Chris's space

From the Morgan Factory in Malvern I drove to Milton Keynes just for the night. My original plan was to visit the Formula 1 teams (Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1, Williams F1, McLaren Technology Centre, Red Bull Racing) in this area but I soon learned that this was not possible without an invitation and even then in would cost in the region of £600. So I drove to my friends place in Hastings where I used to store my bike (in his garage). It seems I have friends that want to see whats left of me in the flesh hahaha. Having visited Hasting twice a year for the last 13 years to collect and drop off my bike there was nothing new to see or do except catch up on the gossip.

I drove directly from the Royal Mint to Cheltenham just for the night and the next day I visited the Morgan Factory which is in the area. Morgan started off as a three wheeler and they still make a three wheel model but four wheels is more popular. The chassis is made of wood with an aluminium body, wood is light and strong and is perfect for the car. They make 600 cars a years and all are made to order and you have to wait 6-12 months for delivery. There are no robots here very much like the Pagani factory in Italy, everything is literally handmade. The cars start at £75,000 but most are optioned up to £100,000. In this age of robots and electric cars it is heartning to see the dedication that creates these masterpieces.

After visiting the Tank Museum I spent the night in Bournemouth and from there I drove to Cardiff the following day. This was quite a long drive and was half on backroads some so narrow only one car could drive down them. I saw one road sign that said “No Coaches or HGV, you will get stuck” and that was not an idle threat hahaha. I came here to visit the Royal Mint. It was established in the year 886 and has produced coins for over 200 countries and entities across its centuries-old history, beginning with foreign coinage in 1325 for Bordeaux. From 2025 it only produces coins for the UK. They also make special coins and jewelry and are pioneers in extracting gold from used circuit boards. The future of coins is uncertain. A very interesting history. No photos allowed inside the mint.

From Portsmouth I drove to the Tank Museum in Bovington and it was not raining hurray plus I have become familiar with the car controls so a pleasant drive. This is an absolutely amazing Museum, it is huge and all the exhibitions are very well done. It is also a history of the two great wars and other smaller ones. They have a big restaurant with reasonably priced food and it is a popular spot. If you are interested in Tanks this place should be on your bucket list.

From the Tangmere Aviation Museum I drove to Portsmouth, so far it has drizzled non-stop and the roads are narrow and winding with many roundabouts. The roundabouts are some times huge and have many exits and even have traffic lights in them hahaha, only in the UK. Not the most enjoyable place to drive. The following day I visited the Historic Naval Dockyard to see the HMS Victory and the Mary Rose. I also visited the Royal Navy Museum. All very interesting

First stop HMS Victory this ship was the flagship of the navy and where Nelson was shot dead during the Battle of Trafalgar. The ship is completely undercover and is being restored. Restoration is expected to be completed in 2033. You can not see the ship from the outside, only the inside.

Next stop the Mary Rose which was Henry VIII’s favourite ship. It was sunk during a battle by accident a few hundred years ago. Discovered and raised from the seabed where it was half buried. The buried part is all that survived, the rest rotted away over the years.

The Royal Navy Museum, another interesting place, this Museum mainly shows Sailing ships and there is one section devoted to Admiral Horatio Nelson.

I flew Qatar Airways from Perth to London Gatwick with a 20 hour layover in Doha for which the Airline gave me a free hotel room and meal vouchers worth AU$57, a burger and fries cost AU$38 hahaha. This is something they do not advertise but if your layover is more than 8 hours they have to give you a room and food, you have to apply on their website after you book your flight and they send you a confirmation email. The hotel was in the airport which was convenient. I was hoping to see a few drones or missiles flying past but no such luck, not even an F16 or F35 zooming past, it was a typical, boring, uneventful journey. On arrival I rented a car as I am unable to ride a bike since my accident last year which damaged both my hands.

My flight arrived at 0630 so I decided to visit the Tangmere Aviation Museum. This was a very busy RAF base during WW2. It was the home base of the 617 Dam Busters squadron and Douglas Bader.