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Daffodil Run 16th April 2006
(Organised by West Yorkshire)
Review by
Tom Norcliffe
South Yorkshire
 At 8am we were
ready to set off on the drive to York for the start of the Daffodil Run
2006, an event that as well as being an Easter social run also raises money
for Marie Curie Cancer Care. The previous week had been spent servicing the
Midget in readiness for its first serious run of the year. The weather was
clear and bright, a marked change from last year’s event which was somewhat
wet….
The hood was up
for the first leg of the journey, from our house in Rotherham to the meeting
point for the run in the McDonald’s car park in the Clifton Moor Retail
Park, York. On arrival we were greeted by a varied group of MGs, from a
1930’s MG TA to the very latest MG saloon and sports cars. We were joined
for the second year by guests from the BMW car club and for the first time
by the Midget and Sprite club. There was also the debut a new arrival for
Sharon Southern, a 2003 model MG TF!
After a drink
and a chat cars set off at the leisure of the drivers for the first half of
the run, a 46 mile journey to Helmsley. The route quickly took us off the
main roads along some lovely stretches, ideal for the classic or modern MG.
Along the route the organisers (David and Carol Copeman) had planned
various, optional, “Stop and Look” points, the first of which was the
historic village of Sheriff Hutton, the home of a former Sheriff of
Yorkshire and also the final resting place of Edward Prince of Wales who
died in 1481.
A further 9
miles on and the second stopping point of the day, at Nunnington Hall was
quickly followed by a stop at St Gregory’s Minster, situated on the valley
slopes and surrounded by woodland, the Minster is a Saxon Church with
numerous interesting features, not least the coffin lids in the walls! As
mentioned the Minster was built in the valley, this means that only 100
yards later was the first ford of the day. With memories of last year’s
damp socks still clear in the mind, I elected to take the alternative route
to avoid the river, rejoining near Kirkbymoorside town centre. This proved
unnecessary as I am told there was barely a tyres depth of water here this
time round.
A short distance
further we took to a wonderful section of single-track road, taking us
across open moorland, here we managed to catch up with the aforementioned MG
TA who was running at the tail of an eclectic mix of MG’s, comprising a
1970’s Midget at the head of the train followed by a ZT-T and a ZR 160. We
travelled this road for around 17 miles, down one side of valley and back up
the other side, pausing to open and close the farmer’s gate, and once to
take a couple of pictures of my car with the spectacular scenery as a
back-drop.
Once we
re-joined the standard width roads we were close to the lunch stop, this
year planned for the delightful village of Helmsley. We were joined in the
village square by a large number of motorcyclists, tourists and walkers,
some of whom took great interest in the MGs, although heads were turned when
a group of classic tractor owners ploughed through the village on their
Easter run.
After the lunch
stop we started the second half of the run, 39 miles to The Sidings Hotel
and Restaurant near the village of Tollerton. The second section of the run
had yet more sites of interest noted in the route, the first of which was
Rievaulx Abbey. A second ford followed; again an alternative route was
suggested although the previous week’s dry conditions meant that this was
unnecessary.
The route
briefly deviated from it’s primarily B and unclassified road format by
joining the A170 towards Scarborough for a very short distance, this led the
entrants to the White Horse of Kilburn, a unique landmark overlooking the
village of Roulston Scar. The horse is an amazing sight in any weather but
on a clear bright day is a fantastic spectacle.
Less than a mile
and a half after leaving White Horse is the village of Kilburn, home to the
Mouseman of Kilburn, a local carpenter. The trademark of the Mouseman
carpenters is a small mouse carved into every piece of furniture, as a
signature.
More “stop and
look” sites followed at Byland Abbey and Coxwold Village before turning
again onto single track road, for less than one mile, to lead us towards the
town of Easingwold, familiar to many as the finishing area of previous
Daffodil runs. From here a further ten miles or so lead us to the finish of
this year’s run, The Sidings Hotel and Restaurant.
As the name
suggests the restaurant has a railway theme, being sited next to the East
Coast Mainline and made up of converted carriages. Two of these are
furnished as restaurant cars and two are sleeping quarters. The slightly
quirky surroundings gave an atmosphere of being in a time warp era, the
cream tea, the friendly staff and the surprising tranquillity making an
excellent end to the run.
The journey back
to Rotherham was uneventful, though the A19 proved to be a stark contrast to
the quiet, scenic and at times, challenging roads that made up the run,
roads perfectly suited to MG’s.
Many thanks must
go to David and Carol Copeman for organising this excellent event again this
year.
Review by
Tom Norcliffe
South Yorkshire |
