Meet at the information centre on Northam Burrows use Sandymere Road
entrance. Should be signposted.
6-30pm
or there abouts, Depart Burrows. Then Westward Ho! and Appledore and
Bideford.
7-00pm
Arrive Bideford
Sunday 24th August
8-45am
Bideford Park gates open, enter park from Quay Car Park
10-30am
Gates closed to all Minis, so please do not be late.
11-00am
The Mayor cuts the ribbon. Then Meddon St, Clovelly Road, Pass Atlantic
Village to join the A39 at Abbotsham roundabout.
11-35am
Arrive Hartland Quay.
12-45pm
Depart Hartland Quay.
1-00pm
Clovelly Cross roundabout.
1-05pm
Arrive Woolsery
1-15pm
Arrive Prowlers Piece
1-25pm
Arrive Stibbs Cross Join the B3227. Stay on the B3227
1-30pm
Arrive Langtree
1-40pm
Arrive Taddiport
1-45pm
Arrive Torrington, stay on the B3227
2-00pm
At Junction with the A377 turn left towards Chapleton Barton
2-05pm
Arrive Chapleton Barton
Monday 25th August
8-00am
Westward Ho! Opens
11-00am
The Mayor cuts the ribbon follow the band through Westward Ho!
11-06am
Haywards roundabout over the new Bridge and down the slip road.
11-10am
Instow
11-15am
Turn off main road by Fremington shops and through housing estate
11-20am
Arrive at Little Bridge House.
11-25am
Cedars roundabout.
11-35am
Arrive Bishops Tawton roundabout. Use unclassified roads to Landkey.
11-45am
Arrive Landkey Use Bridge to cross over 361 and unclassified roads
to Snapper.
12-25pm
Arrive Snapper
12-35pm
Bratton Fleming
12-40pm
Crossroads with the A399
12-45pm
Blackmore Gate
1-05pm
Barbrook
1-15pm
Lynton
1-25pm
Lee Abbey Car Park
2-15pm
Depart Car Park SHARP With a bit of luck
2-45pm
Arrive Combe Martin
3-00pm
Arrive IIfracombe.
3-30pm
Prize giving & raffle etc.
August 23th, 24th & 25th
So what
makes the Grand Tour so Legendary.
It could be
the mini owners who raise so much money and keep coming back year after year?
Maybe it is the thousands of people who go out into the streets of North Devon to watch us drive by. They really
do fill Lay byes and they stand or sit on the side of the roads just waiting to
give the minis a wave. Wherever we go, we get a welcome that is hard to beat.
It could be
the 50 or 60 motorbike marshals that give us so much help and the event wouldn’t
really be the same without them. It might be the 8 car parks we use over the
weekend and lets face it some of them are spectacular and they all look
fantastic when we put 300 minis into them.
It is all
these things plus a lot, lot more but there is one other very special
ingredient that must top the list for making this event legendary and that is
Little Bridge House. No other motoring event in the country will fill you with
so many different emotions.
If anyone
thinks we just drive in and out very quietly without a sound how very wrong
they are, if they think we see nothing but the buildings and flower beds how
little they know.
When we go into Little Bridge House it is so
full of life, the special children, their brothers and sisters and their mums
and dads, the careers, the cooks and everyone else is there to greet us.
The
cheering and the flag waving from everyone in the grounds is a picture that
will remain with most of us forever. All of the families at Little Bridge House have
asked to be there that weekend because of the minis. We see a side of Little
Bridge House that few people ever get to see. We see so many smiles and a lot
of happiness, we see joy and excitement and we see a lot of people just having
fun. If only everyone could see what we see.
Sometimes
it is hard to remember that Little Bridge House is still a place where get well
cards do not work and no matter how many hugs you give the special children,
you can never kiss them better and all the magic in the world cannot change
their diagnosis.
Those mini
owners who do the Legendary Grand Tour really do feel humble and privileged because
for a short time they have been part of the children’s life’s and in that short
time they made them smile and laugh and that is worth more money than we could
ever raise.
Grand Tour Rules
We have already started working on the GT but I have to make a few changes
to the rules of the event. Here they are:
No overtaking, snaking or weaving on the run.
No messing about on the roads.
No police sirens, two tone or any kind of emergency horns to be used
on the run. (Musical ones are not a problem).
No water cannons or water bombs to be used on the Grand Tour at any time
and that includes in the car park.
No standing up in the minis with your head out of the sunroof (if you
have one) and that includes standing up in the back of convertibles.
Every mini will (must) try to raise a minimum of £30 but a lot
more would be nice and we do not care if you do it as a club, a group,
a couple or just by yourself. But please do not leave it to the car in
front to raise the money.
