Well I finally went to Le Mans, and I hope to go again, only problem is my wife's birthday is on 18th June. Le Mans is over the weekend nearest to the longest day 21st June, in 2008 Le Mans was the 14th / 15th, my chances of going again are slim to zero, it is a full week, travel out on Tuesday, return the following Monday. So I can only go when the Le Man weekend is before the 16th June, but hey the ACO have set 13/14 June for 2009 so I would be back for the Birthday with time to spare.

Kit is the second car up and above that is my tent then Tim's. Around us other members of the Thames Valley Region of RHOCaR.

Now this is not a weekend jaunt to be undertaken by the faint hearted it is a full week, travel out on Tuesday, return the following Monday, the days prior to the race are more hectic than race day it's self. This is what went on:-

Depart for the 10.15 Fast Cat Ferry Dover to Boulogne meeting the other Thames Valley Area Hoodies at Clacket Lane motorway services. Traveling in convoy with Tim (Elwe) as rear gunner. 8 miles on the motor way in standing traffic and the radiator bursts! Fortunately I am leading so over to the hard shoulder and await Tim. Lift the Hood and look for the obvious, oh ..... (your word not mine) the radiator was wet where the matrix joins to the plastic header! Tim arrived, a plan was made, when cool I would fill up the radiator and drive to the next garage and refill again and them onto the next and cool and refill. There are only 2 garages on the way home. Tim meanwhile would return to Basingstoke, fortunately he had an identical radiator in his loft for our second car and again it would not be used as the cooling capacity is inadequate for the Rover V8 Power plant.

I had some looks as usual for a Hood and almost some of well what do you expect with a car like that!

I made it home and set about the radiator removal. Phoned the other hoods as they would be waiting in Clackets Lane for us to arrive, to let them know situation and to proceed. The electric fan was removed as well as the radiator by the time Tim arrived with the replacement. Bing Bong and the car was back together. Now we live 2 hrs away from Dover with normal driving and traffic, it was 08:35, Oh Pooh. We saw the Fast Ferry leave its birth!

At the gate we were told we would have to buy new tickets as ours were not transferable! £80! each!! But we could book online for £50! We took our leave and went to the Ferry terminal, price was £80 and just as long to the next sailing as the Fast ferry, 3 Hrs. Mute, mutter, mutter, Ok where is the nearest internet Cafe? Only one in Dover is in the library. Well where is the library? Temporary membership and dam it, we were on that machine only we could not log on and now its been given to another person! One Librarian later we had a special machine so we can purchase our tickets online. Always, always get transferable tickets! We vittled ourselves at the local supermarket and returned to the Fast Ferry terminal to await our sailing. We parked next to 2 dudes who were interested in Kit and so we sparked up a conversation. Well it turned out they were race marshals going to Le Mans, not only that but they were in charge of one of the pits (marshals posts). We sat with them on the ferry, at the end I concluded there was one big difference between us and them, that was we pay and they are paid and get expences!

Now it's getting full, the next 3 rows of tents are other Hoodies.