A BREAK FOR FREEDOM
With petrol so cheap, David makes a dash for Norfolk to collect the latest additions to his automobilia collection
1999 ROVER 200 BRM LE
V844 RBK was the only one of my three-strong classic fleet to get any use over the winter months, only to face minimal mileage in turn during the lockdown period from late March onwards. It passed its MoT with ease in early January and, prior to the restrictions being imposed, had been on a couple of visits to Norfolk, plus the occasional routine trip.
A journey of a little over a mile on the weekly food shop is not good for man or machine, so the Rover was in need of a reasonable run. The reason/ excuse offered itself when I needed to collect a couple of auction lots from near Dereham.
Although auction houses have been unable to welcome bidders into their premises, some online/telephone sales have taken place, enabling automobilia enthusiasts to carry on collecting.
As my purchased lots at Beeston Auctions included a framed print, it seemed like a good idea to fetch them in person. A 60-mile journey at the present petrol price of just under a pound per litre would actually not work out much more expensive than paying for a courier, so a date and time was fixed for collection within the rules of social distancing.
It had the makings of a hot day as the Brooklands Green machine, freshly cleaned for the outing, cut across country by back-roads to reach the A47 near Thorney, Cambridgeshire. A major change since the last time this stretch of road was sampled was the demolition of a prominent group of grain silos, offering an even more open Fenland vista than usual.
At King’s Lynn, I had to resist my usual left turn towards the coast and the A47 towards Swaffham brought back memories of the CCW team’s group outing to California, Norfolk, a few years’ back. A traditional roadside eatery in a layby was doing good business as I motored on, passing the turn to where my favourite folk festival is held – one of the numerous events that won’t be happening this year, I’m sorry to say.
Ignoring the possibility of exploring villages with fascinating names such as Sporle, the left turn leading to Beeston
OWNED SINCE July 2014 // MILEAGE SINCE LAST REPORT 2563 // TOTAL MILEAGE 96,698 // LATEST COSTS £6.25
was taken with the auction house being clearly signposted on the left by an industrial estate.
It was really hot by now and the engine fan was working overtime when I parked the car. On inspection, the coolant reservoir was low on fluid. After I’d collected my items and placed them safely in the boot – and the engine had cooled sufficiently – I added some coolant. Could there be a leak in the bottle?
To find out, I stopped off at a service station about halfway home not far from Wisbech and bought another bottle of coolant.
The rest of the trip home flew by without incident, but the coolant system is currently under investigation. Coolant is not something I need with my air-cooled Volkswagens, but I don’t want the Rover drinking too much of it to make up for that fact!