For the cognoscenti

[6carjon]

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.

[Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup)]

Have you ever written sexy stories by any chance.

[GRBBONGO]

Very nice and so accurate. Although that has made me feel so lazy as I am reading this at 10 am while I enjoy a rare lie in with a nice cuppa while the missus is still dozing.

My mission is now to do this one morning over the bank holiday for sure. Job No. 1 this morning - oil the garage door!

[CraigHew]

I can identify with it all, except for the pushing of the car for a while to fire it up in a more considerate location.  I just start mine, let it rumble without blipping and idle slowly a few hundred yards and then stop to let it ris to temperature.

 

I also can't seem to get dressed in my driving attire without waking the wife up, even though I've practised a fair bit.

 

Great descriptive writing tho.

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Yes but Jon's could wake the dead!

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

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!

[6carjon]

Cheaper than the NHS

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Doctor Jon's tonic for what ail's ya!

[Rory's Dad]

Have you ever written sexy stories by any chance.

I think he just did! (sort of)

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

I think he just did! (sort of)

"50 Shades of Westfield"

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

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

[CraigHew]

"the cognoscenti"

 

Weren't they the baddies in The Davinci Code

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

That's the Illuminati (though in my case it's more the lack of illuminati, mutter, mutter, headlamps, mutter...)

[CosKev]

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!!!

[Kingster]

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.