North East Runs 21 and 28 September PHOTOS!

[Bradders75]

Back down to 17 now Paul as I have to drop out. I've had a bad back all week that I've been hoping would get better but 500 miles in the Zed tomorrow just doesn't appeal. Hope you all have a great day.

 

[paulgs1000]

Back down to 17 now Paul as I have to drop out. I've had a bad back all week that I've been hoping would get better but 500 miles in the Zed tomorrow just doesn't appeal. Hope you all have a great day.

Sorry to hear that Mark.

Hope things improve over a restful weekend - see you at the next one.

Thanks for letting us know.

 

[paulgs1000]

Hi All,

Just got back from a last recce with Steph. All fine - just the lousy road surfaces on some of the route

4 have been in contact so we're now 14 Zeds (unless any extras arrive on the day :? ) - the weather is looking promising.

We are gutted because the tide will not be in when we travel down the coast - checked it a few days ago on line and nothing's changed on the tide tables since, despite checking again! :lol:

Just had a call from Craig3.2 to see if we're alright and ready for the day - thanks Craig - good to have a chat through it.

The car's now ready - washed and prepared for the day - route sheets ready and stapled. So. . . .

See you all in the morning.

 

[mike n helen]

Last minute change of plans means me and Helen can come along to our first meet with you guys and say hello. May not be able to stay for the full trip but should be able make Seahouses (chips for dinner ) Keep your eye out for us in our blue Z4MC.

See you soon

 

[paulgs1000]

Everything checked - heading out for the start - last check of the forum.

Looking forward to meeting you Mike n Helen glad you can make it!

 

[mike n helen]

Hi guys, just like to say we had a great day today and nice to meet everyone. Looking forward to another in the not to distant future.

A couple of pictures to be getting on with







Mike n Helen

 

[grumpybri]

Thanks Paul & Steph,
Another great day out, fantastic roads, weather and nice to see some old faces.
Once I work out how to upload photos I will post them up.

 

[Toe-side]

Hi guys great day out today. Nice to meet new and old.
A big thank you to Paul and Steph . All the hard work paid off



Chillingham Castle



Bamburgh



Craster...............Those Z's they are as common as cat s**t

 

[grumpybri]

Here (hopefully) are some photos of today

 

[AndrewP]

Thanks all for a great day out, especially Paul and Steph, and Jax/Craig for enlivening a fairly dull drag home up the A1 . Nice to meet some new folk and catch up with others too.

 

[Chezsherman]

Had yet another great day out and nice to see some familiar faces and new members to the forum. Big thank you to Paul and Steph for another forum run. Hopefully see you both for a coffee very soon ( I owe you for the wind deflector lol).

Your hard work has paid off with 15-16 cars there today the north east runs have come along way since your/our first hartside run just the 2of us.

Well done and a very big thank you

 

[JonBooth]

Hello Paul and Steph, just wanted to say thanks very much for organising the run today, it was great to get out and about on some great roads and the weather was great too. I'll try and get the pictures I took up soon and I'll hopefully see everyone again at some point in the near future.

Thanks again.

Cheers,

Jon.

 

[Swiftly]

Thanks once again for all your hard work in organising what was another great day out Paul & Steph. We got to meet a few new members, travel on some great roads and we saw some new places which all made for an enjoyable day

I will post some photos and hopefully a video too tomorrow.

 

[jaxZ4]

Big thanks to Paul & Steph for their robust research, un-ending reconnaissance missions and thoroughly thoughtful route construction - Jacqui and I had a great day ( and night before in Newcastle) and great to see friendly forum faces and meet lots of new ones too.

Excellent turnout for a non-hoon - though I did hear that some at the back briefly had some hoon like hooligan moments !

Was a real pleasure to follow AndrewP up the A1 towards home - making it as interesting as possible and somehow meeting up with Craig who had managed to find an alternative route.

Sorry for those of you who had to put up with my low speed squeaky brakes - which I managed to cure close to home with 6 or so bedding in (70mph to zero) braking exercises - I should have done that earlier in the day ! Looking at some pics maybe I shouldn't have parked up on that grass either -sorry !

Pics to follow - we also have some movies -hopefully some of them will be interesting- will try and upload tomorrow.

Great stops today too guys, fish & chips, ice cream, sun, harbours & castles - pretty perfect !

 

[paulgs1000]

Thanks for the positive comments everyone - so pleased you enjoyed it.

We we're very aware that folk were giving up their time and some travelling long distances, for the run - so no pressure then!

We enjoyed putting it together and are tired but relieved and happy that you had a good day.

I've just spent a couple of hours going through and editing my camera photos and putting them together with script as a post and - as I'm tired - I've just lost that post by closing down the forum by error!!! AArrggghhh!

So we're off to bed and I'll post again tomorrow. . . .hay ho!

 

[Big Kerhuna]

Had a fantastic day. Many thanks to Paul and Steph for all your hard work and preparation. Special thanks to all the forum members who attended-really nice people and all with wonderful Zeds.Photos soon!

 

[sammyz]

What a great drive! Thanks to Paul and Steph for a fantastic day. Pauline and I off to Bamburgh to have a walk about before setting off for the long drive home.

 

[Bing]

I've just spent a couple of hours going through and editing my camera photos and putting them together with script as a post and - as I'm tired - I've just lost that post by closing down the forum by error!!! AArrggghhh!

So we're off to bed and I'll post again tomorrow. . . .hay ho!

Lost count of the number of times I haven done this - Top Tip for a long post... Do it in Word first, then copy/paste the whole lot in at once. Works a treat

 

[Big Kerhuna]

What happened to all the eighty niners? Come on guys these runs are getting lonely. There was a rogue DSB at the start but he soon disappeared. Must have been Brian's Alpina - intimidating or what?

 

[paulgs1000]

Here goes with a second attempt to post some photos.

Eventually we had 15 Zeds on our Northumberland, Castle and Coast run. After meeting up at Kingston Park we set off for Kirkharle Courtyard for an early 'comfort' break (too many Costa Coffees at the start of all our runs so we thought this stop was essential!)




Leaving Kirkharle on the way to Elsdon Rothbury and Alnwick



Missed out on a stop at Alnwick Castle - but what a sight when you turn the corner - anyone get a photo? We all paraded around a viewing layby and this was a wrong call by me - Steph said stop but I thought we were so far behind time we had better press on to the coffee stop - should have stopped it was a brilliant photo op of Alnwick Castle! Well at least everyone got to see it (bar Chezsherman who was tail end Charlie and stayed out to clear the road. . .thanks Craig!)

Here's the coffee stop just outside Alnwick - The Old Stables Tea shop. Just big enough to take us all and important because having time to chat and relax was all part of the day.
















We had a terrific clear run through on a road which followed the Alnwick estate wall for miles. Some lovely scenery and we ended up in front of Chillingham Castle (special permission to park in front sorted out by Steph with the Estate office). This was a highlight and though I apologised to some of the visitors who were taking photos and said we'd be gone in a while all of them said - no its alright we want to get some pictures of the sports cars!









A lovely road from there to the coast and a visit to Bamburgh - down the Wyndings and along to the golf club for some spectacular views of the castle and the coastline (didn't get photos. . .too busy). Another comfort break with views back to the castle (with enough room for all our Zeds - not always easy to find!)







Then on to Seahouses for our Fish and Chip Lunch (a little later than planned and everyone was ready for it)

Didn't get any photos here so hope someone got their camera out and has pictures of some fish and chips. . . .and I hope you took our advice and took a wander to the harbour.

On their return we presented all those who had come on the Northumberland Castles and Coasts run with a momento to remind them of the run - A puffin pin badge (not the puffin club (!!) but as a reminder of the puffins that can be seen off the coast on the Farne Islands)



From there we headed further south to see Dunstanburgh castle from the coast road and from the lovely Craster - fun to be had here going into the pub carpark and out again to get a view. . .

And on to Warkworth castle. . .a lovely approach road past Alnmouth (we had to miss a visit to Alnmouth out as we were behind on time).













Lots more chat and photo opportunities until we set off for our afternoon Ice Cream at Morwick Dairy. Their varied flavours of home made ice cream went down well after the fish and chips.



Time was getting on and so we discussed a sad departure for some North and South on the A1 whilst some carried on and completed our run through Morpeth to Mitford and back to our start point.



We really could do with a photographer of the Tom Scott ilk - just can't do the run justice with these photos - I have hopes of some others on the run providing better images - Jaxs. . . . .?

Well its the day after and Steph and I have had a good rest. Walking the dogs last night we were happy and content and it's lovely to post up these photos of our day.

It's amazing to think how diverse a group we are on the forum yet everyone was friendly and relaxed, supportive and happy to be out enjoying the run and the company of like minded folk. We've come across wonderful people through the forum and it's a delight to spend time with them. There were newbies on the run and I'm confident they quickly felt at home. The weather was with us and the run ran smoothly - though as ever we had tried to put in too much.

Anyway, hope your puffin badge raises a smile and fond memories of our run. Thanks again for coming out and taking part. Have to start thinking about the next event - but not quite yet - we're ready to take a break from planning runs for a bit!

Best wishes Paul and Steph