Back in the UK

[Pope1]

I'm happy to report that my VX is back in the UK after 11 years away in Barbados. It arrived this afternoon but sadly it sustained some bodywork damage in transit. I now have to deal with that in addition to finishing my restoration work and getting the car UK road legal. I had hoped that it would be back in time for me to take it to the Auto Italia get together next week-end but that has turned out to be wishful thinking. Never the less I'm still hoping I can meet some of British Lancisti over the summer months and share tales of our mutual addiction.

[DJ]

Where are you in the UK, Chris?

Starting next Friday, I'll be a resident of Scotland for a couple of years.

[Pope1]

Unfortunately a long way South of where you will be. I'm in Wolverhampton in the West Midlands, it's about 30 or so miles NW of Birmingham.

[DJ]

Funny,

We Americans find our differences in perception of distance rather intertesting. You say "Unfortunately a long way South of where you will be" and I see 200 miles as a leisurely drive through an interesting area that we've not really explored much yet.

Susan and I love to explore new places and drove all over Scotland and England in the 10 days we were there in 2002. It seemed quite natural to us but most Brits and Scots thought we were crazy.

Interestingly, I just looked up land area for the entire UK, including Northern Ireland, and found that it's actually smaller than the State of Colorado where I live. So, to us, it's really nothing more than driving across the state, which we do all the time to visit people and places.

Never fear. In the 2 years or so that we expect to be there, we'll most certainly make it to most every corner of the the UK and I hope to meet as many Lancisti as possible.

Cheers,

[Pope1]

Yes, you are absolutley right. Very funny when you put it that way. I'm perhaps even worse than most here having spent the past 15 years living on an island that was 14 miles by 21! Mind you sometimes the traffic here makes even a short journey into an epic.

[Hamish]

Chris,
Try and get up to Scotland - be grand to see you ;)

DJ,
I see what you're saying and I share your view to an extent, but we have a lot of cars on the road and (sadly) most drive at less than 55mph...... >:( So actually getting to places is timed in the number of grannies on the road and the amount of roadworks and speed cameras ::) >:(

May (note may be a Beta coupe here in Dinnet for you to visit when you get the chance........

[Pope1]

Thanks Hamish. Perhaps towards the end of the summer (when I hope things will be a little more settled) a few days away might go down well. I'll definitely let you know if a visit to Scotland is on the cards.