Review of the Year

2012

Taken at Dungeness as part of our Windy Wastelands drive, I love the moody skies, the bright colours of the cars, the people, lighthouse then pylons heading off into the distance. The light is often great for photographs here

Five minutes before we were walking in bright sunshine on the Needles, we could see the storm come in, so hurried back to the cars.

Of all the pictures I have taken at Fatboy’s Diner, this one of Kumaran’s Cayman is a favourite

I love this portrait shot of the cars waiting to be loaded on the Ferry at Southampton ahead of our ‘Saturday Night on the Isle of Wight; tour.Taken by Ron Henriquez, it has great symmetry

Taken as Nick and I did a route check for our London Landmark route, early on a Sunday morning. Very London!

Just one of the ‘orange’ car, which encapsulates summer evenings at ‘Ace’

Some of the crew who have made R20 a success in 2012

In 2012, Porsche Club GB’s London Region, known as R20 has been very active, with;• Four Longer Tours• Five Sunday Escapes • Ten R20 on Tour events• And 22 Monthly MeetsWe have drawn seven maps, handed out 150 R20 stickers, taken over 1750 photographs and written around 18,000 words for PP articles and regional reports. We couldn’t have done all of that on our own. If you like what you see, we have a great schedule for 2013. Join us, you are very welcome

Nick and Ed Pike, R20 Organizersp.s. Here are some of my favourite pictures of the year

Another waiting for the ferry picture. The reflections in the puddle were an unexpected surprise when I looked at the picture close up. The big skies look full of sunshine ....

Taken by Ron Henriquez, I love the angle and the use of the crop in the forefront

What a turnout! With about 40-50 people and close on 30+ cars it was a great R20 turnout at the Reading OPC on a grey Saturday in January.  The bays were kept full of cars undergoing their 111 point checks before being washed and handed back.Tours of the building (which also hosts Porsche GB), the workshops, storage and other facilities quickly filled up and kept the Reading team busy.  Seeing so many iconic Porsches in one place, including more than a handful of Carrera GT's, and several Carrera Cup cars made the visit worth it. The knowledgeable technical team were happy to spend time talking about their subjects. The Reading team made us feel very welcome and did a great job of coordinating and managing the different groups and cars in and out of the bays.  A big thank-you to Karl and JC for organising the event. We finally left the OPC as they were closing for the day and headed for a late lunch at the Spring Inn in Sulhamstead. The team at the Inn did a great job serving the 20 hungry people. It turns out the co-owner has a 911 and was very surprised to see his car park full of Porsches.

R20 visit to Reading OPC

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Some of the R20 members as they head out for their tour

The ‘Not quite’ London to Brighton Run

A big thank-you to Des Sturdee, who in a moment of inspiration back in October suggested that we slot a London to Brighton run into the 2012 calendar. So, on a glorious day in late March, with perfect weather for a run to the coast we headed off on our first R20 Sunday Escape.Over 20 cars turned up at our start point, The Full Monty cafe on the A23 just south of Croydon. Vince, the owner

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and a Porsche driver was unfazed by a car park full of Porsches, ranging from two 356’s, Des’s modified 930 SuperSport and a wide range of more modern cars. The cabriolets soon had their roofs down.We headed south along the traditional route taken by the Veteran Car Rally, through the suburban towns on the A23. The two 356’s showed us what they were made of on the dual carriageway sections, giving the modern versions a run for their money. Once we moved off the A23 at Handcross we were on near-empty country roads that wind up and over the South Downs interspersed with quaint villages. Great driving in a Porsche.We all managed to find Madeira Drive in Brighton and find a spot, for a sort of line-up. The seafront was busy and we soon had people stopping by to talk about the impressive range of cars parked up. Mark and Sally’s 356’s attracted much attention.With our cars parked up on wide, empty, residential avenues a block in from the seafront, we stopped for lunch at the Ginger Pig in Hove.

Saturday Night on the Isle of Wight

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The offending alarm

Waiting to be loaded

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The big event of April was the R20 invasion of the Isle of Wight. Another crazy idea at one of our regular meets comes to life. Eleven cars and Nineteen brave R20 members left Ace Cafe and headed for the coast. A quick word with the Red Funnel Load Master had the low slung cars assigned to the basement, sorry bottom deck. An hour later we have been unloaded and are heading for Yarmouth and lunch at The Bugle.Ian’s seagull deterrent was less subtle than he hoped; the techies in the group soon identified the problem as a corroded alarm connection and quickly disconnected, wrapped it in a towel and hid it deep in his boot, much to the relief of the rather nice yacht club we were parked next to. Ian was awarded the first ever ‘Report to the (famous) Naughty Step’ cards, courtesy of Rick Cannell.Leaving Yarmouth we headed across the hills to the Needles and in a glorious break in

the weather spent a lovely couple of hours at the top of the iconic cliffs. Back in the cars the Military Road beckoned, recommended by a local PCGB member who reminded us that it is very popular for radar gun calibration. What a great road.Our overnight stop in Shanklin gave stunning views from the cliff tops, whilst the team at Morgans put together a locally sourced dinner.

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Sunday morning had a slower start in glorious sunshine, before finding more great roads to drive. We finally headed back towards Cowes, where part of the group visited Osborne House, home of Queen Victoria. The other part of the group headed into Cowes to find a pub showing Formula One. All together again for the ferry home, once again the Red Funnel Load Master was very kind and this time we all parked on the lower deck.All in all, the weekend was so much better than we had expected. We had wonderful breaks in the weather which gave bright sunshine and stormy skies. The driving roads were fantastic,

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All pictures: RH

Ace CafeLast Monday of the month

Even in the depths of a cold and wet November evening we had 20 cars and even more people sheltering inside in the warm, nursing mugs of tea, pints of beer and sausage sandwiches.Ace Cafe is an iconic institution on the North Circular road between the A40 and A5. The current owner renovated the cafe years ago and it is a popular spot for both bikers and car enthusiasts. Our meet is on the last Monday of the month from 6pm with most turning up about 7:30pm

So ... how many people normally come to this meet? A difficult one to answer, it depends on the weather and what else is going on. We average 30+ cars throughout the year.The longer evenings bring out a wider variety of cars, many which are fair weather only.

R20 on TourAlly Pally

Our May ‘R20 on Tour’ met at Alexandra Palace, one of London’s iconic landmarks, with views across the city and the surrounding countryside.It was a brave group who met in on an overcast and freezing cold evening. We will return in 2013

Another unseasonably cold and wet day for the R20 visit to Goodwood Supercar Sunday. The Goodwood circuit struggled to park the visitors on hard standing, as the grass areas were water-logged.The Earl of March let us in early to warm up before a sumptuous Sunday Lunch and a twisty run back to London including the Hindhead tunnel

Goodwood Supercar Sunday Lunch

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Early ‘Tango’ gets the grid position

Lineup at the Earl of March

A glorious long summer evening welcomed the intrepid souls who came on the ‘R20 on Tour’ London Landmark run.The drive took in as many of the landmark London buildings that we could practically fit into a two hour escapade. We passed palaces, banks, seats of government, churches, courts and a rather good tunnel run, criss-crossing the river as we went.

Taking a looping run we ended up in Hyde Park, not a million miles from our start point in Chelsea.We had so much fun with the route, we set a quiz (below), which no-one has got 100%

R20 on TourLondon

Landmarks

R20 Photographers We are fortunate to have a number of keen photographers in the R20 Region, ready to catch the perfect shot. I have tried to attribute the photographs taken by others where I can. If I have missed one, my sincere apologies!The main contributors are; JC: John Cherrington, RH: Ron Henriquez, JG: Jon Grindall, EP: Ed Pike, and TP: Tiku Patel

JC: John Cherrington

RH: Ron Henriquez (and his gorgeous assistant, Shamila)

JG: Jon Grindall EP: Ed Pike

24 Heures du Mans

2012 saw one of the largest groups from R20 attending the 24 Heures du Mans, known as ‘Le Camping’. The sun shone for part of the event and a good time was had by all, as you can see from the pictures. The R20 banners were out in force. A huge thank-you to the R20 organiser, Chris Collard (aka Beaky), who patiently and expertly pulled the event together. Pictures courtesy of Jon Grindall and John Cherrington

Less than a month after the 24 Heures du Mans, R20 is once again back in France, this time for the ‘Classic’.With tents traded in for a Chateau, a more civilised air pervaded the week, with time by the pool interspersed with some great classic racing.One of the things everyone loves about the Classic, is the access to the pit lanes and the race cars, giving it a really intimate feel.A big Thank-you goes to Jon Grindall for taking on the organizing, no mean feat!Pictures courtesy of Jon Grindall and John Cherrington

Le Mans Classic

With the Olympic flame passing through our regular East London meet point, we headed out of town instead, relocating to The Cricketers in Sarratt, an R20 favourite spot for lunch. Tucked away in the Chiltern Hills, yet easily accessible from London, with some great local roads.The R20 colouring kits were popular with the children of all ages. We were also joined by Carol on with her alternative 1hp transport.

The Cricketers

Heading south east through the English countryside, the (mildly moist) country lanes with their undulating switchbacks challenged those cars without ABS. After Rye the landscape changes dramatically as you head towards the windswept Romney Marshes and past the deserted buildings of the bombing and gunnery range at Lydd on some lovely curving roads. Dungeness is a different landscape, as the R20 visitors soon appreciated; with no trees to protect the area from the wind, there are few plants that can survive the constant inclement weather. The nuclear power plant looms ominously in the distance giving an industrial feel. With little to obstruct the view, the skies are big and the light has an great quality

Sunday Escape Windy Wastelands

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Fatboy’s DinerThird Saturday

With its industrial location at Trinity Bouy Wharf and the proximity to the river, the photographers in the group have the most fun at our East London meet, held at Fatboy’s diner.With its casual format, turn up from 12:30pm on the third Saturday of the month, this is a firm favourite in the R20 calendar, and was the toughest to choose some representative pictures for. This is often the first meet for new members.The year has seen a wide range of cars, some old, and some new. We celebrated Tracy’s birthday with cupcakes and created another caption competition entry with a trestle table and Karls GT2 (right).Rain or shine, you are guaranteed a warm welcome here.

Septembers ‘R20 on Tour’ took us on a guided pub tour through the city of London.

R20 on ‘Pub’ Tour

R20 on Tour Steak Night

In October, with the weather closing in, we headed for one of the cities best Steak restaurants for Steak, Lobster and Wine, Hawksmoor. A definite repeat for 2013Pictures: Ron Henriquez

Sunday Escape Chiltern Hills

An unusually (for R20) wet day for our Sunday Escape to the Chiltern Hills. The rain started as we left our meet point and settled in for the day.Fortunately the twisty and challenging roads cheered things up before we warmed up in front of the log fire at The Cricketers, in Sarratt for lunch.

Our late Autumn weekend away found us in the Peak District, with the aim to drive some of the most stunning roads in the UK. With a weekend of severe storms and flooding forecast we headed North with trepidation.The sun shone briefly as we headed for our driving route, known as the Oop Nord Ring. The Snake Pass gave

stunning mirror reflections in the Ladybower reservoir. As we left our lunch stop at The Lamb Inn, Hayfield, the fog descended and we were soon up in clouds. A challenging route back to the Peak Edge hotel just as the gale force winds and rains settled in for the night. We were soon curled up in front of the log fire.

Peak District Invasion

The overnight flooding was evident in the gravel littered across the roads surrounding the Chatsworth Estate.The weather soon cleared and we had a fantastic run across the ‘Cat and Fiddle’ before dropping into some fabulous and empty B-Roads towards Lognor.Home in time for the start of the Grand Prix.

Sunday’s plan included some of the greatest roads of the area, with twists, turns and stunning views from some of the highest points in the Peak District. It was stormy as we headed out for the day’s drive.

The R20 traditional Christmas Curry night, held at Tayyab’s was once again well attended.This East London institution has been hosting R20 curry nights for over 7 years. The outstanding Pakistani cooking, combined with a server who can memorise a 24 person order, perfectly and a bring your own beer/wine policy, a good time was had by all. The Tandoori King Prawns (pictured) were the star of the evening.

R20 on Tour Christmas Curry

DirectoryOver the year we have visited many great cafe’s, pubs and restaurants. The ones you find listed here all offer good food often focused on local ingredients and with a changing daily menu, porsche friendly parking and a friendly welcome. A surprising number also have Porsche-owning owners.

Spring InnBath RoadReading, RG7 5HPTel: 0118 930 3440Web: www.thespringinn.co.ukGood food, flexible with groups and convenient for the Reading OPC. Co-owner has a Porsche.

Full Monty Cafe207 Brighton RoadCoulsdon, CR5 3EATel: 01737 558498An old style ‘caff’ which is perfect for a Bacon sandwich before a drive. Located on the A23 near Croydon. Look for the owners classic Porsche.

The Ginger Pig3 Hove StreetHove, BN3 2TRTel: 01273 736123Web: thegingerpigpub.comGood foodie place in Hove, plenty of local (pay and display) street parking on wide avenues

The BugleThe SquareYarmouth, Isle of WightPO41 0NSTel: 01983 760272Web: www.thebugleyarmouth.co.ukGood pub food, popular with the sailing crews, so good at adapting to groups.

Morgans Restaurant36-38 High StreetShanklin, Isle of WightTel: 01983 864900 Web: www.morgansofshanklin.co.ukExcellent local restaurant, popular, focused on local ingredients

Bourne House Hotel11 Luccombe RoadShanklin, Isle of WightPO37 6RRTel: 01983 862820 Web: www.bournehallhotel.co.ukGood location in Shanklin, Porsche friendly parking

Earl of MarchLavant RoadChichester, West SussexPO18 0BQTel: 01243 533993Web: www.theearlofmarch.comFlexible and friendly, good food and a stones throw from the Goodwood circuit with great views over the downs

Lots Road Pub114 Lots RoadLondon, SW10 0RJTel: 020 7352 6645Web: www.lotsroadpub.comA gem, plenty of parking (early evening) and an ever changing menu. Good as a meet point.

CricketersThe Green  Sarratt, Rickmansworth, WD3 6ASTel: 01923 270877Web: www.brunningandprice.co.uk/cricketers/A firm favourite, originally recommended by Chris M. We keep returning for the ever changing menu, the friendly staff and comfortable dining, plus some great Chiltern roads in the surrounding area.

Hawksmoor Guildhall10 Basinghall Street  London, EC2V 5BQTel: 020 7397 8120Web: thehawksmoor.com/locations/guildhallA small chain of excellent steak restaurants, specialising in native breeds which are aged to perfection. The Guildhall branch is a classic ‘city’ steak house

The Lamb InnHayfield Road, ChinleyHigh Peak, SK23 6ALTel: 01663 750519Web: www.goodfoodpeakdistrict.co.ukLocated just south of Glossop in the High Peak, very popular with walkers for Sunday lunch. Good pub food

Peak Edge Hotel/Red LionDarley Road, Stone EdgeChesterfield, S45 0LWTel: 01246 566142Web: www.redlionpubandbistro.comLocated just south of the Chatsworth Estate, this recently renovated hotel and Bistro is perfectly located to access the Peak District. With plenty of Porsche friendly parking and great food, this would also work as a lunch stop. Another location with a Porsche owning, owner!

Tayyab’s83-89 Fieldgate StreetLondon, E1 1JUTel: 020 7247 6400Web: www.tayyabs.co.ukVery popular and booking highly recommended, be prepared to wait, even if you have booked. Food is excellent, not the sort of place that you would go for a romantic meal. Bring your own alcohol (and a corkscrew if needed).