5 Bristol cars - a 407, a 409 and 3 410s were parked
in front of Ravenwood Hall near Bury St. Edmunds while 17 club members sat down
for a sumptuous lunch in the hotel’s restaurant. There was also a 401 and a 603
in the car park making a record 7 cars turning up for the East Anglian section’s
Christmas lunch.
The record attendance was in no small part due to
the excellent weather, which allowed the cars’ paintwork to stay shiny, and
gave their ancient heaters a fighting chance at keeping their occupants warm.
The efficiency of our respective heating systems was
a popular topic of conversation with the conclusion that drivers of 50 years
ago were a much hardier bunch. Neil had blanked off part of my radiator to the
extent that some warmth was discernable in the cabin with the temperature gauge
reading a steady 75°C
when cruising on the A14. I like to run hotter than that so some more
experimentation is going to be required to ensure that I’m running at my best
and Neil continues to take me out through the winter to stop me getting bored.
Winter running temperatures never used to be such a
problem until Neil fitted me with a new radiator core 2 years ago in
preparation for a trip to the south of France. However English winters, even
mild ones, are another matter entirely.
