Stratford: Spannering for beer...

[JayW]

Boot sale is saturday and also the birthplace of the BX pigeons!

[Vanny]

So i might make it this year then, if i go on the right day

[JayW]

Only if you can scrape yourself out of the tent at 9am to get all the bargains!

[docchevron]

handily I have spare boots, so I'll sleep in!

[Thread Bear]

Good to put faces to names and pick up a few bits at Stratty yesterday. Like the fact the BX seemed to be the naughty boys brigade and in a field away from the rest to have a bit of a party . All very much the sort of thing I like. Thanks for the welcome guys . Got to my mates in next to no time, empty roads, unlike going up, and car going well now .

[Mickey taker]

got there about 8ish Saturday night after getting home from holiday about 6.30.
Had a great time as to be expected but sleeping in the trajet was bloody cold and having only a travel rug as a bottom sheet was not great .
The anniken Skywalker duvet cover would have been the boss if only the duvet itself hadent been made of Kleenex,

got up 8.30 ish and after brecky and a walk round headed home about 12.30.

good to see Andy, Brian and Mulley on Sunday and especially good to see Todd and his family

[JayW]

As always, excellent for the social gathering!

But, becoming increasingly more and more disappointing as a car gathering.

Poor turn out for both BX's and the Club in general. If every year could be as busy as 2011 it would be great, but this was more like 2010 when hardly anyone turned out.

Excellent effort from Todd to get here from Germany and a perfect fit into our group of misfits! Helped to highlight his healthy obsession with wood

Fortunately for us we did Stratty whilst already on the road from elsewhere but i think this will be our last if it's going to be a direct-from-Cornwall gig.

[Dollywobbler]

Quality of BXs was good though, from the shonky estate gathering last night to the prize-winning 19GT Mk1 today! Wonderful that the public voted for the 6400-mile GT. Great to finally see it in the metal (and plastic). Not a very sizeable gathering at all really though. (sorry for being in the wrong Citroen!)

[MULLEY]

I went on both day's, if you thought sunday was bad, good job you didn't turn up on Saturday Good to meet threadbear & i hope those bits keep your cars on the road Cheers to Todd for bringing across the swift alloys & tailblazer, shame i didn't really get much of a chance of a natter with you & your family, it sounded like one hell of a journey, so a brilliant effort to show up to what was quite a small event. Perhaps another way of looking at things is, that whilst numbers are down, the people quality was still high Cheers to everyone who i chatted to & who opened up my boxes for sale & asking whats this for & for me having brought the wrong list so i couldn't tell them Next time eh, haha....

Roll on CXM next week down in MK??

[Kitch]

A good time had for me. As Jay said, the car turnout was dire, but the people turnout was good. Had a laugh catching up with the old school regulars (Doc, Vanny, Jay, Todd, Mulley etc) and was also good to meet Stinkwheel and Charlotte. And Threadbear......as I later worked out who he was!

The Estate did a sterling job on the way home - I left at 8pm and drove flat-out (literally) from J15 of the M40 to the Winchester junction of the M3 (backed off going through Botley/Oxford etc). Agreed flat-out isn't much in an N/A diesel estate, especially when hills appear, but it was hard work for the old girl. It didn't miss a beat (apart from a 5min stretch through Banbury of thick smoke emitting from the tailpipe visible in the following cars' headlamps). Cleared after another 5mins of full-throttle though I walked in the door at 9:55pm....haven't worked out the average speed yet, but I think it's beaten the 16v's run back from Lincs!

Fuel economy may have suffered slightly.

Cheers all

[Thread Bear]

Worked out fuel economy after smooth running trips including Sratty to Oxford in 45 mins odd on empty roads, no incidents, limping etc. 62 mpg ! Not a reasonable figure so something has gone wrong there . A longer test period required, I think, to even out error. There is no doubt that the engine is now working well . Its due a short oil change in case there is more gunk to be removed after some 2,000 miles - it was really dire sludge on first oil change and a flush was pretty revolting too. Clutch is terminal though . So once Homer is on station, a job to be done. Ideal time to uprate the pipes/dodgy strut etc on the N/S front actually . Once it works properly I can be bothered about what it looks like .

The Bubblecar Rally was worth my attending on Sunday, as a senior bod and all that crap. It was not as it used to be years ago, which is what you guys have now on getting together. To much politics, bizz, now the prices are serious bunts, officious farts criticising minute detail unbidden, etc etc.(don't get me wrong, there is time and place for this, but when asked or of import to advise). However the fine weather pulled folk I had not seen for years in. None the less I think I must dig my tent out for a future BX thrash when there is no clash of interests.

[mat_fenwick]

I left at 8pm

Missed you by 20 minutes!

[Kitch]

I left at 8pm

Missed you by 20 minutes!

Your loss - I'm amazing

We'll catch up at the NEC though. Plenty of time for that!

[Braidy]

This was my first Stratford for many years. My memory of the rally was of a very sparsely attended (and cold) rally. Can't remember the year but it's going back a bit. So I thought it was a good turn out and a very enjoyable day on the Sunday.