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Cotswold Caper

Sunday 8th June 2008

Well, this was our third Cotswold Caper and again as the weather was ordered well in advance, it was excellent.  The sunshine really helped the Cotswold scenery to appear to its best advantage.

            As usual the two main Caper organisers (the Press Gang) John and Graham were extremely nasty to the volunteers getting us to the Gala Club at 7:30 am.  Funny, when we want them anywhere at that time they say that the earliest they can make it is 11:00am.  Anyhow, we duly assembled, roles were assigned and people were allocated to their positions.  Raffle prizes were laid out, the Ladies on the Registration with all their documents organised and the Gala Club Staff  ready with the Bacon Butties and hot drinks.  All that was needed was the MGs.  We didn’t have too long to wait as the first started to arrive at about 8:30am.   134 cars from all over the Country, from Pembroke to Romford, from Exmouth to Middlesborough. Soon the organisation began to show and  the cars were marshalled into their places,  ready for the off.

Ere, Thats not how to do it!!!	This is what you do!!

        We just needed a “Bond Girl” to start the run.  As promised,  Fiona Fullerton from “A View to a Kill” arrived and arrive she did --- in a nice MGA.  Fiona, with her love of MG’s,  really wanted more time to admire the cars and it was a struggle to get her to the Start Line.  However, all was not lost and the first car was away only five minutes late.  Thank you Fiona and we hope you enjoyed your time with us.

            The first car was flagged away and the run was under way.  The run itself would take about three and a half hours,  if there were no stops but who put all those “watering holes” on the Route ?   One hundred miles of stunning Cotswold scenery through places such as Chipping Norton, Chipping Camden and Broadway with finishing up at Batsford Arboretum. 

            Off we all rushed to be ready at the end only to find a traffic jam near Stow.  Most of us had to go on our own run in order to reach the Finish before the entrants arrived.  We got there about a half hour before they started coming.  It was a narrow drive coming into the arboretum but we managed to get all 130 cars in without a problem.  Judging by the comments,  the Run was well received and for the Organisers next year, a difficult task  to match, let alone  exceed  this years event.

         Our thanks go to The Staff at the Gala Club and The Batsford Arboretum without whose help we could not have had the Third Cotswold Caper.

We have raised about £3250 for our nominated charity, the Cotswold Care Hospice.   

Additional Caper Pictures   click here       

The Furniture that was donated can be seen below