Goodwood to Angouleme Circuit of the Ramparts (5 Viewers)

[Riverbankannie]

Last day today, practise this morning and racing this afternoon,

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This is our morning cycle in with the town in the distance,

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Many of the cars from yesterday's run out are now dotted around the town and there are lots of people milling around, This TVR demanded a photograph (I have a soft spot for TVR's) and loved the paint.


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A nice supercharged MG,

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And then to the racing it has to be said that the spectating is not the best, although this is a Renault Alpine there were about 6Porsche 911's and the noice was deafening with the buildings in front and also behind, the Alpine sounded lovely though,

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We then moved and stood on a bench we had a half decent view as the cars came up the hill, in this race they were all over 100 years old and to be fair the hill was a struggle for them,

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We had to stop long enough to see a race with about half a dozen Mini's in and then we called it a day as apart from anything it was boiling hot and I was burning.

So that's it, we have enjoyed it, not as good as 12 years ago when we came, glad we have seen it again but won't be rushing back anytime soon but not ruling it out completely.

At last, an MG for me!

 

[funflair]

At last, an MG for me!

You should have asked, there were others

OK prepare to be spoilt, these are from when we came in 2012

There you go

 

[funflair]

Oops missed a couple,

Or three.

 

[WESTY66]

T’was Blummin gorgeous last weekend
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Forgot to add, did you notice Mrs Westy back on the bike?? First time after her fall at Lyndon top last year

 

[funflair]

Forgot to add, did you notice Mrs Westy back on the back?? First time after her fall at Lyndon top last year

Yes I saw Val was on the bike but didn't realise this was the first since her little tumble, no wonder she falls off she doesn't get out enough Jen says thanks to Val for the windscreen clip she used it at the ferry port

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[gus-lopez]

Cable brakes on a Bugatti,

That light blue one has seen better days. You can see why when they fill with petrol you have to also add 2 pints of oil

(I have a soft spot for TVR's) and loved the paint.

You wouldn't want to pay for it though.

We managed to find some sunflowers that hadn't died off,

I think many were planted very late this year due to the incessant rain as there were none around when we went to the Uk & most were only just flowering on our way back

Thanks for all the photo's .

 

[funflair]

That light blue one has seen better days. You can see why when they fill with petrol you have to also add 2 pints of oil

Nice to see though close to 100 years old and still being used and abused like it was designed for.

 

[jongood]

So today (Saturday) is really the day for looking around the paddock as all the cars should be in and most of the exhibits are in place but we did most of that yesterday,

The rest of the Concours de elegance were in place and looking good,

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A few bikes,

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A very pretty "Salmson" (never heard of it but it has it's name on the front)

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A nice Mustang next too a very nicely finished Citroen DS,

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And a rather special Citroen DS but I can't remember what it is so hopefully somebody can help otherwise I have to go back tomorrow and find out.


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And a couple of rusty old Harleys for WESTY66

I think it might be a Chapron DS

 

[jongood]

funflair was there any racing Martin? Would have been an experience to hear that MG with the blower at speed

 

[funflair]

I think you are right Jon, Chapron Le Dandy,

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[funflair]

funflair was there any racing Martin? Would havd been anbexperiencd to hear that MG with the blower at speed

The blown MG wasn't racing Jon, the Porsche's between the hoses were deafening, the Alpine was sweet as a nut and easy on the ears

 

[funflair]

We found the Charente Maritime area so pleasant yesterday we have only moved 20 miles today, what we saved on diesel we are spending on another camping car parks X municipal campsite, lovely spot on the outskirts of Tonnay Charente should be OK for cycling still and we might visit Rochefort from here, there again who knows

The sun is shining, we got under the 3.6m bridge so all is good.

 

[funflair]

Very high tides at the moment me thinks,

The mud is left over from the last high tide this morning and tonight around 7pm is supposed to be higher,

This is the tide coming in and it’s fair galloping,

Suspension bridge which I think we can ride over for a view of the town,

And another church,

 

[funflair]

The only “fly in the ointment” or should I say “bugs” at the minute is b——y shield bugs or are they Stink bugs? They seem to have taken a liking to our van

 

[funflair]

Yep it’s come up,

About high point now though so all good.

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[funflair]

Yesterday was V warm but better on the bike as he had our own breeze, followed the cycle path upstream and then back by a slightly different route so we could cross the suspension bridge, and avoid so muddy paths due to the night tide, nice enough ride on some fairly bumpy tracks, loads of Herons and Egrets but no Kingfisher’s again, I decided the water was too murky for them to see fish

The suspension bridge which is only open to bikes and walkers, and below the view of the town at low tide,

Bridges seem to feature quite a bit a round here and in the distance left of centre you can see the transporter bridge (very much like ours in Middlesbrough) and also the much more recent viaduct of the estuary of the Charente,

 

[funflair]

Today was forecast rain but it hadn’t come to much by the time we had had coffee so we set of with waterproofs in the panniers and headed to Rochefort The home of the transporter bridge in the distance yesterday,

Bit of a murky day but that’s the transporter bridge and the newer road bridge behind it,

For anyone not familiar with the transporter bridge design, basically it is a tall structure that allowed masted sailing ship underneath and the cars and passengers were transported on a gondola slung from ropes and overhead gantry so it could cross from side to side, I said cars and passengers were above as now it’s only bikes and foot traffic, the structure was built around 1900 but was superseded by a lifting bridge in the late 60,s (no longer here)

The transporter was closed for safety reasons in the early 2000,s and after 4 years and not far off a total rebuild it reopened in 2000 and they have a interesting information house at one side,

I thought this might have been a good scaffolding job for bobnick

I mentioned the lifting bridge that replaced the transporter in 1967 but all that is left is the concrete structure at either side, you can just see this in the middle of the picture, the people on it are……….

The local Tango dancers potable ghetto blaster and all,

Anyway we crossed over for free as it’s a monuments open weekend and we were greeted by this very dapper couple, he claimed to be the design engineer of the bridge but I wasn’t sure interesting all the same.

Then it started to rain as headed home but we saw a Kingfisher

 

[Lenny HB]

The sun is shining, we got under the 3.6m bridge so all is good.

Did you need the brown trousers?

 

[Lenny HB]

Forgot to add, did you notice Mrs Westy back on the bike?? First time after her fall at Lyndon top last year

I was surprised as Val was still refusing to go on a bike at Lyndon Top this year.