OK, maybe this image isn't of the usual type, but this was still very much an AMOC event! There are more pictures below, some with cars on them, and in the Area 4 Gallery .
The 'Pudding Club' was launched in 1985 to preserve and celebrate great British puddings that were then somewhat out of favour... can you believe that?! For a selection of the current (currant) custard-drenched pudding options, click here.
As a self-confessed custard addict, the Area 4 Rep (let's name him, Andrew Fawkes) decided he was going to attend, regardless of anyone else. It just so happened that there are enough closet pudding & custard addicts in the Area to make it an official AMOC trip. Not only that, it enticed a few other Area people to join in too. Here's the report...
Itinerary:
Day 1 - Friday 28th April 2017
- Muster at Aston Martin Bristol or drive direct.
- Visit to Watsonian Squire
- Check in at the Three Ways House Hotel, Chipping Campden (home of the Pudding Club)
- Eat pudding!
Day 2 - Saturday 29th April 2017
- Wellington Museum
- Cotswold Motor & Toy Museum
- Hidcote Gardens
- Dinner at the Three Ways House Hotel
Day 3 - Sunday 30th April
Depart for home suitably replete!
REPORT
Four cars and couples met at Aston Martin Bristol for a few savoury light bites to see us on our way. We met up with the remaining four cars/couples at Watsonian Squire (manufacturers of motorcycle sidecar outfits) for a tour of their workshop and very welcome coffee and biscuits. That said, Anthony & Barbara King's DB9 decided to throw an electrical wobbly en-route from Aston Martin Bristol. In stepped dealer principal, Aaron Allnutt, to rescue their weekend by lending them a white V8 Vantage... now that's what I call customer service.
Pre-trip savouries c/o Aston Martin Bristol (L-R: John Hazzard, Bernie Graham, Paul Gerring, Gillian Fawkes, Jan Gerring, Anthony King, Barbara King, Jacqui Wilson & Aaron Allnutt (our hosts) and Andrew Fawkes).
Our Watsonian host, Ben Matthews, was most enlightening about the history (the business is one year older than Aston Martin - 1912), the manufacturing process and the geometrical challenges of correctly fitting (and riding) a sidecar outfit. Area 10's Lex John fulfilled a lifetime ambition to have a ride in a sidecar. She loved it!
Our group is inside learning about sidecars, recently made popular by Wallace & Grommit and Harry Potter!
John Hazzard hangs on to Andrew Fawkes for grim death, a fear not shared by Lex John in the sidecar!
Our small Aston convoy then arrived at the Three Ways House Hotel, the venue of the famous Pudding Club (founded 1985) to meet up with the rest of our party. Needless to say, a few pre-dinner drinks were enjoyed and acquaintances made before the evening's highlight... 7 dishes with custard. That said, a popular choice was a roulade which hardly counts as a proper (stodgy) pudding, at least in this author's eyes. The winner voted for on the night was a steamed syrup and ginger pudding. A good choice... but Spotted Dick came last... how can that be? There was no arguing with the result, nor with our 'Pudding Mistress' Lucy, but fun was had by all. Only four of our party of 18 could eat all seven pudding servings, so well done Area 4's Bernie Graham, Mike Haynes, Barbara King and guess who? Viv Haynes beat off 69 other people to win the prize draw, her favourite pudding to take home, a huge Very Chocolate Sponge!
We never did find out who owned the non-member car parked behind the Fawkes's Volante. We wanted to recruit them!
Day 2 was a relaxed tour of local attractions:
Owner Ed Tyack kindly opened up the Wellington Museum especially for us. This is a little treasure trove of mainly WWII memorabilia and well worth a visit if you're in the area.
Owner Ed Tyack is 8th from the left.
Lots to see in here, not least a Wellington Bomber, as Phil points out to Lex and Jan points out to Jeff.
The Cotswold Motoring Museum is another little gem and very popular all year round, especially on cool bank holiday weekends!
Crammed with automobilia, the Cotswold Motoring Museum.
The National Trust's Hidcote Gardens rounded off the day's attractions with lovely flower displays and cups of tea.
Anthony & Barbara King depart Hidcote in their borrowed V8 Vantage.
Spring at Hidcote is a colourful affair.
Fourteen of us stayed for another night at the hotel. Mike Haynes and I managed more Spotted Dick. Other (different) puddings were also available, although cheese seemed a popular choice on this evening, for some inexplicable reason.
Dinner on Day 2, pudding has yet to be served.
Departure after breakfast all feeling suitably replete and with some new friendships established that we look forward to maintaining through other AMOC events in the future.
Thank you to all who attended and made this such a jolly good custard-fest of a weekend:
- Paul & Jan Gerring - Area 4 (supercharged Vantage GT8)
- Mike & Viv Haynes - Area 4 (V8 Vantage)
- John Hazzard & Bernie Graham - Area 4 (DB7 Vantage)
- Phil & Lex John - Area 10 (DB7 Vantage Volante)
- Anthony & Barbara King - Area 4 (V8 Vantage in lieu of their DB9)
- Jeff & Margaret Maynard - Area 10 (Vanquish Volante)
- Allen & Amalia Richardson - Area 13 (Ferrari 550 Maranello)
- Jeff & Jo Sears - Area 10 (V12 Vantage)
- Organisers: Andrew & Gillian Fawkes - Area 4 (DB7 Vantage Volante)
