Date/Time
Date(s) - 08/05/2020 - 10/05/2020
All Day
Location
Shillingford
Categories No Categories
All Eastern Bloc vehicles (2, 3 or more wheels) are invited to the Wartburg Trabant IFA Club’s annual spring road run weekend.
FRIDAY 8 MAY 2020 (a one-off bank holiday Friday!)
We meet around midday at the Hellfire Caves, West Wycombe, HP13 3AP: www.hellfirecaves.co.uk/ .
There’ll be time to explore these fascinating caves and sample the tearoom before heading off for a scenic tour through hilly Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, including storming the famous Kop Hillclimb course.
We parade past Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson’s Chequers PM country retreat (we remember the Prime Minister suggesting in parliament that Jeremy Corbyn should ‘remove his rusty Trabant from the yellow box junction, where it is impeding progress’!!).
The tour will continue on roads used during the filming of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang to journey’s end by the side of the Thames at the attractive Shillingford Bridge, Oxfordshire, OX10 7EU. For those staying over there is camping / glamping / B&B at Shillingford Bridge Hotel and there are further options nearby at Wallingford. www.shillingfordbridgehotel.co.uk/
Evening meal is reserved nearby at the traditional Six Bells inn, Warborough, Lovers of TV’s Midsomer Murders will likely recognise the pub as it has frequently appeared in the series: www.thesixbellswarborough.co.uk/ (be sure to reserve your meal – see below).
SATURDAY 9 MAY 2020
There’s a Thameside breakfast available for those staying locally. After regrouping and meeting up with new arrivals, we head off to the former RAF Greenham Common, made famous by anti-nuclear protesters in the 1980s.
Our visit will coincide with their regular classic car meet at the Control Tower café. www.greenhamtower.org.uk/. The keen can take a walk to see preserved section of runway and Ground Control Cruise Missile shelters.
Early afternoon, we head off to Newbury Wharf. There’ll be time for lunch and to explore local shops and museums before our chartered narrow boat takes us on a 75 min cruise along the historic Kennet and Avon Canal (reservation required – see below).
We return to Shillingford Bridge where, in the evening, there’ll be a fish and chip supper in a barn followed at dusk by a bat walk along the Thames towpath – our tour leader has seen 5 different species within a few hundred yards of the bridge! Of course, there’ll be plenty of time to relax over a pint or two at the end of a memorable day.
SUNDAY 10 MAY 2020
After breakfast we regroup again for the short drive to our Eastern Bloc vehicle meet at the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Light Railway.
Steam hauled trains will be running on this former Great Western Railway branch, and our visit coincides with the railway’s VE Day celebrations – see website for more details: www.chinnorrailway.co.uk/
All Eastern Bloc vehicles are invited to join us for all or part of this great motoring weekend. There are no fees for taking part other than normal admission prices (e.g. our chartered canal trip is just £5 / head, camping at Shillingford is £15 / night).
For more info, and to confirm details (for example if wanting evening meals, canal trip, etc) please contact Dave Richards via pm, email: drdave490@yahoo.co.uk, or telephone 07775 995098