The 2024 Rendezvous

[bauble]

I could point out that these ladies are falling at my feet

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by bauble

I could point out that these ladies are falling at my feet

I would imagine that the smell of cheese must have been overwhelming the poor ladies!

[midgetman]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

Max makes a good point about female engineers. Her name escapes me right now, but one such lady engineered Audi in the WEC and look how successful they were.

I listened to a really interesting podcast about one of the Aston Martin strategists who retired lately. She is extremely talented and got there on hard work and ability alone.

I abhor single gender races. To get to the top you have to race the best, no matter who they are.

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[John Elwin]

Originally Posted by midgetman

I listened to a really interesting podcast about one of the Aston Martin strategists who retired lately. She is extremely talented and got there on hard work and ability alone.

I abhor single gender races. To get to the top you have to race the best, no matter who they are.

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Couldn't agree more...

I suppose it stems in part from the 'everyone has to have a prize' mentality that seems to pervade all today.

[bauble]

I agree that in motor sport gender should not count, however, any lady who could compete with the men in the Tour de France (for example) is unlikely to be he sort of woman you might want to date.

Just a thought.

[E.B]

Originally Posted by midgetman

I listened to a really interesting podcast about one of the Aston Martin strategists who retired lately. She is extremely talented and got there on hard work and ability alone.

I think that might be Bernie (Bernadette) Collins. She is now part of the Sky F1 presenters team and is a great addition. I find her info in depth but simple to understand and very interesting.

She had zero interest in motor racing and 'fell into' it whilst at Belfast Uni doing a degree course in Mechanical engineering (which she enrolled on because she liked Physics and Maths). She became part of the "Formula Student" race programme as part of her course. That led to her applying for a graduate trainee programme with the McLaren Team, because it appeared on the notice board. She sailed through all the online and face to face assessments and tests. That was 2009.

Interesting bio on Wiki shows her progression in more detail than above. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernadette_Collins

[midgetman]

Originally Posted by E.B

I think that might be Bernie (Bernadette) Collins. She is now part of the Sky F1 presenters team and is a great addition. I find her info in depth but simple to understand and very interesting.

She had zero interest in motor racing and 'fell into' it whilst at Belfast Uni doing a degree course in Mechanical engineering (which she enrolled on because she liked Physics and Maths). She became part of the "Formula Student" race programme as part of her course. That led to her applying for a graduate trainee programme with the McLaren Team, because it appeared on the notice board. She sailed through all the online and face to face assessments and tests. That was 2009.

Interesting bio on Wiki shows her progression in more detail than above. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernadette_Collins

That was her. I'm lousy with names so couldn't recall it, thank you. Very interesting podcast, lightened my run home one night.

I have one young girl driving in my team. She's OK, could be a strong kart racer and hopefully will move on to car racing. I don't think she'll go "all the way", but that's not because she's female, more where her skill level is set. It's really too early to tell. And who cares? She's having fun.

One would have thought that promoting female drivers would be a marketer's dream, but the demise of W Formula (? Can't even remember the name!) shows that motor racing money is more focussed on talent than marketing ability. I so wish Stroll Snr had had a daughter who wanted to make it to F1.

I haven't had any female engineers yet, I did have one apply but she struggled to lift the karts onto their trolley. We could have got round it but it seemed to put her off. There are several in karting though. Because they can do the job, not to fill any quotas.

[bauble]

Returning to Female drivers, i give you Sharlie Goddard, who competed in the Morgan Challenge series for many years. Sharie is/was a very talented, and determined lady, the Challenge is always hotly contested series and Sharlie was invariably in the thick of it going wheel to wheel with the best of them, and came within a ace of winning the Championship outright one year. Her talents were not for the series alone, but raced at classic Le Mans, rallied, and latterly a Sunbeam in historic saloon evens.

[Peter Mallett]

That's the lady.

[delta]

We have had several female students . Sure it’s a bit of a pain , two of them have gone on to F1 which is great . I wish I had kept a record of all the students that have been with me at Delta Motor Sport . They always say “ we will keep in touch “. They never do.

[Lancsbreaker]

Has everybody decided they can't compete with Bauble's charm? No posts for over a week! Or were you all busy making sure you got your tax returns in......did mine with about 10 days to spare, so felt very smug.



Felt very old earlier this week when I had to borrow my (step-)granddaughter's Discovery to take a trailer up to Glasgow to collect the Hinda CRV I'd bought from salvage as a replacement for the Freelander I sold, which went to Ukraine....


Apart from the incongruity of me borrowing from her, it reminded me that its quite a long time since I did a 450 or so mile round trip in a day, particularly with a trailer in tow. Mind you the V6 diesel Disco, despite having 180+K miles on the clock, proved an exceedingly smooth and easy drive, although being auto wasn't markedly fuel-efficient Just given the CRV (a 2008 2.2 diesel, with a mere 218K miles) a quick trial run and it seems fine apart from a few random pixels in the info display......biggest problem is the handbook which is some 530 pages long - plus another thick booklet for the sat-nav/radio

[bauble]

Has everybody decided they can't compete with Bauble's charm? No posts for over a week! Or were you all busy making sure you got your tax returns in......did mine with about 10 days to spare, so felt very smug.

I had noticed that Lancs, and was worried i had killed another thread with trivia. Let's hope a few more intrepid souls will raise their heads above the parapet and let fly. The forum needs input, for us to make fun of.

Speaking (so to speak) about my charm, it has taken a bit of a hit recently. Being elderly brings all of the trials and tribulations associated with 80+ years, Katie a charming lady 'Foot health care practitioner', tells me I have nice feet, the lovely nurse who bandages my sore leg, says it is a good leg. Nothing abut my youthful good looks, manly chest or handsome profile. Are they all blind, I ask myself, or am I losin ..................!!!!!

[E.B]

Originally Posted by bauble

I had noticed that Lancs, and was worried i had killed another thread with trivia. Let's hope a few more intrepid souls will raise their heads above the parapet and let fly. The forum needs input, for us to make fun of.

Speaking (so to speak) about my charm, it has taken a bit of a hit recently. Being elderly brings all of the trials and tribulations associated with 80+ years, Katie a charming lady 'Foot health care practitioner', tells me I have nice feet, the lovely nurse who bandages my sore leg, says it is a good leg. Nothing abut my youthful good looks, manly chest or handsome profile. Are they all blind, I ask myself, or am I losin ..................!!!!!

Tell them you have a nice new shiny red Ferrari in the garage Bob...

[Tel 911S]

Felt very old earlier this week when I had to borrow my (step-)granddaughter's Discovery to take a trailer up to Glasgow to collect the Hinda CRV I'd bought from salvage as a replacement for the Freelander I sold, which went to Ukraine....


Apart from the incongruity of me borrowing from her, it reminded me that its quite a long time since I did a 450 or so mile round trip in a day, particularly with a trailer in tow. Mind you the V6 diesel Disco, despite having 180+K miles on the clock, proved an exceedingly smooth and easy drive, although being auto wasn't markedly fuel-efficient Just given the CRV (a 2008 2.2 diesel, with a mere 218K miles) a quick trial run and it seems fine apart from a few random pixels in the info display......biggest problem is the handbook which is some 530 pages long - plus another thick booklet for the sat-nav/radio [/QUOTE]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I think that when you have built up the experience of long distance driving , it stays with you .
Retired from full time work , [ which included a lot of driving ], quite a few years ago .
.A couple of years ago I delivered a car to San Tropez. Got going in France and thought " I am too old for all this again ". But after a little while got back in the swing and kept going .
Dropped the car off with the owner , started back aiming to stop and get a bit of sleep somewhere .
But didnt feel at all tired and kept going .
So towing trailer , left Calais on Thursday morning , arrived back at Calais with trailer on Friday morning .
I do know if I am tired , but for many years have driven huge distances and known if I have to stop to rest . So I think the experience is always there .

[Lancsbreaker]

They are probably both short-sighted ladies, so can't see past your lower extremities on which they are focussed

[John Elwin]

Originally Posted by Lancsbreaker

They are probably both short-sighted ladies, so can't see past your lower extremities on which they are focussed

One wonders just what they were focusing on down there...

[midgetman]

Here's something cheerful. The Daytona 24 Hours has been and gone which to me signifies the racing season is upon us again. And there are daffodils out in our corner of mid Wiltshire! Yes, daffodils in January! I appreciate it's now February but I've been meaning to post this for a week.

Something to be thankful for, a cheery yellow smile as I drive up Church Hill. Spring will soon be here.



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[John Elwin]

Originally Posted by midgetman

Here's something cheerful. The Daytona 24 Hours has been and gone which to me signifies the racing season is upon us again. And there are daffodils out in our corner of mid Wiltshire! Yes, daffodils in January! I appreciate it's now February but I've been meaning to post this for a week.

Something to be thankful for, a cheery yellow smile as I drive up Church Hill. Spring will soon be here.



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Ooh you optimist!

No daffodils here so far as I know but I have got snowdrops in my garden & the birds are singing like spring.

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by John Elwin

No daffodils here so far as I know but I have got snowdrops in my garden & the birds are singing like spring.

You've better enjoy bird songs, you missed nothing not attending our annual show. Would have been great to catch up but will be for another "occasion"!

[John Elwin]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

You've better enjoy bird songs, you missed nothing not attending our annual show. Would have been great to catch up but will be for another "occasion"!

Yes, I'm sorry I could not see you but I had a very interesting week watching lots of live action on the motorways. BFM covered the whole affair very well. Their female reporters really enjoyed themselves riding on tractors. One, as they bounced across the fields dodging the gendarmes said it was more fun than the Tour de France! Anyway a big credit to them all. I learned a lot.

Not so sure about the Belgians - definitely more aggressive but I suspect not all were farmers. The Belgian police were really asleep though, that 1,500 tractors could make it to the centre of Brussels unchallenged.

[midgetman]

I don't think *anyone* has called me an optimist before! Please don't let it get out and spoil my carefully nurtured miserable persona......

Suitably grey and overcast today but still warm. Climate change is definitely here in Wiltshire, we've hardly seen any snow compared to say a decade ago. And the Monte is now a tarmac rally, with a bit of ice on the high hills!

Off to Lincolnshire for the weekend now, the wind certainly whips across those lowlands so I'm packing loads of sweaters........but I'll be doing my bit for global warming by running my gas heater in the garage With any luck I won't need it in another ten years

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[Gerard C]

On usual, Belgian police and Royal Gendarmerie are not exactly people you'd love to deal with. If they did nothing or few, they must have been following the orders IMO. Easy here to push back hundreds of angry farmers, wait a bit till they get bored, thirsty and frozen to the bones and make promises. If it's not enough, add promises till they go home!

[GORDON STREETER]

Meanwhile a little video to start the day https://youtu.be/A_FrDeu7hlE

[Mike Harte]

Seeing that partially built hotel complex reminds me that in Benidorm the town hall gave a developer building consent to construct an apartment tower with multiple floors. About a year after work had started, the town hall woke up and realised, long after local residents had, that they had added somewhere in the region of 11 extra floors.

Work was immediately stopped by the authority in charge of monitoring construction, which in the Valencian region happens to be the local police who are actually controlled by the local town halls in the region and the people who should have stopped the building as soon as they started on the extra floors. Being as the building was on the sea front, it's not as though they couldn't see what was going on as they passed by many times a day. Back in the day they were just considered to be a security team for the local mayor but over many years some of their powers were increased, but most locals just think of them as lollipop/parking wardens, however ones that carry sidearms!

After many years passed, the developer had conveniently gone bust, and the town hall had to cough up to demolish the whole building as no other developer wanted to take on the removal of the extra floors and to complete the project.

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

Seeing that partially built hotel complex reminds me that in Benidorm the town hall gave a developer building consent to construct an apartment tower with multiple floors. About a year after work had started, the town hall woke up and realised, long after local residents had, that they had added somewhere in the region of 11 extra floors.

Mike. It was built on what we would call "green belt land" and was obviously done with a few "Large backhanders" !! and of course it was built overnight so nobody saw it being built !! It was actually started 20 years ago and halted in 2006
In fact there is another such complex nearer to us at Macenas beach that is even worse an eyesore as it has no infill only the concrete structure and is at the end of this short video that I made 5 years ago. All the buildings/sites shown are still the same today !
https://youtu.be/6MymXPUnnbU