California Dreamin’

It sounded like a great idea. The whole CCW office would decamp to California and drive along the sun-kissed coast in a convoy of classics for our grand tour to promote Drive-It Day.

But it was only when we met at a suitably American roadside diner – a McDonalds just off the A47 – that it started to unravel. I’d forgotten to mention that the California in question was a tiny village in a far-flung corner of Norfolk, and the classics in question would be our own motley crew of misfits – including an Austin Cambridge that Nick Larkin has been promising to mend for over 20 years.

I remember being vaguely impressed that not one of our outfit suffered a breakdown during the 200-mile round trip, but Nick’s internal sat nav might as well have been set for the real California, given the number of times the rest of the team would head off, only to see the Cambridge cruising by in the opposite direction seconds later.

We finally rolled into California after what felt like an eternity of driving up the A47. The chip shop was closed and it transpired that the nearby Caister Motor Museum wouldn’t be opening its doors for the season for another fortnight. But at least there was a sun-kissed beach (sadly a rather cold and windswept one), where we could all pose for a photo and pretend that we were extras in an episode of Baywatch. Albeit an episode of Baywatch starring a bunch of overweight, middle-aged British blokes with questionable dress sense.

Having proven just how easy it is to set up a Drive-It-Day tour, we fired up our classics and set off for the day’s real treat – a visit to Classic Team Lotus’ base.

Apart from Nick, of course. He – and his Austin Cambridge – eventually turned up an hour after everyone else…