No planes or trains, just automobiles

 So I did buy a ticket to the Army Air museum for today because even though I'd been once before (and it's an excellent museum), they had a model railway event on as well and I have a hankering to one day build a model railway layout.

I did ask the Porksters if anyone wanted to go but obviously got no takers - it was a 2 hour drive each way, so not everyones cup of tea. And not even mine, in the end 😉 - I didn't go. Partly it was the weather report but also I decided I probably had to go see my dad for a change (although he doesn't really deserve it - long story).

I wish I listened to my own advice - IGNORE WEATHER FORECASTS!! It started off very wet but the sun came out around 11am (forecast said 3pm) and it turned into a lovely day - annoying.

But I had a decent drive:

Met my son for lunch at Torque Cafe and followed behind him on the way back, in his tyre smoke. He still drives like a nutter in his M4, sideways at every opportunity. It's very stressful behind him because I'm sure he's going to end up in a ditch and really stresses me out - I'm sadly not enjoying my drives out with him. He has amazing car control but it's so unnerving...I really worry his skill is going to run out one day.

I don't know why but Barry is acting weird; my ABS is triggering much more than it ever did and last week, I had a real moment on the brakes into a fast corner - car wobbled all over the place and I almost thought I was going into a ditch. Strangely, it doesn't seem to happen when I turn traction control off. This is not due to road conditions (dry every time) - am I just driving faster than I used to (and more conscious when traction control is off) or is it the recent EBC brake pads? I just don't understand it...

In other news, I finally got my bike going last week after 2 years on a trickle charger. It started first time and passed its MOT on the same day. Insurance for the year is £75 (!) and, more worryinly/significantly, I had a really great ride. I'd forgotten how unrestricted a bike is - traffic is irrelevant because it's so easy to get past slow drivers and I've so missed filtering past queues of traffic. Even a ride in rush hour was enjoyable. 

This is concerning - should I just go back to my bike for fun runs? A hell of a lot cheaper and a friend is doing his CBT in January and wants to get a bike - could be fun to do rides together. We'll have to see...

Meeting the competition

 Sadly, the Porkster group is really dying a death - another member has sold up and no-one is interested in coming out at the moment. We did get one new guy joining from the Boxa forum but I feel he will be disappointed.

With that in mind, I joined in with my ex-kit car club on a run at the weekend. I don't normally join them because they insist in meeting at 7am and normally over an hour away from me, which is just too early for me. However, this weekend was a closer meet-up, so I dragged myself out - and I'm glad I did.

I say 'ex-kit car club' but really they are now a Lotus club as the one guy who used to have a kit now has an Elise and he plans these runs with a few other Lotus drivers. The kit car people are invited but not many of them around, sadly (one of the reasons I sold mine).

The weather was lovely; cold but sunny, heated seats proving their worth. We met up at Pease Pottage services on the M23 and then had a fun, 2 hour run round Sussex, ending up at the Chalet for breakfast:

There were 2 other Elise's parked out of shot. The green Exige was only on it's 3rd run out all year (the guy has a new baby) and the guy with the Evora has 3 other Lotuses!

The new grilles doing their job:

The excuse for this run was the annual stop at a war memorial in Stopham for their Rememberance Day service, which was a little surreal; a group of car enthusiasts in jeans standing among a small group of locals in their Sunday finest, with a couple of uniforms and rows of medals on show. But they seem to like us and we had a little chat with a few of them.

An enjoyable run back on my favourite route from Petworth - a nice half-day out.

Below is a bit of video from my new waste of money, RayBan Meta glasses which have a built in camera for photos and video. I say a waste of money but actually, for these POV videos, they're really good.