Brands Hatch PH Sunday Service 20/09

Conscript - Pistonhead Sunday Services are a semi-Invite only type thing, you have to sign up on PH and there's normally limited places (around 500). Once you arrive they check your name off against the sign-up list to avoid extra people just turning up.
 
Other than the usual million and one 911's and M3's (sorry Vox) there was some really unique stuff there. Out of everything the Talbot Sunbeam and Lotus Carlton took my fancy the most but, as usual, the sound of the 3-4 TVR's leaving together always makes my spine tingle a bit.

I'll stick some pics up later tonight.

Vox/Geekman - Nice to catch up fellas, as I mentioned at the time it'd be good to do a SouthEast OcUK meet at some point, we just need to find some quiet roads in the busiest part of the country!
 
Was good catching up with your guys again and meeting some new faces. Only just got back after going for a drive after.

South east meet will be good if we can figure out anywhere.
 
I'd definitely be up for a south east meet. I'll try to make it a day when I don't have to rush off to work straight after :p
 
Here's a few of my pics, I tried to get shots of as many interesting cars as possible -

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and one for ACME :D

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Vox/Geekman - Nice to catch up fellas, as I mentioned at the time it'd be good to do a SouthEast OcUK meet at some point, we just need to find some quiet roads in the busiest part of the country!

Yes agreed, I think we should set aside some time very early one morning of a weekend to do some, err, "scoping out" and "extensive testing" of the roads around Kent before the weather turns sour.

Haven't had the chance to look at the pics I was taking as it was on a friends camera and have had to give it back, have been sent this however of me and badgeruk being snapped on entering:

E92 M3 by Adam Lister, on Flickr
 
Well the weather over the next 3 weeks (bar tomorrow & Tuesday) is supposed to be great so that gives us 2-3 weekends to sort something.

I've scoped out most recommended roads in East Kent and it's a bust unless it's a 6am start, which is way too early if you have to travel. So I'm looking for roads in an area like this -

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But avoiding Tumbridge Wells as it's uber congested 99% of the time.


***EDIT*** Looking more closely the High Weald "AONB" looks a good bet with a triangle from just south of Tunbridge wells to Eastbourne to Hastings involving lots of twisty A Roads. I might pop along this weekend to try it out! It's still an hour+ drive to get there which is a kicker :(
 
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Right I know it's off topic but I don't want to start a new one until I'm happy with the route but this weekend I'll be trying 2 drives, one up near Dartford and one down in High Weald.

The northern one will be shorter so potentially have to do it twice where as the southern one is longer but takes 1hr - 1.15hr to reach the start point for me in Maidstone or the M25.

Once I've had a go I'll start a new thread if it was worth it, if not I'll just post here.
 
Right I know it's off topic but I don't want to start a new one until I'm happy with the route but this weekend I'll be trying 2 drives, one up near Dartford and one down in High Weald.

The northern one will be shorter so potentially have to do it twice where as the southern one is longer but takes 1hr - 1.15hr to reach the start point for me in Maidstone or the M25.

Once I've had a go I'll start a new thread if it was worth it, if not I'll just post here.

Some nice roads in that area - try the B2100 from Lamberhurst to Crowborough, then over onto the Ashdown Forest coming back north through Hartfield toward Edenbridge. It's a fair way to go from here but I quite often go for a morning drive down to the Ashdown Forest - nice big open roads, relatively quiet in the morning and some beautiful scenery. Just watch out for deer.
 
Back now- TLDR: Some good/bad but overall a bit meh!

I've attached my route below, I only used small A-roads as I only felt confident pushing on with roads that had a central white line and most B-Roads are way too narrow (example pics below).

Started at 7am after taking an hour to get there. I left Tunbridge wells heading south and it took about 2hrs to complete with a toilet break at the halfway point.

Road 1 was quick but boring.
Road 2 was 40-50 until a very good 1/2 mile twisty section right before the end.
Road 3 was fun with a downhill wide switchback.
Road 4 is straight, fast but undulating so you can't see very far ahead.
Road 5 was great (2nd favourite).
Road 6 is awful, just dire with tractors, traffic, police, 30mph villages every 10 yards etc
Roads 7 & 8 were transit roads rather than part of the route. Wide, fast but boring in the main.
Road 9 was good but short.
Road 10 was another transit road, OK.
Road 11 was fantastic, easily the best road of the day by a mile. It even had 2 places where you could see the scenery rather than hedge rows/trees.
Road 12 is half good (vertical off Road 11) and half way too narrow (east into Tunbridge).

I'd like to do it again but try some of the other roads around the West side of Tunbridge as these seemed better but the hour commute is an annoyance. I'd also like to find some places to take a few pics but the roads today were all covered by hedges/trees etc so you saw nothing except 2 bits on road 11.

Overall - A bit Meh! Yes there was a single good road and I'm sure those who drive there regularly can tell me of better ones to use but the route I picked via Google Maps was a bit naff TBH.

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Small "A Road" which I like - Central white line, wide enough to two cars easily etc :)

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Narrow "B Road" wide enough for 1 car or 2 passing at <10mph :(

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Definitely agree with regards to not doing narrow roads, particularly if the MR2 isn't ready in time and I have to take the Jag :p

There's quite a lot of decent roads around Horsmonden (although nothing like as good as what you'd get in Wales, Yorkshire etc). There's also a really nice pub there that serves very good food - could be good for a lunch stop.
 
Back now- TLDR: Some good/bad but overall a bit meh!

Sounds about right tbh. Sadly I've found the odd road here and there that are good, but they're quite short and linked with a ton of crap/dual carriageways, so it's nearly impossible to form a route without setting off at 5AM.

Can confirm the pub geekman mentions in Horsmonden is good however. Perhaps we just do more of a social meet every now and again? Have a drink, enjoy some nice food and talk cars.
 
Sounds best!

I've got a couple of really good roads but they're way over by Ashford, fairly short and, again, you'd need to start at 6am or maybe 7am (if you're lucky) and no-one needs that at the weekend! :D
 
We can always do a few passenger rides etc from the pub as the roads are pretty good - it's just probably not worth organising a proper hoon around there as it only takes a couple of cars out for a slow sunday drive and everyone ends up getting split up.
 
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