Newsletter 35 - October 2003

Heading South for the ‘winter’
plus
Minari BBQ
At last Chriss and I can draw breath and I can get on the comptometer and
communicate with your good self! The Yellow Beastie is now safely ensconced
not so far oop North in Cumbria having covered a not inconsiderable number of
miles in a circuitous route to get there – a few rests were taken on the way!
I said a fond farewell to RAF Kinloss on 4 July and YB departed the distant
north the following day. A very pleasant topless drive through the scenic
countryside of Scotland the following morning ended in the Trossachs, for a night
stop at the Crieff Hydro. The onward journey continued southerly the next day.
Still topless, the trip was nowhere near as pleasant, as it was mostly motorways –
not the natural home of the Minari! The YB then recovered in Cumbria for a
couple of weeks while Chriss and I returned to Crieff for a further two nights with
the ‘nasty team’ from the Elgin branch of BPW (Business and Professional
Women) – a national organisation that promotes the interests of women or, if
you’re in the Elgin branch, promotes the profits of brewers/distillers various. We
had an excellent weekend with the team before heading back North for the move.
Those of our membership who have moved after a long stay (15 years) in one
home will know what we faced. I can quite believe that moving is as traumatic as
divorce if not more so! Eventually the removers finished packing at 1430 on 14
Jul. We had lunch with our nextdoor neighbours, wished them a fond adieu and
departed South, Chriss in the black YB, as seen at Stoneleigh, myself in the trusty
Rover. All these cars make for a logistical nightmare!
The next day the YB and black YB (hope you’re following this Dave) departed
for a night stop in an Oxfordshire farmhouse B&B. The route we took was along
the A66 to Scotch Corner then down the A1/A1(M). It was whilst we were both
progressing topless along this part of the Queen’s highway (robbery) that I
noticed a particularly nice red Italian motor car approaching from the rear (where
else). It was a 360 Modena Spider, also topless. The driver drove passed the black
YB at a fair rate of knots (RAF speak for quite fast) and slowed down abeam
(Navy speak for alongside) the YB. Now I might be wrong but, I don’t think he
knew what the YB was and probably still doesn’t despite ‘hanging around’ for
about 15 miles. At one stage black YB and YB created a Ferrari sandwich. With a
registration number of L 1 NKS, Chriss seems to think that the driver, who gave a
casual wave on first ‘meeting’, might have something to do with golf. Don’t see it
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