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Shitefest 2018 (U.K.) Chez Saabnut 9-10th june


HMC

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I got a run round the depot at Kilmarnock then the instructor took over to do a commentary drive. We ended up 40 minutes away from the depot on a very quiet A road near Newton Mearns where me and the other trainees did a few "lengths" down to Fenwick and back up before we got let loose on town roads.

 

That being all fair and well the one time we did go up to Glasgow City Centre, the instructor noted I was much more comfortable than the relatively quiet town roads round Killie / Irvine.

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I don't know how all the southerners are moaning about the travel. I stay 45 miles north of Aberdeen, next stop is getting wet, and I drive down to car events twice a year, and I flew from Aberdeen to Luton to buy a 200 quid xantia! When at events down south leaving at 4 or 5 pm on Sunday afternoon is a brilliant time for driving all the way home. Do 4 hrs, stop for 1/2 gr8 then do the rest, home at maybe 2 am, quiet roads no hold ups. When you live up here, and the nearest decent supermarket or shopping centre, or cinema, or really most things are nearly 40 miles away then driving 1000 miles for a weekend away is child's play lol

 

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If anybody is hanging about for a week (I know, right) the Royal Deeside Speed Festival is on the 16th of June. Also in south Aberdeenshire.

 

I was there in 2016 and it's like a NE Scotland version of Goodwood, complete with a hillclimb up the drive of a grand old house!

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I don't know how all the southerners are moaning about the travel. I stay 45 miles north of Aberdeen, next stop is getting wet, and I drive down to car events twice a year, and I flew from Aberdeen to Luton to buy a 200 quid xantia! When at events down south leaving at 4 or 5 pm on Sunday afternoon is a brilliant time for driving all the way home. Do 4 hrs, stop for 1/2 gr8 then do the rest, home at maybe 2 am, quiet roads no hold ups. When you live up here, and the nearest decent supermarket or shopping centre, or cinema, or really most things are nearly 40 miles away then driving 1000 miles for a weekend away is child's play lol

 

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"Oh it's too far" seems to be the traditional wailing song of Shitefest. I know how you feel. I stay near Glasgow and a day out in London is not unfathomable.

 

I've (owned and) driven 30' long 7.5-tonners so I'm used to reasonably large vehicles and air brakes, but I think the thing I'd find most difficult in a bus is judging turns while being sat way out in front of the front wheels.

 

It's really not that hard. I've driven buses that are wheels forward (Merc 709d, Optare Solo (various lengths) and one of those Fucking Routemasters) and you really don't notice. You only really notice on stuff that has EXTREME front overhangs and the only two motors I can think of that come under that catagory are the Plaxton Elite-i and the Optare Versa. Even a DDA compliant Plaxton Panther isn't THAT horrendous.

 

If everyone flies up we can have a shitefest day out in the bus.

 

Alford (pr. Ahh-frd) Transport Museum? Dunottar Castle?

Aberdeen Bus Station is also attached to the shopping centre which has a cinema. I can phone contacts to get parking.

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I’ve just watched a man get out of bed at 4.30 and use an aeroplane, two trains a taxi and a ride to buy a £500 car in order to drive back from London to Glasgow 24 hours before a holiday. So no real excuses on distance.

 

I also find it a bit unfathomable that people are happy to go to their grave having not discovered all of our wonderful island.

 

If I’m free, I’d like to come. I reckon the Sierra is just about sleepable. If not my Granvia is basically a camper anyway.

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My personal best was:
0500, leave house. Drive to chez_cms206. Walk to Glasgow airport.
0700, depart for Stansted Air Station.

0800ish arrive Stansted. Find a train to London.

0935 arrive Liverpool Street. Walk to Fenchurch Street.

1000ish. Depart Fenchurch St for Purfleet.

1045. Arrive Purfleet. Get lift to Ensignbus's yard.

1100, Do paperwork for bus. Tour of depot. Put bus in to workshop to find out why it's not starting. Flat batteries and a loose wire.

1300, FInally get out of Ensign's yard. Fill up and head north.

2115, arrive at Barrhead. Dump bus. Get lift back to chez_cms206 by cms206. Collect car and drive home.

2230, arrive home. Go to bed.

0500, get up. shower etc. Get in Volvo. Head to Happendon Services.

0600, arrive Happendon, meet cms206 and rml2345. Head for Chumly.

1100ish, arrive Chumly. Spend day at a car show. Drive home. Home for about 2100

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, but I think the thing I'd find most difficult in a bus is judging turns while being sat way out in front of the front wheels.

 

I've driven a few bus chassis round the yard after building them, didn't need a licence and covered by company insurance.

It is exactly as you say, feels very strange sat right at the front and difficult turning in tight corners.

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If anybody is hanging about for a week (I know, right) the Royal Deeside Speed Festival is on the 16th of June. Also in south Aberdeenshire.

 

I was there in 2016 and it's like a NE Scotland version of Goodwood, complete with a hillclimb up the drive of a grand old house!

 

 

Well, I won't be going to the Royal Deeside Speed Festival this year.

 

 

For the past two years, a local off-road driving club has been present at the festival offering passenger rides round an off-road course. One of the chairs of this club is a colleague of mine. Said colleague just got an email today from the RDSF organisers saying they won't be invited this year, as instead the entire off-road driving area is being opened up to Land Rover.

 

The local off-road driving club:

- Gave all the money they raised the past two years to charity

- Took their own BBQs and provided food for all the marshals at the event

- Used their own vehicles and fuel to provide the experience

 

Land Rover, however:

- Charge several thousand pounds to the organisers just to turn up

- Probably won't be providing catering

 

The reason the organisers gave for this decision was for profitability, apparently. Yes, because giving Land Rover several grand just to turn up, then having to pay for catering for your marshals is profitable. They reckon they can get more pre-bookings for the Land Rover experience by marketing it, or somesuch.

 

It just seems a bit shiny and corporate (and a bit shitty) if you ask me. They didn't even say thank you for the past two years' work the local club put in either.

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Sadly this echos my experience of the RDSF. In their first year,  they were desperate to get going and they approached one of the clubs I am a member of. I spent a lot of time and called in a few favours to get an interesting display together. When I went back to them to finalise things, I got a luke warm reception (they had received a lot of publicity by then, so it looked like it was going to be a success) but they said they would still find an area for us and would offer discounted entry tickets to the display vehicle owners.

 

At least I did not call in the favours and I still have never supported them in any way. Another club I am on the committee of was asked to provide marshals last year, in return they offered nothing, no club presence, no lunch provided officially etc. We were busy that weekend......

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I'm sorry if I sounded like I was wailing about the journey. Looking back at my post, I might have been.

 

I haven't been to Scotland for ages and I've never been to Saabnut's bit of it so I am excited about going, I just wanted to make sure everything's going to work *before* I set off!

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Although I'm still not 100% comitted I've just booked off thursday 7th to tuesday the 12th whilst I can. Hopefully if people from daaawn saaaf are pottering up earlier I can join them, then either grab a travelodge/ask Mr SaabNut if I can kip in his field a few extra days. Just don't quite fancy racing there friday night/overnight then having to leave at bollock o'clock Sunday to get back to work Monday.

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As some will know, the bus has been acting THE CUNT since October with extremely weird overfuel problems rendering it completely immobile. After £700 on a new injection pump, about £40 in tools and fuck knows how much in fuel to go back and forward to try various things, we might actually be on to something now.

 

Injector clamp cleft right in twain...

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