Spa, Book-a-Track, Saturday November 13 2010 - Blitz Krieg

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campbell
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Re: Spa, Book-a-Track, Saturday November 13 2010 - Blitz Krieg

Post by campbell » Fri Sep 10, 2010 11:40 am

:-(

Not to worry; to quote Yoda, "There is...an...other" :thumbsup
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georgeg33
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Re: Spa, Book-a-Track, Saturday November 13 2010 - Blitz Krieg

Post by georgeg33 » Fri Sep 10, 2010 12:57 pm

Ok, I'm in :D :thumbsup

Robin, as discussed, please add me (and provisionally Stuart) to the Friday Nurburg list.

Might do the Sunday as well, depends which car is back in one piece.

Too bad Scotty, I'll miss the high speed pax run :(

cheers
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Re: Spa, Book-a-Track, Saturday November 13 2010 - Blitz Krieg

Post by robin » Sat Sep 11, 2010 12:39 pm

OK, I have emailed everybody that has asked me to organize a room booking with the confirmation from Burgstube, except George and Wheelie - I'm waiting for confirmation about these two late additions :-)

If you haven't received an email from me, I haven't booked you anything! (This mostly in case I've missed anybody's request and they think it's all being sorted).

I've only had to put down a 10% deposit for the rooms; I'm happy just to carry that on my card; I'm also happy to settle your rooms for you at the Burgstube in exchange for cash in euros; this will save on those pesky credit card per-foreign-transaction costs for us all. You can of course settle your room directly with the hotel if you prefer.

BTW, if you're running in a small group on the motorways you can do the same thing with petrol - take it in turns to pay for all the fuel on one card - it adds up to quite a few quid in the end!

For those stopping in Kent on Thursday night I'll post out details of that mid-week once I've decided where we should stay :-)

Cheers,
Robin
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Re: Spa, Book-a-Track, Saturday November 13 2010 - Blitz Krieg

Post by kenny » Sun Sep 12, 2010 12:31 am

Thanks Robin :thumbsup

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Re: Spa, Book-a-Track, Saturday November 13 2010 - Blitz Krieg

Post by campbell » Sun Sep 12, 2010 11:59 pm

Nice one Robin, thanks. At this rate you'll be taking over from Trailfinders.

Having a brief moment of second thoughts in using the Travelodge chain for Kent...1st disappointment in many years of patronage, this weekend in Preston. OK so it was Preston, but all the same.

Let's have a chat about Lenny's chain - Travelinn as was, and now Premierinn of course, who I think may be trying to distance themselves from the lodgies...perhaps for good reason...
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Re: Spa, Book-a-Track, Saturday November 13 2010 - Blitz Krieg

Post by robin » Mon Sep 13, 2010 9:19 am

I'm wondering about whether we shouldn't try to get closer to the ring on Thursday - for people that want to spectate/take pictures/etc./ it takes an hour or two to get away from the car park, park, walk up to the circuit, take a few snaps, etc.

OTOH Thursday at 17:00 leaving North Weald, we'll have our hands full with M11/M25 traffic, so actually it could be 20:00 before we reach anywhere in Kent, so perhaps we should give ourselves some chance to recharge the batteries and then people can get up as early as they like on Friday to get to the ring early, or to have a lie in and get their later.

There is a Lenny Inn at J9 of the M20 on the A20 (it's not on the motorway as such, so hopefully won't be really noisy). £47 for a twin room on 11/11/10.

There are then three options:
(a) no breakfast, straight to the terminal - in this case I would aim for the 05:48 crossing; grab some breakfast from a petrol station eventually. £22 out, £22 back.
(b) breakfast at the hotel; a tad expensive but probably available from 07:00 or even 06:30; in this case you can have any crossing you like. £29 out, £22 back.
(c) breakfast at the local sainsbury; cheaper but probably not available until 08:00; in this case you can have any crossing you like as (b).

There's no reason for everyone to do the same thing - I would be an option (a) person left to my own devices, but everyone is free to choose whatever they want to do.

For (b) and (c) timing is not critical as you have your choice of crossings, and you have a 2 hour window to hit, and in any case it will cost no more whether you get the train you booked or a later or earlier one.

For (a) it's 25 minutes from the hotel to the terminal; allow 25 minutes to check in and pass through security. So you would need to be leaving the car park at 05:00 and don't hang about to make sure you get the 05:48 crossing. That would have you arriving in Calais at around 07:30 (they're +1 from us). Then 4:30 to the ring plus fuel stop and somewhere to grab some breakfast, so say 5 hours, get to the ring about 12:30 - 13:00.

Cheers,
Robin
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Re: Spa, Book-a-Track, Saturday November 13 2010 - Blitz Krieg

Post by campbell » Mon Sep 13, 2010 12:01 pm

If you mean this one at Eureka Leisure Park, just off M20, then it's already had a :thumbsup earlier in the thread I think. Relatively new, hence fresh, and onsite Beefeater means some promise of food and drink without long walks or taxis.

I'm up for that.

And option a) is fine by me, last time I went to the Ring I grabbed brekky from the Le Shuttle shop actually, but happy to get something at a Services on the continent. All I ask is to get some coffee reasonably early in the day but at a push I'll bring my flask and make some up in the room to-go :-) Although I bet the French or Belgian Services offer better coffee than most pukka coffee shops in the UK!
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Re: Spa, Book-a-Track, Saturday November 13 2010 - Blitz Krieg

Post by robin » Wed Sep 15, 2010 1:46 pm

I was actually thinking of the one at J8, but looking at google maps, it's actually in the service station which I would tend to avoid (sometimes the services become focal points for bored teenagers to hangout and do donuts, etc.). So the one you've linked to at J9 is better - it also has a Frankie & Benny's nearby, giving a choice of premium eateries :-)

Most of the French services have machines for coffee; still very drinkable though.

Making a flask of coffee in the room courtesy of Lenny adds to the Pikeyness of the trip, so I would say do that anyway :-)

So of the folks doing the Walshy day, minus Wheelie, plus Tut, are we OK with the idea of staying at M20 J9? Currently showing £50/night for a twin.

Cheers,
Robin
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Re: Spa, Book-a-Track, Saturday November 13 2010 - Blitz Krieg

Post by neil » Wed Sep 15, 2010 2:03 pm

robin wrote: So of the folks doing the Walshy day, minus Wheelie, plus Tut, are we OK with the idea of staying at M9 J20? Currently showing £50/night for a twin.
M9 J20 might be a bit of a long haul in the morning - will that not be round about Stirling? :lol:

Any of the options are fine by me
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Re: Spa, Book-a-Track, Saturday November 13 2010 - Blitz Krieg

Post by campbell » Wed Sep 15, 2010 2:34 pm

robin wrote: So of the folks doing the Walshy day, minus Wheelie, plus Tut, are we OK with the idea of staying at J9 of M20? Currently showing £50/night for a twin.

Cheers,
Robin
Fixed that for Robin. He's got a lot on ;-)
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Re: Spa, Book-a-Track, Saturday November 13 2010 - Blitz Krieg

Post by Andy G » Wed Sep 15, 2010 4:30 pm

robin wrote: plus Tut,
Is he coming too ????? :thumbsup :thumbsup :thumbsup
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Re: Spa, Book-a-Track, Saturday November 13 2010 - Blitz Krieg

Post by robin » Wed Sep 15, 2010 4:45 pm

Tut's keeping his options open, so making some speculative hotel reservations for him, just in case he can manage the journey when the time comes :-)

Cheers,
Robin
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Re: Spa, Book-a-Track, Saturday November 13 2010 - Blitz Krieg

Post by campbell » Wed Sep 15, 2010 7:04 pm

I imagine the double-entered cars may be providing relay services for him!
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Re: Spa, Book-a-Track, Saturday November 13 2010 - Blitz Krieg

Post by Stu160 » Wed Sep 15, 2010 10:41 pm

I am fine with that Robin, booked onto the sidc this sat to shake down the new steed :thumbsup

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Re: Spa, Book-a-Track, Saturday November 13 2010 - Blitz Krieg

Post by neil » Thu Sep 16, 2010 5:14 pm

Spotted in the paper (if you can call it that) last night that the PCS union are planning to strike on November 12th. Not sure how this would affect us getting out of the country that morning as the PCS cover border control staff. If it goes ahead we might be better getting across the channel the night before. Story here
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