andylaurence
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Everything posted by andylaurence
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Where's the 2009 video? ;-)
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I booked about 2 weeks in advance for August bank holiday (VLN & Spa GP) and had no troubles. YMMV, of course!
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The hotel is the other end of the car park, at the bottom of the hill. I guess you ate in the restaurant at the top of the hill. I stayed there last Summer too and it was just what we needed; clean, comfy, cheap, well positioned and with a well stocked bar!
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Last I looked at Center Parcs, it was cheaper to stay at a hotel. Most hotels are ~ 45 Euro a night.
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Adenauer Forst strikes again! At least the VR6OC mantra of at least one "off" per trip is still up there and glad it was done without major damage. Easily done and the reason I sound like a broken record every year. Glad it wasn't me this time but wish I'd been there. As it turns out, Archie was not Good on Friday, so the thought of being in a car for all that time is not good. Might stop in during our Summer road trip, if not, it'll be next year
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Did you go through a mud-bath on the way there, Craggsy? The car looks quite muddy!
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Yep, it's a credit card type thing with an RFID chip that you can put laps on at the office and cash on at the Devil's Diner. You swipe it at the barriers and it lets you through if you have a credit. Don't slam it in your glovebox when you have 6 laps and 20 Euro on it though, 'cos it'll break and nobody will be willing to give you your laps or money back!
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Snow on Thursday, followed by rain the rest of the weekend. I can see snow outside here and it's normally worse over there. I think that might be enough to tip the balance to not going. It's a long trek (9 hours in the car) for a 10 week old baby and we're going for the walks and the atmosphere, not for the driving. Walking through the mud won't be quite so much fun! I'll go in the Summer or might even take a year out. Never thought I'd say that - this parenthood thing is strange!
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You mean Adenauer Forst, which is where most of the crashes happen. I remember getting a photo of Pete bumping his sump and splitter on the kerb there a few days before he planted it in the barrier. You are guaranteed to see a spin and someone go off onto the grass. Looking at the overhead photo, you can see why - it bends left, then bends left again, which is when newbies are already on the throttle to exit the corner. When they lift off, all the weigh goes over the front and they spin. Alternatively, they don't lift and go grass-tracking! Anyway, this shows why it's so hard work walking
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There's always the Northloop directions to various places. I'll see what else I can dig out.
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Ben: Any ideas where you want to go to spectate? I'll draw up a list of places and print out some maps. Calico: Not sure what's worse; Royal Mail or a chav in a 206!
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Had a call from the Passport Office - little un's passport is on its way back to us, so assuming Royal Mail don't fuck up, we're sorted. Now to book a hotel and some ferry tickets. I bet Burgstube is fully booked though. Where are you other hotel people staying? Golden Barrel in Daun or somewhere closer? I'm hoping to do more spectator points this year. I must find the Karussel and Wipperman is on the cards too.
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Oh yeah, looks like VW have made one.
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Now that sounds like fun! We're looking for a family car, but the boot in a Sharan is smaller than the boot in the Clio! Better off with a Porsche engine in a camper though, eh? Shame VW didn't do an R32/R36 engine in a Caravelle.
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You've got to laugh though - turning down a trip to the 'Ring for a new set of wheels. Turning it down because Cheryl Cole wants to spend the weekend fucking you senseless is a good reason. New wheels is a slightly less heterosexual reason.
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It's that time of year again. Every year people drop out last minute. We're there just as long as the little un's passport arrives in time. Fingers crossed! I'd offer a seat but 3 up in a Renault Clio with a pushchair and all that gubbins will be tight enough. Surely someone can fit Mark in the back? Lots of people have travelled 3 up before.
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What goes on tour stays on tour! We're touch-and-go at this point. The UKPA have rejected the photo of my 6 week old boy's passport photo because the background is the wrong shade of grey. Yes, that's right, when he's 5 years old and unrecognisable from his passport photo, at least the background won't be too dark. Might need to drive to Newport later this week. Feckers!
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ADAC can be done over the 'phone - they speak good English. As for the Euro rate, it's dropped by a penny overnight, so today is a good day to buy!
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Eau Rouge is best viewed in the dry - walking up the path alongside it must be impossible in the wet. There were people slipping down it in the dry at last year's GP. Luckily, it's right next to the E42 (you can see the pit lane from the motorway), so it's a minor detour. It's also only an hour from the 'Ring. I'll stop and if anyone else wants to, they can. Of course, I've not booked the ferry yet as my passport hasn't yet returned - I applied a couple of weeks ago - so if it doesn't turn up soon, I won't be going anyway!
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What's the big deal about a track day being there? I was thinking of just going to experience it. I went to the GP at Spa last year and it's phenomenal to see just how much gradient there is. I also want to drive the old part of the track from Les Combes to Stavelot, which is the N62c to Burneville then the N68 to Cheneux, then the Route de l'Eau Rouge up to Stavelot. I didn't get a chance to see that at the Grand Prix. This is just me being into my historic motorsport though, so I suspect it'll be a one-car trip!
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Anyone fancy stopping at other tracks on the way? We pass Spa every year, but never stop there. The Circuit des Ardennes is a 53.5 mile road course on the border of Belgium/Luxembourg, near Bastogne. We also pass Nivelles, which has been built over, but sections are still visible. Also, Circuit Jules Tacheny is a road course that, I believe, has a grandstand and pit garages at the side of the road. There's others right next to our usual route, such as the Ostend track that goes through the docks and Erpe, right next to the E42. Any takers?
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Nurburg convoy and meeting points - UK side
andylaurence replied to Ben Seabrook's topic in Previous Events
We'll be staying overnight in Dover - get enough disruption overnight without having to drive through it too. I did the leaving home at midnight thing on the first trip and I was knackered when we got there - I just went to bed. I also did the driving down and kipping in the car thing two years ago. A word of advice: take lots of warm blankets. It's amazing how cold it gets in a car at night! Oh, and we'll see you on the ferry, not in the tunnel. Still, those travelling from the West Country on Thursday night are welcome to convoy. We will stop on the way to Dover for a bit and will gra -
It's less than 300 miles from the ferry. Normally, we get on the ferry at 08:00 and arrive at the 'Ring between 16:00 and 17:00 after a leisurely drive. It's only 4.5 hours from the ferry, the 08:00 ferry drops you off in France at ~10:30 and we spend over an hour stopped en-route at various services. Those who like to drive fast might get there for 14:00 with the earlier crossings this year... Just realised the little 'un needs a passport, so sent off for that this morning. 99% chance we'll be there and we'll be part of the forced induction brigade. Sadly, it's a turbo on a 1.2 Clio. Ho
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They shut the gates to the car park when the track's shut, but first thing or last thing should make the car park quite quiet. The light is better outside the Grune Holle (now called the Devil's Diner) in the morning as it's in the shade in the evening. You'll all have to be there at 08:00 to get a spot outside for a group photo though!
