15/02/2003

 

 

WELL ....... AS YOU WILL SEE FROM THE FOLLOWING PICTURES, TODAY ... A FEW OF US WERE INVITED TO DO A PHOTO SHOOT FOR " TOTAL OFF ROAD MAGAZINE ". FAME AT LAST. SO NOW, NOT ONLY HAS MY CAR BEEN OFFERED AN EXCEPTIONAL VEHICLE DISPLAY PASS FOR THE NATIONAL 4X4 SHOW, BUT IS GOING TO BE IN " TOTAL OFF ROAD " AS WELL.

 

I ARRIVED AT THE SHOOT TO FIND THAT IAN WARREN HAD ALREADY GOT THERE. HE TOLD US THAT AS HE SET OFF TO COME HERE THIS MORNING, A VOLVO HAD DRIVEN STRAIGHT UP THE REAR OF HIS CAR. WHAT A START TO THE DAY.

 

IAN MADE A FEW QUICK REPAIRS TO HIS VITARA AND WE WERE THEN GREETED BY THE JOURNALIST. WHO IS ORGANISING THE SHOOT.

 

WE WERE TOLD TO DRIVE ROUND THE REAR OF THE FARM BUILDINGS AND UP TO THE START OF THE COURSE, SIGNIFIED BY THE FRONTERA.

 

IAN WARREN AND I DECIDED TO HAVE A QUICK LOOK AT WHAT LAY THROUGH THE GATES.

 

THIS WAS THE FIRST PATH WE SAW, THE DROP IS ABOUT AT 45 DEGREES AND WET CLAY, WITH AN ICY TOPPING ..... SUPERB.

 

AS WE WERE WALKING BACK TO THE CARS, THIS CAME OUT THE TREES . IT WAS THE FIRST VEHICLE IN THE SHOOT. MASSIVE LIFT FOR WHAT SEEMS LIKE VERY LITTLE REAR AXLE CLEARANCE.

 

THIS IS TOOOOOOO LONG FOR ANY SERIOUS OFF ROAD . IMAGINE THE BREAKOVER ANGLE ON IT.

 

IAN WAS NEXT OUT. THE PHOTOGRAPHER NEEDED SOME VEHICLE SHOTS BEFORE THE ROUGH STUFF.

THEN IT WAS JAMIES TURN

 

AFTER IAN HAD RETURNED FROM THE COURSE. AND JAMIE WAS BEING PHOTOGRAPHED, THE JOURNALIST TALKED TO IAN ABOUT HIS VIT AND THE MODS, I THINK THEY ARE STILL TALKING .... LOL

 

MY TURN OUT WITH THE PHOTOGRAPHER. THE COURSE WAS NOW DEFROSTING AND WAS GLOOPY CLAY.

 

THIS SHOT GIVES YOU A ROUGH IDEA

 

BACKWARDS AND FORWARDS OVER THE RIVER CROSSINGS

 

AND AT THE END OF THE SHOOT, THE STEEP CLIMB OUT OF THE DIP AND BACK TOWARDS THE OTHER CARS.

 

ONCE THE PHOTOGRAPHER HAD FINISHED, THE OWNERS OF THE SITE AND THE LANDROVER 110( OVERLAND COMPONENTS ), ALLOWED JAMIE AND I TO GO BACK AND PLAY. IAN DUE TO THE LONG DRIVE HOME HAD DEPARTED AT THIS POINT.

 

JAMIE AS HE APPROACHES THE STEEP DESCENT

 

JAMIE AT THE END OF THE DROP

 

THIS OTHER DESCENT IS FURTHER IN TO THE COURSE ,IT IS SURPRISING HOW STEEP IT WAS.

 

EVEN WITH ALL THE LOCKERS, IAN WARREN GOT NO FURTHER UP THIS HILL. THE SURFACE WAS VERY LOOSE AND WET CLAY ..... REALLY HARD. I HAD TWO ATTEMPTS AND CALLED IT A DAY .. GOING BACK WHEN I GET MY WINCH.

 

MARK , DRIVING MY VIT AS WE TOW JAMIE OUT OF THE DEEP FROZEN RUTS.

 

THE CLAY/SOIL IS SERIOUSLY STICKY AND CLOGGED OUR TYRES FASTER THAN THE PASSAGE OF A NUNS FIRST CURRY.

 

THE COLOUR IT WAS MEANT TO BE

 

JIM MALKIN ( OVERLAND COMPONENTS ) APPROACHES IN HIS INCREDIBLE 110 LANDY

 

THE WEATHER WAS GLORIOUS , BUT THE LOW WINTER SUN HAD US ALL SQUINTING . I HAD TO USE MY SUNGLASSES .

 

JAMIE EXITS THE SITE FOR THE LAST TIME

 

THE LANDY STARTS ITS CLIMB OUT

 

WHEN HE STARTED HIS RUN AT THE HILL HE WAS IN 2ND GEAR LOW RANGE. AMAZINGLY HE STOPPED THE LANDROVER HALF WAY UP THE HILL AND THE SELECTED 1ST LOW AND THEN PULLED OFF AGAIN AND COMPLETED THE HILL ..... BLOODY AMAZING TO WATCH.. THE WAY THE CHEQUER PLATE HAS BEEN USED ON THE SIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND THE WAY THE UNDER ARMOUR IS FITTED IS INCREDIBLE , AND NEEDS TO BE SEEN TO BE BELIEVED.

 

AT THE END OF THE SESSION , WE WERE GUIDED TO THE PRESSURE WASH , LOCATED BACK AT THE FARM. THE VEHICLES THEN RECIEVED A MUCH NEEDED WASH. WATCH THIS SPACE FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS BETWEEN LANERIDERS.COM AND OVERLAND COMPONENTS...... JIM AND DON ( THINK I GOT THE NAMES RIGHT ) MANY THANKS FOR A MOST ENJOYABLE DAY .. WE LOVED THE COURSE AND WILL BE IN TOUCH SOON .... SIMON