I joined LDC last year and haven’t looked back. The Wye Valley Driving adventure, which took place over the April Easter weekend, kicked off the first drive out of 2022 for our region and was blessed with nothing other than perfect weather.
Events began with a fantastic 3-course dinner on Friday evening in the Verderers' Court at the Speech House Hotel, a 17th Century Hunting Lodge nestled in the heart of the Forest of Dean. It provided the perfect setting to catch up with old friends and the opportunity to meet new members who had travelled from as far as Kettering, Banbury, Basingstoke, Quorn, Leamington Spa and Dorridge.
The Forest of Dean is the backyard for Chris and Tash, who live nearby. They had a fantastic weekend planned for us all as we set off at 10 am the following morning, armed with a very professional route book for the 120-mile route through the Wye Valley. However, being by myself, I was going to rely on following the car in front, but fortunately and a big thank you to Jennie, who came to my rescue and made a great co-pilot - until she ditched me for a ride back in Kev’s LF1, only joking!
The sight of 20 Lotus cars setting out was a spectacle and the noise as we were winding our way through the valley was phenomenal. Members and now friends followed in convoy on a well-planned journey, with our first brief stop at Tintern Abbey for a photo, where we were marshalled into the parking area opposite the Abbey. The ruins of the Abbey provided a great backdrop for photo opportunities.
As we roared off towards the Glade Tea Rooms, for coffee and a slice of Easter cake, in the middle of Wentwood Forest, you couldn’t help but be impressed with the variety of models en route which included: Elise S2, Exige 430S, Elan M100 S2 & SE, Exige Cup 430, Elise S3 240 Sport FE, Exige LF1, Elise S2R, Evora 400, Exige S CR, Esprit Turbo, Exige 390 Sport FE, Elise S3 CR, Elise S3 Heritage, Elise S1 and Exige V6 Cup - not one same model, or colour and I may have missed some that joined along the way!
Along the route, there were many spectators, taking photos and videos, waving at us, very enthusiastically. Luckily we only encountered one tractor to navigate and a few interesting junctions but the roads and chosen route were almost empty for the most part.
After a welcome coffee break, we headed out cross country and weaved our way through towns and villages such as Usk and Grosmont and along the Herefordshire border to our lunchtime destination of Hay-on-Wye. I must be honest and say that I didn’t see much of the scenery as I was concentrating on keeping up with the Exige in front and enjoying sweeping bends and hills which cut through the region!
For those that don’t know, Hay-on-Wye is a small market town in the historic county of Brecknockshire and is renowned for books and bookshops. There is also a Castle, built in the late 12th century, and 800 years of battle, fire and decay have left their mark. The castle is currently being restored and is due to open later this year.
We enjoyed a couple of hours wandering around the quaint streets, which are full of both book and antique shops. I believe a few ice creams were also consumed by many after a recommendation from Henry at the Glade Tea Rooms earlier that morning.
We then enjoyed a scenic drive back to the hotel, where we were once again treated to a delicious 3-course dinner along with tales and reminiscing of the days’ experiences negotiating the fabulous roads that we had all enjoyed so much.
On Monday, we were all up bright and early to head to the Coleford Carnival of Transport to exhibit our amazing cars, providing the largest club display and attracting a lot of attention.
Heading home after a great weekend and I’ve got many new friends to add to my book and phone, you know who you are, and I know what you drive! I can’t wait to meet you all again and share more trips this year. I also know that all of those that attended would like to thank Tash & Chris for a great weekend, the amount of preparation that you both put into making this event happen was very much appreciated by all.