Sam and Sparky's Journey

Sam and Sparky's Journey

Sunday 18 March 2012

Whitby to Scarborough Mini Run

The day began just like any other Sunday -- cold, cloudy and damp, but before long, the clouds began to break up and it became a rather pleasant day -- if a bit chilly. Upon arriving at the Whitby Pavilion start point with my photographer, Tom, I realised that my previous visit just weeks before on a similarly sunny Sunday had led me into a false sense of security regarding the car park -- it wasn’t deserted as it previously had been, it was rammed! I’m not sure how we did it, but somehow we all managed to fit into the car park (mainly by being cheeky Minis!).

 At 12pm I gave the signal to the lady in the ice cream van and the ‘If you go into the woods today…’ melody chimed across the landscape -- this was the signal that marked the start of the run!

All 50 of us embarked on our convoy -- weaving through the narrow streets of Whitby and then onto the A171 to witness beautiful scenery on an equally beautiful day. We took the Marine Drive route to the Spa in Scarborough from the A165, accompanied by spectators taking photos and children pointing at the Minis along the way.

After every one had parked up at the Spa, there was a real buzz in the air. Unsuspecting members of the public were suddenly surrounded by a mass group of Minis, and they certainly showed the interest as the various drivers sparked up conversations with one another. At 3pm, following the obligatory fish ‘n’ chips for lunch, the raffle prize draw was announced and one lucky lady walked away with the two top prizes! Shortly after, a gorgeous Red 1964 MKI belonging to James and Chris Butler was announced as the show ‘n’ shine winner. With a stunning red and cream leather interior it was definitely a worthy winner!

As the day wound down to a close myself and my team were left reflecting on an exciting and enjoyable day. None of the other team members have ever experienced the classic Mini culture before so they were simply following my vision and instruction, but I couldn't have done it without them! So a big thanks go to James Vernon, Daniel Armitage, Danny Weston, Matthew Cuthbert and Stephen Hansell.

Needless to say, they have seen Minis in a whole new light, and we’re all very eager to get started on the task of organizing Whitby 2 Scarborough Mini Run 2013!

  

Mini's at The Spa, Scarborough