Our first normal "Pub Meeting"
following the prolonged hiccups of the Coronavirus Pandemic
took place on Wednesday 28th July evening at Bletchingley Arms. The
Bletchingley Arms ('The Plough' as was) is on the A25 in the village of
Bletchingley and has been one of our most popular venues for many years as an SVVS
evening meeting. The Bletchingley Arms is opposite the dreaded speed camera
with lots of passing traffic. Our visit therefore pulls in lots of the general
public which can clog things up wonderfully but is good for the Pub!
This was the first time we had introduced the new evening meeting start
time of 6pm so for quite a while initially I was quite lonely with only four
other cars there. It is possible that 6pm may be a tad early for some of our employed
members to be home from work, changed into civvies, get the old car out cotton
wool, and drive to the pub in time to be there by 6pm. Nothing much therefore
happened for the first half hour or so, but then people started arriving.
The evening was by no means a sell-out and three cars parked on the
'grassy knoll' which they had kindly mowed for us. Shame about the massive shipping container and skip filled to overflowing with rubbish. The general car park was not full so we had
our corner very much as usual. Fortunately there was no need to use the Knoll and
no usual need for ripping-off of exhausts trying
to get on the grassy knoll because somebody had inconveniently parked on the
small bit of dropped kerb access. The pub has an outside bar and a Yerty covered
outside area for eating with little mini sheds in it for individual groups. It had however
run out of bitter beer. A pint of Guinness cost well over £5.
The weather forecast was doom and gloom and end of world, but it actually
remained quite nice and dry and warm, I stayed just in a shirt until it started
to rain but it never lasted long enough for me to bother to get coat, although it
did have quite a few goes at it. Eventually we had about 27 cars, mostly
classic. It seems our vintage car aficionados, including me, find the hassle of getting
the oldie out in potential rain along muddy roads a bit sle of getting the oldie
out in potential rain along muddy roads a bit unappetizing, so most
have bought a waterproof classic as well. Mine is fitted with walnut and
Axminster,
surround stereo and heating, and has full air conditioning and power steering, and nothing leaks, and most of
the time it just purrs along quite happily on most of its 12 cylinders. However if it goes wrong. it seems to go wrong
big-time |
Please
Click on the thumbnail photos to see full size
HIGH DEFINITION picture
