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My little friends weekend


HWade

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Well Done Clive and Ed you have pulled it off again, what a really great convoy day on the Saturday even though it did chuck it down with rain, it was a really good convoy, and not one breakdown. I was talking to some other vehicle owners during the day, and on behalf of them and my self I would like to Thank all of the outriders who did a fantastic job of keeping us on the move, I am sure other peaple have lots to say so I will end here, but again what a fab weekend.

 

Thanks Howard

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On Friday beautiful weather and a huge Norfolk skyline in perfect isolated countryside greeted us (once you found it some say). Meeting up with brave folk who had driven there Jimmy over from North Wales, others from Yorkshire, Biggin Hill and Felixstowe, lots of cracking vehicles and no breakdowns. Others included one small but very white tent, the cubes and lots of other good folk from far and wide.

Sadly the weather wasn't with us on Saturday as we headed off down some good old Suffolk/Norfolk lanes. Our little friends were the motor cycle escorts, who were unstintingly brilliant at traffic control and very wet! The American vets seemed to appreciate the vehicle turn out judging by the popping cameras and videos running at Rattlesden and then back to Hardwick for a scrub up and spectacular convoy entrance in front of what must have been five hundred folk at the hangar dance. On the stage a band which could have given Glen Miller a run for his money, all surrounded by Maurice Hammonds Mustangs and other warbirds. It can't get much better than this - can it? The farmer who lets his land be used is an unsung star and a veteran of D-Day and like Clive and Maurice deserve nothing but praise for an amazingly successful weekend that raised good money for cancer charities. Jerrykins

PS I hope someone took some pics??

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Hello Tony

 

Nice snap I am hoping that Jack has plenty of snaps from the truck,I could not take any my self while driving, how did the truck run on the way home, did you change that seal around.

 

 

Howard

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... but again what a fab weekend.

 

Thanks Howard

 

You've summed it up nicely, Howard.

 

Yes it was wet but the duty, a run from Hardwick to USAAF Station 126, Rattlesden, had to be done. It must have been an important job as we were supervised by motorcycle outriders the whole way out and back. I've no idea what we were carrying - the trucks were loaded as we tucked into coffee and doughnuts amongst the hangared P-51 Mustangs.

 

The run out - along the typical winding Norfolk and Suffolk lanes and through picturesque villages - started fairly dry against a threatening sky (we kept an eye out for low flying bombers), but soon turned to more typical East Anglian barley harvest weather.

 

 

 

 

It was a long haul in conditions which required full concentration from drivers and co-drivers alike.

 

 

 

 

The outriders had their work cut out in difficult conditions, but did a superb job in getting us through without hold-ups or incidents.

 

 

 

On arrival at Rattlesden we discovered the base - home to the 447th - was a hive of activity with vehicles and personnel just everywhere. Something big must have been going down. After a short while we were parked up and had an opportunity to chat with a few B-17 crewmen who looked like they were resting between missions while our trucks were unloaded.

 

 

 

 

The return leg was broken only twice - by a stop at a refuelling depot just off the A14 (the crew of which were rudely awakened from their slumber by a mighty queue of thirsty trucks), and a brief rest stop on the A143.

 

 

 

And after that time just seemed to rush by, and whilst it was great to meet up with old friends and make new acqauaintances there were so many people I never managed to get to say hello to.

 

I arrived at Hardwick late on Friday exhausted and thoroughly hacked off after a difficult three weeks prior to the event. I got home tonight tired but totally rejuvenated and on an absolute high!!!

 

Thanks Clive and Ed for a great weekend.

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Edited by N.O.S.
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Hello Tony

 

Nice snap I am hoping that Jack has plenty of snaps from the truck,I could not take any my self while driving, how did the truck run on the way home, did you change that seal around.

 

 

Howard

 

She went a lot better Howard. Really enjoyed the blast home. Kept up no problems after the first long drag out of Hardwick. Roy followed behind as far as Scole in just in case. Didn't have time to change seal during the day - we sorted the tug carb instead :D . Will look at it this week. If it isn't that I'll disable governor to rule that out.

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She went a lot better Howard. Really enjoyed the blast home. Kept up no problems after the first long drag out of Hardwick. Roy followed behind as far as Scole in just in case. Didn't have time to change seal during the day - we sorted the tug carb instead :D . Will look at it this week. If it isn't that I'll disable governor to rule that out.

 

Hi glad to here the truck ran ok. I do have a spare governor you can try if you need to.

 

Howard

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Me and the boys skivved off school on Friday to come up to the event. :red:

 

Sadly due to the truck engine being in pieces we came up in the family car, it took us 6 hours on the Friday due to the whole world heading northwards it seemed!!!!!! We arrived on the site and were given a wonderful cup of tea from Jerrykins, thank you very very much it was appreciated indeed! :kiss::kiss:

 

Clive cooked us all dinner and then we went on to a brilliantly put together presentation again run by Clive. Unfortunately we needed to leave halfway as the cubelets were getting very tired. We returned to the site on Saturday morning and were very excited to learn that we were to be driven by Howard in Clives truck!!! The weather (as you have seen in N.O.S photos) was not on our side but that didnt stop the warm friendships, interesting stories, funny anecdotes and my dad taking photos of us all as we fell asleep at various times in the back!!!!!!!! I have a feeling that apart from us and my dad no-one else in the back of Clives truck are members on this forum, but they were a really nice bunch of people.

 

Its a real shame the weather still wouldn't improve as we arrived at Eye and then on to Rattleston airfields, but again Clive doned his apron and cooked lunch for the troops. :)

 

The cubes shot off to the Premier Lodge to bath and get changed for the Big Band Dance. The huge amount of people who turned up were not put off by yet more rain and they all enjoyed themselves. The lucky person who won the auction for a flight in the Mustang helped amazingly to raise money for the caner charity chosen, so well done to them and you lucky begger!!

 

Sunday and the weather looked much more promising and again lots and lots of people turned up for the open day. Well as ever the rain showed up too but it didnt put anyone off nor the pilots, and watching the 2 mustangs take off was just spine tingling beautiful!!!!!!

 

Well the time came for us to head home and at about 3.30ish we left for the journey home. I guess we took the weather all the way home to the south coast with us!!!

 

It was wonderful to make new friends and catch up with old ones. Joris's 2 little chaps are gorgeous! Jack was in full form and looking good to!!!!! It was so nice to put faces to names and sorry to those who I didnt have a chance to speak to.

 

The biggest thank you though must go out to Clive and Ed for putting the event on, Maurice for showing us his lovely planes, the farmer for allowing us to use his land. And last but not least the outriders for keeping us rolling on Saturday, well you guys. I will add photos when I have sorted them.

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David and I would also like to voice our thanks for another great weekend. A big thankyou to Clive, Ed, all the outriders both new and old and of course to their significant others.

 

Although the weather in parts was awful, it didn't stop our enjoyment. Well done and please can we do it again sometime?

 

Also, as a suggestion, I'm sure many of us would only be to happy to make monitory contributions to help funding.....

 

David and Lindsay

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Congrats to all the vehicle owners for 100% reliability on the convoy run..some skilled driving down those narrow lanes deserves praise to, Thanks to the 3 Norfolk boys , Mick ,Dave and Danny who helped with the DR escort duties....and old hand Peter..veteran of most of our recent Convoys over the last 8 years. Great to get to know more of the drivers and co-drivers and actually remember a few names....Rain seems to follow our events, but at least it was warm rain on Saturday, and i was "singing in the Rain " at one stage, after another tricky bit had been cleared with no holdups. At least it was warm on the Dance floor !

As Clive is in training for an Olympic event in 2012.( Freestyle Burger frying ).. thoughts of a proper " Bolero 2 " means 2013... . Ed

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Just to repeat what every body else has said, big thankyou to maurice hammond,clive.ed, and the whole team

special mention to the DR`s having done many miles in open faced helmets in the rain myself.....well done lads!!!!!

roll on the next one!!!!!

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Why do i enjoy these events in norfolk and suffolk so much.?.....

simple ,you`d get lynched if you tried it here in essex.

another fantastic weekend clive, thanks to you and your team.

it was good to put some names to faces at last.

the weather, low-loader hire and 4 mpg might try and put us off but bring on the next bolero.

thanks to everyone who was there.

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R-cubed giving a lesson to the cubelets about radial engines

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A lovely couple we met, he used to build these engines and they had not long celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary.

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The cubelets sitting inside an aircraft tyre!

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Mustangs

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The view from the back of Clives truck during the convoy

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Lunch at Rattlesdon

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Some hunk I met there!

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Clive cooking, he is very good actually!!!

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Another father and son chat re engines, I think the cubed one was explaining it was a V 12 by the position of his hands!!!!

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posted this lot in the wrong forum last night and couldn't be bothered to sort it out!!!! So here it is all again here
:-D

:-D

 

:-D

 

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It's a bit late I know but just found some pictures of the convoy at Rattlesden taken from the roof of the control tower on my camera, apologies if the pictures don't show up, i'm not to good at driving the computer!!!

 

Tom

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