It never rains, but it pours…

Anyone who’s ever followed one of our team outings will know they rarely go to plan, and our August trip down to Classics on the Green in Croxley was no exception. This mid-week event has attracted in excess of 2000 cars in years past, but barely 200 showed up this year. Why? Well, as the organisers themselves put it: ‘It’s the wettest event we’ve ever held!’ Of course, it wasn’t just the inclement weather that caused us problems; just sticking together in convoy proved to be beyond us – and by ‘us’, I actually mean ‘Nick Larkin’ esquire, who, as you’ll have already read, has form in this regard…

Taking part in this team outing were David in his Mazda Eunos Roadster, James in his Ford Mondeo, Nick in his Austin Maestro and me in my Triumph TR7. James led the way and I brought up the rear, sandwiching David and Nick in between.

James explained the route to Croxley in minute detail as we enjoyed a spot of lunch at Baldock Services, and everyone agreed that they understood how we were getting there. Moreover, it was emphasised that should James deviate from the route, we were to follow him. Without question.

We’ve still no idea why, having watched James and David take the route we’d agreed, Nick decided to disappear off up the sliproad of junction 21A on the M25; maybe he‘d spotted a lesser-spotted Routemaster bus?

Three of us made it to Croxley on time. Nick, on the other hand – and not for the first time this year – turned up quite a bit later… Chris Hope