2012 meets

[Neil - TXJ]

Hi everybody.

Conscious that we do not appear to have any runs booked for next year and was wondering if anybody had any plans.

I might try and organise one round the borders but have not done one before so would need to find a suitable route.

If anybody is planning to organise anything next year could they suggest roughly when they would be doing it so I can work around these dates. Also any other dates I should avoid e.g Mikey show.

Think it would be good to have a few rough dates pencilled in spread across the year.

The runs are my (and Toms!) highlight of mini ownership.

Neil.

Known / Provisional Events

March - East Lothian run - weefossy
Apr - Fife Fryer - Duncan Stewart
Jun / July - Picnic Run - Stoney
Jun / July - Perthshire run - Duncan Stewart
Sep / Oct - Heart of the Borders - AndyP & Lenore
Sep / Oct - Deeside run - Duncan Stewart
Oct - New Mini Show

OTHER POSSIBLE EVENTS

Paintball
Go-karting

[MINI William]

Neil always best to orgainise your run for when suites you. You will always get a turn out from the regular faces and there has been some new people to the site so they may want to show there face and cars aswell . As yet ive nopt heared of any run being orgnaised yet

[Craig]

Neil,

Good on you for thinking about organising a run. AndyP and Lenore have organised a fair few runs down the Borders so they could give you some tips on routes and how to go about it.

All I would say is do what works for you re dates, but bear in mind other factors which may affect how many people turn up (ie other big events). Mikeys show is normally Oct

[Neil - TXJ]

Neil,

Good on you for thinking about organising a run. AndyP and Lenore have organised a fair few runs down the Borders so they could give you some tips on routes and how to go about it.

All I would say is do what works for you re dates, but bear in mind other factors which may affect how many people turn up (ie other big events). Mikeys show is normally Oct

Thanks Craig - hope I can sort something but life is manic but considering how much I enjoy don't think I should just rely on others to organise.

Thought it would be good to fit around other events so that every couple of months we have an event of some form to look forward to. Appreciate not easy to achieve and will see what responses we get over the next few days and take it from there.

Will update my first post with any known/provisional events.

Neil

[MINIme:)]

I might be interested if anyone else kinda slow was going!

pootle_wee.jpg

[GCA3N]

I might be interested if anyone else kinda slow was going!

pootle_wee.jpg

Follow baz he normally brings up the rear as one of the slower drivers.

[Stewart]

I might be interested if anyone else kinda slow was going!
pootle_wee.jpg

No one would ever leave Pootle behind....its not the NMS way

Why Do I feel that's directed at me, first in to Ullapool I tell you on the first Highland tour!

Enjoyed both the Perth Run (probably the warmest day of the year) and the Highland Tour up the stunning west coast. As Baz has said I enjoy the HT run as it’s so long and there really is only one way to go (not looking at any group who missed the turn) You can keep up and play follow the Mini for a bit of fun and then chill and enjoy the scenery and company when you meet up at the next stopping point.

I like going at the back for no other reason than I can relax and know I’m not going to slow anyone up, something like the Highland Tour is easy to that of say Rob’s (my first run) run thats shorter. Gong at the back has its good points and bad points as me and the green Mini in front found out on the Perth run with Mr’s (and I kid you not) 25 Mph Nissan on a road that you could never pass on round the Loch and down the other side from the queens view for what seemed like forever.


Only got my name down for the HT in 2012, but good for you thinking about doing a run. Andy got us through that borders run with a little help but just when you thought right where do we go here there was usually a friendly face or mini waiting and I think it was the most challenging one to date I’ve been on with regards to directions.


At the end of the day it’s a great excuse to enjoy our cars and meet up, its always nice seeing new faces and new cars and catching up with the ones you’ve got to know over the years.


Edit - I see Alan and me have the last bit covered i really should check the thread for fresh posts when posting but there was a making a nice Cup of coffee in the mix there.

[AndyP & Lenore]

As Craig has said we've organised a few runs down this way. And I'd love to continue that but we've had to commit more to working on Sunday's to save costs at work. Trouble is all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Just had a chat with Lenore and I think we'll look at doing the Heart Of The Borders run again this year - would be early September or late October.

I don't want to dent your bonnet but the cost of fuel for organising a run is astronomical! In the past when we organised a new run we'd recce the area and plot some roads we want to use in the run. Head home, plan the run on maps, draw up a basic route with expected turns, then head out again another day and do a full route recce plotting each turn and making turn notes and mile marks. Then the a couple of weeks before the run I'd do the whole route again checking the mileages and turn notes to make sure they are as accurate as possible. Then you've got the full run on the day. Total fuel cost in today's prices can easily run to a few hundred pounds!

But, organising a run always filled me with an excitement buzz and if we hadn't made a commitment to working Sunday's, we'd still be organising runs.

To be honest, I think these days I would do all the planning at home, then head out for ONE recce then do the run and make sure everyone knows there may be errors in the notes.

Neil, I organised a couple of runs down Kielder Water and they always went down well. A lunch stop at a pub in Bellingham which did a terrific carvery - can't remember the name of it at the moment, but it will be detailed in the route notes for those runs which will be in the older pages of the MINI Meets forum.

I've also always though the back roads from Hawick across through Jedburgh and across to Morebattle and then down into Kelso and across to Coldstream or Duns would be a cracker.

A.

[MINIme:)]

impressed at the effort put in Andy I will say though, if I may (at risk of showing myself to be a pain in the ar*$) for someone up the back panicking, trying to catch up and without a navigating passenger or sat nav...the likelihood of a few mistakes in the notes would put me off entirely as I'd be pretty worried about losing everyone including myself. However that is pretty selfish so maybe just not for me

[Bazthemod]

impressed at the effort put in Andy I will say though, if I may (at risk of showing myself to be a pain in the ar*$) for someone up the back panicking, trying to catch up and without a navigating passenger or sat nav...the likelihood of a few mistakes in the notes would put me off entirely as I'd be pretty worried about losing everyone including myself. However that is pretty selfish so maybe just not for me

Theres place on the run for people of all paces. You may find being further upfront better as you are travelling at the pace of the lead car which is generally national speed limits. Personally I prefer hanging around at the back because when you guys up front break away at junctions/turnings/traffic lights etc we have a more 'spirited' drive to catch up. I know that some newbies feel the back is a better option as they think they think it will be slower but it's usually the opposite haha

Or you can do a Stewart and go at your own pace and meet us at the stop off points (mainly highland tour for this example) he takes things at his own pace and stops for photo opportunities, im often jealous of the stuff he sees that I miss out on with bombing about lol.