Classic Car Outings 2020

Our first attempt at organising a tulip rally as part of the TSSC. Route planned using Google and a trial run done using a modern car for accurate mileage (the Heralds is 10% out the 2500S um, still doesn’t have mileometer that works).

We had two starting points, Swaffham market place and the Easton layby where Mike was handing out route sheets. A great turn out of 23 people with eight triumphs taking part including quite a few new faces. A fifty mile run ending up at Peter Beales Roses for brunch. While we didn’t take part on the run itself on the day we were driving across the countryside taking pictures at various stages.

I think/hope that people seemed to have as much fun doing it as it was organising. I think this might be the first of many.

With my ‘new’ hardened head replaced on the Wednesday and my refurbished carbs put back on on the Friday. What the car really needed was a good run. A phone call on the Thursday afternoon to say the organiser wouldn’t be able to attend due to work and Coronavirus. It meant that I only had a few days to sort out a route.

The lack of time meant it was going to have to be sorted with Google maps without the chance to do a pre-run to check it out. So a postcode route was devised starting at the Gull Inn, south of Norwich. First stop was the Urban Jungle garden centre for a mid morning coffee break.

At this point we left the route to the others and went straight to Dunwich to put up signs and for me to get ready with my camera.

The others followed the route map which took them through Lowestoft (which included a flooded road by all accounts) a further stop off at Southwold harbour for thoise that hadn’t spent too long at the garden centre and on to Dunwich for a fish and chip meal.

Seven Triumphs started off from the Gull Inn including three TRs from the TR Register, who will hopefully ttend further runs. We were then joined by two further Triumphs from TSSC Cambridge at Dunwich. Not a bad turn out for the last gathering of Triumphs before Coronavirus put the country into lockdown.

It took a while to decide wether to do this one or not. But the TSSC were incouraging it so a post on the local facebook page saying we were doing it cemented the idea and gave us no going back. On the day we also had two other cars participating (MG and M Minor) in the village. The TSSC Norfolk post pushing it made it the busiest run the Norfolk area had had for a few years with 16 cars participating. We had quite a few passersby that seemed to appreciate something else to look at on their allocated one walk a day.

Now just waiting for the Coronavirus lock down to end.

Having only done 400 miles in the Herald since I replaced the head back in March due to the lockdown. A car run with route map that we weren’t organising seemed like the perfect opportunity to get the magic 500 miles done so I could re-torque the head.

Meeting up at the Easton lay-by for 10. With a route map in our grubby mitts we set off. We had a TR7 and Vitesse neither of which had a co-pilot following us. We soon caught up with another convoy of three Vitesse. Again with only the lead car with co-pilot who unfortunately took a wrong turning. The other two got it right and at the first “clue stop” dropped in behind us. So we now had a TR7 and three Vitesses behind us. Pressure was on the map reader!

At some of the “clue stops” there wasn’t room for our convoy to stop so we trundled past with eyes peeled.

Final stop was Gorleston seafront for a spot of lunch and a natter. Great first outing after lockdown.

As the UK was about to go into new lockdown restrictions on Monday this looked like it was going to be the only car show I attended this year. This was to be the first show that the Triumph 2500 went to to after it’s recent respray.

A popular show with plenty of autojumble stands and a very varied selection of cars.