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Just as I was planning to submit this, Sherlock saved the day by admitting to actually going somewhere, but the rest of the week has been strictly from the armchair - lots of fingers pointed at other people's motoring but precious little of our own. Come on, chaps, someone must have somewhere to go!
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Back to Marlow from Kirkby Lonsdale (wedding reception last night)
244 miles, just under 4 hours according to google maps
M6, M42, M40 traffic problems on M6 look to be mainly northbound so we shall see what happens
drive up yesterday took about 4 hours driving
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Yesterday, Surrey to Ashurst new Forest, Buealeiu, Pool Harbour, Rockley Sands, Holton heath, Redbridge (hants) and back to surrey.
220 miles.
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About to drive in the FRV to Southampton via Borders and Leamington Spa, followed by a cruise, then similar return journey.
Not expecting any change out of £150 petrol for the driving (almost 900 miles)
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I drove to the tip (recycling centre) on Wednesday - all four windows open, AND the sunroof!
Quite nice driving down the Cornish country lanes in an elevated area with views o'er St Austell bay.
Might do it again next week when I have another load of dog poo to dispose of.
(*_*)
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>> I drove to the tip (recycling centre) on Wednesday
>> Might do it again next week when I have another load of dog poo to
>> dispose of.
What do they recycle that into, I wonder? Dog food?
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Just got in from my trip down the M6 etc. (see earlier) not a nice place today lots of traffic lots of numpties, some nasty queues, mainly the other way. You can tell today was school closing / get away sharp day
Glad its done, well worth the trip
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Went to the charity shop this morning...then to another one because the first wouldn't take books....too many in stock.
Like Dog, went to the tip but not with doggy doos. Mostly scrap metal..old trolley jack, small worn out trampoline frame, wheelchair and half a supermarket trolley. Just the wheels and frame. Got 2 other trolleys so this one unused for a long time.
Made a mistake on way back by taking the main road...traffic busy and three lanes being squeezed into 2 by roadworks. Snuck a Big Mac while out of the jurisdiction of SWM.
Tripped up and fell with my left thigh against the corner of the caravan in the drive....muscle painful now ...bums !
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>>What do they recycle that into, I wonder? Dog food?
Soylent Brown :(
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>> What do they recycle that into, I wonder? Dog food?
Do stop it Manatee. Some of the things dogs will eat with relish really don't bear thinking about.
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Just my regular 500 miles again this week.
Live in Worcester, work in Coventry. There is a mostly good country route between the two. Or I've taken the motorway a couple of times this year.
Last edited by: Tigger on Fri 17 Jul 15 at 17:10
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Reading to Eastbourne this morning, 100 miles of M3/M25/M23/A23/A27. Quite an easy drive; expecting at least some hold-ups due to summer hols early starters, but none. BBC forecast was for clear blue sky this afternoon so of course it's been raining. Hope it's nice tomorrow evening as we've got tickets for an Abba tribute band on the bandstand :)
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>> Hope it's nice tomorrow
>> evening as we've got tickets for an Abba tribute band on the bandstand :)
I'd be praying for a downpour of Noah like proportions.
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Several long trips recently going to university open days, Pembrokeshire to Lancaster, Manchester, Derby, Plymouth, and to Devizes to buy a new car. London, and Devon coming up to take the youngest to a National Trust work camp.
Plus the usual 40 miles each way commute to work.
I've done about 3000 miles in the new car in a fortnight.
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Just local (50 mile radius) running for me, off to London in a couple of weeks. That trip will put at least 1,000 miles on the car.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Fri 17 Jul 15 at 18:25
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Just local trips to Wincanton and Shaftesbury today, but Berkshire and north London earlier in the week. On the Dorset - Berks leg the (accurate) trip computer showed an average of 44 mpg, from a 2.0 petrol Octavia. I think my diesel days are done.
What's the new car, Cliff?
Last edited by: Avant on Fri 17 Jul 15 at 18:25
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I'm guessing he's gone for something terribly modern - say a Volvo 740.
}:---)
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Just my 200 miles of to and from work this week. Was due to drive to Deeside yesterday, but meeting was cancelled.
Only meeting next week is in Cheltenham so not much happening then either
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Pootling around near home for this week. Three days at CAB, two station taxi runs for The Lad.
More serious next week - off to France. Calais to the Auvergne with following weeks being Auvergne to Mimizan, Mimzan to Calais and associated day trippery.
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There'd be summat wrong if I wasn't, given that it's how I earn me living!
For the last five weeks I've been "tramping", which is HGV-speak for staying away all week; it's the game feed season and I'm helping our Radstock mill out, as the sheep/dairy sector which our own mill in Carmarthen services is quiet during the summer months.
This week was fairly typical, and hopefully will give you some idea of what the job involves;
Monday; Start 05.15, into Cardiff for inspection at dealership, 4 drops Newport/Usk area, into Radstock, load 5 drops Salisbury area, do two, park up 19.55 at Fordingbridge.
Tuesday; start 07.00 do 3 remaining drops, back to Radstock, load 7 drops Reading/Maidenhead, leave 14.00, do two, park up Grazeley (nr. Reading) 19.55
Wednesday; start 07.00, do 5 remaining , back to Radstock, reload 4 drops Surrey/Kent, get to first drop at Oxted, unload and park on the farm there for night (nice and quiet) at 20.30.
Thursday; start 06.30, tip Sevenoaks, Dorking, Finchampstead, back to Radstock, do quick drop at Melksham, back to Radstock again, reload for Ross-on-Wye, Cowbridge and Gower, leave Radstock with an hour and a half's running time hoping to make it to Aust services; unfortunately some chimp has installed temporary traffic lights on the bridge in Bath which loses me 50 minutes so I end up in a lay-by between there and the M4, finishing at 21.15.
Friday; start 06.15, deliver the three drops, run in and finish at 14.30. Should actually have been on holiday on the Friday but no great loss as Mrs HM was working anyway so I'll take it later in the year.
Total distance travelled, 1997 kilometres.
Last edited by: Harleyman on Sat 18 Jul 15 at 00:43
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Watching the mist and rain in Looe on Tuesday we had a bit of an idea forming and made some hasty arrangement to change the return journey to the Fen......via Adinkerke!
Sometimes it's nice just to do things because you can, and we both wanted to give the V70 a chance to show us just how well she can rise to the occasion when we ask her to.
Looe to Exeter then along the coast all the way to Ashford was the chosen route and it made such a change to keep off the motorway and actually drive with a bit of spirit.
Audi drivers seem to have taken over where BMW drivers left off and all seem to have a point to prove, but we're still trying to figure out what that point is!
So many villages have now been bypassed and while it may be nicer for the residents the local pubs, garages and shops seem to have all gone too.
I was pleased to see that Winchelsea hill which I last drove up in an artic has remained the same though.
We arrived at Ashford to find Operation Stack in place and after many text updates from Eurotunnel decided to start an hour earlier the following morning.
Over and back to the Calais terminal was uneventful but the sight of the illegals swarming openly around the queues of lorries in Calais, with no sight whatsoever of the Gendamerie, was an eye opener.
The M20 was just a continuous line of lorries southbound with just one portable toilet every mile or so, no water and no food. What a disgrace and what a way to expect lorry drivers to live.....but it's alright because they will have had a high viz vest on.
The plan was to return straight home but 3 lanes closed between the A12 and the M11 exit meant a last minute detour down the slip road onto the A127.
Both of us thinking we remembered a route across to Chelmsford, Sudbury and on to Bury St Edmunds made for probably the longest route back from Looe to the Fens we've ever done but it was most enjoyable!
A random observation was that we lost 5MPG with the scenic route but I'm not sure who enjoyed it the most, the V70 or both of us because we got to drive it like it should be driven....because we could!
Pat
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500 miles from home to Weston-super-Mare and now at large in the Gloucester, Bath, Exeter triangle visiting family and friends. Traffic and road surfaces worse than ever, it seems. Even the scameras are looking dilapidated. 8th generation Accords are like hens' teeth so if you see a silver one on French plates - it is I!
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When was that Pat ?
We drove the M20 last Saturday down to the tunnel. I was expecting the worst having had a text from eurotunnel telling me to expect 30 minutes delay. No trucks stacked on the motorway and portaloos every 100metres.
We came off the tunnel and ducked into the supermarket for fuel, I didn't have enough to get to Adinkirk, my usual stop.
Other driving? We managed 400kms in three days on Lanzarote. Don't know quite how we managed that as the place is tiny.
I think CP will have hunted down an immaculate 900 of some description.
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Operation Stack seems to be in force almost daily at the moment. M20 was reported closed again earlier today. Is the cause illegals disrupting the tunnel, a shortage of ferry capacity following the demise of My Ferry Link or a combination of these?
Crossing from Dover on Monday but going as far as the Caravan Club site near Hawkinge tomorrow. My normal route to the Eastern Docks is A2/M2 but routing to Hawkinge is easier via the M20. Guess I'll just have to listen out for traffic flashes and hope the gantry messages are up to date.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Sat 18 Jul 15 at 10:29
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It's currently closed between J8 & J11 coastbound which is causing long delays on the M2 especially on the 2 lane bits at peak times in partitcular as people use that instead. The My Ferry Link vessels should have been handed over to DFDS on the 2nd of July but they are still being occupied by the MFL crews who were not wanted by DFDS. They have deployed several of the escape slides and liferafts and are reported to have carried out sabatage to the engines and are trashing the interiors of the vessels. Calais dock workers are also refusing to handle the existing DFDS vessels so they are having to sail to Dunkirk which takes longer.
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Not driven much lately but off to Cornwall (Looe) in August then a festival in Worcestershire somewhere later in August, and I'm just looking at a couple of weeks solo driving holiday in Europe in Sept/Oct - so far I've found a DTM race I can go to at Nurburgring and I have a mate in Munich so may do the Oktoberfest. The duration is flexible, could be anything between 1 - 3 weeks but likely to be around 2. I will most likely have a pretty good idea of my route and overnights before I go and may well camp for a few nights. Open to suggestions but I've done a fair bit of the 1st/2nd ww stuff (but will squeeze Dachau in if I do Munich).
Last edited by: smokie on Sat 18 Jul 15 at 11:52
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We left Looe on Wednesday and stayed at Ashford that night, We had a text from Eurotunnel and on the website the advice was to approach from the A20.
However at 04.30 on Thursday morning the cones had been removed from the slip road and all was well, we thought.
On our return later that day we realised Operation Stack was being held further back up the M20.
Pat
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>> On our return later that day we realised Operation Stack was being held further back
>> up the M20.
>>
>> Pat
Currently on caravan break in Kent and decided to spend today on the White Cliffs. Running into Dover on the A20 we encountered a mini stack from the Samphire Hoe area to Dover's western edge. Looking down on the ferry terminal (an interesting experience in itself for a regular passenger) it was apparent that the cause of 'mini stack' was the check in queue for commercial vehicles.
PS Pat, is your caravan staying in Looe for the summer? The journey to Adekirk and other stuff you've mentioned look hard work towing.
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Currently on caravan break in Kent and decided to spend today on the White Cliffs.
Good choice: don't know without looking it up but that must be a pretty decent drop. Just remember to unhook the Berlingo first.
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>> I'm guessing he's gone for something terribly modern - say a Volvo 740.
>> }:---)
>>
No, I don't like 740s much. Too slab-sided and not in my view design classics like the 240.
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>> No, I don't like 740s much. Too slab-sided and not in my view design classics
>> like the 240.
Give it time, they may grow on you once you have the chance to get used to them !
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Did someone mention driving?
We're currently 2,000 miles into a USA west coast road trip! LA, then Vegas, Grand Canyon, Lake Mead, Death Valley, Yosemite, San Francisco, now half way down Pacific Highway 1 on the way to San Diego, then back to LA and home. Fantastic trip which I'm sure many on here will have done before. Will save the highlights for a more detailed debrief when we're back home!
Last edited by: Boxsterboy on Sun 19 Jul 15 at 19:13
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Sounds great.i am currently somewhat north of you, staying with friends just off Hway 50 an hour south of Tahoe.
I'm in charge of planning a similar trip for three friends, probably next September, three weeks taking in National Parks in the NW, so probably a circular from Portland or maybe SF. Cracking weather here Gromit.
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Don't log in very much these days and actually no - the car sometimes only moves once a week.
Benefits of new job and all that, lost weight, feeling fitter . . . . .
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Good for you. I too was fortunate in that both my previous jobs, which lasted two & three years respectively, allowed me to walk the mile to work. Even in lashing rain I never considered the car. Previously to that it was the 07:29 train, home by 7:30.
Walking too/from work was a huge bonus in a low paid job, keeping me fitter and the fresh air reduced the already low stress levels even further.
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300 miles a week commuting.... round trip Lanark - Bedford and back over the weekend, via Kendal.... 700 mile round trip. As noted in the other thread, lots of holidaymakers on their annual motorway trip, with no idea how to go about it!!
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Just done the Reading - Bath M4 trip. Pretty unremarkable, as you'd expect on a Tuesday evening, apart from an old (90s vintage?) silver Merc saloon that shot past in the outside lane at an incredible speed. Not easy to judge I know, but I was doing an indicated 80, and I reckon he was 50mph quicker, if not more. I don't remember ever seeing anything go past so quickly.
Quiet motorway, but even so, it must take some nerve - we're all great drivers, but there are plenty of idiots out there...
Last edited by: Focusless on Tue 21 Jul 15 at 22:30
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>> Just done the Reading - Bath M4 trip. Pretty unremarkable, as you'd expect on a
>> Tuesday evening, apart from an old (90s vintage?) silver Merc saloon that shot past in
>> the outside lane at an incredible speed. Not easy to judge I know, but I
>> was doing an indicated 80, and I reckon he was 50mph quicker, if not more.
>> I don't remember ever seeing anything go past so quickly.
>>
>> Quiet motorway, but even so, it must take some nerve - we're all great drivers,
>> but there are plenty of idiots out there...
>>
Probably not registered properly at DVLA and a previous owner will get a letter.
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Last Saturday, feeling slightly bored, we decided to take a short trip somewhere and on Sunday morning we drove over to Chester mainly because we had never been therefore before. Took 5 1/2 hours which wasn't bad as we stopped for lunch.
Found a hotel OK and really enjoyed the place. Fascinating city. Ventured into North Wales to visit Erdigg and came home today stopping at Tatton Hall on the way for breakfast and a look round. Roads a lot busier of course than on Sunday but not too bad at all really. Used the M6 Toll which was a joy.
Last edited by: CGNorwich on Thu 13 Aug 15 at 22:52
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I was up there a couple of weeks ago, traffic was awful getting there, about the same time but I'm a fair bit closer than you, coming from the east as well. But to be expected east to west roads are poor in England.
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On a working day, I drive from Southport to Liverpool and back twice, piloting either a DAF/VDL or Volvo bus. On a non-working day I don't drive far at all, unless I have to pick up/drop off my daughters from Chorley or visit step-kids in Manchester. In fact, we do very little mileage in our car. We bought it three years ago at 22k miles, and it now has only 33.5k miles on it.
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Very little. My past 4 jobs allowed me to either walk to work or catch the train. I normally only drive once or twice a week....visiting elderly relative or going to Lakes/ northern Dales. A friend of mine went to visit her parents in Chester last weekend, and on arriving home ( meeting her husband who naturally was in the pub with us) said its a different world once you get out of the Dales. Understatement.
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Me neither I think since the start of the year I've put about 2k miles on my car. The OH a few thousand more on hers, but not many. Hugely reduced though since I moved much closer to work now it's only a couple of miles away and all the better for it. I couldn't imagine doing a proper commute now.
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Nose I have retired my annual mileage has actually increased. I usually walked to work, about a couple of miles away. Now free to go where I like when I like I do quite a few longish journeys including France.
I'm not what you would call a car enthusiast as such any reliable car will do, but I do like driving and e freedom it gives you. Yes I know the traffic can be bad but I still like the fact that you can jump in you car and in a few hours you can be hundreds of miles away. Off to the Peak District, one of my favourite areas, later in the week. Won't do much driving one I get there. The roads there get pretty busy in the school holidays.
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Recently booked a trip to the UK, no longer required to login and place all details of passengers leaving the UK online before escaping/leaving.
Must be a new policy, the Government must now be hoping I'll take a few with me.
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Anyone doing any actual driving? - commerdriver
