Bound around
Bedfordshire
Unfortunately, Lynda and I were
unable to attend the Standard Register Rally as we had committed
to our Great Southwestern Reliability Trial, taking place at the
same time. This report has been sent to me by Steve O'Hara who
attended in his Teignmouth.
A grey day for
the Standards gathered at the Garden Centre
The 2008 Standard Register
weekend was held at the Holiday Inn at Sandy in Bedfordshire. More
than 10 pre-1931 Standards gathered under the hotel's conference
suite on Friday 8th August. Later Paul Newsome, Steve
Smeltzer and I ventured into the town for a pint or two of real
ale before the Friday evening meal at the hotel.
Saturday started bright, and
after breakfast we started on the road run. But rain was in the
air, and when we got to our elevenses venue, Milton Ernest garden
centre, it was gloomy and wet. Most of the cars were open and
hoods were duly raised. Later we meandered through gentle
Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire countryside to Odell, where we
enjoyed a pleasant buffet lunch.
The afternoon took us down more
wet lanes to Thurleigh and the 306th Bombardment Group
Museum. It was really wet here and we ran from the cars to the
little brick building, which told the story of the people who
lived through the war - no aircraft, no engines, just lots of
memorabilia, and very evocative it was too. We carried on in the
rain and returned to Sandy. The Saturday evening was the formal
meal at the Holiday Inn.
On the Sunday, which was dry and
sunny, we visited the Shuttleworth Collection - absolutely
fascinating, with nearly all of the planes airworthy. Then it was
the long drive home. I did 273 miles over the weekend in my
Teignmouth. Thanks to Len Barr for another excellent weekend.
More photos ( click on any of
them to see an enlargement )
Report and Photos by Steve
O'Hara
