Talk Morgan Forums Community Vehicle Talk (non-Morgan) travelling London ULEZ

Dear Richard,

thank you for your informations and great pictures!

Oh, pictures and (british) adventures… for the pictures, I‘m too silly to transform them from my IPad in TM. Adventures?
We travelled England a lot of times… and yes, some adventures.

The easy one: putting best british Equipment in our POLO and travel „Lost lanes“ (nice Collection of cycle tours from a english writer) by a Brompton and a Moulton TSR.

First journey… travelling Cornwall in april in the mind-80ies. As our book „travelling Cornwall“ told us: The best time - april. Sunny, warm, only a few tourists. Welcome in the real world. Cold, rain, fog. Travelling a lot of miles in this times was „difficult“, I think you know what I mean. Especially in a MINI 1000.
But one morning my wife feels VERY bad. After a short breakfast for me: back home. And fast please.
Said. Done. Pedal to the metal… and in one day! From LandsEnd to Dover and than to the Rhein-Main Area. More than 1000 Kilometers.

The second journey: collecting the MOG late November. brandnew from Sarah/BHM. As a correct man, first thing: „glueing“ the frontlamps (german spec. car…). And to Sarah: see you in a few days, we travel Landsend, and than the first service… After a lot of talks starting to late to Southampton. Rain. And dark. And as you can think: with the „correct lights“ - see nearly nothing. Not far traveled, a diversion. This sign I remember. A lot of traffic, turning left, a hill up… following the signs. THREE TIMES! We find out of the mystic circle. And arrive Southampton VERY Late.
The Next day: Easy. Sunny. Hood down. Dartmoor, Motorway to LandsEnd. Arrived when the sun goes down. Wonderful. Than
to Sennen Cove for a sleep.
Sitting at the table for breakfast, a look out: rain. Rain? Out of the door for a better look. Icerain. You know Sennen Cove? And the hill? Hurry up! Icerain, a brandnew car. Never had a rearwheeldrive… leaving Cornwall. Driving in the Dartmoor… suddently I feel something at my arm. Hail. It was hail outside. And inside. A new expierence. Hail in a car. It‘s british. Driving forward, towards Southampton again. A night in „Leyland House“ was booked. It turns dark, it rains again… I can see: not far away from nothing.
Passing the New Forrest at one Point I realized: it‘s snow on the road. At some points I think: the half of the cars in this area is behind me…
But the next morning: more simple. The Motorway to BHM.

At another journey in Britain we wonder about „flood“ with no water in sight. Two days later there was „some water“ at the road. It doesn‘t look deep. We submarined the MOG. The MASSIVE wave Waves over the screen in the car.

So, this year: No, Sir, no Adventures please. ;-)

Greats from Mainz

René
Looking forward for some little adventures…

Dear Rene

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your adventures they really made me smile.

The story around the mini echoes well for me with our Ami 8 on the Autobahns, sorry to hear your good lady was unwell though such bad timing for you both.
What an epic drive in a mini though I hope you gained a few man toy credits there

I'm glad you had a good trip in the Morgan, yes that hail really hurts doesn't it as you know I don't put the roof up travelling solo so I have a fair bit of experience also with the snow driving on Dartmoor with my 4/4 Sport, everyone else decided to abandon their cars for some reason perhaps they need a Morgan.







This was after the Westminster tour no roof or screens all the way from Stoke Fleming to a reasonable central London Hotel then to an old friends funeral in New Malden and onwards to Cambridge for an overnight with No 1 daughter and family and return home. Super 1,200 miles.
When you reserve your parking £5 overnight (cheapest in London Village I reckon) in 2015 - there was an ex Gurkha Regiment soldier guarding the car park overnight so I gave him a tenner as he was a lovely chap and they are not paid well. He was so interested in the car so it was bonnets up and a sit in it, the car has never been safer these soldiers are very special people.

I was topless no side screen doing 90mph on the A303 at 0300 in the morning on the homeward trip minding my own business when an Orange XK 120 with Brooklands Screens screamed past me and we just managed to wave in the airstream, I expect he had a stupid grin on his face too it was - 4C at the time not moving and I don't think I have ever felt more alive (or cold)..

If you come anywhere near us do give me a ping on PM and we can meet up somewhere and swap adventures face to face.

It's not a case of intelligence posting photos Rene, even I can do it it's a crazy technique that you either get or you don't.
If you have some you would like posted PM me and it will be a pleasure to post them on your behalf especially as you really are an adventurer

Wishing you very best regards for a little ruhiger Abenteuer mit viel spass.

Greetings from Stoke Fleming, kleine dorf in South Devon

For Central London area check the "congestion charge". "ULEZ" is really for older diesels (even my M3W passes the ULEZ test!).

We‘re Germans and the car has a German registration. The London TV doesn‘t know the foreign car until you do the registration. A registration by mistake doesn‘t hurt… Not registrated by mistake would be very painful. And expensive.

Greets René

Dear Richard,

„Man toy credits“… oh, yes a nice collection…
The MOG, my 1977 Vespa 150Sprint VELOCE (a birthsday present),
and after the doctors told me after cancer „you‘re okay“ (in the moment) … allowed to change the new MotoGuzzi back to a brandnew Harley (Softail Standard).
And 14 bicycles…

We booked a B&B in middle of nowhere in the middle of Sussex, and only short journeys around the B&B. And we want visit Sarah at BHM. A must for a Morganeer. I hope for a look at a SuperSport and a Testdrive with a PlusFour. But my wife doesn‘t like the look of the new MOGs. „Synthetic“ she says…

Regards René

Rene,

There are many poems about the UK weather that are still pretty reliable indicator of the weather to expect in the UK,.in general, at a particular point of the year, to mind comes 'March winds do blow, brings on April showers.................and so on.

In general the poems can be more reliable than our weather forecasts and tourist information guides. There's usually a good reason why there is a distinct tourist season, as we don't get many long hot dry summers. Don't confuse water shortages and hose pipe bans as a good sign of dry weather, the UK is usually so wet and has lots of rain, we haven't built as many water reservoirs as we should have, to service our ever growing population density. So in some areas a short dry spell and water is at a premium.

Some of the nicest weather in my humble opinion is in May and June, as long as you don't suffer from hay fever. Still get a fair few sunny dry days, with cool evenings, but not the hordes of tourists as the schools haven't broken up for the summer break.


(Christina Rossetti)

January cold and desolate;
February dripping wet;
March wind ranges;
April changes;
Birds sing in tune
to flowers of May,
And sunny June
Brings longest day;

In scorched July
the storm-clouds fly,
Lightning-torn;
August bears corn,
September fruit;
In rough October
Earth must disrobe her;
Stars fall and shoot
In keen November;
And night is long
And cold is strong
In bleak December.

Last time we went to the big city was just before Covid restrictions started. I wanted to avoid driving in there so booked a hotel in Hounslow outside the then ULEZ boundary despite being compliant, with access to tube/buses, Oyster card to pay. Went to the Saatchi gallery to see the Tut exhibition. Couple of other venues added in. Much better than navigating, parking etc. The TFL website helped plan routes and transport.

Oh, I‘m a little fanatic about the british south. We travelled Britain about 10times. So we know about the weather.
In Germany, if somebody asks me what you think about the weather it‘s funny in english.. „wie findest du das Wetter?“
That means „what you think about the weather“. But have a look at the second word!
My answer: I‘ll open the door and I‘ll see…

So no worries, we‘ll be prepared.

Travelling London: we had some stays in the hotel in the past. It‘s not far away from Motorway, take the right exit, a few miles on a good road and here we are. But it‘s in the ULEZ.

I‘m a little grazy, but not so silly. If we stay in London we travel by tube or bus, and yes, I know how to pay for the journey by the creditcard, so no worries, too.

After a few days in London we booked some days at a farm in Sussex to enjoy the landscape. And the MOG.

I think it‘s an good idea and we‘ll do our best for some nice and great days.

Greets René

Only my wife is a little in fear: Morgan groundclearance and a farm?

Just phone ahead and let them know you will need 100mm ground clearance, any farm always has a JCB and hardcore around or scaffold planks to put down in needed areas to save the good lady any concerns.

Worth a google earth of the place, it may have a concrete track as they are important these days for disease prevention and biosecurity if they have a brain cell or two (serious farmers have many and do things professionally) - you cannot disinfect a dirt track effectively it just turns into a disease ridden mud bath.

Hello Richard,

GoogleEarth was an good idea! Thank you.

It looks like a usual white lane single road track. Sometimes with a little gras in the middle. So slow driving and using eyes and brain would help.

But farm? It looks more like a „house“.

Greets René