotham. "The Moat" has a good car park thats used by several owners clubs meets, its easy to get to, there's a Shell garage nearby and there's the B2016 "Seven Mile Lane" heading south from there which should make it easy to stay within the boundaries of the M20 to the East and the A26 to the West that I suggested before.

Seconded.

Edited by jaykaybi on Friday 25th August 09:23

[barry_j]

ncs said:

Lets talk about it at The Woodman

Sorry I couldn't make it to the Woodman. Did any of you get a chance to decide on a route? If so, could you PM it to me and I'll start organsing the day. If not, could people PM me...

romanymagic said:

some initial runs so that we can come up with "The Run"!

...and then we can add to it if we

jaykaybi said:

gather together in decent numbers and go about finding decent roads for ourselves

[romanymagic]

barry_j said:

ncs said:

Lets talk about it at The Woodman

Sorry I couldn't make it to the Woodman. Did any of you get a chance to decide on a route? If so, could you PM it to me and I'll start organsing the day. If not, could people PM me...

romanymagic said:

some initial runs so that we can come up with "The Run"!

...and then we can add to it if we

jaykaybi said:

gather together in decent numbers and go about finding decent roads for ourselves

Hi Barry

Sorry to see you didn't make it yesterday, it was a good day (despite the occasional down pour) and their was a good attendance, 3 Ultima's, 2 Elise's, quite a few TVR's, couple of MX5's, a very nice Maserati 4200 and of course my Z4. Had a brief chat with Nick but we didn't really touch on the "Kent run" as the call for the BBQ food came up and we were quite hungry...

I had a chat with a couple of friends that are members of PH and the Wrotham suggestion seems to be the fave one at the mo, I am thinking if I get the chance one night this week, may do a test run incorporating seven mile lane and see how it goes.

We could really do with a meet up at some point to get a few of us together to plot a favourite route.

Cheers Barry

RM

[romanymagic]

I would like to propose Sunday 1st October as the date of the first run. At least it's something to pencil in our diaries and will give enough time between now and then to fine tune a run. Currently looking at maps around SML and their would be scope as mentioned to start at The Moat and head down onto SML, their a few turn's off of the SML that allow you to return back onto SML - needs fine tuning and a good understanding of the liklihood of traffic, accident blackspots and safety cameras.

[barry_j]

romanymagic said:

I had a chat with a couple of friends that are members of PH and the Wrotham suggestion seems to be the fave one at the mo, I am thinking if I get the chance one night this week, may do a test run incorporating seven mile lane and see how it goes.

We could really do with a meet up at some point to get a few of us together to plot a favourite route.

Sounds good!!

romanymagic said:

I would like to propose Sunday 1st October as the date of the first run.

If you don't mind, I'd like to arrange something sooner for an initial 'good road finding' run. Maybe 10-Sep or 17-Sep otherwise the weather is going to start working against us. Would either of those dates work for you RM?

...would either of those dates work for anyone else?

Edited by barry_j on Tuesday 29th August 12:06

[romanymagic]

barry_j said:

romanymagic said:

I had a chat with a couple of friends that are members of PH and the Wrotham suggestion seems to be the fave one at the mo, I am thinking if I get the chance one night this week, may do a test run incorporating seven mile lane and see how it goes.

We could really do with a meet up at some point to get a few of us together to plot a favourite route.

Sounds good!!

romanymagic said:

I would like to propose Sunday 1st October as the date of the first run.

If you don't mind, I'd like to arrange something sooner for an initial 'good road finding' run. Maybe 10-Sep or 17-Sep otherwise the weather is going to start working against us. Would either of those dates work for you RM?

...would either of those dates work for anyone else?

Edited by barry_j on Tuesday 29th August 12:06

I could do Sunday 10th September but will be in Spain on Sunday 17th September.

Anyone else interested in an initial 10th September meet?

Edited by romanymagic on Tuesday 29th August 12:36

[m3cslgirl]

10th September would be good for us!