Northern Drive-Out - Coast & Castles Run, Fri/Sat 7th/8th August 2020

[john]

It's the new "Norm"......

[Normb666]

After last year's ever-so-damp do, we were owed a bit of decent weather! Sun and blue skies all day Sat, bit overcast this morning but that soon burned off and another good day.

The whole thing was a 5-star success (but then, I would say that, wouldn't I...). Hotel was fantastic, food and service irreproachable, and just over the road from the beach. On the run itself, no-one got lost even though we soon got separated, and most peeps did the whole route, which was basically interesting stuff and places for the first part, then into the wilds of Northumberland for some great driving roads and no (or very little) traffic. So summat for everyone! And of course an ace evening to round it all off

Having no fewer than 6 Strats was the icing on the cake. That's as many as I've seen anywhere, other than the club stand at the AGM. The line-up outside the hotel was a show-stopper - couldn't believe how many people were looking at the cars, and all with big grins...bet you wouldn't get that with a Ferrari club outing! Spoke to a few kids who were goggling at them and guess what, they all knew what they were too - so maybe there's hope for the future yet! One woman told me how she used to live in Africa and would watch the works cars on the Safari rallies, and seeing "our" cars made her day.

Ade, great to meet ya and have you and 'Er Indoors' drive with us, and your mate Paul in his McLaren...although I didn't get to find out which one it was, cos they all look the same to me! And Bob, glad you could make it - not sure I could call it a proper Northern Run if you didn't turn up!!

Anyhow, a Big Ta to everyone who came along, and I hope you'll all do it again next year...wherever that might be!

[Bernard]

Hi Norm
Many thanks again for organising a great weekend again... even organised the sun !!.... great run, great scenery, great roads, great company, great social.... so overall..... not bad !!!
Cheers
Phil and Helen (Boxster !)

[David J]

Norm
We had a throughly enjoyable weekend it was great to see everybody again in these strange times. It brought back a bit of normality. On the way home we heard an almighty roar behind us, it was the North East’s chapter of Hells Angels that streamed past on their hogs.

David and Pat

[STR_Strat]

Thanks again Norm for a great weekend, much appreciated.
Thanks also to Chris and Mark for the scenic route home.
Looking forward to the next one

Dave

[Longtimefan]

Norm, thank you from Carol & I, great weekend, with great company, great hotel with great staff.

Well done you, and to Leah for letting you do it.

Robin

[Normb666]

Thanks all - couldn't have done it without you. Well I could, but it'd just have been "a weekend away" and there'd have been no point doing the directions

David - the Hogs were staying down the road in Whitley Bay. We passed them at their hotel on the run. Just think, with a slight change in emphasis on how we get our jollies, it coulda been us... yeah, can just see you lot in leathers, denims and cutoffs. Not

May well go along with Carol's suggestion of re-doing Kielder next year, and incorporate a break-out "back to base" part-way round, for those who don't want to do the full-on 200-odd mile route. Then again, I might come up with something else entirely...Isle of Man, anyone??