The Rotary Club of Chipping Sodbury 2023 Classic Run

 

Chipping Sodbury Classic Car Run 2023

 

A few weeks ago it was the El Cid that was taken out for a run to the 2CV National near Worcester and now it was time for the Burton. A weekend away visiting family near Bristol and the delights of all the pubs on the main street of Chipping Sodbury. It used to be a market town. It has expanded enormously but has lost the market but still has the wide main street that was the start of the car and bike rally. Not many bikes but over two hundred launched on a scenic drive around Gloucestershire on a gloriously sunny Sunday.

Saturday was used to check the car and fit the rally plate to the front bumper for the early start on Sunday. My number for this year was 197 which was the same as last year. I had Covid last year on returning from Spain and had to miss the event. My brothers’ Adrian and Barry were in a Dolly and were in front of us, number 196. We lined up in Chipping Sodbury High Street at 8:45 for a 10am start. Time to have a bacon roll while watching the other entrants move off. There was a bit of a delay in our start time of about half an hour but it turned out to be critical as the day progressed. Leaving Chipping Sodbury with a wave from the Mayor and a commemorative photograph we were soon on our way chasing those ahead. It was not long before we joined the pack ahead and were behind Adrian in his Dolly.

Today Gita was driving and I navigating. Gita had not driven the Burton since Croatia in 2019 before lockdown. Neither of us has driven much since. Out through Wotton under Edge, Nailsworthy, Michinhampton and towards Gloucester for a coffee break in the Dowty Sports and Social club and some very nice cakes. It had taken over two and a half hours to do this part of the run and left little time to complete the second stage. During negotiating road works around Gloucester we lost our way and not able to discover the route we decided to take to most direct route to return to Chipping Sodbury. We were only 29 miles away at this stage with about one and a half hours driving. How long taking the scenic route would have taken I’m not sure but certainly longer. The run finished at the Rugby ground at 4pm so we had to be back before then to have the pre-ordered lunch. We were just in time to sit and have lunch before the event ended. It was about 3:15 when we parked up and were almost the last to finish missing the afternoon entertainment.

It was a difficult route with a slow pace to cover the forty odd miles in each direction and I was disappointed not to complete it but it was not possible with the start time but an enjoyable day none-the-less. Going to have to do it again.