Photography by Dave Smith
We all met up at Oakley Hall Hotel on Friday and had an excellent dinner and there was much noise – even in the bar after dinner. The following morning had an early visit to the Bombay Sapphire Distillery at Laverstoke Mill. This collection of ancient and modern buildings by the side of the river Test, is mentioned in the Doomsday book and in the intervening period has manufactured banknote paper before being bought to make gin in 2010 although the “blue bottle” gin was launched in 1987. The visit finished with a custom designed cocktail made from your very own “aroma map” of botanicals as they call the flavourings.
We then had a buffet lunch at a Golf Club and then on to the Watercress Line engine sheds and a return trip on a steam train to Alton. The work in these engine sheds was both amazing and massive. We also entered a Signal Box and saw how hard they work pulling the levers – all mechanical, to change signals sometimes over a 1000 yards away. Back to dinner at the hotel with a singer as a cabaret later in the evening, plus another session in the bar.
Sunday was a miserable start with heavy rain showers but ideal for a whizz on a skid pan at Thruxton, especially in a Meridian supplied Ghibli. The morning cleared quickly and we were bathed in sunshine but with a chill breeze watching our team slipping and sliding (and spinning of course) on this very low grip surface. Much fun with a competitive timed final run.
Back to the hotel for Sunday lunch and Prize giving with Rex Barton taking the fastest skid pan drive, Paul & Fiona Winfield taking the Road Observation Quiz prize and John Jackson winning the Trophy for the car that staff of the hotel coveted the most.
More to follow in Trident…..