Yep, that was me, avoiding M6 tailbacks by going through Preston and then joining the motorway from the M55 junction....still a pain in the arse but it worked

Back home now and it's fair to say we had a great weekend. Weather Friday was fab but Sat dawned very wet! Continued raining all the way up the A6 but started to ease thereafter, with it stopping by the time we hit Wigton. However, we think we've identified a new sport among the denizens of the far N.W. of Cumbria, which is "how far into a field can you get your car by going through a hedge". Must have seen 5 vehicles in ditches, hedges, and generally off the road, but the winner was a blue Mondeo on its roof about 30 feet into a field with no obvious way of how it got there....! There was a bit more rain on and off after the lunch stop in Silloth and then fun was had going down the coast, through Cockermouth and over the Whinlatter Pass before stopping for more drink at the Filling Station Caff in Keswick.
More accidents on the A591 down towards Grasmere meant that road was closed so we diverted to Ullswater and over the Kirkstone Pass and then to Windermere that way. Much attention from peeps encountered en route and no doubt lots of hozzy appointments resulting from cricked necks as we passed

Car behaved faultlessly in the crap conditions apart from the screen steaming up early on, sorted once I remembered I had a heated screen....doh!....

Hotel was top notch and the staff couldn't so enough for us, or maybe they just hoped we'd sod off. Dunno why more of you don't give the drive-outs a go cos everyone always seems to have a good time. Or that's what they tell me anyhow!

Pics to follow shortly, along with contributions from other attendees!