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our Club is AWESOME look what @David-hrv brought me

Day 14 saw a 300 mile push to Harrogate with a detour to get a pair of new tyres fitted in torrential rain as everyone headed homewards Easy see that after the lovely weather abroad we were back in the Uk

Yes indeed many thanks David and also a shout out to Gary @Alfascozzesi as they both not only volunteered to donate their own alternators but also both offered to deliver them to me! I am lost for words thank you both!

Day 16 and we’re home a big push from Harrogate with Jim and Laura, Dave escapes early and headed for home after the drenching on Friday no one could blame him Arriving in Scotland we had a very welcome coffee and sandwiches with Jim and Laura before pushing on homewards and we were rewarded with dry roads and even some sunshine as we climbed through the Cairngorms coming home so safely tucked up after an epic 373 miles today A quick tot up gives us a trip mileage of 3498 miles through Scotland, England, France, Germany, Austria, Lichtenstein, Switzerland, Italy,France,England and back up through Scotland

All sorted thanks to @David-hrv he's the Ace Rimmer of club members! “ what a guy”

Looks very similar. Their hotel is only 6 miles away from my home, I'll meet them there.

He like popcorn too, usually consumed when he's increases server space for my every increasing number of images posted on here 😂

No problem. Glad to be of help and hope you enjoy the rest of the trip with no more dramas! It was pure chance that I called into a mates house on the way to the hotel and told him the unfolding story. He gave me the brand new alternator to try, but if it hadn't have worked, I was going to sacrifice the one from my own car for Chris and I would limp home on just my battery. So glad it all worked out in the end. Cheers, David

It is amazing how the Swiss have constructed their roads where they have. Here is a little video of one of the easier drives down the sound of a hillside.

I took this with me and with it we kept a Westfield going for most of the holiday in Switzerland. His alternator also packed in. It also started another car with a flat battery and charged a phone to allow a call to the recovery services. Well worth carrying.

Thanks to all of you for sharing the preparation and taking the time to post narrative and photos of the trip. It's been a great read. THANKYOU

The allied bombings were massive and struck the site from January to July 1944. They frequently disrupted access to the site and thereby significantly slowed down the work. However, the dome itself, protected by its 5.5 metre thick reinforced concrete, was not damaged. When the Anglo-American troops invaded Normandy at the end of July 1944, the Germans were forced to abandon the construction site of La Coupole, just a few weeks before its scheduled completion. And thereby no V2 rocket has been able to take off from this site, which had been designed to be the first strategic missile base in history.

The bunker is built under a large protective concrete dome. The V2 rockets where to be protected by the dome and would then be taken to the launching pad by various tunnels and train tracks. It was built within 10 months.

Thanks to Graeme @Madda for the loan of a half hood for the cage. Might be testing this out at some point today!

Day 14 of our great adventure and we had 4 Westies and Dave on his bike and our last day abroad Saw us head up to La Coupole bunker where the Germans prepared the v2 rockets It was a remarkable and moving place and really warranted a full days visit not just a couple of hourthen it was on to the Eurotunnel and up to Chatham where we would stay for the night Unfortunately this was the biggest let down hotel wise of the whole trip and I was embarrassed to have chosen it for everyone So today saw 275 miles and a train ride

Thanks for all offers of help. I need to take a moment to try and figure out what to do. But I do have a spare 55ah battery plumbed in with another in another car getting charged as we drive. So we can play swappsies at a push. Will report back!

We travelled through lots of different tunnel designs. These are a pair of the shorter ones. The longest we went through was 13km long and one even had junctions inside where other tunnels met. In one, Jude was driving to close behind me and warning messages flashed up telling her to back off.

We had a drive through a village and decided to see where the road went. Unfortunately it didn't go far as it was blocked by snow. It was fun turning the cars around but even with all the snow it was still warm.

Hi Dave I don't know where else to try, but if the alternator from my own car will fit (my engine is a 1600cvh), then I'm more than happy to take it off and run down to Inverness with it to where they are staying. Chris could then just send it back to me next week. Happy to do that if it will work and it gets him home. David

Any news on Chris and the gang? Are they managing with an extra battery or did they get an alternator? I have an option of taking my alternator off my car and getting another one when the shops are open if the battery strategy isn’t working. Its there as an option anyway.

I have a little power unit like that. Well worth the money (particularly that my Westfield Oddysey battery seems to be losing interest after four years)! On the current charge, the power unit has started my Cosworth (when I left stuff on overnight on my recent John o' Groats trip), the family pool car Skoda Octavia VRS (twice as it has been parked recently due to a broken road spring) and the Westfield four times. It is still showing four light (out of four). It has taken 2 litre diesels and my V6 Clio in its stride over the last few years and, as, in its pack, it is the size of a hardback novel, it is so convenient to tuck down the side of a seat or in a corner of the boot. Invaluable. Simon

After lunch. Off to Laggan dam

Agreed.

My issue had some dust on pages 8-9 that affected my eyes and made them water... anyone else have dust in their issue? Well done to all those who contributed, fine work

Great picture of Glenfinnan from a less often travelled viewpoint. Went that way again today. Why wouldn’t I Just as far as Glenuig.

Here is a little film showing how effortless it is to get onto the Channel Tunnel train. We just drove straight in and on.

The bunker was built to launch the V2 rockets and these rockets also began future rocket design. In these pictures you can see the proposed layout for the bunker and how rocket design grew.

At one point we where stopped in the road. Men where on ropes and they where lobbing down rocks and bits of tree branches into the road. Some of the rocks looked really sizeable and I would hate to be hit with one in a soft top car.

Whilst travelling in the valleys and also up in the mountains, these guys where always above everything. You would not believe how far they go. We did discuss about going up in one of the tandem ones but unfortunately we couldn't find one. A couple of our group have done this and say it's brilliant. At one point I think it was 15 that where counted over one peak.

We had a ride up a mountain in an open chairlift and a chairlift in a pod. You started in the pod and finished at the top in the open chairlift. The views where lovely going up but it was coming down...WOW. It certainly made your stomach wobble. At one point the chairlift was stopped whilst we where all in mid air and it was a bit frightening as it stopped quiet suddenly and the next minute we where all looking down at the floor more or less....only the ladies screamed. There was a full village halfway up the mountain but we couldn't see any roads. it is unbelievable where the Swiss have built. At the bottom there where a few Chinese / Japanese people all wearing facemarks to protect them from the smog?????? Not sure what that was about.I walked along the path in the snow at the top. At one point I stood to the side to let someone pass and the snow went nearly to my knees. I learnt a lesson there. We all stood trying to make a video whilst we sang Doh a Deer from the sound of music. I have no idea what the other people thought. Here are a few piccies.

@Geoffrey (Buttercup) - North Yorkshire AO I would have loved to see the bunker but Lochnagar and the fact my Grandfather fought there won the day. This is a page from his war diary from later in the war in Belgium. He was Mustard gassed in the Somme and suffered terribly for the rest of his life.

Honestly, just do it! Despite having “done the highlands” a few times, I still discover the most amazing roads. Today though, the glenshee road was superb. Miles and miles of fantastic twistiness. You lucky, lucky McWesty Clan.

Agreed. Well done chaps

Yep. The very same. A bolt holding the diode pack thing on sheared which resulted in some shorting of bits and it failed. The one one I have to replace it will last the summer then I’ll buy a proper one.

Well done Gary. Certainly an epic drive. Hope Trina managed to stay awake.

Less than a year old? Was that the replacement from blyton last year?

Our Webmaster is pretty dam good too. Just imagine the poor support you'd have got if the boardroom ground to a halt whilst you're away. Now give your car the same treatment

I know. I’m going to buy a proper one over winter. This will do for summer 😆

Blyton, deja vu...

It’s the correct one for the job, simple swap. 😁😁😁😁

Weather was fabulous! But alternator is goosed. Got to Inverness and now I’m great need of a beer!!!’

Lovely day out and a good spread by GBS. Shame about the weather but it brings another dimension to driving a Westfield. On the positive, at least there was car parking space this time! Just need a careful right foot and a drying room when you get home. Luckily for us, right foot was well behaved and we have an AGA so quickly dried up. Severe lack of photos as we rely on Julie, so here is the one I have. Should have taken a photo of that AC as it was fantastic. Great company and fun. Thanks all.

Thanks coming everyone. It was very soggy and well done to Andrew and Clare for coming in their Westfield. Martyn and Sue, John and Jacky, Des and Debs, Barry and Andrew, and Chris all had a good look around a very quiet GBS. The Mk2 Escort shell was on show and there was an example of the engine in a Zero. Afterwards Barry and Andrew ran off to the chippy while the rest of us went to Thaymar Ice Cream Farm for lunch. I am very sorry but I am without a laptop at the moment as mine has died, I am borrowing a neighbours laptop and for the life of me I cannot access my photo's. When I can get at them I will post them up, but other people might put a few on. Excellent company and garbage weather xxx

Geoffrey these are great, please keep them coming..

@Robin (Red Spider) - Yorkshire AO pm sent ok from me to you.

If no dedicated tow point fixed to your car, a soft strap or rope around the lower inner wishbone mount is good enough for a tow.

Entry form sent in for the 10 names in the first post, others can join us and pay on the day.

Propoganda films at the time showed a well run factory. No guards, well fed prisoners in good conditions and all wearing fitted uniforms. The reality was totally different and one prisoner drew a series of drawing showing what life was really like. I have only shown two of the least upsetting ones. The area you view them in has two sides. The propaganda pictures on one side and the drawings on the other. Really makes you think.

John think it was Cheryl not Kylie, I can still hear Frank shouting to me, left, NO right then eight Westfields ending up in that farm yard, the 2012 video that Graham did and not to mention the guy who led the way down the Elan Valley for only one mile only to lead us all onto a dusty car park, I couldn't stop laughing all day, great memories. Jeff

Spent a few days up that area last month. We stayed in a house over the road from Glenfinnan church. It's a beautiful part of the world. Pic taken from the forestry road, across the loch towards Glenfinnan. Church monument and viaduct all in the background.