Trip To England... Feb 10th-18th

As many of you know, I'm getting married in April 2010 in Newbury.

There are a few wedding-related things I have to sort out so I'm going to be down in the Berkshire area from Feb 10th to Feb 18th (traveling 9th and 19th). On Sunday the 14th, it looks like I'll be completely surplus to requirements (bridesmaid dress shopping going on). Ah, Valentine's Day...

Anyway, as February currently looks (blank days are a little flexible, but may yet get booked out with wedding stuff if there's a conflict):

• 9th - driving down from Scotland
• 10th - unavailable morning
• 11th - unavailable lunchtime
• 12th -
• 13th -
• 14th - completely free... coffee anyone?
• 15th -
• 16th - unavailable in the evening
• 17th - unavailable
• 18th -
• 19th - driving back to Scotland

Anybody about with some free-time while I'm in the area? It'd be nice to say hi and have a coffee or something.

Being able to see a Ferrari or two wouldn't go unappreciated either.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

No worries, I'll just have to catch you another time then.

I'll be wed on Saturday, April 24th... 3:45pm to be precise.

 

Nope, not really going anywhere. We've booked the bridal suite for 3 nights following the wedding and the hotel has an excellent restaurant, a spa, and room service. So I think we'll just be decadent with the menu and have a 'mini-moon'.

As for a proper sort of holiday-type honeymoon, we're going to save that for an anniversary when we've got a bit more in the way of funds. We're already traveling to the US in July for my younger sister's wedding, so that'll at least get us globe-trotting this summer.

 

Alabama. My parents have a house near Huntsville and my sister's getting married in Monte Sano State Park.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

Well... I'm almost all packed and will be setting off for England on the morrow! My internet connection while South will be both slow and intermittent, so you may not as much of me as you're used to. Chin up, stiff upper lip, and somehow I'm sure you'll all battle through the keen absence.

* * * * *

I had quite an adventure getting some new tyres fitted to the MINI for the trip down. I'd booked the MINI in to get some new tyres fitted as the old ones were at the legal limit. Unfortunately, when I arrived, I realised I didn't have my locking wheel nut keys. The garage said they were essential so I went back home to go get them. After ransacking the house looking for them, I eventually figured out they were probably in the safe. And the only key to the safe was with Nicky at her work.

I didn't have enough time to go get the key off Nicky, go back home and open the safe, and still make it back to the garage before they closed... so I just heaved the safe into the back of the car and took it with me. Anyway, got the safe key, the locking wheel nut keys were in there, and I made it to the garage on time to get some new rubber - with plenty of driving like hell all in between there to make it by the skin of my teeth.

* * * * *

Well - nite nite!

All the best,
Andrew.

PS:
Was that too ostentatious a farewell for such a short trip? Well, I don't get let out much - so I'm going to make the most of it!

 

Sounds good, Mark - PM on the way!

I know, strange isn't it? They're not there any more though.

 

I've been talking to Sy (angelis), Francis (francisn), and Mark (Mark456M) in PMs and on the phone. Just to keep all the info in one spot (and maybe tempt anyone else local to come along)...

• Dependent on the weather (absence of snow and road salt), Sy might be taking the 348 to QV London Friday lunchtime. I said I'd ring him back about 10:30-11:00ish on Friday to confirm and meet him there.
• I then talked to Franics, who was going to meet Sy and I at QVLondon after I call him Friday 10:30-11:00ish to confirm whether Sy's going. He suggested we could also visit GTO Engineering to see some classic Ferraris.
• Mark got in touch next and suggested I could meet up at his business in the morning (10:30) to get a ride to QV London, where hopefully we'd meet up with both Sy and Francis, and then all go on a local tour of the Ferrari hot spots.
• As for guidelines from the other half... I should try to make it back to Woodley by ~4:00pm and I'm not to go anywhere expensive for lunch - or she'll kill me.

So in the morning, I'll drive around to Mark's place and then give both Sy and Francis a call to see what time they can make it to QV London. We'll all just wing it from there.

I'm really looking forward to meeting you guys!

All the best,
Andrew.

 

I had a GREAT time yesterday! Met some awesome guys (thanks very much for taking the time to see me), saw plenty of Ferraris, sat in my first Ferrari ever (a 348 - thanks Sy!) and then got a quick ride out in it too!

Thanks for coming out to QV and meeting up, Francis - and hopefully we'll see each other again soon.

Thanks for the coffees, driving me about, and negotiating the 'backstage passes' at Maranello and QV, Mark.


Next Meet:

As for next week... I'm afraid I'm completely swamped. I am free today though, so I'm just about to get on the old mobile and see if you guys are too. I was going to go shoe shopping today but I figure I can always get to that on another trip down when taking care of my suit.

All the very best,
Andrew.

 

OK, couldn't get hold of anyone, but left a few voice messages. Hopefully if someone gets back to me by around, say, noon-1pm sort of time, then I'll shelve the shoe plans and we'll go do something fun.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

Actually, I did take a few photos, but like Francis I forgot to really take any with people in them. I should have remembered to do a group shot of us all together.

I do have one photo of me standing next to an Enzo and two photos of me sitting in Sy's 348 though. I'll get those up when I get back to Glasgow. I've no way to get them off the camera for the moment.

 

Nicky's down with me as well. I've just been trying to get away for Ferrari days when she's been doing things I'm not allowed to see (i.e. wedding dress fittings). So, she's off doing that again today and tomorrow the joint efforts get started again.

 

I may or may not get a good chunk of time to go see GTO on Thursday during the day... watch this space. I'll put in a few calls Thursday morning to let people know definitively one way or the other.

All the best,
Andrew.