September  2008

Check out this video onYou Tube above for a "Taste of Wales" 2008

TASTE OF WALES

It was a little worrying travelling up to Wales on Firday...high winds, torrential rain, the news reporting extensive flooding and bridges demolished in just the area we were heading for on the Saturday run....the Brecons. Our fears were not allayed on Saturday morning either when we turned up on the top of the Mermaid Quay car park in Cardiff with heavy rain accompanying us and only a hastily erected MGCC gazebo for shelter. Does that dampen our spirits ? Of course not and we were soon huddled together listening to Jerry Herbert and Dave Morris from our SWMGF group give the briefing assuring us the route had been checked that very morning and there was no problem. So we set off for Big Pit finding another MGCC gazebo in the damp car park . The weather suited the location on a bleak hillside surrounded by ancient slag heaps as some ventured underground into even more cold and damp....and darkness. Others stayed above ground to explore the pit head baths and have a warming cup of tea in the canteen. Then....it stopped raining and we could get our hoods down for a run across the moors as the sun peeked out....briefly. Delving deeper in to the Brecon Beacons it was not long before the Run became more of a rally as we encountered mud slides and running brown water along the road bringing rocks and debris right across the road. It was a slow tentative drive then as we gingerly picked our way through the mud and newly formed streams before getting to one section where the entire road surface had disintegrated under the pressure of the water. After jumping up and down on it and rearranging some of the shattered tarmac into some of the deeper holes and allowing the odd 4 x 4 to test it several of the Fs got across safely. Shortly after the first batch had got through the road was closed but by then word had got back to those still at Big Pit that it might be best to avoid this section of the run. Nonetheless all Fs were accounted for by the time we got back in to Cardiff again for an evening at the Monkey Tree in Mermaid Quay or a walk along Cardiff Bay and it's many bars and restaurants. Some of us even managed to sit outside on the quayside sipping light cocktails and it didn't rain at all !.

Sunday dawned and although a little grey there was no sign of the biblical downpours of the last few days. By early morning around forty cars had parked up in oval fashion in the Oval basin all pointing in towards the latest LE500 TF brought to the event by newly appointed MG dealer Cardiff MG. A little heritage was on offer in the form of a nice B Roadster and the MGCC MGBGT Star Car as well as Colin's MGZT260 otherwise it was Fs and TFs all the way. They did indeed make a fantastic sight as they parked up all day in this prestigious location. At one point we even had the local Fire Brigade turn up with an aerial platform and Adrian & Steve braved the height to take some great overhead pictures. During the day we were free to explore the Bay area , meeting up with Aliens and the odd Dalek in the Doctor Who exhibition, taking a look at HMS Cornwall which had just docked, popping over to the Norwegian Church where Roald Dhal was christened or just taking lunch in a quayside restaurant. A representative from Cardiff MG chose winners and runners up in the show & shine competition, It was amazing that virtually every car was miraculously clean after the rigours of the day before. Unique trophies of pressed engraved  green bottles were handed out to the deserved winners.

MGF Winner Alison Arthur  /  Runner Up Paul Bridgman

MGTF Winner Steven Seedhouse / Runner Up Ray Aylott

Furthest Travelled  Kjeld Anderson from Denmark

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Taste of Wales organised by Dave Morris, Jerry Herbert and SWMGF

Admin by Tim Morris

Photos by Tim Morris, Adrian Clifford, Paul Bridgman, Alan Irwin, Keith Williams