Autoshite South East Meet, Sun 6 April 2025 Flower Farm again, again

[richardmorris]

I’d go for whichever suited the weather and you felt like using, that’s the point of multiple cars?

 

[wesacosa]

13 hours ago, LightBulbFun said:

I am certainly looking forward to it, it will be the first time I have been able to drive myself and REV to a car gathering like this  

I just hope I can bash my sleep cycle into shape, as I would like to be there as early as I can manage

do you know what time you plan to set out or such? I am curious if we might find each other en-route, ill be going be going via the Blackwall tunnel to the A2 then Junction 2 of the M25 to Junction 6 where this flower farm place is at  (I am also happy to try and coordinate to specifically  meet up somewhere say at your place, and then we had out together incase you realise you need/want someone to go ahead of you or such, although I have never tried to to keep in-contact with someone while im REV, not sure audible I might be over the noise of things when im buzzing along at 60Mph! or if you just want to see REV dance with traffic along the M25  )

I just checked from last year and I left mine about 9.20 I think and got there about 10ish so would likely plan similar again this time

I plan to do the same route but obviously getting on the a2 a few junctions after the Blackwall. I'm not sure there is anywhere convenient or safe to meet up en route other than asking you to come off at my junction and finding somewhere there, which of course I wouldn't expect you to do .

It would be fun to convoy but don't worry if its too much hassle for you to detour as you have the longer journey and its an unfamiliar area for you 

[inconsistant]

20 hours ago, inconsistant said:

 

 

Oops posted Saturday weather not Sunday. Fortunately it’s going to be just as good on Sunday!

[Three Speed]

I’ve enjoyed this event. Actually meeting many different people is really interesting. I have been looking forward to it this year but I don’t think I’m going to make it. Very disappointed. The weather forecast looks good and I’m sure it will fun.

[Peter C]

Are there toilet facilities on site or shall I bring a plastic bottle, which I can later lob into the nearest landscaped area?

[dozeydustman]

I’m still very much in the maybe category. I’m struggling with the 205 this morning as everything on nearside is being recalcitrant to come apart.

[wesacosa]

I would say to those who are struggling with their cars, you'd all still be very welcome in whatever car you have. Its still a nice chance to meet up with Shiters and see some other cars so don't be put off if you only have your daily/non AS car working 

[Rust Collector]

The puddle of diesel that the XM leaves when parked is getting larger and larger. The engine bay stinks of derv now. I best have a peek at that before Sunday!

[dozeydustman]

2 hours ago, wesacosa said:

I would say to those who are struggling with their cars, you'd all still be very welcome in whatever car you have. Its still a nice chance to meet up with Shiters and see some other cars so don't be put off if you only have your daily/non AS car working 

For me it may be a case of the only car which can be driven is the Hyundai, and the wife needs that on Sunday!

[inconsistant]

6 hours ago, Peter C said:

Are there toilet facilities on site or shall I bring a plastic bottle, which I can later lob into the nearest landscaped area?

There are toilets there but you don’t have to use them if you’d prefer the bottle.

[LightBulbFun]

On 01/04/2025 at 10:09, wesacosa said:

I just checked from last year and I left mine about 9.20 I think and got there about 10ish so would likely plan similar again this time

I plan to do the same route but obviously getting on the a2 a few junctions after the Blackwall. I'm not sure there is anywhere convenient or safe to meet up en route other than asking you to come off at my junction and finding somewhere there, which of course I wouldn't expect you to do .

It would be fun to convoy but don't worry if its too much hassle for you to detour as you have the longer journey and its an unfamiliar area for you 

good to know  google maps is suggesting I leave my place around 8:40AM to be at Flower farm for 10AM, so thats sort of what ill be targeting, but does depend on my sleep cycle recently I have been falling asleep at 5-6AM-ish and waking up round 2PM (although it always takes me about an hour after then before I feel alive enough to consider driving etc) so if I have not managed to wrangle that into place, I might be leaving and thus arriving a bit later, but hopefully not as late as the late afternoon! 

usually in situations like this i'd push my sleep cycle round by then actively trying to stay awake for as possible, till it goes full circle but that can take a bit of effort/time to do in itself, and I am not sure if I have enough time, but today I had to wake up at 10AM for something so im hopefully I can maybe use this to try and fall asleep earlier today and maybe actually pull it back (maybe actively set some progressively earlier alarms)

but thats enough rambling about messed up sleep cycle LOL

 

ill try a lob a post up on this thread on the day anyhow when I am planning to set out at least/I do set out  

[Peter C]

I assume there will be no M25 / M3 junctions closures this weekend?

[High Jetter]

2 hours ago, Peter C said:

I assume there will be no M25 / M3 junctions closures this weekend?

Depends what you do with your bottle, I guess 🤣

[richardmorris]

4 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

Depends what you do with your bottle, I guess 🤣

A3 m25 not closed. But my m3 junction is. This could well affect my ability / willingness to attend .

[High Jetter]

2 hours ago, richardmorris said:

A3 m25 not closed. But my m3 junction is. This could well affect my ability / willingness to attend .

Posh git with your own M-way junction! Use A roads, like the plebs 🤣

[richardmorris]

14 hours ago, High Jetter said:

Posh git with your own M-way junction! Use A roads, like the plebs 🤣

the issue being that all six lanes of m3 traffic then go past the end of the drive.

[High Jetter]

51 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

the issue being that all six lanes of m3 traffic then go past the end of the drive.

I get that could make you less inclined to venture out, but it would be great to meet you if you can escape.

[richardmorris]

4 hours ago, High Jetter said:

I get that could make you less inclined to venture out, but it would be great to meet you if you can escape.

I’ll see how it looks on Saturday. If I do make it, will go for a walk first - north downs at woldingham .

[rob88h]

Hmm, the Mini Schitty requires more attention than I thought. I’m not going to drive that until it’s sorted. 

I shall downgrade to Volvo 440 for the meet. 
 

[High Jetter]

31 minutes ago, rob88h said:

Hmm, the Mini Schitty requires more attention than I thought. I’m not going to drive that until it’s sorted. 

I shall downgrade to Volvo 440 for the meet. 
 

Anything from your garage would qualify

[dozeydustman]

Sorry guys and gals I’m out. Wife has invited family over for Sunday dinner, and told me just as she went out the door to go to work to go and get a nice roasting joint out the freezer

[CaptainBoom]

If anyone is interested, I'll be bringing some boxes of latex and nitrile gloves (perfect for when working on shite).  Sizes M and L (L is average bloke hands).  They are decent quality and quite thick, the sort used in laboratories.

They are going FREE, yes that's right, free.  Just take them, I need the space.

Full disclosure, some of the expiry dates are close/recently expired, but the gloves are fine for use, they haven't decayed.  Just don't use them for brain surgery or anything!

I don't want us to get into any grief from the site owners for flypitching, so if we can keep it subtle, it would be appreciated.

[High Jetter]

I wouldn't mind some of the L ones.

Actually that raises a question - how do we stand with Flower farm? I guess they'll get some cafe sales from us being there, but not sure they'll gain much else except piss in the bogs.

[CaptainBoom]

@LightBulbFun I’m sure you know already and feel free to tell me to bugger off, I can’t work out if you’ve been as far round the M25 as junction 5 yet.

Just to warn you that junction 5 of the M25 is reversed, i.e you need to stay on the left of the M25 and ‘turn off’. The road curves left then right and picks up the M26 which merges with you on the left. A word of warning, the M26 traffic from Kent will be going a lot faster than the M25 traffic which is held down to 50mph by the bends. Usually they tear across you to get to the right hand two lanes which you are in!

There are warning signs about two miles before the junction, but it catches a lot of people out, they end up on the A21 heading off to Sevenoaks and wonder where all the traffic went! If that does happen to you, turn off and take the 2nd turning for the A25 West towards Westerham, it’s a bit more scenic and calmer. Flower Farm is on the side of the A25.

Not wishing to patronise you, and I know you’ve got this in the bag, but just want to make sure you have an uneventful journey.

 

[lisbon_road]

3 hours ago, CaptainBoom said:

If anyone is interested, I'll be bringing some boxes of latex and nitrile gloves (perfect for when working on shite).  Sizes M and L (L is average bloke hands).  They are decent quality and quite thick, the sort used in laboratories.

They are going FREE, yes that's right, free.  Just take them, I need the space.

Full disclosure, some of the expiry dates are close/recently expired, but the gloves are fine for use, they haven't decayed.  Just don't use them for brain surgery or anything!

I don't want us to get into any grief from the site owners for flypitching, so if we can keep it subtle, it would be appreciated.

That sounds good, would appreciate some L ones.  I do have some out of date face masks if anyone wants any for some reason? 

Got the MOT this morning.  Non autoshitters have no idea the satisfaction of getting an MOT, especially when the car's been off the road for a while. 

[LightBulbFun]

4 hours ago, CaptainBoom said:

@LightBulbFun I’m sure you know already and feel free to tell me to bugger off, I can’t work out if you’ve been as far round the M25 as junction 5 yet.

Just to warn you that junction 5 of the M25 is reversed, i.e you need to stay on the left of the M25 and ‘turn off’. The road curves left then right and picks up the M26 which merges with you on the left. A word of warning, the M26 traffic from Kent will be going a lot faster than the M25 traffic which is held down to 50mph by the bends. Usually they tear across you to get to the right hand two lanes which you are in!

There are warning signs about two miles before the junction, but it catches a lot of people out, they end up on the A21 heading off to Sevenoaks and wonder where all the traffic went! If that does happen to you, turn off and take the 2nd turning for the A25 West towards Westerham, it’s a bit more scenic and calmer. Flower Farm is on the side of the A25.

Not wishing to patronise you, and I know you’ve got this in the bag, but just want to make sure you have an uneventful journey.

 

ahh yes the ol "you have to leave the M25 to stay on the M25" Junction  I have actually been to East Grinstead and back again in REV, which takes me off the M25 at junction 6, so this route to flower farm will actually be quite familiar to me, on the return trip I was even papped by @dozeydustman's family  (tho this would of been the A2 at this point I am pretty sure!)

so I am familiar with that aspect of junction 5 on the M25  but I very much appreciate the concern/details none-the-less it is always good to try and get the lay of the land before you do a big trip into places unknown (its safe to say when I did the trip above, I did spend a fair amount of time studying the route on google maps, and looking at the major junctions I would be interacting with, figuring out which lane I will want to be in etc)

4 hours ago, CaptainBoom said:

There are warning signs about two miles before the junction,

this is one of the things I actually quite like about driving on motorways vs say a regular dual carriage way like the A12, on a motorway, everything is so large and you get *plenty* of signage/warning before hand, so you have plenty of time and space to slot yourself into the right position/lane etc, makes you wonder how people manage to fuck it up! 

I find getting onto the Blackwall tunnel approach road/making sure your in the correct lane for that more squirrely, then having to motorway for example!  (but REV is smoll and visibility is good so I can usually find a REV sized gaps hop into/through if I need to if I do find myself suddenly needing to change lanes )