Archev's adventures in the Berlingo

[Gomev]

...

The only snag is that it would mean missing the Wimbledon finals.

Depending on phone signal or available wifi take a phone/tablet/laptop and BBC Iplayer and watch in the wild. (You won't even need Iplayer just the BBC website will have it on.)

 

[Rolfe]

I'm doubtful about the phone signal but in any case I intend to be cycling in the sunshine all afternoon. I might be able to catch up a bit in the evening, signal permitting.

 

[Archev]

Depending on phone signal or available wifi take a phone/tablet/laptop and BBC Iplayer and watch in the wild. (You won't even need Iplayer just the BBC website will have it on.)

There’s always a hill twixt mast and me

 

[Archev]

Filled up Berlingo to 93% ready for departure on Wednesday morning. Finally set off around 11:30 and drove 74 miles to Ayr. Well, I tried to do that but the road out of town was closed so I had to retrace my wheel tracks and head up onto the M9 via Linlithgow. Junction seven roundabout exit slip was coned off I think due to roadworks so I had to do another orbit to gain the slingshot assistance needed to head to, and laboriously through, the fine but clogged town of Falkirk. The fabulous weather over the next couple of days meant virtually shunning the fine vehicle until after 21:00 last night (Friday). During that time I walked back and forwardeds along Ayr’s beautiful beach admiring the awesome warrior on Arran shimmering in the distance. Ailsa Craig was looking fabulous peeking round the Heads of Ayr from the south and the glorious sandy beach was bejewelled with the glistening bodies of hundreds of large jellyfish.
Sadly I can’t show any pictures of these wonders because I simply, a - blethered too much, b- hadn’t charged the phone overnight, and c - forgot whilst I just took in the wonderment of it all.
Thursday afternoon’s walk was at Alloway where I was introduced to the old railway tunnel. What a fantastic piece of mega artwork inspired by the wonderful imagery derived from the poetry of the Bard himself Robert Burns. He was born just along the road and there are endless references to his works over the entire area and miles beyond, to his fabulous poetic work (OK, I’m a bit of a fan )
I can’t believe that I’d never been to, or through the disused rail tunnels during my many stays at Aunty’s in my formative years.
They’ve built a (beautiful I admit) huge Burns museum with lovely cafe etc right over the spot where Aunty Peggy’s beautiful wooden cottage stood. Honestly, if only she could see her and husband Davy’s gorgeous “Rosedale” area now.
Still, the times have moved on, modernity mon ride, as Peggy, Davy and no doubt Mr Burns himself might have mused.
The main tunnel is close behind “Alloway’s auld haunted Kirk” just up the road a couple of hundred yards from the Brig o’ Doon. These latter around which Burns fashioned his phenomenal poem “Tam o’ Shanter” ( quick - no slow pause while I have yet another read through his fabulous words )
But, tae oor tunnel, the artwork is astonishing, the detail is breathtakingly beautiful, and it goes on and on forever past the “mosses, waters, slaps and styles” och I loved it, you’ve got to see it.
In fact, you can join me through it with a couple of my many pictures. I managed the get a wee bit of charge in my phone and so recorded some of it —

So the keystone of the bridge was safely crossed and we escaped the clutches of Tam’s “ Hellish Legions”. The rest of the day was serenely peaceful and each in “ our cold hands “ held a choc ice as we wandered onwards.

I left my friend‘s house at nine last night and drove a peacefully pleasant seventy six miles home. I shunned thoughts of Arnold Clark’s chargers through Ayr and Kilmarnock. I laughed in the face of a slight detour to the Tesla chargers at Heartlands. I mused every mile over the hills that the dwindling reports from GOM might see me stuck forever on a Bathgate hillside.
But I needn’t have concerned myself. The redness of my face was not from anger nor anguish. It was merely because a stupid old guy had left his sombrero in the garage.

Oh! and Berlingo ambled triumphantly down home to feed from the Ohme cable happily overnight. The god GOM finally predicted that we could have ventured forth for sixteen more miles except the mortal pilot was completely worn out.
The overnight session has stuffed the battery to a more than ample 89% which will do nicely for the next voyage tonight/ tomorrow when I’m heading up to Glamis Castle to the Vintage Vehicle Extravaganza in the glorious grounds spread out before it.

But that’s another story ……….


The cost of all that amusement???
It has stretched my meagre coffers alarmingly -
Perhaps the naysayers are correct all along
Maybe a nice wee ice car could have rattled, squealed and conveyed me there and back for less than my Berlingo’s £5 demand ??


Yeah - I don’t think so, long live ev’s and Berlingo

 

[Susanna]

@Archev - such amazing descriptions of your travels, and stunning photography too. Thank you so much

 

[Archev]

There’s a few MGs here today.

 

[salty]

There’s a few MGs here today. View attachment 38060View attachment 38064View attachment 38065View attachment 38067View attachment 38068View attachment 38069

Any EVs ? Noticed an MG4 on the entrance banner.

 

[Archev]

Well over 2000 vehicles on show today at Glamis Extravaganza.
But next year will be the BIGGY.
ITLL BE THE FIFTIETH EXTRAVAGANZA. !!!

Who’s up for going along and showing off an ev. ?
Whose gonna bake the cakes ?
Who’ll stay home watching tennis ?

The liability insurance problem can be covered if the group goes under the national marque club I think.

 

[Archev]

Any EVs ? Noticed an MG4 on the entrance banner.

Aye there was one grey MG4. The only ev I saw actually.

 

[MG Clive]

Looks like a great show, and a lovely day for it.

 

[Archev]

The unpainted aluminium bodied MG is a TA.
The chap found it as a rusty basket case on eBay. He threw the bodywork away and refurbished what was left. Then bought the beautiful bodywork you see in the pictures- fantastic machine - shame about his choice of fuel

 

[Archev]

I had other fish to cook -
My allegiance was completely torn -
I was unfaithful to MG - AGAIN

Some fabulous stuff there - well apart from me and Berlingo like

 

[MG Clive]

Oh yes, I love an old tractor, that Field Marshall is a peach.

 

[Archev]

Today’s fantastic trip in fabulous sunshine to Glamis castle was accomplished within last night’s charge amount of about 90% of Citroen capacity.
It was about80 miles each way and coming back down the M9 the darned thing kept making too much regenerated fuel. I just couldn’t use enough to arrive home below 10%. So I upped the anti , threw caution to the wind ( flat calm actually) and reset from my favourite eco, the Scotsman’s desire, right through normal and chose POWER .
The great Beelzebub himself took my right foot in his power and Berlingo chewed up many lesser things like X-powers in the haste to the lower power settings.
It took a while because although I was roaring up as many hills as I could find - yep, you’re away ahead of me - every up is followed by a down where the damned thing topped it all up again (almost)
After finally grinding it down to 8% I’ve settled the car down in the nest by the Ohme and coupled up the plug like a babies dummy. I’ve requested a top up by 10:00 tomorrow as I’m worn out after my four kilometre wander among the extravaganza exhibits. The Aberdeen Angus steak roll with fried onions was top notch scran and i shouldn’t have had the doughnuts with the coffee - please don’t tell the diabetic nurse if you see her. I know it was ever so naughty - no it wasn’t they were dam good. I got a bag of four and I’ll take the remaining two to a neighbour tomorrow- unless you’d like them ?

 

[Archev]

Today’s fantastic trip in fabulous sunshine to Glamis castle was accomplished within last night’s charge amount of about 90% of Citroen capacity.
It was about80 miles each way and coming back down the M9 the darned thing kept making too much regenerated fuel. I just couldn’t use enough to arrive home below 10%. So I upped the anti , threw caution to the wind ( flat calm actually) and reset from my favourite eco, the Scotsman’s desire, right through normal and chose POWER .
The great Beelzebub himself took my right foot in his power and Berlingo chewed up many lesser things like X-powers in the haste to the lower power settings.
It took a while because although I was roaring up as many hills as I could find - yep, you’re away ahead of me - every up is followed by a down where the damned thing topped it all up again (almost)
After finally grinding it down to 8% I’ve settled the car down in the nest by the Ohme and coupled up the plug like a babies dummy. I’ve requested a top up by 10:00 tomorrow as I’m worn out after my four kilometre wander among the extravaganza exhibits. The Aberdeen Angus steak roll with fried onions was top notch scran and i shouldn’t have had the doughnuts with the coffee - please don’t tell the diabetic nurse if you see her. I know it was ever so naughty - no it wasn’t they were dam good. I got a bag of four and I’ll take the remaining two to a neighbour tomorrow- unless you’d like them ?

My estimated price for topping up the car from 8% to 100% tonight is £7.48.
What’s the cost of coal for running a steam roller that distance ?

Googled it - a general price range for coal in the UK is between £400 and £679.99 per tonne.

Wow.

 

[Archev]

I’m really glad Berlingo didn’t catch me eyeing up this little beauty