The Northern Duttoneer's 2nd Lakes Tour and Adventure.

[Dave Taylor]

Well after all the hard work getting the car's ready for the Lakes Tour 2010, Saturday arrived with a glorious sunny morning.

We met up at Bolton North Services at about 8:30, and set off on the M61, then on to the A6 at Chorley, Preston and Lancaster on the our Breakfast stop at the Truck Haven Services just off Junction 35a M6. This is listed as one of the best transport cafe in Great Britian, and we all agreed with that, the Breakfast was brilliant freshly cooked, and a mug of good tea all for under a fiver.

After breakfast we continue up the A6 to the Lakes, onto Ambleside and up the Struggle which takes you up to Kirkstone Pass and on to Brotherswater Inn where we will stray Saturday night.

Bags dropped off, and a swift pot of tea later we are back on the road down the Struggle, this road is a joy to drive open corners, quite tight in parts but plenty of passing points, then we hit the first snag of the day. Some old block going down and a super wide BMW 6 series decided to pass in the same place, we sat there for nearly 10 minutes whilst a passenger from the BMW tried to guide the old guy in reverse, which he clearly had never had to do ever before as he was in the bushes, across the road, but in the end he did manage to get out of the way so Mr BMW could get through.

We continued to the bottom and Martin in the Westfield pulled away from the junction there was a hell of a clanging high pitch sort of sound, at first I thought it was mine car, but it was soon appearant the Westie was not very well. Luckily I managed to find a side road with just 4 parking spaces, so dumped the Dutton and my Wife and went to see what the problem was, Martin already had the bonnet off, but couldn’t get the engine to turn over. So we pushed the car a long with Martin’s wife Karen through the town up hill into the side road. At first we thought it was drastic problem as the engine would turn but very slowly, rocker cover off, plugs out so we could turn the engine by hand, when it got to valve 1 and 2 opening there was a clanking noise, at first I thought maybe that a valve head had sheared, but then we noticed that the pinch bolt on the alternator bolt was loose and sticking into the alternator fan blade stopping it turning, and stopping the engine turning over fast as the friction of the belt was slowing it down. The nut was lost, but luck changed when Steve found a Westfield Dealer just around the corner from where we where parked. (well, a hardware shop) how had the said 6mm nut at accost of 2p.

This fitted and everything put back together the Westie was back running. 45 minutes we were back on the road. Through the Grizedale Forest down to Broughton, on through Ulpha on upto Hardknot pass, this was brilliant last year, but with the bad weather over winter it was not the smoothest of roads, we nearly lost our fillings going up. It is still great fun but was not fun for the car’s.

On the way back down we found 3 Damsels in distress, They had tried to get up the first part of Hardknot, lost control and rolled back down and over the edge with the back wheel of their Seat tin thingy causing the front wheel to leave the road, the poor girl driving was sat there with the foot brake pressed as the handbrake would not hold, if she had not managed to stop on the edge she would have rolled over the edge and probably turned over. Northern Duttoneer’s to the rescue, we could not believe there where 4 other cars sat there waiting for them to go over the edge nobody got out to help.

After sitting Martin and one of the Girls on the bonnet and also me, all 17 and a bit stone weighing down on the front nearside, lots of rev’s and she was back on the road. Hero’s of the day back in the cars and continued on our way to Wrynose Pass.

More to come tomorrow.

[Dave Taylor]

Part Two
Wrynose Pass is an amazing road, in either direction; we were going down towards Great Langdale. Once down on the level, we headed back to the Hotel, and again up the Struggle. We got back to the Hotel about 6 pm, and very ready for a pint, we had completed the first day and 147 miles. After a quick check to see no bits where missing the car’s where put to bed.
The Brotherswater Inn as 2 bar’s one in the main Hotel and the other on the top of the campsite, we found out that this bar was having a quiz night, so you guessed it that was the bar for us, and the place to eat as well (food is really good in both bar’s). Split into 2 teams us guy’s 1 team and the Ladies other, as you can see from the photo’s the Ladies won the quiz and a prize of £29. A few more beers and bed.

Day 2
We awoke to rain and mist, so decision made a leisurely breakfast to wait for the weather to break. About half 10 we made a move. First job get some fuel, so down into Ambleside, all sorted we left towards Keswick with Steve bringing up the rear, as We got to Grasmere my phone rang, it was Steve with the bad news that he had CRASHED!!! No body injured but the car was in a bit of a state. A quick flip round and we where on our way back to find Steve and Pat.
Luck was on their side; neither Pat nor Steve was injured just badly shaken up. The amazing thing was the even after the fight with a wall the S1 was not badly damaged, and I am sure Steve will fill in the details, but other than a broken steering arm which could have been the reason for the sudden loss of control, the S! Could have continued.
The very nice people at the AA, and a very,very nice man with the recovery truck, came and took the car, Steve and Pat home.
We decided that as it was now 2:15pm we should just go straight to The Lodore Falls Hotel, where Afternoon Tea was booked. You can see from the photo this was an awesome end to the weekend.
It’s a shame the weekend turned out like it did, But Saturday was a great day, we turned into International Rescue (Rescuing Damsel’s in distress) and mending a Westfield. I am already planning The 3rd Lakes Tour for 2011; come on sign up now you can’t miss the Adventure.