Club Triumph Round Britain Reliablilty Run 2010--Car 58

Well, after months of preparation, Friday 1st October 2010 finally arrived and we made our way down to the start point at The Plough Public House in Crews Hill, Enfield.

Our spirits were high, if slightly damp by the constant downpour that had been with us all day. It also spooked us a bit that the first song that came on the radio when we got in the car was 'Road to Nowhere' by Talking Heads!
After a few hours in the pub catching up with some old faces and meeting plenty of new ones, the start time arrived and 109 Triumphs gradually left the car park to begin the 2000 miles to be covered in 48 hours.

We headed north up the A10, then eventually onto the A1 (and the rain was still falling!) for our first control point at Blyth services near Doncaster. The next stop after this was at 2am at Edinburgh Airport. We had it pointed out to us that our brake lights weren't working, so after discovering a wire that had come off the brake light switch, it was put back on and we continued.

Skiach services on the A9 north of Inverness was out next stop, where we stopped for a quick coffee and Petrol (Again!) then pressed onto The Seaview Hotel at John O'Groats for a well deserved breakfast at 8.30 am.

After Breakfast and a check of the Engine oil and wheel nuts, we then headed west to Thurso, before turning left onto the B871 and heading down toward Dingwall. The Conon Bridge Hotel was our next stop where lunch was on offer, and so after devouring that we then headed down past Loch Ness and down towards Fort William. After Fort William we then tracked back across the A82, past Ben Nevis and to the Saturday tea-time stop at Stirling. Apparently, this throws the 'first time' crews into panic as they realise that they are still in Scotland on Saturday evening and still have to get all the way down to Lands End and back up to London Yet!

So after a brief stop there we then took the M74 & M6 to Lancaster services for the next check point. (9pm) We came out of the services to find that the car wouldn't start! We had ignition lights but it wouldn't turn over. A quick look under the bonnet revealed that a wire had come off the starter solenoid. So after pushing it back on, it started and we were on our way again. We rejoined the M6 and carried onto the M56 where we headed for Wrexham in North Wales and the next halt at Gledrid. (11pm) After making sure the tank was full to the brim again (There were no 24 hour petrol stations where we were heading!) we set out again through the pitch black and into Mid Wales and eventually the Sugar Loaf picnic area in Carmarthenshire! We were doing well at this point. Although it isn't a race, we were the first car to arrive at this check point. (1am)

Only a minute stop at this one, then back out into the darkness to pick up the A40 and head back towards Monmouth. We then picked up the M4 and headed back over the Severn Bridge from the Welsh side and onto Gordano services on the M5 for the next halt.  This was a 45 minute stop and was much needed as by now it was 3.30 Sunday morning and we were on our second night without sleep!

The run down the M5 and then A30 towards Bodmin was probably the worst weather I've ever experienced! The rain was so hard, it was bouncing back up at you, and the gales were smothering us in wet leaves and trying to blow us off the road! We carried on undaunted and arrived at Lands End at around 8am.

A quick U-turn at Lands End saw us head back up the A30 to Scorrier for another well earned breakfast at 8.43am. After checking engine oil, all fluids and wheel nuts we set out for the next halt at Bude Museum (11am). There was a good display here from the organisers who had also planned a classic car show at the same time. It was quite a sight to see Triumph after Triumph pouring in and one old boy was heard to say to his mate 'I wonder where they've all come from?' If only he'd known!
After sorting out some sparking issues (with the help of Andy Pearce and 'Shedtune') we pressed on to our next halt at Badgers Holt at Dartmoor (12.25pm) A quick wash and change of clothes in the toilets and we were off again to head for Dorchester and across to the halt at Pimperne. (2.50pm) This was a village hall and the ladies from the local Women's Institute supplied us with tea & wonderful cakes. Very much appreciated by all as well!
We left here to head through Hampshire & Wiltshire & into West Berkshire, then crossing the M4 at Junction 14 and heading up to the penultimate checkpoint at the TR Register offices at Didcot in Oxfordshire. (5.25pm) This was only a minute stop and we were soon off again to head for Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire before picking up the A41 to back towards the M25 and the finish point at Enfield. (7pm)
So, we arrived back at The Plough in Enfield some 48 hours and 2014 miles later! We spent £426 on petrol, and raised around £882.34 for charity. (This was just our crew)
All in all, a tiring, but fantastic weekend. We had some great times and met some great people! The car was absolutely brilliant as well. The poor old girl was hardly ever switched off, but just kept going and going.

She looked so dirty and tired at the finish, but she's had a good tidy up and clean since then. A big thank you to all that supported and sponsored us!