mgf.be

[Adrian Clifford]

Some of you may know, the MGF Register are planning a charity event on Saturday August 6th 2011. It will be an evening drive around the City of London, taking in most of the famous landmarks you will all know. You can arrive Saturday afternoon as the event starts at 19.00 in sw London and finishes at Lakeside services by the QE11 bridge in Dartford before midnight. It's called the London Tunnels and Bridges as that will be the target, to drive as many as possible but taking in the famous sights on the way. On Sunday, after breakfast you can head for home, a nice easy fun weekend with us. It's free, we ask for a minimum donation to the Register's charity of just £5. I can arrange a hotel if you are coming, please let me know so I can create a Roadbook in km's.

We have to keep the DAY alive, over to you now.

Adrian

[Bruno]

That sounds really interesting...Tunnels + Phoenix Mmh, I think I will join this, I will just check with Inge first.
Good initiative Adrian

[ErikB]

Indeed, looks interesting.

I'll check if it fits our agenda. I know for sure it is becoming cheaper to invest in some real estate instead of booking a hotel every 2 weeks.

[Andros]

Im in, looks promising. But last time I was near London, they charge you if you want to enter the city with a car right?

[Kasper]

We're in!

[Luc]

I'm thinking about joining too (maybe alone this time). Just need to have a clearer view on the costing of this event.

will keep you posted

[ErikB]

Good afternoon all,
Here's just a taste of some of the sights on the London Tunnels and Bridges charity event in August. I'll send you details once we have the advertising done if you don't mind putting it on your magazines and forums, it's open to all MG's and all we ask is a minimum of £5 donation to our 2011 charity Help for Heroes. There will be a rally plaque for those early to enter for a small charge.

It will start on Saturday evening 6th August in south west London and will last for about 3 hours finishing in Dartford by the QE2 bridge, from there I'll arrange a hotel and you can drive home on Sunday.

You will drive through the London Docklands and Canary Wharf, cross the River Thames about 15 times and drive through a number of interesting tunnels, it will be an experience for sure. All of the well known bridges will be crossed and a number of places you don't know but will love including old smugglers pubs dating back the 16th century. There will be a full list of sights in the Roadbook so you know what you are looking at.

Pictures are : Women of WW11 memorial in Whitehall, the gates across 10 Downing Street,the Senotaph in Whitehall, changing of the Guard in Horse Guards parade,the Mall, memorial to Queen Elizabeth in the Mall, Marines memorial in the Mall, Admiralty Arch, the Sherlock Holmes Pub, Boadicea
(Boudica) on Westminster Bridge, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey and The Battle of Britain memorial on the Embankment.

All the best,

Adrian

[Kasper]

Im in, looks promising. But last time I was near London, they charge you if you want to enter the city with a car right?

At this time of the day there will be no conguestion carge.

[Luc]

as usual ... a list:

Kasper
Bruno (tbc)
Erik (tbc)
Luc (tbc)

PS non mgf.be board members can join us too

[ErikB]

as usual ... a list:

Kasper
Bruno (tbc)
Erik
Luc (tbc)

PS non mgf.be board members can join us too

Still not sure when and what we will book: train/boat
Where do we get our LHD/RHD headlight covers things ... more important than before, as we will be driving at night on smaller roads.

[Andros]

Well, I know they sell those on the boat to the UK, that shouldn't be too much of a problem..

[Adrian Clifford]

Yes Erik, you can buy them on the ferry but in all honesty I never change the lamps on my TF (although I can change just by moving the lever). I have never bothered with this since the French stopped using yellow lamps in the 70's All the roads you will drive on will be lit, you will not drive on country roads (unless you get badly lost ).

OK, the plan :

If you arrive early at Dover (ferry especially Norfolk Lines are cheaper than the train) you can travel up the M20 to the M25 following Dartford and drive to the hotel (I will list the ones I like the look of soon, you have the prices on an earlier thread). Here you will go through your first tunnel under the river Thames, take the left side tunnel, there are two lanes through two tunnels and stay on the left, it will be easier to get to your hotel this way, you will need £1.50p in cash to go through the tolls. At the hotel ask if you can check in early, if not tell them you are here as you will not be back until midnight, then you can go shopping as the massive shopping complex of Lakeside is 1km away.

Dawn and I will meet you at the hotel at 17.30 and take you to the start at Wimbledon in south west London, please arrive hungry as the owner of the American themed diner will donate at least 10% directly to the charity and the food is good too.

The police will set us on our way from 20.00 and the Roadbook will be in km's for you. In the book you will find out about the route and what you will see on the way, read it early as you will not have much time when you are driving, the navigator will be working hard I can tell you. You will cross the River many times including opening bridges, a wooden bridge, a counter balance bridge and tunnels some of which date back to Brunel from the 19th century. You will drive through the London Docklands pass pubs that are 500 years old, parts of the London you will see are over 1,000 years old. In the Canary Wharf area you will pass through security checks where your car will be swabbed for traces of explosives, if you are unwilling to go through here please let me know and I will give you an alternative route.

Many Bus Lanes finish at 19.00 so we should not suffer too much traffic, I have created a good route that I'm sure you will enjoy.

I will ensure you have an English car with you all the way, we will travel in groups of three maximum as stopping for pictures will be difficult in larger numbers.

We will stop in Greenwich for coffee and supper where some will go home, we will continue the whole route of the River passing under the QE11 bridge and back to your hotel.

In the morning after breakfast you can do more shopping as Lakeside opens at 10.00, you are one hour away from Dover at this point so getting home at a good time is possible.

Don't forget we are one hour behind you so set your clocks back one hour when you arrive.

There will be a commemorative plaque for the event for the early bookings only and, I think we will create a special for THE DAY.

Anything else, just ask.

[Adrian Clifford]

as usual ... a list:

Kasper
Bruno (tbc)
Erik (tbc)
Luc (tbc)
Marina & Christian

PS non mgf.be board members can join us too

[Adrian Clifford]

I have checked the hotels for you and I am happy with the cheapest It's the Ibis (Accor hotel chain as you know) here's the link : http://www.ibishotel.com/gb/hotel-2176- ... ndex.shtml

The on-line price for the night is £44 with an extra £7.50 for the full breakfast with 95 rooms still available.

It's right in the heart of the shopping retail park, so it's not an attractive location but it should be safe and quiet and it will serve your purpose well. You can check in from 12.00 so this is good as you can go shopping if you arrive early enough on Saturday.

I have checked the prices with P&O and Sea France, they too have some good prices at the moment so it's over to you now.

I need to know who is coming as I will arrange for the rally plaques to be available if you want them.

Do we want something for "The Day" to keep the tradition alive ?

[ErikB]

as usual ... a list:

Kasper
Bruno (tbc)
Erik (tbc)
Luc (tbc)
Marina & Christian

PS non mgf.be board members can join us too

Now I see the start of the confusion. The (tbc) is back at the end of my name.

Kasper
Bruno
Erik
Luc
Marina & Christian