Over the next week, I, the author will go over all the previous posts and links and tidy up.
There are also a number of posts in draft stage and maybe I'll be able to publish all of them or edit them into one large ramble.
I would also like to clear up grammatical and spelling errors along the way too.
I wouldn't want to come across as a complete bumpkin now would I.
No
See you a week Monday, (unless something comes up)
O W Dawson
Showing posts with label Eastbourne. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Eastbourne. Show all posts
Sunday, 1 November 2009
Wednesday, 21 October 2009
Monday, 12 October 2009
Remembering the old Beachy Head route
One of the best things about driving in Eastbourne was the Beachy head route.
As soon as you get to the south western end of the seafront road you're whisked up, up and away on one of the most interesting roads in Sussex.
The 60mph road starts with a handful of tree-lined switchbacks as it rises to the acute Meads Road junction. After you're faced with either straight on or left. For myself, it doesn't matter which I choose as I treat the route on the Downs as a complete loop.
I normally go left and round in a clock-wise fashion, keeping the sea on the left but that's neither here nor there, the loop is a great either way. If you have the time, double back on yourself, go both ways, why not.
Once past this choice, floor it: there's no tree, no hedges, just a grassy expanse, you can see other cars coming. Seeing other cars, whether coming towards or away is vital: the road's not wide and the surface is shockingly poor. Potholes are tarmac'd into it, going car control and a fat arse are both needed here. As long as you don't have back problems, a Diablo or an Audi with a S-prefix, your in heaven.
Slow down for the tight right* after the second coach stop after the pub, use the coach-stop's space during off season to make the corner more open, then there's a left-right after. All three corners are surrounded by car high grassed earth banks as the road descents slightly.
Once through that it's a straight drag to the Belle-Tout lighthouse which rises in the background. Beware though, there's a nasty series of hidden dips which can conceal a transit let alone another car.
The road goes up and right at the lighthouse flowing into a long left with tall trees on the left and cows and sheep in a field on the other side. Once past the trees the route continues straight to the Birling Gap hairpin. Once you're past this turn and the last few of the cottages there, it's on towards the village limits of East Dean. When you get to the first right turn, lined with a Sussex flint wall, slow right down to 30. It's still 60 until the cricket green but there's the local kids on bikes around, and tourists exiting the Sheep Centre. Go through East Dean until the Large junction with the A259 back towards Eastbourne as you turn right* here.
All the torque then power the engine can muster as you push up a long rising slope out of the village. Sheep are seen on the left, watching your efforts.
As you see a cottage on the right slow for another right turn at the Warren Road junction, this turn completes the loop, you're 1/4 miles from the original decision of turning left.
To return to the switchbacks on Upper Dukes Drive, you'll be greeted with a wall which appears to be near the middle of the road, indicate right and enjoy the smell of your brakes before returning to the blue rinse pace at St Beads and the start of King Edward's Parade. Time to reflect on the fun you've just had.
(*if you go left, choosing the clockwise route at the third paragraph)
As soon as you get to the south western end of the seafront road you're whisked up, up and away on one of the most interesting roads in Sussex.
The 60mph road starts with a handful of tree-lined switchbacks as it rises to the acute Meads Road junction. After you're faced with either straight on or left. For myself, it doesn't matter which I choose as I treat the route on the Downs as a complete loop.
I normally go left and round in a clock-wise fashion, keeping the sea on the left but that's neither here nor there, the loop is a great either way. If you have the time, double back on yourself, go both ways, why not.
Once past this choice, floor it: there's no tree, no hedges, just a grassy expanse, you can see other cars coming. Seeing other cars, whether coming towards or away is vital: the road's not wide and the surface is shockingly poor. Potholes are tarmac'd into it, going car control and a fat arse are both needed here. As long as you don't have back problems, a Diablo or an Audi with a S-prefix, your in heaven.
Slow down for the tight right* after the second coach stop after the pub, use the coach-stop's space during off season to make the corner more open, then there's a left-right after. All three corners are surrounded by car high grassed earth banks as the road descents slightly.
Once through that it's a straight drag to the Belle-Tout lighthouse which rises in the background. Beware though, there's a nasty series of hidden dips which can conceal a transit let alone another car.
The road goes up and right at the lighthouse flowing into a long left with tall trees on the left and cows and sheep in a field on the other side. Once past the trees the route continues straight to the Birling Gap hairpin. Once you're past this turn and the last few of the cottages there, it's on towards the village limits of East Dean. When you get to the first right turn, lined with a Sussex flint wall, slow right down to 30. It's still 60 until the cricket green but there's the local kids on bikes around, and tourists exiting the Sheep Centre. Go through East Dean until the Large junction with the A259 back towards Eastbourne as you turn right* here.
All the torque then power the engine can muster as you push up a long rising slope out of the village. Sheep are seen on the left, watching your efforts.
As you see a cottage on the right slow for another right turn at the Warren Road junction, this turn completes the loop, you're 1/4 miles from the original decision of turning left.
To return to the switchbacks on Upper Dukes Drive, you'll be greeted with a wall which appears to be near the middle of the road, indicate right and enjoy the smell of your brakes before returning to the blue rinse pace at St Beads and the start of King Edward's Parade. Time to reflect on the fun you've just had.
(*if you go left, choosing the clockwise route at the third paragraph)
Monday, 6 July 2009
Eastbourne to Easebourne via Goodwood (pt1)
Eastbourne to Easebourne was a good excuse for a drive, going via Goodwood, a better one.
A month or so ago, maybe even two months ago, I took Mother dear to Easebourne. She had wanted to go ever since the village was mentioned on the news as the place Billy Piper married that bloke off Lewis. She was convinced that Billy would be there, hanging around Easebourne, doing whatever you do there (even though I thought she lived in North London). It would be nice to see Ms Piper, something to talk about at least; you know, the day we bumped in Billy Piper, 'er of the tele.
The trip started in the morning, a stop off at the Sussex County (hospital) in Brighton's Kemp town (mother's not a well bunny), then off to Goodwood, yay.
It was a good sign of the refined cruising ability of the A2 that Mother fell asleep just passed Worthing. She doesn't normally sleep when I drive, a parent thing I would hope rather than a statement about my driving. Kolo in fact was doing well at most things on the journey bar wind noise & buffeting when the windows or 'OpenSky' was, er, opened. The window buffeting was a true A2 flaw but the sunroof thing was my fault. I de-screened it of it's white cloth mesh, I later replaced the sliding section of it, which, what would you know, fixed the hair blasting.
It was a hot, hot day. A black car, a completely glass roof at midday, the AC on full. Even so, we had to stop and have an iced coffee and a break before getting to the circuit at Goodwood, yay. At this time, we had been in the car for about 2 plus hours (3 for me as I read a car magazine in Kolo whilst waiting at Brighton). Apart from the excessive brightness of the Sussex sunshine, it had been a good trip so far for both of us. Mother did however find the climate control too cold, then too warm changing it every 5 minutes or so from 19.0 to 19.5 to 20.0'c. Hmm, I thought, but then she is my mother, aren't they allowed to do things like that?
As we drank some strange Starbucks creation with muffins, we chatted about comparing Kolo with my Mother A2, which we belatedly called Heiki. there are a number of differences between the two Audis. Firstly, kolo's a tuned 3 cylinder diesel & her's a standard inline 4 petrol, but both 1.4. Heiki, which is now my sister's, is just eligable for the government's Scrappage Scheme. Although it's a X-plate, 1999 car, it has fared well over the decade. We then reminisced over the time we first got her A2.
Having habitually read motoring publications of one type or another since I was a preteen, I was aware that in 1999, mother was making a big mistake trading her 4-year-old VW Sharan for a postman Pat red Merc A-class. Luckily, before she completely commited to buy Pat's van, we drive down to Hailsham where a new Audi dealership had just opened. In the centre of a three car display was Heiki. we went to Hailsham on a whim, just like today (that day) to see if an A2 was even available yet in the UK. But there one was, the first outside London apparently. She was impressed, and why wouldn't she be, the interior design and quality, the Avus Blue metallic paintwork on a TTesque 5-door with all the trimmings: every single option bar OpenSky (Nekarsulm where having a couple of issues with that still), but is was just so much better than anything thing we have ever had. It was so far beyond the A-class that car-innocent Mother thought it would be 50% more money than the red toy merc, but it was only £500 or so more than the base spec A120 or whatever it was, which had nothing! (This is Mercedes base spec remember, they only just started to include the radio in the late 80's) The gulf between the two potential dawsonmobiles was truly huge. Me had to wait awhile to get Heiki, (s)he was meant to be the dealership's demonstrator for at least six months. luckily, mother got that down to 3 weeks. I mean, what better demonstration than the A2 driving around town for everyone to see rather than the 2 mile radius from the dealership as a ploddy test-driver, was the route mother's argument took. Brilliant.
At the time of this, back then, I was myself driving a (Rover) Mini cooper, black with an off-white roof, Cooper bonnet stripes and those 13" alloys with the large sportpack arches. But it was in Heiki that everyone would stare at us. Mother would get asked what was it and how strange and weird it is. She now says how very off putting it all was, 'now all the cars are copying the A2!' I can see her point too, well not all cars, just some maybe and in detail. We're not talking Chinese car industry copying just, well, hinting maybe.
Rest break over, back onto the road...
A month or so ago, maybe even two months ago, I took Mother dear to Easebourne. She had wanted to go ever since the village was mentioned on the news as the place Billy Piper married that bloke off Lewis. She was convinced that Billy would be there, hanging around Easebourne, doing whatever you do there (even though I thought she lived in North London). It would be nice to see Ms Piper, something to talk about at least; you know, the day we bumped in Billy Piper, 'er of the tele.
The trip started in the morning, a stop off at the Sussex County (hospital) in Brighton's Kemp town (mother's not a well bunny), then off to Goodwood, yay.
It was a good sign of the refined cruising ability of the A2 that Mother fell asleep just passed Worthing. She doesn't normally sleep when I drive, a parent thing I would hope rather than a statement about my driving. Kolo in fact was doing well at most things on the journey bar wind noise & buffeting when the windows or 'OpenSky' was, er, opened. The window buffeting was a true A2 flaw but the sunroof thing was my fault. I de-screened it of it's white cloth mesh, I later replaced the sliding section of it, which, what would you know, fixed the hair blasting.
It was a hot, hot day. A black car, a completely glass roof at midday, the AC on full. Even so, we had to stop and have an iced coffee and a break before getting to the circuit at Goodwood, yay. At this time, we had been in the car for about 2 plus hours (3 for me as I read a car magazine in Kolo whilst waiting at Brighton). Apart from the excessive brightness of the Sussex sunshine, it had been a good trip so far for both of us. Mother did however find the climate control too cold, then too warm changing it every 5 minutes or so from 19.0 to 19.5 to 20.0'c. Hmm, I thought, but then she is my mother, aren't they allowed to do things like that?
As we drank some strange Starbucks creation with muffins, we chatted about comparing Kolo with my Mother A2, which we belatedly called Heiki. there are a number of differences between the two Audis. Firstly, kolo's a tuned 3 cylinder diesel & her's a standard inline 4 petrol, but both 1.4. Heiki, which is now my sister's, is just eligable for the government's Scrappage Scheme. Although it's a X-plate, 1999 car, it has fared well over the decade. We then reminisced over the time we first got her A2.
Having habitually read motoring publications of one type or another since I was a preteen, I was aware that in 1999, mother was making a big mistake trading her 4-year-old VW Sharan for a postman Pat red Merc A-class. Luckily, before she completely commited to buy Pat's van, we drive down to Hailsham where a new Audi dealership had just opened. In the centre of a three car display was Heiki. we went to Hailsham on a whim, just like today (that day) to see if an A2 was even available yet in the UK. But there one was, the first outside London apparently. She was impressed, and why wouldn't she be, the interior design and quality, the Avus Blue metallic paintwork on a TTesque 5-door with all the trimmings: every single option bar OpenSky (Nekarsulm where having a couple of issues with that still), but is was just so much better than anything thing we have ever had. It was so far beyond the A-class that car-innocent Mother thought it would be 50% more money than the red toy merc, but it was only £500 or so more than the base spec A120 or whatever it was, which had nothing! (This is Mercedes base spec remember, they only just started to include the radio in the late 80's) The gulf between the two potential dawsonmobiles was truly huge. Me had to wait awhile to get Heiki, (s)he was meant to be the dealership's demonstrator for at least six months. luckily, mother got that down to 3 weeks. I mean, what better demonstration than the A2 driving around town for everyone to see rather than the 2 mile radius from the dealership as a ploddy test-driver, was the route mother's argument took. Brilliant.
At the time of this, back then, I was myself driving a (Rover) Mini cooper, black with an off-white roof, Cooper bonnet stripes and those 13" alloys with the large sportpack arches. But it was in Heiki that everyone would stare at us. Mother would get asked what was it and how strange and weird it is. She now says how very off putting it all was, 'now all the cars are copying the A2!' I can see her point too, well not all cars, just some maybe and in detail. We're not talking Chinese car industry copying just, well, hinting maybe.
Rest break over, back onto the road...
Saturday, 4 July 2009
When in Bexhill....
....and you fancy a drive, follow this route:
Start at the Lamb (the one on the Marsh Road not the one at nearby Wartling, that's another day) Go along the A259 towards Bexhill (Barnhorn Rd). It'll curve right over a wide radius. A gentle start. Then straight, up the hill into a left just on the brow, flowing into a series of bends that are, in my opinion are better than anything else in the south east. This continues all the way to Little Common and it's busy round about.
Take the 3rd exit up the hill (Little Common Rd). This straight's not much but the right-hander at the Denbigh is worth it. It starts with a camber to help you round, then rises to a weightless crest into a negative camber drifting you towards the walled bank on the outside, just to spit you out into the sharper left hook on the bottom of the trough. The road's wide at the Denbigh but it seems like you get a car width and a couple of milimetres from the bank thanks to most of it being hash marked for an oncoming turn. If your lucky enough to see the road clear ahead as you enter this right-left at the Denbigh then go into the hashes, it adds to the greatness of the corner.
Now continue on the Little Common Road, take this next mile slowly, as there's a school, a youth club, park and swiming pool before trafficlights at the chippy. Go Straight ahead onto King Offa Way (still the A259) until another set of trafficlights. watch out for speed cameras inbetween the two sets. Go straight ahead passed flats on your left and houses on the right. This is Gods waiting room so it's still 30mph.
With tesco and McDonalds on the right, turn to the first left at the roundabout. The Hastings Road (A2036) is still a continuation of the lull of this circuit but you're getting near to a 60 soon. turn/stay right at the Church, still the A2036 but now called Wrestwood Road. This skirts the edge of town and is an interesting series of bends, if a little too narrow to really open the taps.
Next, go straight ahead at a new mini roundabout on the now A269 Ninfield Road. It's light residential until a very narrow part with an old row of terraced cottages then into a long right into the 60 zone.
Enjoy the open twists though a few little hamlets. This is a very good way of forgetting the lull in Bexhill town.
Then at Lower Street village, go left onto the Wode Road (A2095) signed 'Hooe 2 miles'. The hedges are close and high and it's all peaks and troughs between the hamlets of Lower Street and Hooe. This stretch has a couple of tight turns now and then but it's a joy. Beware, however of oncoming traffic, the road narrows just before and just after Hooe, requiring passing places.
The road continues to be be a relentless series of turns between the tall, close hedges ending abuptly at the Lamb and the junction with the A259 Marsh Road.
Turn right to have a sussex cream tea and tennis in Eastbourne
Or
Turn left to do it all again
(notes from the author: This route isn't the best in the upcoming series, but it would be a very close second if you could skip the lull between the left after the Denbigh and the row of cottages on the exit out of Bexhill on the Ninfield Road)
Start at the Lamb (the one on the Marsh Road not the one at nearby Wartling, that's another day) Go along the A259 towards Bexhill (Barnhorn Rd). It'll curve right over a wide radius. A gentle start. Then straight, up the hill into a left just on the brow, flowing into a series of bends that are, in my opinion are better than anything else in the south east. This continues all the way to Little Common and it's busy round about.
Take the 3rd exit up the hill (Little Common Rd). This straight's not much but the right-hander at the Denbigh is worth it. It starts with a camber to help you round, then rises to a weightless crest into a negative camber drifting you towards the walled bank on the outside, just to spit you out into the sharper left hook on the bottom of the trough. The road's wide at the Denbigh but it seems like you get a car width and a couple of milimetres from the bank thanks to most of it being hash marked for an oncoming turn. If your lucky enough to see the road clear ahead as you enter this right-left at the Denbigh then go into the hashes, it adds to the greatness of the corner.
Now continue on the Little Common Road, take this next mile slowly, as there's a school, a youth club, park and swiming pool before trafficlights at the chippy. Go Straight ahead onto King Offa Way (still the A259) until another set of trafficlights. watch out for speed cameras inbetween the two sets. Go straight ahead passed flats on your left and houses on the right. This is Gods waiting room so it's still 30mph.
With tesco and McDonalds on the right, turn to the first left at the roundabout. The Hastings Road (A2036) is still a continuation of the lull of this circuit but you're getting near to a 60 soon. turn/stay right at the Church, still the A2036 but now called Wrestwood Road. This skirts the edge of town and is an interesting series of bends, if a little too narrow to really open the taps.
Next, go straight ahead at a new mini roundabout on the now A269 Ninfield Road. It's light residential until a very narrow part with an old row of terraced cottages then into a long right into the 60 zone.
Enjoy the open twists though a few little hamlets. This is a very good way of forgetting the lull in Bexhill town.
Then at Lower Street village, go left onto the Wode Road (A2095) signed 'Hooe 2 miles'. The hedges are close and high and it's all peaks and troughs between the hamlets of Lower Street and Hooe. This stretch has a couple of tight turns now and then but it's a joy. Beware, however of oncoming traffic, the road narrows just before and just after Hooe, requiring passing places.
The road continues to be be a relentless series of turns between the tall, close hedges ending abuptly at the Lamb and the junction with the A259 Marsh Road.
Turn right to have a sussex cream tea and tennis in Eastbourne
Or
Turn left to do it all again
(notes from the author: This route isn't the best in the upcoming series, but it would be a very close second if you could skip the lull between the left after the Denbigh and the row of cottages on the exit out of Bexhill on the Ninfield Road)
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