Last updated 18/11/2001.

All pictures are “thumbnails”, click one for a larger view

Sunday 18^th November 2001, West Wales Drive

We all met up at Pont Abraham Services at the far Western end of the M4 at 10am.

It was a new record turnout of 11 cars, including one that looked suspiciously like a Peugeot 205 GTi, and one couple that didn't actually do the ride, but turned up to wish us luck and introduce themselves (hello to you). They shamed us by being the oldest there and having driven to the services with the roof down, so a few dropped theirs then (some more later).

We set off towards Pendine hoping to spend a short time at the Museum of Speed. Unfortunately, it closes at the end of September, so it was a quick leg stretch, use of the conveniences and off again.

Problem was that Colin hadn't come out of the convenience before we (I) set off and we almost lost him. The high tech communications system set up between the lead and tail cars didn't work because I had my mobile in my back pocket and didn't hear Mark calling to say we should wait for Colin.

All ended well anyway and we set of along some really pretty, swerving and swooping coast roads towards Saundersfoot. Some very steep inclines up to 16% (whatever that means).

Tenby was quiet with none of the thousands of tourists typically seen there during the Summer. Today it was just a bunch of mad people driving around in open top cars with the roofs down.

The leader and his navigator made a slight miscalculation on leaving Tenby and we all got to see the chap in shorts cleaning his car for a second time. The police driver that we passed (for the second time) looked a bit puzzled. I thought for a minute he was following us and was going to stop us to break up the rather long convoy.

Anyway, after a swift U-turn it was back onto the right road and a really interesting drive through Penally and on to Pembroke, before crossing the toll bridge and then on to Milford Haven for lunch near the harbour.

We stopped in a pub called Martha's Vineyard and had a good lunch upstairs overlooking the marina.

We stopped to take some pictures of the cars. That 205GTi was there too, I think it must have been some kind of stalker who wished he could drive around in an MX-5.

I took a load of pictures of everybody with their cars, to build a gallery to be published in another section of this website when it's ready.

Once lunch was over, it was a long drive though Haverford West and St. Davids, up the coast to Newport (Pembs.). We stopped there for an ice-cream, but like the Museum of Speed, the ice cream shop was closed for the winter. Most people decided to take advantage of the convenient convenience there and have a stretch and a chat about Eunos radios, Stainless Steel windscreen washers, careful lady owners, life, the Universe and everything.

Getting to the beach at Newport was a bit off the beaten track, but it was well worth it and worth remembering for a Summer run next year.

Things were getting a little chilly as we prepared to leave Newport, and all except Mark decided to put the roof up as we still had quite a way to go and it was already getting dark.

After an interesting deviation from the plan following a set of very unclassified roads, we eventually came back onto the main road and followed this through Cenarth and Newcastle Emlyn. It was well and truly dark by now and we spent a big proportion of the drive stuck behind a cattle truck, practically all the way into Carmarthen. Just before getting to Carmarthen, I decided to make a small detour into the Carmarthen hospital car park just to make sure everybody was paying attention (they were).

At Carmarthen, we all grouped together again in Mc Donalds car park to check we hadn't lost anyone and then we split up to make our respective ways home.

Everybody seemed to enjoy the day. It was a good mixture of driving on dual carriageway, A and B roads and some unclassified sections. We had some pretty hairy corners and hills.

You can see the route we followed (mostly) here.

Hopefully we can maintain these numbers for attendance at future events. Thanks to everybody for coming along and hope to see you again.

Hi Ho Silver