Wales is in a hole.....

I drove down to Blackwwod near Newport in South Wales on Sunday morning to collect an R7ME gearbox, manual transfer box and matching props, they were at a price that made the drive worthwhile.

175 miles each way, set off at 6am and had a steady drive down, found an obliging VW Transporter pottering down at 60 and slotted in behind him... There for 9.30 with a stop for breakfast before crossing the border in to Wales.

Somehow I didn't notice the downward trend to the journey.... I knew all about it coming back..... It seems to climb forever....

I got bored being sedate on the way back and as I hadn't been on this type of climb since doing the exhaust, I opened it up and sat at 70-75 all the way. The exhaust is noisy but it has released so much more torque, especially when VVT comes in, 70 in fifth. The car happily pushed past 80 and felt that it had more to give (but I didn't).... All very uphill... Carrying what equated to another me, in parts.

When I got there, the lady of the house was just going out (masked up) and told me that she would shout her other half. When he came out he looked like he was mummified (I'm thinking they take this Covid stuff seriously in the valleys...). Poor sod had been burning some garden rubbish and somehow an aerosol had gotten in to the fire, exploding in his face as he pushed the last few embers in to the centre... just the night before.

sniper