Moist Meon - 2005 ........ Evening Run from Wickham Square to the Thomas Lord at West Meon for Dinner 30th July 2005 Eight cars assembled in Wickham Square on the evening of what had been an 'unhopefully damp day', but we hit a break in the weather and accomplished the run without recourse to wipers. The roads were damp, and there was to be much washing and cleaning after the event I suspect. Ernie Ford laid on a splendid route through some lanes which few of the travellers had used previously. He had found a few taxing sections to stir up the gearboxes, not to mention judicious use of the brakes on the downhill runs if the dreaded brake fade was to be avoided. At one point an elderly lady in a red Peugeot decided to reverse out of a gateway as we swept past (she probably does this at twenty-three minutes past seven every Saturday evening). Fortunately she looked around whilst in mid-manoeuver - and stopped. A look of horror came over her face as her life passed in front of her eyes. Well, that's what she thought, but actually it was a convoy of Austin Sevens! After an hour and a quarter we came to rest in the car park of 'The Thomas Lord' at West Meon after an uneventful but pleasant run - save for the Peugeot lady. Convoy rules were not required and the the elegant John Pike saloon, being driven on this occasion by the organiser, was in visual contact with the back of the group whenever there was a bit of straight road. The Thomas Lord is a pleasant hostelry, and they went out of their way to make us most welcome, and there was a long table prepared specially for our arrival. The food was excellent and the service cheerful. We enjoyed a good meal in excellent company. The Thomas Lord is a cricketing pub and has a wonderful collection of cricket ephemera displayed around the place. Amongst this is a program from the first Test Match. Hands up all those who knew that apart from the celebrated Doctor W.G. Grace, there was another Doctor Grace in the team?! Finally we departed only to discover that the weather had found our little bolt hole, and the heavens had opened. We left in a cloud burst which followed us for several miles, but which we lost around Winchester. What a good evening it had been. Spanner
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