UK - BRIDGET THE MIDGET

Into Africa

11th June 201015th March 2020 By roychinnorNo Comments

Turning out my loft this week I came across my old stamp collection from my childhood. I collected only stamps of Great Britain and the Commonwealth many of which kept me, as a child, captivated by their exotic pictures and I often thought of travelling to some of those places when I grew up. I never did grow up, but then I had one of those Eureka moments, why not drive Bridget the Midget to Cape Town in South Africa? We could drive to Turkey then down through the Middle East into Egypt. Heading south we drive through Sudan, skirting Abyssinia into Kenya. Maintaining our heading we will go into Nyasaland, through part of Rhodesia into Tanganyika, and finally South Africa. Can’t seem to find some of these countries on Google Maps but never mind the details. I plan to embark on this adventure in 2011 leaving around the beginning of September and invite any Midget owner interested in joining me to...

Mission Accomplished

8th June 201015th March 2020 By roychinnorNo Comments

Sorry I have been a little dilatory in posting this final report on the UK Tour, but I have been busy at MGLive! More on that later, but now the completion of the tour. My last report finished with me in Whitburn, Central Scotland where Bridget was shown off to around fifty enthusiasts. Once again the weather was unexpectedly good for us and the Scots were their usual appreciative selves; not at all the hard to please audience of music hall fame. The following day I drove Bridget down to Gretna Green where we would stop over on route to Knutsford in Cheshire. Bridget is a hopeless romantic and wanted to see the famous forge and listen to the lilt of the lone piper. In the morning we moved on to Knutsford, a place name, that until now, had only denoted a service station on the M6 Motorway to me. However the town of Knutsford is a charming ancient place mentioned in...

Scottish Tourist

8th May 201015th March 2020 By roychinnorNo Comments

With a full week free of formal events I decided to first spend a weekend in Glasgow then explore some of the West Highland Way if the weather was reasonable. Uncharacteristically for this part of the country at this time of year the weather remained dry and contrary to the forecasts the sun broke through the cloud to deliver a few pleasant spring days. I decided to travel a little further north to the town of Tynedrum and then walk the West Highland Way up to Fort William. I parked Bridget safely in the Scottish Tourist Information Centres’ car park and removed my back-pack containing the tent, sleeping bag and other camping items, from behind the seats. It has been over forty years since I carried a 60 pound pack and had quite forgotten what it was like over a period of 3 or 4 days. I started off with a half day of walking ahead of me. I walked for just...

Tour Week 1

25th April 201015th March 2020 By roychinnorNo Comments

We have completed the first six events at Abingdon, Loughborough, Godstone, Norwich, Lincoln and Liversedge. With approximately £2,000 raised for UNICEF it is proving well worthwhile and everyone seems to be enjoying the experience. For my part I am using the opportunity to reacquaint myself with my own country and its history and nature. In Lincoln I visited both the Cathedral and Castle, and then took a morning walking around the Whisby Natural Park. With a free day in Yorkshire I drove over to Bolton Abbey near Keighley to see the ruined priory and walk the banks of the River Wharfe. It is a really pretty location although a little too civilised for me, gravel paths and cafes, but the scenery is beautiful and I saw some Mandarin ducks, a breed I have not seen for years. Had I had more time I would have done some serious walking over the Yorkshire Dales but I must move on although I hope...

North East and Borders

23rd April 201015th March 2020 By roychinnorNo Comments

I mentioned in my previous report the variety of locations chosen for my talk events and this has continued. MG Car Club’s north-east centre, although one of the smallest centres, had arranged for the use of the Knights Hall at the Manor House, West Aukland. The setting is very medieval and grand and the evening was very well attended. From northern England Bridget took me into “The Borders” area of Scotland and the town of Kelso in particular. Again I took the opportunity to go walking this time along the banks of the river Tweed. This river has the reputation of being one of the finest in Scotland for salmon fishing, but I was here to do a ‘pitstop’ organised by UNICEF. Ken Henderson, Chairman of the local UNICEF branch, had set up for Bridget and me to visit Kelso High School, whose motto appropriately is Do or Die! We were met by the schools’ Director of Education and then spent an...