"Mind your Manor's" Nasc Neil's Springnats 2011

Ready for the off

The Nasc run Springnats is held at the fantastic setting of Drayton Manor Theme park,. It has got to be the best setting for a family Rod Run in the UK. There is free entry for all weekend participants, all weekend, which would cost a fortune on its own. Masses of eating and take away restaurants within a mile or so, perfect camping facilities, great club house, brilliant atmosphere and good company, with no hassle and no knob heads...a few weirdo's granted, but no knob heads ;o)

Well that's the scene set, now let me tell you about the weekend from my perspective.

The dogs Frankie and Tess, love going off with us in the Truck and caravan. So as soon as the truck doors were open they were in and you can tell by their faces they really are hoping they are coming with us and not going to the kennels instead this time.

I had the truck/caravan almost loaded and ready to go by Thursday evening, so just needed to add the frozen grub,beer, and dog stuff early Friday morning ready for the off by 6.15am.

Just some of the gear we have to take.

Bad photo but even the caravan gets loaded to the hilt, more weight = less mpg but try telling that to my Mrs.

It was pissing down, but we were off and excited, I love driving the Truck so the drive down is always total pleasure. I have just had the gearbox rebuilt so was even better. We hadn't done 10miles though when Pudzz thought he had a problem, on quick inspection his newly fitted shox had snapped??? So he chose to drop his caravan in a lay bye and go back home and get his daily. His daughters and boyfriends stayed and looked after the caravan. while me being a good friend fuked off and left them to it ;o)..... Well I did have to get the caravan set up at Drayton and a very large tent for my very large daughter who is 8month pregnant which will take us ages to get all sorted so off we went. My daughter and Boyfriend were to follow down later as he had to work until dinner time (lunch time for you posh folk).

Truck ran like a dream as usual, though oil pressure seems to have dropped over the years and the LPG gauge decided to not play ball apart from that all was hunky dory.

Once at Drayton, we were met by the very friendly and helpful NASC crew and soon were in search of the best place to pitch the tent and caravan. At the bottom of the hill most places were taken. Half way up the spaces weren't quite big enough for us all and at the top it can get to windy and is to far away from the toilet and shower block. So up and round the bend we went. Until we were right down the bottom of the extra field. The weather was great, as we had left the crappy rain back up north. Finally we agreed on one perfect pitch where we would all fit and was close enough for the showers etc and shelter from the wind.

It wasn't long before Pudzz arrived and we were still trying to erect camp Holmes. In fact Pudzz like a military machine has his camp set up and was sat having a cold one, watching me and my Mr's still messing even though we had an hours start on him and his crew. It would be a further hour before, we finally got our camp all set up and before I got my well earned cold cider, boy did it taste good.

We sat round Pudzz camp and had a craic over a cider or three. I put my ghetto blaster on but there was only me who appreciated some Rammstein with my cider, so I put some Psycobilly on.. again only me liked it ;o(..... I tried some Dance and all I got from Pudzz was why the fuk do you have to have it so loud?? So finally I put some Cee Lo Green on, didn't go down to well either, "switch that crap off" "It's Cee Lo Green" I said... " Oh I like him" they said.....errrr go figure. "Put radio 1 on".... that's what they wanted.

Pudzz got out the tiniest radio you can ever imagine, just one up from one of those home made ones in a matchbox from years ago, put on Radio 1 and everyone (bar me) was happy. I think it was because most of them wished they had got tickets for the one big weekend that was on up by where we live in Carlisle and thought they were really missing something.... I rest my case. Give me Rammstein any time day or night to rock my party, I cant stand Radio 1 DJ's they are all proper Knobs.

Having said that we had a good laugh and did what getting away is all about. Then we had our customary walk round.

On our afternoon walk round we found Camp Tony Grayston being slowly erected.

NIce 32 Roadster was camped by us.

This looked a bargain.

Past Springnats winner Fordson was still looking fantastic.

Chris on the left on his was to Strongbow oblivion.

Me cooking up a feast.

Pudzz and the crew, not sure if this is because I had dirty windows or it was raining???? I don't remember it raining so I must remember to clean my windows next time I get the awning out ;o)

Young Chris Pudzz daughters Fiance, had tried to stay with us on the cider and had passed out on the bog in the shower block, so that was his night over. The rest of Pudzz crew including Pudzz had all crashed by 8pm. So me my wife, daughter, boyfriend and the grand kids went up to the club on our own.

The Disco was not my cup of tea to be honest, but what ya do. My daughter's boyfriend is a big lad and the chairs in the club house are so tightly packed together you can hardly get between them to sit down. I will give you an idea how big he struggles to fit in the drivers seat of my F100 Truck as his thighs just go under the steering wheel and his knees touch it when his feet are on the floor he makes it look like a toy. So he tries to get into a seat at the club and cant so he had to push a line of seat to make a gap..... he pushed the seat next to him and it set up a chain reaction, pushing about six other seats down the line eventually pushing a guy was sat on a seat further down the line... with such force it knocked him off his seat... fuk he said how did that happen? then looked at Liam and said friggin hell lad you must be strong, er which he is Terrrrrrrr.

The kids slide across the dance floor most of the night, people got up and did very strange dancing to old strange music much to the amusement of the young ones with us (18 - 23yrs) they think everyone is stuck in a time warp and not a very good time warp either. A bit of Ska always sees to get the dancing on hot coals style dancers out and old favorites like the cha cha slide fill a dance floor... is it me who does not know how to enjoy himself or is this inane crap???

Pudzz arrived up at the club house on his own later and did his usual party piece and insulted the door staff, while out having a ciggy (gave up 15yrs now smoking like a gold medallist) he looked at the bouncer's, then said to a bunch of young lads outside " Look Lads you cant be a proper bouncer unless you are real ugly like these two" ;o) I don't know how but he does always get away with it. Last year at the Hot Rod and Hills do, as we walked in the club house, he looked the bouncer up and down who wasn't ya usual massive bouncer but he looked handy and said "who fuk are you going to bounce?" he just laughed then later he went outside and he was there having a ciggy and he said again to the bouncer "Give us a fag before I knock fuk out of ya! and he did give him a ciggy and just laughed again. That is who Pudzz is he really takes the piss out of some people and usual people you don't take the piss out of and live yet he does.. every time.. we had a laugh and left when they chucked us out. I took the dogs out for a midnight walk round the woods which I love and when I got back to camp everyone had crashed out and had an early night! So what was I to do on me own? in past years we always had a party till late with loads of people in our awning, now we all go to bed at sensible o'clock.... must be getting old. That's Friday over.

Saturday Click here