Wanderlust!

I

’ve always had a strong sense of wanderlust behind the wheel of a car. Sometimes, I’ve driven somewhere just to say that I’ve done it. Or even just to know that I’ve done it! Or because I was bored one night, the weather was peachy, and I had a full tank of fuel.

When I ran Geoffrey, I would occasionally go out during a weeknight for a drive, and return about midnight, having covered some 300 miles! My favourite trips in Geoffrey including heading up to Lincoln, going through the city, then north on the A15, catching the M180, and either heading East to come home via the B1225 or West, ultimately catching the A1, leaving at Grantham, and getting back to Coningsby via Sleaford. Other favourites included heading to Boston, catching the A16 and following it north towards Grimsby, then cutting cross country towards the M180, and either heading back home via the B1225, or via the A15 at Lincoln, and once via the A1 route.

When I was living in Stoke-on-Trent, the Cinquecento and I would occasionally trek north on the M6 with the intention of reaching Scotland in as short a time as possible. I cannot remember the shortest time, but I do recall leaving my digs (essentially at Keele Services) and heading north with around 85 showing on the speedo, and not letting up until I reached Blackpool. I had just become a single man again! I did take the occasional half day off work (a useful de-stress for a busy stockbroker) and caught the A34 heading south towards Birmingham, then catch the M6 at the busiest part, and see how long it took me to get back to Stoke. I once took the cross country route into North Wales, and I recall a smooth stretch of dual carriageway with a Cinq-defeating upwards gradient, then when I peeled off the main road, seeing big warning signs indicating that the corner was tight, ignoring them, and discovering that it was a very tight corner. In the summer months, I frequented the Peat District, Buxton, and the surrounding area. The A52 from Stoke to Ashbourne probably still echos to the zingy Cinquecento exhaust note!

When based in Norwich, and with the Mondeo, you are at an immediate disadvantage in that you’re tucked away from the majority of major routes. Still, there is always the opportunity of venturing to Great Yarmouth, or heading to Cambridge, or the beautiful forests around Thetford (always good for catching flies). The A11 route towards London was another haunt, with the challenge being to time oneself to reach the M25 whilst sticking to the speed limits. Not surprisingly, the record was achieved by leaving home about eleven o’clock at night, and it was under two hours. For the bad taste that Norfolk has left in my mouth, there are some beautiful drives through very picturesque countryside.

And now in York. My wanderlust is tempered by Charlie, but York is a very central place from which to explore. We’re not far from the A1 and the M62 (of course, Ferrybridge being the crossroads). The Yorkshire Dales are to the North East and the Yorkshire Moors to the North. Scarborough is about 40 miles away. Head East, and you can be in Kendal via the scenic route in a satisfyingly long drive. We’re still some distance from Scotland, but not too far: it’s do-able as a day trip, just.

You can read about some of my planned Ka trips here.