Nijius Maximus 3RD Aston Meet - Welwyn Garden - Sun Aug 21st

[Nijius Maximus]

Not long to go now! I'll be shortly PM'ing everyone to make sure everyone can still make it and giving out further details.

Although we do have the 11 car maximum filled I may take away my McLaren to keep this an Aston only event which would free up a space if anyone extra wants to attend...

[Nijius Maximus]

Tomorrow's the day! I hope everyone can still make it. I'm just about to e-mail everyone with further details.

Weather is looking good - well not raining at least!

The next event is looking like it'll be in October as I'm busy all of September. I'm looking at making it a joint Aston-McLaren event with equal numbers of each and visiting both a McLaren and Aston dealership. More details to follow...

[tfb_carphotography]

Nijius Maximus said:

Tomorrow's the day! I hope everyone can still make it. I'm just about to e-mail everyone with further details.

Weather is looking good - well not raining at least!

The next event is looking like it'll be in October as I'm busy all of September. I'm looking at making it a joint Aston-McLaren event with equal numbers of each and visiting both a McLaren and Aston dealership. More details to follow...

Email isn't working I'm afraid but I presume the meet time is still 10:30 at the dealership? Looking forward to it tomorrow!

[Nijius Maximus]

tfb_carphotography said:

Email isn't working I'm afraid but I presume the meet time is still 10:30 at the dealership? Looking forward to it tomorrow!

Hi tfb, this is the email below I sent everyone (minus my phone details). Look forward to seeing you and your dad tomorrow!

===========

So this is the plan, again split into two parts for those meeting us at King’s Cross and those at Aston Welwyn Garden.


King’s Cross Meet at 09.30

===============

Arthouse, 1 York Way, London, N1C 4AT

This won’t be on earlier Aston sat navs so use N1 9AG instead. It’s my apartment block and there’s a large parking / loading area outside where my Vanquish will be parked waiting.

When everyone’s arrived, and routes put into our sat nav, we will head up through Highgate and then along the A41 to Stanmore where there’s some country roads and a tunnel (we’ll be doing twice(!)) before heading back on the A41 and onto the A1 to Aston Welwyn Garden via the Hatfield Tunnel.


Welwyn Garden Meet at 10.30

=================

Grange Aston Martin Welwyn, Stanborough House, Great North Rd, Hertfordshire, Welwyn Garden City AL8 7TQ
Tel. [phone]

Right, we NEED to park in front of the main entrance windows with our cars all facing outwards. That way we’ll all be able to fit and be able to get some amazing photos!

Grange will be providing us pastries, teas and coffees for breakfast. We’ll be able to relax and check out the cars they have and my dealer Ben will be there - great guy.

Then Ben will give us printed routes out of some of the back roads they recommend for us to drive on and we will head on for the epic drive.


The Red Lion at 14.15

===========

Digswell Hill, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, AL8 7SU
Tel. [phone]

For those of us who can stay I’ve booked the excellent Red Lion for lunch which is not far from the dealership. Lots of parking and great traditional pub food. For those of us who can’t stay on we’ll all head here anyway and say our goodbyes.

Lunch is booked for 14.15 but we’ll likely get here our earlier so we can relax and have a drink (just one mind for those of us driving!).

[Stevejay]

Hi Nijius email received sounds like a good plan looking forward to it got my mincers on a DB9. Will join you for Sunday lunch see you in morning.

[Nijius Maximus]

Stevejay said:

Hi Nijius email received sounds like a good plan looking forward to it got my mincers on a DB9. Will join you for Sunday lunch see you in morning.

Good one Steve - looking forward to hearing another V12 engine. We've got a good selection now: Vanquish, DB9, V12 and V8 Vantages, a Vantage s and two DBS models.

[Mr Moley]

I'll be there - 9.30 at the Kings Cross postcode - look forward to it

[avinalarf]

I spent a very pleasant couple of hours this morning at AstonGrange Welwyn.
Grange did very well with their hospitality,providing sandwiches,croissants and coffee or tea served by the two very nice receptionists.
Met Ben in Aston sales,lovely chap,tall and stocky,rugby player,had to try very hard not to make a further idiot of myself by calling him Big Ben,pleased to say I just about managed to control myself.
Met up with Nij who organised the event,well done Nij,and the other guys and Steve Jays wife,a very nice bunch of people
On meeting Nij,for the first time,we shook hands and I congratulated him on organising the event and on his most excellent write up of his Vanquish.
I then made a quip and said that Shmee had better watch out as Nij's write up was so good.
At which a charming gentleman,immediately to my right,introduced himself as......Shmee's father.
A short stunned silence followed,after which,I threw myself onto the floor,kissed his hand,and grovelled.
He was most gracious,he said that I had not been offensive and therefore would not batter me senseless.
I was mightily relieved.
We chatted about our cars and the cars in the showroom.
I am pleased to say that I kept up pretty well,with the technical mechy stuff,regarding our cars,but then we passed the stage of how many wheels the cars have and whether the engine was in the back or front,and then I got a bit lost.
Unfortunately I had to leave before they all went for a spin.as I started to vomit over everybody ( a little joke that only those who frequent the D&D will appreciate).
Anyway as I made a grand exit I gave a queenly salute,and the V12 growled as only a V12 can.
I sped off....only I didn't speed off .....after 10 seconds I realised something was amiss,a dinging noise emanating from the dash, pulled over checked my seatbelt,which was ok,then I saw a light on the dash lit up.
It was the hand brake light on.
Now those of you acquainted with my posts know that I never engage my handbrake,as I find it mucho difficult to release in a timely fashion.
Big Ben must have engaged it whist driving our cars to position for a photo shoot.
So I pulled off road,cursing,after several panicky efforts I managed to disengage the bleeding thing and happily drove off .
Unfortunately I didn't notice the police car,parked up,fortunately the damage to both of our cars wasn't too severe and I'm pretty confident I can repair the twisted chassis when I get home.

Edited by avinalarf on Sunday 21st August 14:31

[Nijius Maximus]

Thank you avinalarf, great meeting you my well dressed faahonista friend...

Glad you enjoyed it and great that you made it down.

Here's a couple of photos: the epic panorama of all our cars outside Grange and a Sunday roast selfie...

The panorama photo is too big to upload so check out both photos here:
https://goo.gl/photos/Xz32VnTavUJCaoRU7

I've made it shared so anyone can add photos!

Lots more photos and videos (tunnels runs from tfb!) to come...

Edited by Nijius Maximus on Sunday 21st August 15:54

[tfb_carphotography]

Thanks Nijius for an epic day, my dad and I really enjoyed it despite losing you all in the drive due to some cyclists !! Photos from the day have been uploaded to the file and a couple of videos have gone up as well, ashamedly filmed vertically and the tunnel one not turning out too well I'm afraid . Please also pass on our thanks to Ben and the team at AM as they did a superb job of looking after us and sorry we had to dash off before lunch. Looking forward to the next one

[waremark]

Many thanks also from me. Delighted you were able to slot me in as 12th man! It was a great pleasure to meet you all.

[waremark]

Many thanks also from me. Delighted you were able to slot me in as 12th man! It was a great pleasure to meet you all.

[geoff]

Well done Nij and thank you for organising. Good to meet everyone today with a few nice cars to look at as well !
Sorry I could not make the lunch - hopefully next time.

Also a big thank you to Ben and the young laddies for looking after everyone.

Geoff

[Stevejay]

Superb day out good company spirited drive through the Hertfordshire countryside cracking Sunday Lunch bootiful cars, well done Grange Wellwyn for hosting us shame the DB9 had gone but hey ho plenty more to come. Thanks Nij for organising. Love the write up avinalarf.
o
i

[geoff]

[Mr Moley]

Nij thanks so much for organising - really enjoyed the day and look forward to the next one

It was great to meet you all and Dave you are the largest man in the loudest aston I've ever seen and heard

[Quarterly]

Thanks Nij for organising and Grange for hospitality, a very enjoyable morning around like minded Aston enthusiasts.

I've only got two worthwhile photos which I've added to the album, but well done Tristram for taking so many great shots!

Nij will you please get on and publish the Vanquish review!

[Jon39]

avinalarf said:

I then made a quip and said that Shmee had better watch out as Nij's write up was so good.
At which point, a charming gentleman introduced himself as......Shmee's father.
A short stunned silence followed ...

Glad that you enjoyed yourself, Steven.

Your Shmee reference could have been awkward for many people, but as a true gentleman of the world, I am sure you were not fazed one jot, and handled the situation in your usual diplomatic way. Incidentally, are you one of the hansome men in the photographs, with a passing likeness to Sir Stirling Moss? Perhaps with the pink shirt, or maybe the gentleman looking very stylish with black trousers, nearly matching shoes in blue and white, a natty Tony Dean (or maybe Philip Serrel) style summer scarf, and possibly also with a ciggie.

I noticed the way your reference, 'introduced himself as......Shmee's father', was worded. Have you noticed this widespread practice, where so called celebrities are involved, that instead of them being the son of daughter of their parents, the relationship suddenly becomes the other way round? It annoys me greatly, as if the parents have suddenly become some kind of second order beings. If it were me, I would insist on saying, Shmee (the Youtube video selfie celebrity) is my son.

Anyway, enough of this idle banter, because things have become very serious here. My Polish gardener has failed to turn up yet again. Something to do with him having depression, following the referendum result. Yours truly now has to climb onto a mower, find out how it works and make an attempt at cutting the quarter acre lawn, on this baking hot day. I should be in the Orangery, sipping a G & T.

Edited by Jon39 on Tuesday 23 August 14:21

[avinalarf]

Jon39 said:

avinalarf said:

I then made a quip and said that Shmee had better watch out as Nij's write up was so good.
At which point, a charming gentleman introduced himself as......Shmee's father.
A short stunned silence followed ...

Glad that you enjoyed yourself, Steven.

Your Shmee reference could have been awkward for many people, but as a true gentleman of the world, I am sure you were not fazed one jot, and handled the situation in your usual diplomatic way. Incidentally, are you one of the hansome men in the photographs, with a passing likeness to Sir Stirling Moss? Perhaps with the pink shirt, or maybe the gentleman looking very stylish with black trousers, nearly matching shoes in blue and white, a natty Tony Dean (or maybe Philip Serrel) style summer scarf, and possibly also with a ciggie.

I noticed the way your reference, 'introduced himself as......Shmee's father', was worded. Have you noticed this widespread practice, where so called celebrities are involved, that instead of them being the son of daughter of their parents, the relationship suddenly becomes the other way round? It annoys me greatly, as if the parents have suddenly become some kind of second order beings. If it were me, I would insist on saying, Shmee (the Youtube video selfie celebrity) is my son.

Anyway, enough of this idle banter, because things have become very serious here. My Polish gardener has failed to turn up yet again. Something to do with him having depression, following the referendum result. Yours truly now has to climb onto a mower, find out how it works and make an attempt at cutting the quarter acre lawn, on this baking hot day. I should be in the Orangery, sipping a G & T.

Edited by Jon39 on Tuesday 23 August 14:21

They were a friendly lot of peeps and it was most enjoyable.
It was not quite as dramatic a moment,as I jokingly suggested in my post.
Shmee's father is a charming chap and the fact that he introduced himself as "Smee's father" was probably only because I referenced Shmee in my conversation.
As I am a celebrity I feel well placed to comment thus......
Generalising,on the subject,I have three daughters that I am very proud of and would happily admit to being their dad.
Alternatively I might say they are my daughters,its something that does not concern me greatly.
Funnily enough my wife does get a bit tetchy when my Russian mistress refers to herself as my partner,or in polite society,as my wife.
In a quiet moment I endeavour to explain to my wife that it's a cultural thingy,I'm sure she understands.
Jon,don't pollard any trees.
You may fall down,bang your head,knock some sense into yourself,then who would I have to chat to ?
Best regards,Steven
p.s. I am indeed the dude in the black jeans,white tee,black leather converse,it was really too hot for me to wear the All Saints leather biker jacket ,with quilted trim,for the photo shoot,but like a true pro,I deferred to fashion.
Of course if Mario had been shooting he would have insisted I wear the leather to complete the ensemble,it's a particular favourite of Kate's.

Edited by avinalarf on Tuesday 23 August 16:00

Edited by avinalarf on Tuesday 23 August 16:03

[vinnie83]

Gutted I wasn't able to make it guys, the Mrs had double booked me and ditching her would have been more of a headache than it was worth

Eagerly look forward to the next meet.