By Eric & Linda Ritchie
10am on Sunday morning 6th of September, saw us in our 1960 Austin Healey Sprite on the M74 heading North. Nothing ahead of us on the road, and one car approaching very fast from behind. Mind you when you are 65 in a 55 year old car doing 45, everything around you is fast! Four Eddie Stobbart trucks, one caravan and a car heading South, so clearly the M6 is going to have congestion problems soon. “Gosh, “ said Linda, “the motorway is busy this morning!”.
There is not a cloud in the late summer sky. Certainly the best day of September, and arguably one of the best days of our Cumbrian summer. Helen’s day of prayer yesterday obviously worked a treat. Gretna at 10.20 and we were the first in the car park. A few minutes later, Helen and Nigel arrived, minus Geoffrey (working on his car)……. Followed by Kool Kenton in his Speedo’s……and the entire Lindsay family, sadly minus Barry (also working on his car)……… Rossi minus Christine who was checking out the last of the 100 overnight guests from Surrone House……and finally Clive, who added an amazing “Italian Job” presence with his immaculate and original left hand drive Alfa.
I’m not quite sure why, but Linda and I were chosen to lead away the “Run to the Sea”. Perhaps it was because the following pack wanted to chill on the wafts of Castrol R40 from the Froggie. Helen’s comprehensive road book had the reassuring comment that if you get lost please call her! I don’t think we had mobile reception for more than 300 yards after our Gretna start during the entire journey! We cruised through Rigg, Eastriggs, Annan, Cummertrees, and Bankend and eventually arrived in Glencaple, and our half way halt at the tea room on the harbour. I say harbour, as there was a derelict boat berthed, and apparently being used as a 365 day holiday home by seaside squatters!
Glencaple
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