9 replies to this topic

[SParky77]

With the storms seeming to pause for a moment, and clear blue skies, decided Sunday was the time for my first country drive of the year (and since buying the car in December) would be the few miles down the road to the Ponderosa Cafe up at Horseshoe Pass.  Some lovely roads, be nicer if not for the small Peugeot hatchback that was in front of me, doing 40 tops and slowing for every little bend in the road. 

 

Got there in the end.  Navigated my way through the car park, passed all the bikers and what looked like a Porsche Boxster club meet with the number there.  Over to the far corner where I could happily park without anyone being close and all the room in the world to open my door to dismount.

 

Was nice to be out in the car and can't wait for the weather to improve so I can go up there again but with the roof off.

 

Anybody on here go up there?  Thinking of the Evo Triangle next, again not far from home.  North Wales looks to have some wonderful routes.

 

Couple of pics attached.  One of the car enjoying the scenery and another of a big old Yank tank that rocked up and no idea how it handled some of the corners. I believe it was a Pontiac Grand Prix.

 

Hopefully the pics work, tried to squash down my iPhone photos from the stupidly large file size the phone takes and resize to smaller to save space.  Only one way for me to find out.... 

 

 IMG_8332 (2).jpg   68.95KB   20 downloads

 

 IMG_8338 (2).jpg   60.68KB   19 downloads

[pete-r]

Evo triangle always a honey trap for speed checking but it's a great road.

Mid Wales is the best if you are heading this way.

[Mat Jackson]

Second Peters comments - mid Wales for some great roads!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[iceman]

Lovely roads and a great choice for the first spirited drive of the year, The road itself has a knack of unsettling me though, of exaggerating and accentuating the chasm between what the car/chassis has available to give and what i as a driver have to take. I do enjoy scaring myself and like anybody else (being honest) i can get carried away and i must admit that coming across a slower vehicle can be a welcome cooling off period for both myself and the engine sometimes. There is then of course the extra fun of her 'voice' as you go through the gears to overtake again. I have found that in general up there, the slower cars are aware (and probably weary) of the pace and purpose of their noisy neighbours on the road and do try (as long as they don't feel pressurised into doing so) to leave enough room where possible to allow a pass, if for nothing else but to see in front properly what is looking so good obscured behind.

 

The Lake Bala area of roads are nice in that neck of the woods and are ones that we have used often before. I am sure something will come-up (back) in that general area when appropriate and there will be more than a few that will be keen to head out that way. 

 

Safe driving 

 

...icey

[oblomov]

 

Lovely roads and a great choice for the first spirited drive of the year, The road itself has a knack of unsettling me though, of exaggerating and accentuating the chasm between what the car/chassis has available to give and what i as a driver have to take. I do enjoy scaring myself and like anybody else (being honest) i can get carried away and i must admit that coming across a slower vehicle can be a welcome cooling off period for both myself and the engine sometimes. There is then of course the extra fun of her 'voice' as you go through the gears to overtake again. I have found that in general up there, the slower cars are aware (and probably weary) of the pace and purpose of their noisy neighbours on the road and do try (as long as they don't feel pressurised into doing so) to leave enough room where possible to allow a pass, if for nothing else but to see in front properly what is looking so good obscured behind.
 
The Lake Bala area of roads are nice in that neck of the woods and are ones that we have used often before. I am sure something will come-up (back) in that general area when appropriate and there will be more than a few that will be keen to head out that way. 
 
Safe driving 
 
...icey

 

Drove B4391 - A4214 Ffestiniog to Bala - A494 to Dolgellau - A470 - A493 to Barmaouth then Harlech last week.:-)

[iceman]

Lovely, Wish i had been behind you

 

..i do prefer to follow another (although there's nothing nicer than a queue of vx's in the rear view mirror) but have been known to forget that, in general, our set-ups are specific and just because they! can take it 'thus', that doesn't mean that i can..lol.  

 

It is just a matter of time until i'm back basking in Bala again (on a couple of occasions, i have been to a good hotel/restaurant overlooking the lake there).

[oblomov]

Lovely, Wish i had been behind you

 

..i do prefer to follow another (although there's nothing nicer than a queue of vx's in the rear view mirror) but have been known to forget that, in general, our set-ups are specific and just because they! can take it 'thus', that doesn't mean that i can..lol.  

 

It is just a matter of time until i'm back basking in Bala again (on a couple of occasions, i have been to a good hotel/restaurant overlooking the lake there).

 

We did stop for lunch in Bala on one group run, but I think the last time I spoke to you was when we stopped for lunch in Beddgelert on a run.  God, how many years ago was that?

[iceman]

 

Lovely, Wish i had been behind you

 

..i do prefer to follow another (although there's nothing nicer than a queue of vx's in the rear view mirror) but have been known to forget that, in general, our set-ups are specific and just because they! can take it 'thus', that doesn't mean that i can..lol.  

 

It is just a matter of time until i'm back basking in Bala again (on a couple of occasions, i have been to a good hotel/restaurant overlooking the lake there).

 

We did stop for lunch in Bala on one group run, but I think the last time I spoke to you was when we stopped for lunch in Beddgelert on a run.  God, how many years ago was that?

 

 

Good Morning My Friend.

 

A rather delayed response and i am really sorry for it being so. A bad/sad situation caused too much pain for me to continue on the forum and i had not seen your response before i left. Hopefully better late than never applies though, which, when we are talking between aged gentlemen such as you and i, i am sure it does (presumptuous little icey that i am).

 

In response to your post...

 

..i would be lying if i said that i knew exactly how long it was ago but it must be in the region of 14-16 years.

 

My early vx-ing years were! and still are to a large extent, a strange paradox of loving the vx's look so much that i bought her but (for a very shy person such as myself) wishing that the rest of the public didn't. I still more often than not, get flustered searching for holes to swallow me up but, unsurprisingly so, don't get that in hunting packs of vx's on meets and those particular milk teeth were cut on the backbones of the Welsh mountains (the Gallic Gods very own scalextric track). Teeth made all the more stronger and shinning brighter by sharing the experience with those such as yourself. Many many thanks good sir...

 

Grouphugs...

 

..icey

Edited by iceman, 06 April 2021 - 12:56 AM.

[oblomov]

 

 

Lovely, Wish i had been behind you

 

..i do prefer to follow another (although there's nothing nicer than a queue of vx's in the rear view mirror) but have been known to forget that, in general, our set-ups are specific and just because they! can take it 'thus', that doesn't mean that i can..lol.  

 

It is just a matter of time until i'm back basking in Bala again (on a couple of occasions, i have been to a good hotel/restaurant overlooking the lake there).

 

We did stop for lunch in Bala on one group run, but I think the last time I spoke to you was when we stopped for lunch in Beddgelert on a run.  God, how many years ago was that?

 

 

Good Morning My Friend.

 

A rather delayed response and i am really sorry for it being so. A bad/sad situation caused too much pain for me to continue on the forum and i had not seen your response before i left. Hopefully better late than never applies though, which, when we are talking between aged gentlemen such as you and i, i am sure it does (presumptuous little icey that i am).

 

In response to your post...

 

..i would be lying if i said that i knew exactly how long it was ago but it must be in the region of 14-16 years.

 

My early vx-ing years were! and still are to a large extent, a strange paradox of loving the vx's look so much that i bought her but (for a very shy person such as myself) wishing that the rest of the public didn't. I still more often than not, get flustered searching for holes to swallow me up but, unsurprisingly so, don't get that in hunting packs of vx's on meets and those particular milk teeth were cut on the backbones of the Welsh mountains (the Gallic Gods very own scalextric track). Teeth made all the more stronger and shinning brighter by sharing the experience with those such as yourself. Many many thanks good sir...

 

Grouphugs...

 

..icey

 

I was surprised you didn't respond, being the polite person that you are (unlike me). Sorry to hear of your sad circumstances.

Any time you intend to come my way again, let me know and perhaps we can meet up. :-) 

[iceman]

Thank you for your kind words Sir.

 

Looking after my old mom for all those years should really should (and i always said that it was doing so) prepare you for the inevitable end when it comes (bless her soul) but, like being confronted by a loaded gun, we never really know where the shot will hit until it's fired.

 

Life must go on though and, not 'should' but rather 'when' my life's route brings me your way again, i look forward to meeting up again (get plenty of full fat milk in).

 

Best wishes and, sincerely, a pleasure to speak again

 

..icey