Touring and Places to visit

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Welcome to a new section of the Boardroom!

This is the Touring equivalent of the Trackday section; somewhere to tell everyone about the adventures we've had, exploring with our Westfields, recommend places to visit, discus what gear to take etc.

We especially love to see photos and links to video in this thread, it really brings those trips to life and inspires the rest of us.

Note, every member is free to add posts about upcoming trips and motoring holidays in here. We have made this a section for paid up members only though, so be reassured when recommending those hidden gems and off the beaten track places, only fully paid up, current fellow club members can see them.

While this section isn't really for technical questions, it is a place to ask about and discus what sort of tools/spares people carry on tours, argue over the finer merits of different dry bags etc.

Lets share that knowledge and improve everyone's trips!

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

One further favour, if I may!

I will start hunting through existing sections and moving relevant threads in here, but it will take a while, and I'm bound to miss a few.

If anyone see's a thread that ought to be in here, can you just add a post to it please, with words to that effect. Or tag it Touring Section, and I can keep an eye out for those.

Thanks.

Oh and just to clarify, when it comes to notices of upcoming trips, this section is intended to give all the regular members somewhere to post up advance notice/invites etc. The Local Area section is still the place to post for AO's regarding upcoming Area Events. Though everyone is welcome to post about their adventures in here after the trips! (Or even during  

[Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup)]

What a brilliant idea Dave.

So looking forward to following this section of the forum.

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Just now, Geoffrey (Buttercup) - North Yorkshire AO said:

What a brilliant idea Dave.

So looking forward to following this section of the forum.

Alas I can't take credit for the original idea, the initial germ was brought up by @IanK and kicked around over several pints between him, @greenstreak and myself at a fantastic little hotel in France, after the most amazing day of driving and the discovery of a museum that will have any true petrolhead lost in amazement for hours, and hours. (We dashed through it in two hours, due to limited time, but already want to go back!)

[Marcus Barlow - Show and Events Co-ordinator]

Great idea 

[XTR2Turbo]

Yes good idea.  Can we open it to any good car touring trips / ideas .. not just undertaken in Westfields? 

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Yes indeed, the idea as much as anything is to share those gems of places to visit, that would be of interest to each other. They don't have to be directly Westfield related. (Though it would be handy if they were Westfield friendly, that doesn't mean you have to be in one!)

[Kingster]

Just moved a couple of mine over 

[Captain Colonial]

While it is of course a fine idea, I can see things disappearing from view as they move down the list in the forum area as it fills up.  Might I suggest a Google map controlled by an admin, using different coloured pins to represent what type of attraction to that spot (museum, beauty spot, etc) with a link to the relevant post in the forum?  This could be pinned to the top of the forum section, making it easy for members to plan trips or just enjoy things on the spur of the moment.

And yes, I do know how much work that would require, but when you're retired from committee you have extra time to think of these things for others to do.  

[CraigHew]

I'd like to see a "fantastic driving road" pin on the map too.

[Ian Kinder (Bagpuss) - Joint Peak District AO]

2 hours ago, Captain Colonial said:

While it is of course a fine idea, I can see things disappearing from view as they move down the list in the forum area as it fills up.  Might I suggest a Google map controlled by an admin, using different coloured pins to represent what type of attraction to that spot (museum, beauty spot, etc) with a link to the relevant post in the forum?  This could be pinned to the top of the forum section, making it easy for members to plan trips or just enjoy things on the spur of the moment.

And yes, I do know how much work that would require, but when you're retired from committee you have extra time to think of these things for others to do.  

Hi Scott, we had such a colour coded map for our trip with hotels, car museums and other key waypoints on. We'd not planned any particular driving routes and just trusted Tom Tom usually to find the fastest non motorway route. The disadvantage of this is that we're unlikely to find some of the great tarmac we drove again. There were a few dodgy roads we found where the grass line in the middle grew taller and wider but we never turned round.

[Captain Colonial]

Sounds like fun Ian!  

The reason for my suggestion is that people can either fail to read all the threads or be geographically ignorant, so a map with pins is the proverbial picture that paints a thousand words and assists with impulse ideas.  It's not meant to be used as a sat nav aid.  It's a bit like the local area map showing the local area meets, so members can see where all the meets are and encourage them to go to other ones, not just their own.

Anyway, it's just an idea, adopt it or drown it as you wish.