9th November 2003

Tim Weston of ZUKI4x4 Club very kindly invited Suzuki Storm to this off road event at the huge site near Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire. A number of our club turned up on what was a very cold day. After getting up at 6am!!! ON A SUNDAY!!! I picked up Jon R (who wasn't at all late) en-route as his truck isnt insured while hes at uni. Then we met Alan and drove down in convoy, finally arriving at around 9.30.

After a coffee and chat with the other nutters folk there, we were allowed onto the site at 10.30. Jamie took the lead, so everyone decided to follow him (even after a bewildered "I dont know where im goin" came over the CB!) But we soon saw where he was heading, straight to the see-saw! Talk about kid-in-a-sweetshop! After many, many goes at this we managed to drag him off so we could explore the rest of the site

Very rare shot of Jamie NOT on the see-saw

Chris demonstrates the see-saw

We find the 'quarry' type section with loads of routes and humps to attempt...

After a play, we decide to see what else the site has to offer, after all there was the promise of a MUD RUN! Anyway, suddenly i find myself in the lead with everyone else following behind. We drive for what seems like ages over some nice gentle grassland/fieldy bits, when there it is! right in front!

I was about to attempt it (honest) when suddenly a ...err... YES, molehill knocked the steering out my hands, causing the truck to veer round the side of the mud run. ah well, maybe next time!

Brett doesnt give up...

...ever!

The only long-wheel-base has to be dragged out by Jamie.

Many more people have a play, including a Samurai that has to be dragged out backwards with its T-case dragging on the ground! Definately not good. Then its dinnertime, so we go back to the main entrance to re-group.

I was just minding my own business, when these little brats erm, children tried to bury my truck! I know one of them was called 'Mike' (not pictured) and really should have known better at his age! Somehow the truck managed to fill with leaves INSIDE as well, i think my passenger was responsible for that, when he opened a door just as a huge handful was thrown in the air. *The dry cleaning bill is in the post, Jon!*

Group shot

After dinner, it was time for another play. We inevitably end up back at the mud run! James attempts This bomb-hole

And out.

I follow him through. This places us on the other side of the mud run. Jamie is on the correct side of the run, and waves to me to traverse it. (go across it, rather than along)...

Well, it doesnt go exactly to plan, and even after many attempts of reverse/forward/reverse to get the momentum up, i just couldnt quite get over the edge.

Jamie attaches a winch cable to the front. You can see how steep the sides are and a also the great sloppy pool of liquid mud in the bottom.

Jamie positions his Jimny behind a mound of earth, this so it can help stop his truck sliding forward, and to protect it/him should something go wrong while winching.

Awsome shot of me mid-recovery. This is a very rare photo, and will be worth money one day!

After i was safely back on dry land, i checked the truck over to make sure everything was OK. To my horror i found I'd snapped a rear mud flap in half! NOOOooooo!!! Also the towbar-ball cover was missing in action, presumed muddy. Well i knew there was only one place it could be, so i did the only sensible thing; find a big stick and start prodding around in the mud for it...

Hooray! i found it!

James (not brave enough to do it the same way as me) plumps for the easy option and follows the tracks

Thats an impressive bow wave!

A short time after doing this, James pulls along side of me, so we are both parked on the bank to the left of the mud run. James & passengers get out to watch another truck drive through the mud, while me and Jon stay im my truck keeping warm and (relatively) dry. Suddenly James truck starts to move. i say to Jon "Is anyone in that?" and on que the driverless truck rolls straight into the middle of the mud run! HAHA. Mike draws the short straw and is 'volunteered' to wade out and retrieve it.

Me and James lined up, this time with handbrakes firmly applied

We return to the 'humpy' area for one last play. See my truck parked on the bank? see Jon in the photo walking along the bank? Guess what happens next...

"HE FELL OH-VER, HE FELL OH-VER, HE FELL OH-VERRR" HAHA. needless to say, Jon had to sit on a rug all the way home!

We set off following Jamie back to Bedworth, where he lives, to pick up my new tyres! I now have some 215/75/15 Colway MTs to fit. Wahay! We left jamie jetwashing his truck, and headed to Loughborough to drop Jon off. Wish that is all i could say but it isnt, halfway up the A4444444 the electrical gremlins began. I sometimes lost the headlights when switching from Highbeam to dipped, or they flickered when using the wipers, also the occasional burning smell. not good on a dark, unlit and rainy country road. We stopped briefly and jiggled a few things (on the truck, of course!) until the torch battery paked up. I kept all the unneccessary leccy-trics off, and managed to get home just before 8pm. An inspection later in the week shows that one of the fuse-link wires has burnt out and needs replacing.

Well thats it. It was a trully great day. Many thanks to Tim for organising it and hope we can look forward to another one there again. Thanks to Jon for being my passenger and also to Chris and James for supplying the photos. Oh, and massive gratitude to Jamie for the recovery. And tyres!

To those that didnt come; you missed a fantastic day