27th September

Off we go! Following a monster breakfast supplied by the good ladies at the marina coffee bar we set off around the Gosport point heading for Abingdon and Kimber House, headquarters of the MG Car Club confident that we’d have no trouble. Until that is, the offside brakes seize on the Magnette warming the local surroundings and shrouding them in smoke. Under goes Derek again where having dismantled and cooled the drum, backed off the pads and we’re ready to roll. Great tour of Kimber House by Julian followed by the obligatory photo’s before heading home in beautiful sunshine where we arrived at Townhead Road for 5pm, tired by relatively happy with the 972 miles that we managed against the 1,200 forecast and trusting our supporters would be OK with our valiant efforts, given the 15 breakdowns (5-5-5!) we’d encountered on the way.

An epic trip in brilliant company reaffirming the fact that whilst you have to grow old, you never have to grow up!

Thanks to all who sponsored us and supported our endeavour, the next post will tell you how much we made (and if you’ve been meaning to sponsor us – now’s the time!)

26th September

A change of plan as Derek and Nigel are confident that the gaffer tape will hold until we get home so after a blitz of tidying we’re looking to cruise along the Seine bay passing along Omaha, Juno, Gold and Sword beaches and back across Pegasus bridge before stopping in Villers sur Mer for lunch – as the lady in the supermarket said, ‘dinner on the seaside in the sunshine’ – fantastic! A cruise along the seafront and a dodge into Honfleur before back on the ferry and heading for blighty. Arrived to find our boat is unwell and we’re on a different one so won’t be racing. Decide it’s time to head to the arms of our loved ones, first thing in the morning.

25th September

More rugby and the sweaties bomb out. Huge brunch to follow before we set off to Baupte where we hear there’s a classic car rally. On the way we see 3 classics waving as they pass and we’re clearly heading in the right direction. Without a pass or a badge we’re allowed in and slot into the space obviously vacated by the cars we’ve just seen. An admirer of the Frog immediately wants to see the engine and Nigel obliges, only to reveal a radiator gently squirting water upwards. 5-4-3! Eventually it stops, so we go and investigate the exhibitors cars. Sun, admirers of our vehicles and some absolutely stunning cars of all shapes and sizes, what more could a man want (beer). But what will we do with the Frog? Jean-Jacques owns an MGA and in a mixture of French and English we determine that he lives in Saint Lo which is near a radiator specialist and what’s more, as he is retired he’s keen to meet up and sort the problem tomorrow. In the meantime, gaffer tape seals the hole and mid-afternoon we decide to visit Utah beach so off we toddle saying ‘á demain’ to our friend Jean-Jacques. A very interesting look along the beach together with a walk makes us all agree we wouldn’t have been keen on landing unprotected as the Allies did. All the way back to the cottage without mishap and another healthy dinner (including some green stuff) before retiring at a respectable hour sees the day complete.

24th September

We’re up and ready for the rugby resisting Dave’s suggestion for beer in favour of Derek’s PG tips. Two games later it’s time for brunch before more car maintenance in which the Frog’s other rear brakes are sorted, the Magnette’s pump points are cleaned up and the fuel and timing checked, and the MGB generally stroked lovingly by Derek whilst praying nothing else goes wrong as he’s losing 4 to 3 to 3 in the conking out stakes. 5pm and off to the beach! A visit to the Carrefour for more supplies sees Dave and Andy guarding the cars and generally chatting to English and French admirers (of the vehicles, obviously) whilst chucking a rugby ball around the car park. A pathetic pass from Andy causes Dave to look under the MGB which is standing over a puddle……….which cheers Derek up no end. 5-3-3! A loose hose at the bottom of the radiator is remedied and we finally head off for the beach where everyone was admiring something topless, the French the cars and……….

Back to the cottage for a sit on the patio, some beer and the usual banter until it’s time for dinner where Andy excels in presentation, Nigel in frying, Derek in ratatouille prep and Dave in wine drinking.

And so to bed…….

23rd September

23^rd September

Up at 6 French time to queue for a full English as the ferry drifts into harbour right on time. Down to the car deck to find a large puddle under Derek’s MGB – concern level up a notch but we agree to pull over to investigate after passport control. The queue for passport control is long and in two lanes so as Derek pulls alongside he is now leaving large puddles which are no longer water but petrol!!!!! Concern now at bottom twitching level.

A corroded rubber pipe end seems to be the petrol problem and so Derek prunes and re-tightens = job done, congratulating himself on having brought a trolley jack for just such an eventuality. Now the water leak – the water pump is knackered (technical term) and Derek is kicking himself as he thought to bring a spare and changed his mind! A phone call to his recovery company was useless and then Nigel has the bright idea to phone Moss who recommended we speak to Steve of Overdrive a spares place who, after a pause confirms they have a water pump and what’s more they’re only 50 miles away (north unfortunately, but needs must). Derek effects a temporary fix to the pump by plugging a twig in the drain hole and in trepidation we set off for St. Jean de Cardonnay in the sunshine through some beautiful Normandy countryside.

With only the smallest of detours into a trading estate, we pull up at Overdrive at around 11 to find a treasure trove of English Classics that we’d have driven out of our way to find if we’d known it was there. Steve (who is French) has fallen in love with the Magnette and takes it for a test run (his MGB GT is no longer big enough for the family and he wants an MG saloon!). Meanwhile Derek and Andy have put the water pump on and we’re ready to go after a browse in the shop, where Dave buys a new radiator cap as a memento (and to replace the Unipart one) and after some hesitation, Derek decides to invest €10 on some hose……..

Following the advice of Steve, we follow a scenic route south that takes us along the Seine and across the river on a ferry where, on the other side, we’re flagged down by a Frenchman (and fellow ferry crosser) who insists we help him remove a tarpaulin which reveals a ’66 Mini Moke! After the obligatory photographs we set off again along the other side of the river past some spectacular scenery, beautiful old churches and houses (with double garages!) through 10 miles of wooded country and through a patchwork of fields where the Magnette stutters to a halt. Out comes the red triangles (we resist the hi-res jackets) and after 3 weeks of Dave telling everyone his intermittent problem was the petrol the mechanics of the trip finally (and reluctantly) agree that the ‘oily rag’ might be right! A quick tap with the ‘French screwdriver’ and we’re off again. At a village some way down the road to sort out fluids (release of) by the drivers when we realise that it’s now 3 pm and we’ve no chance of getting to Bessines (nor of getting any lunch it turns out). A contingency plan is agreed and we head for a cottage on the Cherbourg peninsula which Sue Mawson has kindly offered us in extremis.

We press on in the sunshine really enjoying the trip until, at a set of traffic lights, Nigel is concerned enough about some ‘funny noises’ in the Frog which he wants to investigate to request an emergency stop. Derek is back under the car courtesy of the aforementioned trolley jack, where we find the rear brake pads in entirely the wrong position which we duly reassemble in the right way. More time lost. Off again into the sunshine for about an hour at which time the Magnette decides it doesn’t want to go any further. However, without resorting to the toolbox Andy hops out, taps the pump and we’re off again heading for the Normandy landing beaches where, by the time we’ve got over Pegasus Bridge it is nearly 6pm, so we decide to head for the next available Supermarché for petrol and food for our anticipated arrival. Food bought and packed we look to set off and see a puddle under the MGB which is another (different!) leak in the fuel system so out comes the trusty trolley jack and back under the car goes Derek. How clever of Derek to but some hose! At 7.45pm we’re ready to roll, Derek moves off and leaves a puddle of petrol now coming from the front of the car!!!! The hose from pot 1 to pot 2 has also perished and by some miracle the remaining recently purchased hose just fits but we have no jubilee clips. Back into the Supermarché as it is closing (8pm) where we manage to get appropriate clips and sort this particular issue. As darkness falls we decide to strike for the emergency accommodation in one hit with Derek grumbling at his loss of first place in the petrol consumption stakes, but the Magnette had other ideas and Andy and his magic tap were called on again.

After some stupendous navigation in the pitch darkness by Andy, we arrive in St. Saveur de Pierrepont with Derek and Nigel dressed as Eskimos for the temperature has dropped spectacularly. Task one, relegating the need for food, was to determine whether or not the telly got ITV for the England game in the morning which having been positively determined we tucked into cheese, bread, sausage and ham with an agreeable little red (or three).

And so, to bed…….

22nd September continued.......

10.30 pm 22^nd September and we’ve finally made it onto the ferry after queuing for hours! A small trickle of water from Derek’s MGB gives us no real concern as we take our seats for the overnight run. A couple of Magners later we drift off to sleep on our seats; on the floor; across the seats all of which are distinctly uncomfortable. Night night…….

Made it to Porstmouth!

Made it to Portsmouth via Gaydon with only two casualties - Mr Holmes where the call of work was too great to ignore and my camera (otherwise there would be photo's of Gaydon). Fortunately the cars are going well (touch wood) and we're in the pub eating gammon and chips until it's time for the ferry.

More tomorrow

Watto