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It’s 0530 and all is well with the world, children peacefully quiet for once, yes they are asleep. Your better is half dreaming hopefully of making you breakfast on your return, but probably of someone better looking, more considerate and richer... You are now wide awake and thinking how quietly you can slip downstairs, open the door and enter the cool morning air. The security light glimmers to life and the crack of the garage door opening causes you to shudder, did I wake someone? Push the car out the garage, manoeuvre back and forth, up and down, now push up the slightly rising drive and out into the street, a bit further now and roll to a stop. Slide into the car and push the helmet down over your cold head, glad of its protection from 10 degrees of cool summer morning mist. You think ahead in anticipation of the wind speed over, under and around your head. Stretch the awkward belts, clip the buckle, tighten the same tricky belts and push the gloves onto cold hands grateful of protection. Now the moment, will it start ? Flip the switch , a pause then a slow churn quickening slightly as the cells in the battery warm, then nothing. Pause, the battery needs to recover, try again, and a second push on the button brings joy. A cacophony of pistons awaken from their slumber and chunter in grumpiness from their sudden interruption of sleep. Let the drive begin It’s cold and the first few minutes are spent listening for any new sounds that weren’t there last time, feeling the atmosphere, assessing the road conditions, checking the light, how far can you see. Then the gauge anxiety begins, is it warm enough yet, can I give it more revs, will it warm in time for my favourite stretch of acceleration and be ready for the corner. You exit the constraints of the town and mocking traffic lights and enter your treasured zone. The joy of this car is the ability to feel and smell everything around you and sense changes in the environment. Speed doesn’t make the difference but the feel of the road surface beneath you, the wriggle of the wheel in your palms with your fingers simply guiding rather than gripping. The car responds directly as the road rises and falls, the camber pulls and pushes. The car feels delightfully nervous sharing your adrenaline, telling you where it needs to be. The patches of early morning mist are split by clear blue skies but under my chin is cold and clammy, where the helmets protection is scant. The left knee is warm against the tunnel and the right is ever active kept occupied, never given time to complain. The fun lasts an hour and many details can never be shared even with you. Then the sun comes up and blinds your visor, signalling time to head for breakfast in the hope your better half telepathically felt your inner needs. We approach the familiar terrain of corners you could make irrespective of light, or wakened state, checking gauges for status as the adrenaline subsides and urban limits impose. The giver of joy is lovingly placed into slumber, ticking and gurgling in contentment in the holy place where you would gladly live if only given the chance. The breakfast is made, chattering ensues and you listen. Silently you reflect on the drive, all you want to do, is talk about how you felt when you made that heroic corner, the joy of unrelenting acceleration. No one asks the right question. As you reflect feeling the contentment within, you are now ready to mow the lawn, paint the bathroom and take the small child to the library. This is what being alive is all about. Some day you won’t be allowed to do this, so take it, remember it and love it.

Stupid thing is I live at number 53

Ha ha ! I thought the thread was about some new kind of binocular lens goggle thingies for the short sighted racers amongst us

John Terry

...could we have found the long awaited successor to Burt Jones's Diary?

Cheaper than the NHS

In fact if starting Jon's car could wake the dead, I'm pretty sure (having seen the faces of those experiencing a ride for the first time), a quick blat with him could probably restart their hearts!

Not sure whether to LMAO or throw up... http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-37196629

Just short of 2k miles in just over 2 weeks, the cars coped with the heat and a few uneven roads pretty good, we had a few grounding issues and I broke my cycle wing bracket but other than that nothing major

We called in at circuit Reims-Gueux on the return leg to Zeebrugge, this place just stands in the middle of nowhere - deserted

Saw this on Locost builders forums http://locostbuilders.co.uk/forum/34/viewthread.php?tid=204403 The guy's selling them at 100 Euro plus postage.

Our Nige couldn't make it but he sent a friend to say "how do" !

My lad was spending this week caving at Gaping Gill so joined him to go down on the winch (5th time..) -however the winch was shut on Monday as it had rained a little bit! [/url]">http://http://s254.photobucket.com/user/Jenp10000/media/Westfield%20WSCC/Gaping%20gill_zpseyjm6nyr.jpg.html'>

Never managed to get there, but my grandson supported the day and visited the WSCC Scottish Stand… no freebies he said...

Instead of the Hulme End cafe we thought we would try somewhere new and went to Newton House on the A515 instead. It was very nice and when it is not raining we will take the Westfield's and sit in that garden. We arrived at Curborough and it was warm and dry, surprisingly. We called in at the paddocks before going to watch the first timed runs. I took some photo's using the 'burst' function on my camera. It is the only way I can catch these fast moving cars, that was until I met a very nice man from the East Midlands Posrche Club. He showed me that my camera had an 'Advanced Sports Shooting' function on it and he showed me how to use it. I had a practice on the Porsche's that he was photographing until the second timed run came out, and then I had a go photographing the Westfield's. I am impressed, it's just that it absolutely tipped it down, with thunder too, and that cut it short. We stuck it out for a while because it was fun watching all the cars wiggling on the corners but T2 was a meaningless figure and we were starting to get wet. Naturally we retreated to the pub, we tried a new pub, the Blue Bell near Ashbourne, and with SIR driving I even took the opportunity to have a beer with my tea. It rained all the way home so in hindsight the tin top was the right choice of car. Steve T1 in the dry, camera on burst function Steve T2 in the wet, camera on Advanced Sports Shooting function T1, in the dry, camera on burst T2, in the wet, camera on sport shoot

I think everyone must still be stuck in Bank Holiday traffic jams, Julie

Well I can promise you that they are not here hiding in the Peak District. When you find them can we share?

Sounds good Bernie! Just the 3 of us? Where is everyone?

Yes, the insane fool has crammed an AJP V8 from a TVR in there.(How great a world is it, where such beasts exist?)

Nice one. I always push mine out and wriggle it back and forth to gat it lined up ready for an early blat even though it's not that loud ( to me anyway!). But my version of early is 9am on a Sunday. Must get up earlier.

Great write up Presuming the 'AJP' in the sig is referring to a TVR AJP v8? Understandable pushing it out onto the road if it is!!!

I'm up for that Mike

Oh yes it does....

"the cognoscenti" Weren't they the baddies in The Davinci Code

Quite: Crap lights work best during the daytime....

LED innards perhaps?

You know me too well bernie And Paul Ricard The Monaco Tunnel and Harbour And lastly Reims

Yes but Jon's could wake the dead!

Have you ever written sexy stories by any chance.

Just bought a Sierra one from the guy, he says it will take 2 weeks to manufacture and post. will add photos when it's fitted

Nice! Does it come in carbon fibre?

Some great roads today! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ehvdr4T748&feature=youtu.be