National Mini Cooper Day – Beaulieu – 14th June 2015

National Mini Cooper Day – Beaulieu – 14th June 2015

I awoke to a technology disaster, my phone had a moment, I did what the usual IT response is ‘switch it off and on again’, when I switched it back on I was unable to unlock my sim card.  After a number of calls to Vodafone with no luck unlocking the sim card and I was told it was corrupt and I needed a new one (either have one posted out or visit a Vodafone store).

Now running late I visited the club website to enable me to get Nicks phone number to tell him I was running late.  Nick had slept through two alarms and two calls from me and was also running late.  Finally I arrived at the meeting point where Nick and Dawn were waiting, we made a plan to stop in Salisbury to try and find a Vodafone store and we set off.

We arrived in Salisbury, Nick managed to locate 2 stores, one opening at 10am, result.  When they finally opened in I went and less than 10 minutes later I had a new sim card and my phone back in working order.  It is terrible how much we rely on them these days; it’s like having a limb removed!!!

We departed Salisbury and trundled our way to Beaulieu losing Dawn twice on route.  On route I received a phone call from an ex club member who was on the Mendip Minis club stand for the day asking us if we would like to join them, as we did not have a club stand booked, which was very kind of them and we were very grateful.

We pitched up much later than expecting, the sun was shining and it was very warm.  So it was first things first, out came the BBQ and stove, followed by the bacon, rolls, tea and coffee and within 15 minutes we were fed and watered (so to speak).

Then off to look around the show and the museum.  I have not been to this show for a few years and it was noticeable that there were not as many traders as I have seen in previous years but beside that Nick did manage to spend some money and get the few bits that he needed.  There were a number of club stands and plenty of minis in the ‘mini only’ parking area as well as the Show ‘N’ Shiners displaying their cars in the main arena.

The museum had changed a bit since my last visit, a slightly new layout, a few new cars, an additional wing to the Top Gear tent featuring more of their weird and wonderful inventions from their challenges and different cars in the ‘On Screen Cars’ display with the infamous flying car from Harry Potter, the anti-pesto van from Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were Rabbit and of course the Mr Bean mini to name but a few.

Then back to the tent to find Nick scoffing more bacon butties!!  So I gave him a list of jobs that needed doing on my car and off he went to carry out the mission!! I did help him out where I could and I made him his fix of coffee.  But these little jobs became more of a hassle, as we have all experienced, and it created more of a shopping list.

Once the jobs were completed we sat down and chatted for a bit and chilled enjoying the sunshine.  Then Mendip Minis packed up and went on their onward journey home and Nick and I went for another wander around the show to see if we could find the bits for my car that had been added to the shopping list

By now a lot of people and traders had left, we fired up the BBQ and had homemade burgers which were lovely but I think just as much went into the BBQ than went in to the rolls. Then we packed up and headed our way home.  It was a good day and much better that the sun was shining as opposed to the forecasted rain.

Rachel