ian Stanbury
Enthusiast
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- 1,095
- Thread starter ian Stanbury
- Start date
Liam4R4SPARES
Enthusiast
- Messages
- 208
Excellant day !
Tracey Ruck
Enthusiast
- Messages
- 10
Many thanks to all involved in organizing todays gathering. We and our canine clan had a super day out. And a picture of us posted already!
ian Stanbury
Enthusiast
- Messages
- 1,095
malcolm
& Clementine the Cat
- Messages
- 4,519
- Location
- Bedford UK
Revived a bit now so here's Clementine's event report:
I set off with Robert at 8:30 in the morning from Bedford (the arctic north) and arrived in north Kent at about 10:45.
We weren't expecting a good turn out as the weather had been poor and Kent is much too far from anywhere sensible, but there were a whole load of Renault 4s already there when we arrived. Even more turned up as we chatted. Liam immediately produced the very last remaining pattern rear wing (Thanks Liam) and Ian gave me a very cool CD with Ermintrude the Renault 4 printed on the front.
Some new and old faces - Ian Stanbury (from the forum here), Louise (who I've been sending emails to for all this time, who is very sensibly Scottish, and looks far too young to be Liam's wife), Derek (renospeed bloke) who I'd never met but turned out to be a very cool guy. Derek's wife and young one, Pete from Renault 4 Play who I'd not seen since I took his old car away with the promise of a new one that never materialised (he seemed to be pretty cool about it).
Anyway, there was a run involved. Someone delayed us a bit lining up red, white and blue Renaults for a photo, but then we were off. We all had route maps in case we got lost.
Starting off very much in north Kent we drove in convoy along narrow lanes past a lot of trees. We stopped at one point to wait for stragglers (photos in Ian's second post) and I directed traffic past our queue. One old lady stopped to complain but I was charming enough to tell her to buzz off (which she did).
After some more trees and the odd olden wooded building (this is the garden of England after all - trees grow well) we arrived at our first stop. A village green. I went straight in to the pub for food (I'd been hungry on the way having left home before breakfast). Ian very kindly bought me a pint, and we shared a refreshing Chinese.
Outside a whole load of dogs appeared. Tricky to count but I'd say there must have been around 10 of them. They all seemed to fit in the back of Tracey's blue F6 van (photo earlier on the page).
Off again for some more driving around. Robert drove this time. I fell asleep in the passenger seat and awoke in Bexhill.
Still awaking at Bexhill (I'm told it's pronounced Bex'ill) I missed the name of the gentleman who owned his 68-72 R4 from new. Join us in the forum and introduce yourself if you are listening - the car was magically original. I spent a lot of time looking at what Derek had done to his steering column to fit a Gordini engine, then Robert, Ian, Jeremy and me retired to a seafront cafe.
Jeremy's car was fab. Grey metallic GTL which has very clearly been resprayed less than a week ago, but which he insisted was completely original.
We spoke about the sort of things roadside cameras can pick up these days in our nanny state (Ian seemed to go a bit white at this point) then popped out to look at the early blue car with the cool wheels.
Jeremy showed us his map, and I was very surprised to find we were on the south coast. Ook. We got home about 8:30 in the evening. I was tired and retreated to bed to read my very appropriately French book (the count of Monte Cristo - a ripping read if you can cope with 1500 pages in a single book).
Once again, a good day. My only complaints that I didn't meet everyone, and that I forgot to take photos of seat runners in the bench seat cars. Going to have to wait until next year or make it up as I go along.
Cool to see everyone.
I set off with Robert at 8:30 in the morning from Bedford (the arctic north) and arrived in north Kent at about 10:45.
We weren't expecting a good turn out as the weather had been poor and Kent is much too far from anywhere sensible, but there were a whole load of Renault 4s already there when we arrived. Even more turned up as we chatted. Liam immediately produced the very last remaining pattern rear wing (Thanks Liam) and Ian gave me a very cool CD with Ermintrude the Renault 4 printed on the front.
Some new and old faces - Ian Stanbury (from the forum here), Louise (who I've been sending emails to for all this time, who is very sensibly Scottish, and looks far too young to be Liam's wife), Derek (renospeed bloke) who I'd never met but turned out to be a very cool guy. Derek's wife and young one, Pete from Renault 4 Play who I'd not seen since I took his old car away with the promise of a new one that never materialised (he seemed to be pretty cool about it).
Anyway, there was a run involved. Someone delayed us a bit lining up red, white and blue Renaults for a photo, but then we were off. We all had route maps in case we got lost.
Starting off very much in north Kent we drove in convoy along narrow lanes past a lot of trees. We stopped at one point to wait for stragglers (photos in Ian's second post) and I directed traffic past our queue. One old lady stopped to complain but I was charming enough to tell her to buzz off (which she did).
After some more trees and the odd olden wooded building (this is the garden of England after all - trees grow well) we arrived at our first stop. A village green. I went straight in to the pub for food (I'd been hungry on the way having left home before breakfast). Ian very kindly bought me a pint, and we shared a refreshing Chinese.
Outside a whole load of dogs appeared. Tricky to count but I'd say there must have been around 10 of them. They all seemed to fit in the back of Tracey's blue F6 van (photo earlier on the page).
Off again for some more driving around. Robert drove this time. I fell asleep in the passenger seat and awoke in Bexhill.
Still awaking at Bexhill (I'm told it's pronounced Bex'ill) I missed the name of the gentleman who owned his 68-72 R4 from new. Join us in the forum and introduce yourself if you are listening - the car was magically original. I spent a lot of time looking at what Derek had done to his steering column to fit a Gordini engine, then Robert, Ian, Jeremy and me retired to a seafront cafe.
Jeremy's car was fab. Grey metallic GTL which has very clearly been resprayed less than a week ago, but which he insisted was completely original.
We spoke about the sort of things roadside cameras can pick up these days in our nanny state (Ian seemed to go a bit white at this point) then popped out to look at the early blue car with the cool wheels.
Jeremy showed us his map, and I was very surprised to find we were on the south coast. Ook. We got home about 8:30 in the evening. I was tired and retreated to bed to read my very appropriately French book (the count of Monte Cristo - a ripping read if you can cope with 1500 pages in a single book).
Once again, a good day. My only complaints that I didn't meet everyone, and that I forgot to take photos of seat runners in the bench seat cars. Going to have to wait until next year or make it up as I go along.
Cool to see everyone.
Richard Williams
Enthusiast
- Messages
- 113
Thanks
Just wanted to add my voice of thanks for the R4 day , I finnaly caught up with you a Bexhill and me and my two sons had a treat seeing all the 4s.
Fell hoplessly in love with a least two cars, late sixites 4s with no additions.
By the time we got there everyone was resting so sorry to have not met you , still it may cheer everyone to know that my 18y old son is now a confirmed addict and is scouring the internet daily for his first car. And so the generation to come gets to know this car and hopefully will be going to meetings in years to come when we are all too old to wash off our rear suspenion mountings!
Thanks from all of us and if any one has a car for sale you could make a young man very happy
Just wanted to add my voice of thanks for the R4 day , I finnaly caught up with you a Bexhill and me and my two sons had a treat seeing all the 4s.
Fell hoplessly in love with a least two cars, late sixites 4s with no additions.
By the time we got there everyone was resting so sorry to have not met you , still it may cheer everyone to know that my 18y old son is now a confirmed addict and is scouring the internet daily for his first car. And so the generation to come gets to know this car and hopefully will be going to meetings in years to come when we are all too old to wash off our rear suspenion mountings!
Thanks from all of us and if any one has a car for sale you could make a young man very happy
