Archev's adventures in the Berlingo

[Archev]

It’s all cars ‘n castles - and rain free so far

Edit moderator: duplicate photo deleted.

 

[MG Clive]

That's like one of those 'spot the difference' picture puzzles

 

[Ian Key]

Where are my 3D glasses?

 

[Rolfe]

It was so big there was no chance of meeting up with Archev. Lots of MGs though.

Actually two different MG clubs next to each other, in prime position in front of the castle.

Some classics.

The Edinburgh club fed me cake.

 

[Archev]

It was so big there was no chance of meeting up with Archev. Lots of MGs though.

View attachment 37274

Actually two different MG clubs next to each other, in prime position in front of the castle.

View attachment 37278

Some classics.

View attachment 37280

The Edinburgh club fed me cake.

Difficult enough seeing cars let alone faces. It was busy. I was reliably informed by three different folk that the ev fad had been a flash in the pan an things were now returning to the tried and trusted ice cars that folk know and love And as for all this Chinese rubbish …??
I did fall in love with a beautiful Wolesley land crab and the owners of it agreed it would make a wonderful ev.
It was a really enjoyable day with not a drop of the forecast rain.
For food I opted for the haggis neeps and tatties which was sublime

 

[Archev]

That's like one of those 'spot the difference' picture puzzles

Yeah but you’ll never know the magic of it all now

 

[Rolfe]

I thought about the haggis, neeps and tatties but in the end plumped for the "cheese steak" without the cheese. The "curly fries" were interesting too.

I wasn't talking to many people, but both MG tents were absolutely cool with EVs. If it has an MG badge on it, you're in and welcome. The woman in charge of the Edinburgh, Lothians and Borders stand was going on about how well they drive.

Is that really ancient MG actually Holborn Blue?

 

[Archev]

I thought about the haggis, neeps and tatties but in the end plumped for the "cheese steak" without the cheese. The "curly fries" were interesting too.

I wasn't talking to many people, but both MG tents were absolutely cool with EVs. If it has an MG badge on it, you're in and welcome. The woman in charge of the Edinburgh, Lothians and Borders stand was going on about how well they drive.

Is that really ancient MG actually Holborn Blue?

You’d think they would all have roughly similar hymn sheets. The cake giver was completely anti EV to me. The owner of the B roadster with the beautiful plastic aftermarket roof beside the Bonny blue one ranted on about hopeless EV range and fires and a random guy at the other side of the park was convinced about all the hype and advised me to do my research and see the light before it’s too late.

 

[Rolfe]

You’d think they would all have roughly similar hymn sheets. The cake giver was completely anti ev to me. The owner of the B roadster with the beautiful plastic aftermarket roof beside the Bonny blue one ranted on about hopeless ev range and fires and a random guy at the other side of the park was convinced about all the hype and advised me to do my research and see the light before it’s too late.

Might have been different people I suppose? I was chatting in both MG tents and both of them were very, if it's got an MG badge it's an MG and everyone is welcome. The woman with the cake had a yellow MG3 that was parked in front of the tent, which she called the Yellow Peril, and she was talking about how well the EVs drive. She said MG had a real winner, that the cars were well built and reliable as well as affordable. She also said that the MG clubs had got the whole concept of heritage through to MGUK, finally, or so she believed.

Did random guy not realise you've had a string of EVs and know very well what their strengths and weaknesses are?

 

[Archev]

Might have been different people I suppose? I was chatting in both MG tents and both of them were very, if it's got an MG badge it's an MG and everyone is welcome. The woman with the cake had a yellow MG3 that was parked in front of the tent, which she called the Yellow Peril, and she was talkig about how well the EVs drive. She said MG had a real winner, that the cars were well built and reliable as well as affordable. She also said that the MG clubs had got the whole concept of heritage through to MGUK, finally, or so she believed.

Did random guy not realise you've had a string of EVs and know very well what their strengths and weaknesses are?

The random guy and I were admiring a car over on one of the stands and as fairly usual discussed what each other had. I said I had the BSA motorcycle and had moved over to an ev for personal transport for the last three cars over about five years. Like the two I spoke with on the MG club stand I had the disbelieving rhetoric trundled out. Evs will never really catch on, how could anybody take a 60 / 70 mile range seriously, no they’d heard there was a new wonder fuel coming (hydrogen? but they didn’t know)
No they hadn’t tried one and knew nothing about them other than all the usual silly stories. My wondrous tale of driving the MG5 estate car over 400 miles to Skye and back Easily in one day was met with incredulity- they still weren’t believing the cars, their range or the infrastructure were capable of doing things like that

 

[Rolfe]

You'd think they might listen when you're telling them what you've actually done! I'm off to Brighton again next week, 450 miles in the SR, no problem. They've heard about 1st gen Leafs and don't appreciate that times have changed.

How many times did you charge on the Skye trip? I'll need three to get to Portslade, and then on to Glyndebourne the next day, where there are destination chargers. Probably Tebay, Trentham Gardens and Cherwell Valley, but we'll see how it goes.

 

[Archev]

You'd think they might listen when you're telling them what you've actually done! I'm off to Brighton again next week, 450 miles in the SR, no problem. They've heard about 1st gen Leafs and don't appreciate that times have changed.

How many times did you charge on the Skye trip? I'll need three to get to Portslade, and then on to Glyndebourne the next day, where there are destination chargers. Probably Tebay, Trentham Gardens and Cherwell Valley, but we'll see how it goes.

Yeah just the same. Full on departure then Tesla Fort William and CPS at Kyleakin at the Skye bridge. Finally I did another top up back at Tesla at the Fort. I had a bit of energy left on arrival back home. No drama, no wasted time, comfort stops coffees and mealtimes meant we weren’t sitting in the car waiting for a charge at any time.
The Berlingo has about 30 or 40 miles of range less than the MG5 yet my last run to Applecross was similar - full when I left, top up at Fort William, top up at Kyleakin and then camp at Invergarry and two nights camp at Applecross without charging. Another top up at Fort William took me home comfortably with a wee bit of leeway still in the pot.
My recent trip to Yorkshire was the same with three Tesla top ups making the collection of my “new to me” tent the same effortlessness journey as it might possibly have been with past owned ice cars - except smoother, more comfortable and just - easier.

 

[Rolfe]

I could wish there was something better than McDonald's at Fort William. I'm generally starving by the time I get there. But other than that, no complaints. I heard a rumour that there are no chargers at Torridon any more. Do you know if that's true? If so, it makes Applecross more challenging if you're continuing on north.

 

[Archev]

I don’t know is my best answer.
I’ll check around on the maps etc but a cursory glance would seem to prove your fears are correct.
I’ve still got my Rolec charger and breaker box after having the Ohme unit fitted. I wonder if the camp site at Applecross would be interested?? They have a bunch of powered camper stances, glamping pods and caravans with power and two wonderful toilet / shower blocks so they obviously have a pretty good supply. An emergency overnight hookup for evs could be an added attraction. I’m going up there in a couple of weeks to visit my daughter so I’ll take the charger with me. I don’t want anything for it (well a night or two free camping could help )
They’re a pleasant go ahead couple so might be interested.

 

[Archev]

I could wish there was something better than McDonald's at Fort William. I'm generally starving by the time I get there. But other than that, no complaints. I heard a rumour that there are no chargers at Torridon any more. Do you know if that's true? If so, it makes Applecross more challenging if you're continuing on north.

As to food at Fort William Teslas I’ve gone round to the railway station a couple of times. The toilets are clean (payment turnstiles) and the little cafe is kinda basic but they do a fine plate / bowl / cup of soup and various (fried) breakfast type dishes.

 

[Archev]

I was having a look at the next major vintage car rally the Scottish Transport Extravaganza up at Glamis castle near Brechin. It’s over two days - 12th and 13th July.
I wondered if it would be an idea to have an MG / EV community stand to show off some modern day vehicles and educate a few of the random ev dissenters.
However all the available pitches are long since booked as this looks like being a giant show with around 1700 vehicles already entered from steam through petrol and diesel. Bikes, motorcycles cars and commercial vehicles all being displayed.
I had wondered if anyone would fancy taking a pitch and showing their cars ? The idea of bribing the public with cake caught my imagination too. Some dealerships show off cars and commercials at this venue some years as well.
I doubt if a pitch could be arranged for this year unless there was a cancellation but if there’s any interest I could enquire.
Costs I can find out too if any of you would fancy a grand meet up ??????

 

[Rolfe]

It was something that was running through my mind, in parallel with wondering how good the vintage blue MG would look beside a Holborn Blue MG4. The Caledonian MG club was tempting me with accounts of the meet-ups they run for MG cars, sounds like nice day-in-the-country sort of thing. Taking an EV or two on some of these could dispel a few myths. I doubt if the routes are long enough to worry a modern car. Even if they were, a sneaky charge just before joining the meet and again on the way home would take care of that.

The trouble is that the shows are billed as being for vintage cars, and our cars are certainly not that. I did see an SAIC MG at Thirlstane, the "Yellow Peril" belonging to the woman in charge, but it was ICE. It might need a well-disposed owner of a vintage MG to agree to have a modern MG EV shown beside it for comparison, but I don't know how one would arrange that.

It's true that a few EVs actually on display, rather than hidden away in the car park, with the owners standing ready to sing their praises, might change a few minds. We could have a picnic table with kettle, toaster and so on connected to the VtL.

Given MG's sports car antecedents the marque would fit well with this sort of initiative. Better than VW or Ford or whoever. (I suppose Porsche, Mercedes and Jaguar could all play the same game.) But BYD and other brand new marques wouldn't be able to do it.

 

[Archev]

It was something that was running through my mind, in parallel with wondering how good the vintage blue MG would look beside a Holborn Blue MG4. The Caledonian MG club was tempting me with accounts of the meet-ups they run for MG cars, sounds like nice day-in-the-country sort of thing. Taking an EV or two on some of these could dispel a few myths. I doubt if the routes are long enough to worry a modern car. Even if they were, a sneaky charge just before joining the meet and again on the way home would take care of that.

The trouble is that the shows are billed as being for vintage cars, and our cars are certainly not that. I did see an SAIC MG at Thirlstane, the "Yellow Peril" belonging to the woman in charge, but it was ICE. It might need a well-disposed owner of a vintage MG to agree to have a modern MG EV shown beside it for comparison, but I don't know how one would arrange that.

It's true that a few EVs actually on display, rather than hidden away in the car park, with the owners standing ready to sing their praises, might change a few minds. We could have a picnic table with kettle, toaster and so on connected to the VtL.

Given MG's sports car antecedents the marque would fit well with this sort of initiative. Better than VW or Ford or whoever. (I suppose Porsche, Mercedes and Jaguar could all play the same game.) But BYD and other brand new marques wouldn't be able to do it.

Yes but if Joe and Jo public were confronted with a random array of EV’s? Everything from saloons, coupes, sports cars, vans, sleepers like X powers and sleepers like campers? And if they could see how far they’ve come both in time annd distance and how much they’re viable, eminently useable dream machines it might startle some into being believers.
And VtoL and VtoGrid etc etc ? Yes they go home and tell family and friends “ I had a cup of coffee made from a car in the middle of a field”
“They had a dog tethered at the back of the running car quite happy as there was no exhaust to gas it” “all the cars on the display were switched on and running, we were in the middle, there was no smell, no pollution, no noise”

 

[Rolfe]

We should do this!

 

[salty]

Similar colours, for old and new, MGs.

MG Midget.

MG4

MGB GT

MG4