24 replies to this topic

[minimac]

Well you give an idiot a month off from work and what do you get, an ingenious plan to drive the country! The plan was to leave in the first week of March but i wasnt prepared at all, then i decided to leave on the second week but with the storms i thought it could be a tad ify with a tent, when i eventually decieded to leave it was 11:30pm on 13th of March . so i drove through the night with a sleep break and arrived at lands end at 3:30pm-ish

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So the next day it was onto Wales, thought i'd take the severn bridge to see some nice views, but sadly twas a foggy day

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Had no interest in stopping in Wales so i just kept going and headed for Hereford where the Bardo's had very kindly said they would put me up for 2 nights. But my windscreen wipers packed up in very heavy rain a few miles shy of there house so Old Bean and Bean came down to the pub where i was now having a coke and discussion with the locals to come and save me. The next day was just the Malvern mini show, where Chris (nightflier, I think ) sorted my windscreen wipers, so a massive thank you to him for sorting them out i'd have been a tad stuffed in Scotland if he hadnt

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After a very nice 2 nights (thank you very much Bardos) i headed off up north (was very bored of driving at this point, i so nearly just went home) to Morecombe bay again very nice place (im running low on advjectives here).

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Have to say i wasnt to keen on the shortcut i was recommended.

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After eating them lot out of house and home (they were very surprised that such a skinny chap could eat so much for breakfast) i turned the music up and aimed the mini for the lake district to spoil the peace with some Ludacris

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Spent the next night in a tent in the south of Scotland (2 sleeping bags, 1 duvet, fully clothed and a wolly hat) woke up with frost on my tent. Next stop was Dornoch 100 miles from the top , had to go through an awesome country park on the A9, alot of poeple would pay alot of money to have me speechless, but sadly i was on my own so no one benefited but it was just brillant.

Booked myself into a B and B in Dornoch, £20 for the first night and £15 for the next. After one night onto John O'Groats!!!

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I resisted the temptation to leave the mini in first and stamp on it to spread the gearbox across the A99 to get a free lift home from the RAC
Drove it back to Dornoch and went into the local pub just for a celebratory pint, sadly it was £2.70 a pint, i decided to stay another night so i felt a bit fresher to drive in the morning

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Thought i'd check out the beach see if i could get a tan

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Homewards! I did one night in a very nice but very hard to find B and B about 20 miles past Edinburgh, the next day i attempted to get onto Holy island. but the tide was coming in over the road by the time i got there so i took a few pictures, called it quits and drove down to see Hadrains wall .

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Stayed my final night in a B and B again (couldnt face staying in a tent again) in Wetherby.
Spent the next morning wandering around Harrogate then just drove home. Got home on Monday and have only just emptied the mini . Even though it was very boring and hard at times i am so glad that i did it

Mac

[WayneB]

Awesome stuff! I'd love to do something like that!

[james962]

credit to you

Land's End to John O'Groats is something that i want to do sometime in future. When it will happen on the other hand, nobody knows haha

james

[lewis]

love that second last photo

so how long overall did it take?

[DaveMini]

Congrats Dude, I would love to do something like in a few years, how did you navigate Sat Nav, Route Planners ?

[Crazy]

that is genius dude well done awsome something ive thought about doing one day. i dont think ill ever do it though....

[mini_kel]

Congratulations, U made it!! How many miles did u do in the end? Bet u couldn`t wait to get back and talk to people!! haha

[miniman retford]

Sounds a great adventure, Well done.

[the.stroker]

now that is what you call a mini adventure,spot on mate,love the pictures an inspiration to us all!

[panelbeaterpeter]

That's great! what route did you take? did you use sat nav? I'm thinking of going from Bristol to The Orkney islands, which are even further north than John O'Groats

[minimac]

lol Thanks for all those, think im gonna start walking to work from now on, a mile and half, it just doesnt seem worth it anymore

Congrats Dude, I would love to do something like in a few years, how did you navigate Sat Nav, Route Planners ?

You should give it a go, i had a great time seeing the country. lol i just looked at the map each morning and thought 'wonder where i can get to today'

Congratulations, U made it!! How many miles did u do in the end? Bet u couldn`t wait to get back and talk to people!! haha

lol cheers kel, i think it was about 2,500 but i havent dared working it out precisely and im dreaded the arrival of the bank statement . lol yes talking to people is quite noval to me now, i had to put up with just listening to Edith Bowmen, Reggie and Pherne for the journey

That's great! what route did you take? did you use sat nav? I'm thinking of going from Bristol to The Orkney islands, which are even further north than John O'Groats

think most of it was M6, M1 and A9. lol show off, really rub it in and go to the scilly isle

[dave20046]

lol Thanks for all those, think im gonna start walking to work from now on, a mile and half, it just doesnt seem worth it anymore

Congrats Dude, I would love to do something like in a few years, how did you navigate Sat Nav, Route Planners ?

You should give it a go, i had a great time seeing the country. lol i just looked at the map each morning and thought 'wonder where i can get to today'

Congratulations, U made it!! How many miles did u do in the end? Bet u couldn`t wait to get back and talk to people!! haha

lol cheers kel, i think it was about 2,500 but i havent dared working it out precisely and im dreaded the arrival of the bank statement . lol yes talking to people is quite noval to me now, i had to put up with just listening to Edith Bowmen, Reggie and Pherne for the journey

That's great! what route did you take? did you use sat nav? I'm thinking of going from Bristol to The Orkney islands, which are even further north than John O'Groats

think most of it was M6, M1 and A9. lol show off, really rub it in and go to the scilly isle

I want to do that so bad! awesome pics

[pixiegem]

That's amazing - you are so brave!!! Great photos as well I love your little white mini

[THE ANORAK]

wow, we should pin this one ready for the next person who asks "are minis reliable".

i find it amazing that you managed to stick it out on your own, good stuff.

[minimac]

That's amazing - you are so brave!!! Great photos as well I love your little white mini

lol thank you very much

wow, we should pin this one ready for the next person who asks "are minis reliable".

i find it amazing that you managed to stick it out on your own, good stuff.

Yh, i noticed those threads before, all i did was take some spare parts, the stuff you'd use in a service anyway (thanks mini_kel for the list ). All that went wrong was the windscreen wipers due to a damp connection, but they had been on from penzance to hereford so you cant complain and towards the end of the trip it kept cutting out at low revs, nothing a bit of revving at the lights couldnt fix