THE 2011 LEJOG BLOG

Note: our theme for this year is CrMINIlly Insane- search on Google for the explanation...

Day 1: the escape

"I've got us a car for our trip. Might be a bit of a crush with our kit in, but it'll do. Going to get John from his safehouse early... stay away from the motorways and the traffic cops..."

So, by 7am I'd picked up David, the kit all packed in Dennis the night before. He decided to drive the first section of the route we'd planned, as he knows the roads so it would give him a chance to get used to the car.

" No way I want to be caught driving this car, not today..."

It was going to be all the B's on the route we chose: Boston, Burton-on-Trent, Birmingham, Bristol, Bridgwater, Barnstaple, Bideford and Buck's Cross. Boston was no issue, and largely over to Burton was fine as well. Usual things with other traffic, but Dennis was running well and apart from general wetness the weather was, er, a bit dodgy...

"Damn roadblocks!"

We made it through Burton and on to Birmingham on the A38. Bit nervous round here, but Spaghetti Junction went smoothly. Not so much for the lane closures getting to Longbridge though which slowed us up quite a bit though once we were out the other side things eased off, and we set the shatnav for Tewkesbury.

"Got to stop for something that isn't porridge..."

On the way we stopped at the Bus Stop Cafe, the same converted coach that me and Tony had previously visited on previous LEJOGs. Sausage sandwiches consumed, we were back on our way, with slightly worrying references to Brokeback Mountain and mankinis (shudder...)

"Sure they know where we are before we do..."

The DennisTracker was using a lot of power even though charging constantly. Battery was a bit warm too but it was working ok. More traffic and plenty of 50 limits meant we were getting behind by the time we got to Bristol, where we were diverted by an incident (and David was distracted by an incidence of Bristols...)

"We'll be safe in the country, they'll never find us there..."

Through Bridgwater and carrying on down the A38 still, we heard that Carol and Michelle had left the motorway and were onto the road to Barnstaple after refreshments; the Students had already made it with Barry's LEJOG bear and set themselves up for a night of camping with us.

Soon we made it to the campsite as well, about 11 hours after setting off.

"We're just a pair of encyclopedia salesmen going to a conference, don't mind us"

We met up with everyone and completed David's introductions then soon had our tents pitched and ready, airbeds filled from our 2 pumps. A quick visit to Asda for supplies (beer) and back to the campsite and we were ready for food. Of course, where could we go but to the good old Sunshine Cafe in Westward Ho!

Following a wonderful "been out All Day Breakfast" and a slightly dodgy " mostly steak before it was nuked pie" we headed back to the campsite for more getting to know each other, tone and boundary setting, and of course beer, as the drizzle drizzled, the wind winded and the cold got a bit colder. Time for bed.

Dennis tracker last updated at 18.10 on saturday. Just in case it's eating all your power and not working properly. It is showing you at the campsite. I'll see if it moves today for you.

Showing him in Bideford at the moment   in Morrisons for breakfast my guess  

Yep it's updated. As you say Mags probably breakfast stop. Land's End and back today.

Day two: Laying Low

"Damn, outside ain't so nice..."

Morning came (as it typically does) and the weather had improved a little. Not much, but enough that we could tell once the midst had burnt off it was going to be hot.

Breakfast was had: bacon butties, Shreddies and custard creams (!) and the topic of conversation moved to people's plans for the day.

As there are so few of us doing LEJOG this year, we hadn't been planned in to do the traditional minibus washing, so today was a lazy day. This gave us a chance to rest after the drive down, and I drove today letting David take it easy.

"When I said I'd put their lights out,I didn't mean it like that..."

I wanted to get some more bits from Asda, and try to find a 12v charger for my phone, which had suffered a bit yesterday. The USB charger in Dennis is only on with the ignition and it was impractical to leave the keys in the car while the phone was charging...

I also wanted to see if the Saltrock shop at Atlantic Village had any more of the hats to which I'm partial, so we headed off there to see what was what. By the way, the battery situation is why wheresdennis.co.uk was not running today.

Arriving at Atlantic Village, we saw quite a crowd outside Asda. There was an electrical problem which meant that there was no power thru the whole place so people were being turned away. We went to Barnstaple instead.

After a wander round a few places, Tesco came up with the goods and we were on our way back.

"We still need supplies, but we need to lay low..."

So off back to Atlantic Village we went, and it looked like they'd stuck another 50p in the meter as it was all open again. Saltrock didn't have any hats so we headed in to Asda for a bucket, some salt and 2 bags of ice to help chill the tinnies back at the site.

Back to the tents and we found the Students had headed off home and Jock's crew were out doing similar. Nothing for it but to get the beer chilling and do some chilling ourselves.

"Maybe there'll be fewer cops in the next town?"

Terry and Linda arrived too, and after a bit of stickerification for the door plaques we all headed in to Westward Ho! to have tea at the Waterfront, which was nice, then back to the site to relax and plan Monday.

"We might be on our own here..."

Back at the site, Jo and Mike were there to greet us, but also to say that they might not be able to join us on the run - which was a great disappointment as I'd only just put the run number on Dennis' back window! - but they'd be trying to make arrangements to come with us. Jo was very disappointed, but was very good at resisting a slice of chocolate cake...

So we discussed the chances of us being a 3 mini run, while the sun went down and the fleeces went on. Carol and Michelle also unveiled their solar powered tent fairy lights, amid cries of "ooh!" and "aah!", and after another quick beverage, it was time to retire for the day.

Day three: Keep on moving...

"Everywhere we look, he's on to us. Can't hang round here..."

We managed a bit of a lie in this morning (notwithstanding David's phone pumping out Radio 2's breakfast show) and had little to do before heading off to Morrison's in Bideford for our own breakfast at around nine. I had a few comments (once I had some signal) that wheresdennis.co.uk wasn't working, but this was purely down to me not running the tracker until I'd sorted out a better charging system for my phone. By nine however, it was back on and reporting our position.

During our hearty breakfasts, Lottie arrived and so as the designated back up driver he would follow us down. However instead of the usual white van, he'd turned up in his '68 850 auto, a real time warp car. That at least made 4 Minis on the run to Lands End.

"If we're not careful, we'll have a hell of a mess on our hands"

The usual loo stop at Camelford was reached in good time, though the state of the loos was sadly below par...

The run down to Lands End was largely uneventful, except for being a lot quicker than usual due to the number of cars. Lottie's auto was surprisingly good at keeping up with the others, though it was suggested that was because he was keeping it at 9000 rpm...

And so, before we knew it we were at Lands End, lined up with lots of curious (and confused) people wandering around the cars. Carol and Michelle had their photos done first then disappeared off to find more photo opportunities for the as yet unnamed bear, with some assistance from Michelle in her new role as Official Bear Steadier.

We had our pictures taken too, with the signpost showing wheresdennis.co.uk after which it was time to go tat shopping.

A short while later, after a lengthy discussion in the relative merits and lifespans of different sticker materials, it was time to head back.

"Got to stay alert now, don't want to miss anything..."

The run back was similarly uneventful, except for a couple of sharp stops with Tinker (Terry and Linda's car) marking territory with rubber. Terry and Linda were too busy between emergency braking to answer on the CB as their new album was just too good to stop listening to...

"Chainsaws. Nasty. But effective..."

We did stop on the way back to have a look at the work of a wood carver, who'd set up shop in a layby. While the quality of work was amazing, we were all too loaded up to take anything, even if we could have afforded it. There was another photo op for the bear though, on a log between two wolves.

"Do we need to lose them now, or later?"

Soon we were back at the campsite, with dinner plans at the Thatched Inn at Abbotsham, though Terry and Linda headed back to their house to sort out some bits. Not long after, word reached us that we might end up as a two car run, as Tinker had developed a nasty noise when turning.

"It's the little things that'll end up catching us out."

Terry managed to strip down the hub and the first thought was a dodgy wheel bearing. While I have one in the parts box it's a genuine (v expensive) one, so the plans changed such that Terry would get a cheaper one first thing in the morning, for it, then catch us up.

The diagnosis then changed to the CV joint, one of which I have again, but the symptoms still weren't matching up. Finally, Terry spotted the metal band on the CV boot had moved and was catching badly on the hub. Once replaced, it was all sorted and Tinker and crew joined us back at camp a short while later. Few relaxing beverages and the packing of what could be packed, and all off to kip awaiting the long drive on Tuesday...

Day four: Up Country

"I overheard some of them talking..."

Late news from the camp site: we're still not sure of the context in which this was said, but at some point last night, Michelle walked past Terry and Linda's tent, just as Terry announced "It's not hard..."

So this morning we had our long run to breakfast, a hefty drive from Steart Farm up to Bridgwater.

Carol and Michelle found that their CB aerial mount was not performing as they'd like, due to one of its parts going missing. So at the usual toilet stop we took the opportunity to sort it out, temporarily replacing the missing bit with a screwdriver bit. At the same time, Lottie decided to do a better job of attaching his aerial with a spare grub screw I happened to have, and a judicious application of gaffer tape.

CBs sorted and we were off again, facing the challenges of Porlock Hill with screaming gearboxes and smoking (and fading) brakes. No dramas this time though, except the very old, very slow coach chugging away getting up the other side. Apart from this, and random sheep laid in the road, our drive over Exmoor was nice and easy.

And so to breakfast. Unfortunately although we held out hope that they'd join us at Bridgwater, Jo & Mike didn't make it on the run with us this year...

"I think they mean well... but still... they're mad..."

So once our Morrison's breakfasts were done, and we'd grabbed bits we needed through the day, some of us nipped for petrol while Lottie ( by this time christened "Team Gaffer Tape") attached a model of a cow to his wing mirror. It seemed the natural thing to do, somehow.

Terry for once held the rest of us up, disappearing for petrol well after everyone else was ready to go; but eventually we were on our way on one of our short motorway sections, heading for the old Severn crossing.

"These guys are starting to worry me..."

Myself and David managed to save a bit of cash on the crossing. While at the services just beforehand (while Lottie sorted out his loose cow and added more gaffer tape to his aerial), I checked on the Severn crossing website and found that blue badge holders are exempt from the toll...

Once we got to the toll booths, David and I don't through easily and for nothing, while Terry again held the rest of us up by driving to the TAG- only booth.

"... but they could outrun anyone"

Up Monmouthshire next, through the twisty bits which have never seen a mobile signal (so the tracker was having trouble) and soon we were shooting past Tintern Abbey. Now, this place is admittedly a bit of a fixer-upper, but really it only needs a bit of gaffer tape.

Getting over the tight bridges is definitely easier with a small group too...

Soon we found (through Linda's giggle-fit) that Lottie's erection was far better than Jock's - which was "cock out" - and which had to be fixed with gaffer tape and a lump hammer. We're qualified to do anything with nothing... particularly when a CB mount is concerned.

Rumours were then started that Linda has a bottom fetish, for suggesting that the Herefordshire roads were making jock junior shake his ass...

"I'm kind of getting used to them now"

Not long up the road we passed the Cadbury's factory, now owned by Kraft of course. Note to David: Kraft Spray-on Cheese is allegedly a foodstuff, but is definitely NOT a deodorant...

And before we knew it, we were at Craven Arms for a loo and snack stop, and then back on our way, tired but determined to get up to our overnight stop. Not so easy when you have the Comma Classic Oil Steel Band playing a single note all the way.

Trudging along we managed (while avoiding other drivers as usual) to make it to our usual petrol stop. Unfortunately for some of the ladies this stop has no toilets, so once we'd filled up we headed a bit further and found some services about 3 1/2 miles. Disappointingly their petrol was 5p a litre cheaper too.

And on we plodded... on to the motorway heading up to the services, occasionally something on the CB such as directions:

"We're only on here for one junction, we're coming off at junction 9"
"Junction 9, Roger!"
"That's junction 9 *Carol*"
"Roger Carol... and that's not an instruction!"

"I'm beginning to like this bunch..."

Eventually we hit Charnock Richard, got booked in, checked the rooms, sorted out some food and settled down to bit of "things you never knew about your fellow LEJOGgers", including such gems as how Terry and Linda's twins were conceived, and that Michelle's friends husband sang the theme to Poddington Peas...

And now it's time to retire for the evening, with a 7am start and a stop on the Lancashire Riviera tomorrow, there's no rest til Moffat...

good to hear things are running as normal even with 4 of you !!! enjoy your breakfast nearly !!!!!!!!!!there and we shall be thinking of you all at Moffat

Sorry we didnt make it guys.... we are totally gutted!!  Sounds like ur havin loads of fun!!  Drive carefully and see u all soon x x x x x

There's always next year, Jo.

Tonight's blog post may be a little delayed due to us having a meal here which is going to take up most of the evening...

Come hell or high water WE ARE DOING LEJOG NEXT YEAR!!! Defo Defo Defo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

Day five: keep them guessing

"If we do what they're expecting us to do, then they won't expect us to do it, because that's what they think we'll do. I think."

Morning came, better weather than expected but still darn early. This year we decided to head for Blackpool, to make a bit of a change.

It was shut. There was nothing to see except a bit of a rusty erection. The tower is not looking good these days, and a lot of the promenade is being rebuilt, tarted up or just generally being fettled with.

During this detour it was mentioned that Linda would like to see the horse drawn trams on the Isle of Man, but as David pointed out, how do the horses hold the pencils?

"... but if we do what they don't expect us to do, then they'll be expecting us to do that instead... I expect..."

So with nothing else to keep us there, we decided to run up the prom and head for Fleetwood, then cut over to the A6 and our usual route.

Obviously this was a new route, largely unplanned, so at one point with all the TomToms fighting each other it was the Google Navigation woman who came to the rescue and before we knew it we were on our way, along a great set of roads which helped ease us into the day after the big trek the day before.

Lancaster came next, then Carnforth - which we seemed to have hit on "cut up a Mini day" - and we also tried to look out for Trigger following a sign staying "SLOW ROAD SWEEPER". It wasn't long til we hit Kendal for breakfast. Jock was getting a little thirsty on oil (too much marking of territory!) so a stop at Halfords was needed.

The run up Shap was easy enough, the weather mostly holding and traffic was light, except the push bikes...

"But if they expect us to expect that we'd expect they'd expect us to do what they'd expect us to expect them to expect us to do, then we should just expect to do what they expect us to do... I expect..."

Even though this year's run is down to 3 Minis and Lotty's van, Carlisle still beat us. By the time we were half way we were in three groups: Carol and  Michelle leading Terry and Linda, me and David out on our own and James somewhere way behind. So much so that although me and David managed to catch up and follow on along the A7, James ended up on the M6... we waited in a layby about 4 miles out of Carlisle, but eventually got a phone call saying we'd meet up again at Gretna Green, our next destination.

"Things can change at any minute. We need to be less conspicuous... disguise ourselves... they won't be expecting that..."

And lo, the wetness did descend on our intrepid travellers, making the short(ish) run to Gretna fairly rubbish but we managed to get to our lunch stop without too much hassle. Lotty was already waiting there for us so we parked up in our usual places and headed in to see if there was any new tat. There wasn't, but we did manage to get a pair of "Jock disguises"...

With the rain proving particularly persistent we weren't looking forward to pitching tents at our overnight stop, but Moffat had a break while we got set up. Of course the break wasn't quite long enough so we did end up with a few damp patches again.

Having previously been dubbed "Team Gaffer Tape" I decorated Lotty's bonnet with the team name, written in gaffer tape in backwards letters, ambulance-style. It looks pretty good, if I do say so myself...

Following this, and my earlier purchase of the cake that thinks it's a biscuit that thinks it's a cake, we ended up being dubbed Team Jaffa Cake, to complement Team Gaffer Tape.

"I think we can relax a bit now. We're amongst friends..."

Star Inn was next, me, David and James heading up first to check out the place. We ended up having quite a pool tournament, with James coming on top after several games. Personally I think we were hustled, seeing as he's still the de facto John O'Groats champion...

So after whacking a few balls and drinking the odd pint of Criffel (the local brew, very nice) the other LEJOGgers arrived and it was time for tea. The usual high standard of food and an easy to wind up waiter (poor lad ) followed, with plenty of good natured banter and a review off the run so far. Not sure the other patrons were quite so happy with the banter though...

The others left with David and I having another, and we finally got back to the camp site at about quarter to 10. Everyone else was in bed and mostly asleep by then, so we thought we'd do the same. No point staying up any later as the wee beasties were absolutely vicious this year...

Glens tomorrow, then Inverness. 7am start, up at 6am to pack away...

Day six: deepest Scottishland

"They have different rules up here... we might just get away with it..."

Morning in Moffat was a solid victory for the SCRAM (Scottish Council of Revolutionary and Angry Midges) who attacked us as soon as the tents were opened. Everything was put away very quickly and we hid cars till setting off for breakfast at Dumbarton.

Along the way we passed through such delightfully named places as Boghead...

The run through to Glasgow was good, mostly dry again and once on the main roads was only held up by the volume of traffic.

"Now's not the time to do anything silly."

David was driving and feeling a bit chilly so while waiting at a set of lights decided to slip into something warm. However hard you try though, you can't put a jumper on when wearing a seatbelt; it's better to realise before trying...

"I'm having trouble setting the Firkin Point..."

Breakfast over it was time to hit the Glens, with Loch Lomond first on the scenic sights list as we ran up the A82. The weather was trying its best to annoy us but the run was so relaxed (except for the odd slowcoach) that it didn't really bother us. We've been enjoying the ride and have been able to keep to our expected timings without ever feeling rushed.

So, pootling along, looking at the scenery, CB chatter really at a minimum, occasionally commenting on other drivers and cyclists, we were up into Glencoe before we knew it. While the weather on top of us was a little rough, we had great views of the hills which seemed to get bigger the further we went into them (small, far away!).

"Keep your wits about you!"

Rolling into Fort William, Lotty had to stop off and get some fresh air. With being single crewed and there being little banter on the CBs the drive so far was catching up with him.

We had our usual break at the Ben Nevis centre, while people admired the cars (or were just shocked they'd got that far), and headed to the Commando Memorial. No-one had trouble here this year; all the cars started, there were no leaks of clutch fluid and nobody ripped their handbrake off...

"Trouble is, if we spot her, we can't go public..."

And so the Great Glenn and General Wade's Military Road was calling, to take us the whole of the length of Loch Ness, past the scene of the accident last year where we were stuck for so long, and up to and past Urquhart Castle. Being a small group, and having all gone earlier, this didn't form a loo stop this year, and we shot straight past and pressed on to Inverness.

"So close now..."

The weather seemed to be holding off while we got ourselves on site, but did chuck it down a little while we were setting up. Glad I got those rock pegs at Easter, they made pitching at this site so much easier.

Once the tents were up and the gazebo held down with Lotty's van, beer and food were called for, so a trip to Morrison's and orders for the takeaway were needed. We were back from shopping just in time to order our food, and settled down with a beer or two, discussing how well the run was going, and the last leg of the main run which would come in the morning...

Wonderful reading  

Day seven: the other end

"We didn't want to do that."

The perils of predictive text showed their ugly head while doing the day 5 blog in the very early hours of this morning. Aside from the few spelling mistakes that I know are in the blog, instead of me decorating Lotty's bonnet, it was almost published as me decorating Lotty's boner...

Later on this morning (8am, since I know you're wondering) after greasing Jock's towball with the only thing available (copper grease) we left Jamess and set off on the arduous 2 mile slog through Inverness to Morrison's for breakfast. Duly fuelled, we did the same for the cars and headed off, as is usual on the Friday of LEJOG, up the A9 to John O'Groats.

Aside from Tinker having trouble passing the distillery again without veering into the car park, the only real trouble we had was being overtaken by a Discovery towing a caravan, which ended up overtaking other cars uphill, and eventually turning into a caravan site maybe 20 seconds quicker than if he'd just stayed behind us.

"That was close. They nearly had us there..."

We came upon what was left of a bump, it looked like a young lad had rear-ended a Volvo and was in the back of a police car having words with them. The road was clear however, so we breezed on through.

"This is too easy..."

The run up the A9 went another than ever before: weather was good, traffic light, everyone together and not long after the village of Loth (nearly home, only one letter missing) we were at our normal loo stop at Lybster.

"Right. Time for a change of plans."

Most of us refreshed, we had chance to get down to the harbour, park the cars directly in front of the lighthouse and get some cracking pictures.

Terry talked about fishing again, we spotted some tiddlers in the very clear waters of the harbour and he spotted a much larger fish out by the sea wall. One of these days he's going to find a way to bring a rod...

During coffee at the harbour cafe, I suggested another change of route to encompass a visit to Dunnet Head, which as you may know is the most northerly point of mainland Britain - that's right, John O'Groats is actually south of there.

We agreed it would be a good run, filling up at Wick on the way up rather than on the way down, when another of the cafe patrons suggested yet another change of route.

Shortly after Thurso is an A road running roughly north-south called the A897 which eventually joins the A9 on our route back. It came highly recommended so we decided to take it on the way back. More about that later though...

"We can do this, and they'll never trace it back to us..."

We went to our usual fuel stop at Tesco, and Terry was forced to use a Pay-at-pump. This was so confusing for him that he nearly filled up with diesel... but he was not as confused as David who parked us in a trolley park...

David drove us up to John O'Groats and we drove round to the roundabout. One of the first things to catch my eye was the LEJOG hotel, derelict for some years but recently purchased and undergoing a refit. The outside of it however is currently an art project by a number of artists. It currently looks like a cross between a Portmeirion taxi and the cover of some kind of right-on kids anti-drugs leaflet. Maybe next year it will have been finished.

Myself and Michelle ended up queueing to book for official photos. Now, the current photographer at John O'Groats has been something of a celebrity amongst LEJOGgers for some time, for all the wrong reasons: his clue disappeared a long time ago... he had to be corrected on his spelling several times when filling out the sign post, even though he had read the wording from the back of Michelle's fleece, and his attempt at wheresdennis.co.uk was just as bad.

We wore our disguises for the photo... not sure when we'll get to wear then again...

"Do you think someone knew we were coming?"

Our pictures taken and a few bits of tat bought, we made our way towards Thurso with the sea on our right and we were soon at Dunnet Head, for a bit of a stop off. They're obviously a bit worried about theft, as the information "shed" was strapped down to the car park...

Carol was taking many pictures of Alex (the name we've given to the LEJOG bear) using my camera, as hers had run out of battery, and she managed to get one of my head poking round the Dunnet Head marker stone...

After a while at the summit and observation point, we headed off towards Thurso, and after a quick look across the fields at Dounreay we turned on to the A897 just before Melvich.

"Put your foot down! Put your foot down, we'll lose them easy"

And what a road it is. Definitely the best route we've ever taken on LEJOG, and one that has got to be in your list of greatest British roads. The word awesome is often overused but personally I think it's suitable for this road.

It's an A road, but is actually single track with passing places along the entire length. It rolls up and down and although mostly straight on the map has a wonderful flowing run that sticks a smile to your face like no other road I've ever driven. Truly it's what Minis were made for and I hope it becomes a permanent part of the LEJOG route.

About half way down it we made a toilet stop at Forsinade Station, much to the delight of some of the residents who I don't think get many visitors. Suitably refreshed, we carried on down, still grinning (and in some places laughing!) till we got to a fork in the road. No knives or spoons though.

This fork was recommended by one of the chaps at Lybster, and in a Mini with raised suspension and a sump guard it would have made a good road to blast down. Of course ours weren't set up like that so we had to pick our way through, over some chunky grass filled cracks and through even chunkier gravel, but we made it back to the A9 eventually. This still didn't detract from the A road we'd turned off.

"Well, we did it. Jolly Fisherman next."

And so in comparison, the A9 back to Inverness was a little dull; but then it is anyway once you're on the way back from John O'Groats. Apart from a few muppets it was uneventful, and after visiting Morrison's again for supplies we rolled back into camp, ate our food, drank our tipples and all agreed that this year had been the very best LEJOG yet.

Of course it's the people who make it as much as the route itself, it's the journey not the destination and all that, but before I tell you about everyone comparing Mini war wounds, and the story of Terry being treated by a vet for hepatitis, I'd like to thank him for organising the run, Linda for being the Governor, Carol and Michelle for leading so expertly (except thru Fleetwood), David for being a good sport throughout and James for coming up with so many uses for gaffer tape...

Bedtime calling, we eventually retired for the evening, in preparation for a very long drive back to Skegness. But that's another part of the adventure...

This year must be the best Lejog ever. no domestics, ok me and Linda had the odd disagreement especially over the air in the airbeds, they where never hard enough for her. Not sure what went on in the other cars but I did see the odd raised hand and pointed finger and in the certain car that came down from Leeds there were often comments about a certain ambience that would linger in the mini after the Jaffa cake team had been drinking the local brew and eating Jaffa cakes.

We had a fantastic time a bit of the Italian Job with the 3 minis, mixed with Austin Powers as we were mostly dressed as hippies what would you expect. At one point we ended up closer to the top of a mountain than the bottom of it, on a goats track. Never had I thought we could ever get a mini so far up a mountain. Not sure why but for some reason the goats track had speed bumps.

We have the old route but with a few new turns that take us in a different direction, we have found a few more roads that allow us to have a bit of  fun and we promise no goats tracks, unless you really want to do it at your own risk. So roll on next year, I have to add a big thank you to the nutters that came on this years Lejog you not only did they make it the best one yet they have made it into a real adventure except for the ambience that lingers around jaffa cake team after they have been on the Jaffa cakes that was a bit of a nightmare.  

      

Loved it! By far the most relaxed and giggly run we have ever been on. Thoroughly enjoyed the driving - Jock got quite enthusiastic at times... can't wait for the next one!

We were forced to take an alternative route to foggy after the traffic at nairn had us queuing too long. We came flying into the square slightly later than planned, but we made up 10 minutes on Tom Tom's suggested arrival time and it was much more fun than our usual route.
We had a lovely afternoon in the sun, lovely evening meal but then struggled to stay awake to be sociable, until Auntie Val got sick of us yawning in her face and sent us to bed...
Have just woken up to clear skies and sunshine, and strangely a cock crowing on the other side of the square.... must be time for a cup of tea.

You lucky lucky !@#$%&*?/

Quoted from undercover teddybear

You lucky lucky !@#$%&*?/

Heh! heh! you missed the best LeJog ever Ian {smug grin Sorry!!!)