Thames Bridges & Tunnels Charity Road Run - 7th September

[Keith Williams]

[attachment=0]London_Bridges.jpg[/attachment]

Charity road run in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support to be held on the evening of Saturday 7th September.

This is a joint event organised by the MG Car Club Anglia Centre and the MGF Register.

Starting at Wimbledon stadium you will crisscross the Thames via various bridges taking in some of the famous sites of London.

Cars will depart from 18:30 and should arrive at the finish from 21:00 onwards.

The event is only open to MG Car Club members and invited guests but is open to all models of MG.

This is a free event but we would suggest you donate a minimum of £10 per car to our Macmillan Cancer Support Charity.

Please make your donation direct to the charity via our Just Giving Web page. Macmillan Just Giving
Using our Just Giving page, will allow your donation, to benefit with Gift Aid if you are liable for UK tax, at no extra cost to yourself. Any collections made on the day, will not be able to have the added advantage of Gift Aid.

Registration will only be via our online shop using the Thames Bridges & Tunnels page.
Rally plaques will cost £5.60 each.

Even though the run is free, cars do have to be registered in advance to allow them to take part. As a section of the run is 'behind a security barrier', attendee details will need to be passed to the security service prior to the night.

As part of the run, you will be entering Canary Wharf which is privately owned & has stringent security checks in place including swabs of the door handle & steering wheel of the car. We are also required to pass your name & car details to them prior to the event.

When you register for this event, you agree for your details to be passed on for this security check.

The start point is Simon's Diner, Wimbledon Stadium.

Plough Lane, Wimbledon, London, SW17 0BL and we will gather from 16:00. Arrive hungry, as Simon will again be donating a percentage of all food sales bought at the start to the Macmillan Cancer Support Charity.

The finish will be at Lakeside services.

All cars attending need to be pre booked on the run, at least two weeks before the event, to ensure details can be passed on for the security check for the route via Canary Wharf. Cars not pre booked on to the event, will not be able to join the run on the night.

[adrianclifford]

Thanks Keith, nicely put.

The run this year will be a different route from 2011, as many of you will know, swathes of roads in London were closed, often at short notice, for Olympic trials events, even this year the date has had to be changed due to a cycling event, previously unknown.

The route will be simpler but still exciting and full of interest, parts will be new, parts will be the same as there are areas that are a must to drive, especially during the hours of darkness.

As Keith has said, please come hungry, Simon's food is excellent and last year he gave 20% of the evenings take to our chosen charity, this year will be the same and he is very keen to host our start again.

There will be more people to help at the start this year as last year the amount of people and take up to the event caught us by surprise (and the closure of the M25 didn't help either, so cars arrived late). We are suggesting you arrive from 16.30 as there will be time to eat, talk and read the Roadbook before it's time to go. I plan on going through the Roadbook with the navigators to help explain a few areas where you may go wrong so please be early as time will fly when you all start talking and meeting old and new friends.

This is always going to be ambitious as driving through central London is never going to be easy unless you know the area or you have good communications and a good navigator. Unlike most runs you will not be able to "follow the car in front", in reality two or three cars can stick together as red routes forbid pulling over to group up.

I have a regular elderly patient who I take to hospital, she loves cars and she knows I love doing this sort of thing for the Car Club and charity, believe it or not she surprised me this week when she gave me a bundle of woolly hats she has knitted. I would like to pass them on at the start so if you fancy a woolly hat please select one or two and donate whatever you see fit for the charity.

Any questions about the evening please ask here as we can help prior to the evening, as Keith has said the finish will be at Lakeside Services on the M25/A13 junction, so it's nice and easy to get home and there are toilets at the start and the finish. Don't forget there is no congestion charging at weekends and the tolls are lifted on the Dartford Crossing after 22.00.

[dwkmgf]

Booked and plate ordered - looking forward to this already. If the last one was anything to go by it will be an excellent afternoon/evening. Adrian sets quite a challenging route, so the communication with your navigator needs to be spot on - plus a satnav switched to map is handy because the street names can be high up, low, down or obscured by a bus!

[talkingcars]

Tempted to join the club just so I can do this.

[colintf]

Tempted to join the club just so I can do this.

By joining, you would also get a big discount of next years MG Live prebooked prices

[Tibs]

I think I need to butter up a navigator I fancy this one too


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[andywatson]

All signed up, haven't done this before so really looking forward to it.

[Softly~Softly]

I think I need to butter up a navigator I fancy this one too


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We can work on her

All signed up for, had to miss last year so really looking forward to this one ..

[adrianclifford]

Well done everybody don't forget, you will enjoy yourself, London in the evening is gorgeous, especially with the hood down. Drive across Tower Bridge and just lean back and watch the top glide by, it's a 20mph limit so you have time to take in the beauty of this iconic bridge.

New buildings crop up all of the time, the Shard is now externally complete but two new buildings are appearing on the horizon just up from the river, one thing to notice is the fact that shortly after the frame appears over the building in front of it, they have it lit-up as a lot of construction is 24 hours a day.

You'll be going over the cobbles of old Wapping again so ensure everything is secure or it will shake everything to death.

As Dave has said (it's in the navigator's notes anyway as per 2011) keep your sat-nav running on map view so you can identify roads early. It's probably a good idea to give the navigator the sat-nav view, the driver's skill will be tested but please be aware, London is not fast neither is the journey so you can really enjoy the sights but navigation is tested, I can only make it so easy but observation is crucial and early planning is a must.

Those who done it in 2011 told me they loved it and wanted to do it again, so you have it please come along and make plenty of money for MacMillan.

[Softly~Softly]

Adrian I have put this up for my members to see, and stipulated that sign up is through the F Reg

[dwkmgf]

I need to find myself a navigator - Trish doesn't want to do the run this time. The twists and turns and cobbled section really caused her back a problem. So having said previously that good communication with your navigator is essential, I had better find myself one to communicate with!

[adrianclifford]

I can understand that Dave, don't forget you can possibly tag along as groups of two or three cars should be able to stay together. Careful planning at traffic lights and junctions is crucial but it can be done, two way radios would help as the "lead car" can dawdle slowly (therefore not stopping) so you can catch up.

[adrianclifford]

Adrian I have put this up for my members to see, and stipulated that sign up is through the F Reg

Well done, a cue for others ?

[Softly~Softly]

I need to find myself a navigator - Trish doesn't want to do the run this time. The twists and turns and cobbled section really caused her back a problem. So having said previously that good communication with your navigator is essential, I had better find myself one to communicate with!

Dave I do not have a navigator either, unless Rob is back in the country, and Louis cannot read maps

Do what I do, look for someone who knows their stuff, try and stop in the middle of a large group so if you lose the ones in front there will be some behind you, you can tag back on too

Maybe Adrian could put next to sign ups if they have a spare seat and are willing to take a passenger for help with navigating ?
I would be happy to have a passenger if anyone wants to go, but has no car

[adrianclifford]

We regularly do this, especially in European tours. Just make it known that you would like to tag along, I'm sure someone will oblige on the night or beforehand. It could even be me, Dave or Michael it's no problem driving the route again, we don't need to stay behind or be at the end first.

[Tibs]

Ok Im registered, and Plaque ordered, just got to train the navigator now ?

Do we get confirmation that our car details are recorded for the run, I would hate to not be allowed through on the night ?

[Keith Williams]

Ok Im registered, and Plaque ordered, just got to train the navigator now ?

Do we get confirmation that our car details are recorded for the run, I would hate to not be allowed through on the night ?

Hi Andy. You are registered on the run OK and will get a receipt via the online shop from me in confirmation. The last time this event was run, I believe Dave Tynan posted out an entry ticket to each registered car that could be shown on the night to confirm your registration and allow you to pick up your rally plaque if ordered from the start point.

[Tibs]

Thanks Keith, I did actually get an email confirming I'd ordered the plaque etc

Looking fwd to this one


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[Piggy]

I will sign up for this, but will have to come alone, will post again when signed up and donated.

[Softly~Softly]

Keith did I order a plaque