Weekender 2/3/4th July 2010 REVIEW>>>

cracking pics and vids lads it looks like you had a good weekend

but just one thing to say oh my poor old little white leafer what was you doing to it Houndog :oh yer:

Looks like you had a good time lads.Need to get myself a swb for off roading.Missus wont let me use the lwb.

Last edited by andytats on Tue Jul 06, 2010 1:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.

A Big Thank You to Greg and Sal for a great weekend

see you on the next one

Houndog n' Co

Where do I begin with this one then?????

The picnics at the woods are usually cracking but this time was very different. It was something else at the weekender, we had the added bonus of beer....
No but on a more serious note Greg and Sal and the SE members involved getting the site ready for us totally surpassed anything done before, the site was
brilliant. We now had hot and cold running electricity from the genny stashed up the hill, we had toilets that you didnt have to dig before you needed to go (his and hers I might add). We also had the best turnout of members to date, that all had the best time over the 48hrs (or more for some of us).

I arrived at the woods on the Friday at about 7.00pm to find a couple of tents already set up and a huge fire in the process of being lit by greg and
his flame thrower. I delivered the FOG Brazier that has been living at mine since Bala and that was quickly filled and lit aswell. Things then soon after
that turned to beer and getting ready for our first night in the woods. I didnt bother with the tent this time and went for the "drop the back seats down
and kip on the airbed in the back of the fronty option",which was very comfortable in the end. Gregs bbq'd chicken had to be seen to be believed that
night coz if I described it as charred remains that wouldnt be going far enough to explain just how "well done" it was..... :lol:

(still ate it though).

Saturday started quite early and the other members who hadnt pitched up on the Friday began to arrive and after Gregs run down of the sites developments
since the last picnic and the safety rules the fun began. So many events and happenings went on over the course of the day that will go down in my book as the best time I have had at the woods since we optained it almost a year ago. That primarily is thanks to Greg and Sal and also all the members old and new
that have put in the effort that they all have to carry on the great work in advancing our playground to the level it is now.

Thank you guys, your the best!

I unfortunately didnt have a camera with me this time so will have to just enjoy all of the great pics and vids that the rest of you took :oops:

Hiya foggers....had sleeps now and fixed 2 of the 3 dead motors...so time for a proper post!! :dance:

The weekender....Well I dont know where to start....so the prep is probably a good point...

Gotta say we were both nervous about this one, the picnics we as a group had got nailed....
but a weekender is a whole different tin of worms...with a whole new set of challenges to conquer!

The weekender..preparation...

Massive preparation started at the last workday with a mamouth effort getting the clearing sorted ready for camping, and huge thanks to all those who sweated and suffered that day....retro pedro, jammywagonwheel & houndog, mapracing, davetherave, djsarge...well done fellas...also got some new stuff added which everyone seemed to enjoy...Got the wood supply sorted for the bonfire...it was hooj taller than a lifted fronty and approx 10ft x 20ft with near vertical sides!
Big thanks also go to davetheraveuk for his help on many an evening up there creating new stuff and cut thoughs, and his assistance in building our industrial 20+ seater picnic table..
and louis for his help improving the top bombholes and the loan of his bush cutter...
Big thanks to Pete (retro pedro) for donating the timber for the frame of the picnic table...had exactly the right amount and were left with just a few foot long offcuts...must have read my mind, and the sheer size of the timbers donated kinda made up for my dubious woodworking abilities and lack of being able to weld wood! Your a star pete...that timber would have cost us fortunes to buy...many many thanks...
Big thanks also to Tom, who sadly couldnt join us at the weekender due to his wife being ill (get well soon from all the se massive!), for sourcing the giant kettle, the hurricane lamps and the gazebo that he's donated to the cause...
And not forgetting of course Garyrange for donating the FOG-BOG caravan, which made its debut at the weekender, and all those who helped relay it from wales to kent, and helped turn into our loo's!

And last but not least...my ever suffering Sally, who has toiled by everyones side to get this to happen...

The weekender....thursday....
The final prep started in earnest....with the sourcing of extra materials, finished the fog bog and the building on site of the picnic bench...finished late and davetherave gave me a lift home so the li'll white leafer could stay up the workshop as we needed to bring 2 other cars the next day...

The weekender....friday
Loaded the trucks at home with all the gear then the off...clutch gave up in the purple glitter ball halfway to the woods, but I managed to limp it the remainder of the way (at 25-30mph) up the a249, with sally following in the 2.8lwb...
Then the set up started...dumped the glitterball in the woods, and dragged the fogbog and trailer loaded with the genny and bbq etc down to make a start...Sally had never towed before so was gonna find this interesting...but she was driving the li'll white leafer so anyone coming the other way would surely reverse up when they saw all the dents in it and a woman driving!
Sally closed the door on the lill white leafer in the woods and the mirror fell off...the 2nd car she broke this weekend and it hadnt started yet...but it wouldnt be the last!
Time was against us, but luckily RandomRoss arrived really early straight from work and was a massive help...Louis and Lloyd both came down after they finished work and helped finish up the prep...
We were getting straight as the weekenders' started arriving...
and then the fun could commence...the bonfire was lit gregster styley using a propane gun and 25kg propane bottle that jammywagonwheel donated ages ago...
Tents were going up all over the place and the clearing was starting to look great, like a new forest campsite....
Suddenly realised that noone one had an air compressor for the airbeds...Sally called Kel to see if he was bringing his, saving me an airbed run up to the workshop to use the compressor up there...
Once everyone was settled in we started food...I tried cooking and made charcoal :oops:

The spicy chicken things I had been looking forwards to all day were a disapointment to say the least, requiring much chisleing to get to chickiny looking stuff! Still a good few cans of stella helped wash the charcoal down!
Sally left site returning a few minutes later having met Bushwacker up the lane, and then proceeded to break the window mech on the 2.8lwb and complaining it was making a strange noise...car no.3 busted by my Sally!
The night went on into the early hours, before everyone finally turned in for the night....

The weekender.....Saturday....
Managed to grab a few hours sleep and convert the alcohol into a head ache....the saturday arrivals started coming and the coffee's and bacon sarnies started flowing...there was fronty's everywhere, a great sight...
Then off to the woods for much playing for everyone...Louis' 4wd on his daihatsu gave up after a couple of hours...but did that stop him..n'ah!!!
The fun continued all day with everyone stopping for refreshment and nourishment breaks in the clearing during the day...
Late afternoon I dashed off home to pick up roma, (have a sneaky shower) and grab more fuel for the genny and beer on the way back...
A few of the guys went off for some in the dark playing, which is a proper mission as so easy to get lost in the woods...
Then BBQ beer, more beer, toasted marshmallows into the not so wee early hours (well the sun was coming up)...
Finally grabbed a couple of hours of sleep and ready for the sundays fun...

The weekender.....Sunday....
There were many hung-over and weary faces on sunday morning...but that didnt stop the fun...and it all started all over again...Houndog got his white leafer pretty well wedged on one of the tougher side sloped bits down by krushers revenge...Jim got to test out his winch, and Bobbinsjob showed us his cooking skills by toasting his clutch being far to subtle...besides there is only one thing that can extract a white leafer....and thats THE li'll white leafer...brain in glovebox towing moment with a decent snatch rope and houndogs ride came out easypeasy!
Loads more stucks including me, when I tried to do an obsticle that no-one had tried that dave and I made one evening...it is proper spitefull...Dave's daughter Dan made me try it and the lill white leafer was belied out good and proper with almost no wheels on the ground...rescued by Davetherave, but gave everyone a right laugh...lloyds strangerover managed to do it following me, I think a lift was the order of the day for this obsticle!
Then more food and fun and the clearing...and as the afternoon drew on the clear up operation commenced...
I managed to swerve a chunk of this as needed to take roma home so the car was empty to take more gear home...
and when I arrived back a lot of work had been done..
The final stuff was loaded up and the fogbog and trailer towed back up to the workshop...and then finally get the purple glitter ball out and home (clutch had cooled down and had just enough bite that with a run made up the hill from the woods)...

Massive thanks to all those who helped clear up and pack everything away and help get it all up the workshop...a great effort much appreciated... :well done:

The weekender...Monday...
Returned to the woods yesterday to have a last litter sweep and get any rubbish out the fire now that it had cooled down (only one carrier bag of rubbish from an acre of clearing-and some of that was ancient stuff that we hadnt left anyway!) I was really impressed with how everyone had looked after the place and taken their rubbish home or used the bin...except for someone who left bits of their exhaust pipe behind... :evil:

And now the clearing is sadly quiet and the woods deserted, as if we have never been there...great but at the same time sad that it was all over so quick, or so it seems...

The Weekender Foggers (in no particular order..copied from weekender names thread)...

Krusher...
The man with the air bed inflater!!!
As always Kel managed to navigate his 2.8 lwb round the woods unscathed...well until he reversed into a tree...and got caught on video doing it!! Gotta say I reversed into the self same tree...but did a rear quarter and tail-light, but only cos sally had broken the drivers door mirror off the li'll white leafer! Huge thanks for bring the fog brazier down to the woods, the loan of you camping stove again, your bug distracting lights on ya 2.8, a nice tipple of irish round the campfire and some great laughs over the weekend...

Bobbinsjob
Got to woods without getting lost!!! (only half a dozen texts and phone calls though!)...Nice to see ya again fella and really glad you enjoyed the weekend...Cheers for the mirror for the li'll white leafer, and bringing all the stuff down from tom...and you know for next time how to tow a car out properly now dont ya!!!
Huge thanks for helping me to empty the toilets....no one else was silly enough to climb in the back of my 2.8 lwb to hold 2 full chemi-kazi's...top man...think I might need to find another volunteer/victim next time though...or stop taking short cuts!
But we did find a glowworm while doing the bog run, wierd little insect thing with what looked like a bright green LED stuffed up its tail...wasnt big enough to BBQ so it was released back into the wild after everyone had looked at it and prodded it...I have never seen one before and I hope Kel feels guilty now when he considers how many died to create his daytime running lights...
P1ssed myself when Ian produced you alcohol free becks...and had a right laugh over a good few stellas getting creative and over engineering round the campfire!
Ian didnt sleep well all weekend...due to his airbed having a hole somewhere...this whole concept of sleeping with something with a hole somewhere and not being able to find it and fill it troubled our non fussy porn star somewhat I think...

Jammywagonwheel
John came up on Saturday in convoy with Jim and Houndog...Showed andytats the ropes around the site and had a good days fun, unscathed I think...

Wilberforce
Jim arrived with the southern convoy sat morning....gotta try out his new winch in the houndog rescue...did his al-fresco camping thing under the stars and bugs again...dunno how he didnt ger bitten to death, but maybe bugs have standards eh!...
Jims shorty was strutting its stuff all weekend, with a nervous looking Ian at the wheel at one stage...didnt miss a beat though...
Big thanks for helping with the clearup at the end of sunday...the girls loved your fleece top, and comfy camping chairs...

Houndog 'n Co...
Whilst Houndog was off getting stuck around the site, Nina and Georgia kept Sally company back at base camp...Georgia is a real cutie and had me smashing my knees to bits jumping onto a partially inflated air bed hence bouncing her into the air! Really enjoyed watching the sun come up from round the campfire with Nina and Sally...to the soundtrak of Houndogs and Ians snoring in the distance behind us!
Nice that Nina wanted to spend her birthday with our rabble...
Big thanks to Nina for all your help in the clearing all weekend, and both Phil and nina for helping in the clearup...

Random Ross...
Ross amazed everyone the places he got his 2.4lwb...stunning driving...massive help setting up and supply of cold drinks, cheers for the lift up the workshop to find a new hub for the 2.8lwb, huge help all weekend and clearing down...and hooooj thanks for following us part of the way home with the glitterball to make sure we were ok...(although did you forget where you lived...bit of a moment when getting from A249 to M2 me thinks!)...Ross learnt late saturday that his baseball cap was the subject of Roma's interest...and removing it when near her meant he felt far safer...Had some good laughs with you mate over a good few beers over the weekend...hadnt really had much chance to have a chat at the meets before...top fella, but still think that first track on your new cd sucks....thanks again mate..

andytats and conner...
First timers to the woods and our antics...hope we didnt scare you too much...JammyJohn showed you the ropes and then you set about mastering the woods yourself in ya LWB...well done fella...nice to meet you both and hope to see you again...only carnage/character was a bent bumper...souvenir of the weekend me thinks, or an excuse for a tubular rear bumper...

Robbie and Clare, Harley and the fluffy one with beady little eyes...
Great that you came down all the way from Newcastle with your lovely dogs...Really nice to meet you both, hope you can make the next one in september...Thanks for all your help, and hope Robbie enjoyed a mad one in the li'll white leafer, followed by some driving lessons..(by me???!!!)...you did really well mate, a natural...well done fella...Great to meet you both and kill a good few beers with ya...The longest journey to the woods award certainly rests with you guys...thanks for driving so far and see if you can get a plaything for next time to bring down!

Badboy...
Sadly Shazza couldnt make it as doing dog stuff with a new one they are fostering until it gets a new home...
BADBOY DIDNT BREAK ANYTHING- I dont think!!!Apart from about a hundred eggs when cooking Brupper for us (later than breakfast...in fact later than brunch...hence brupper!!) Brekkie was nice though mate, well done....you made almost as much of a meal of that as you did putting up you tent! Hope you liked the grafity on the toilet wall..."IF YOU GET STUCK IN HERE BADBOY- YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN!!"...Sally made me do it...honest!!!

2much &co...
Steve....wot can I say...busting a diff on a flat bit of ground- not even Badboy has managed that (yet)...
Can I feel a coiler with a Gregsta special front diff coming on???
Thanks for all your help over the weekend and clearing up, nice that Kerry and the Kids could join you and your hangover on sunday...
Gotta say your mean-greany flex'es awesome with its rear ARB disconnected...still laughing at the grin on your face when you proudly showed me the rubber coil spring top mount that "fell out" on flex...Still did well with 2wd all the rest of sunday...
Gotta stay over at the next one mate, and do some beers with the mob...Nina and Sally were both jealous of Kerry's cool supplies bag complete with ice for her Magners...think she might need to bring more next time!

Bushwacker and son...
The long awating return of Pete after replacing nearly everything on his car over the autumn winter...nice to see you again fella, been way too long...
But the tent...we need to know in advance if you are bringing that again so we can dig foundations for it and get temporary planning permission....Gotta say this is the only tent I have seen which comes complete with double garage, utility room and loft conversion!!!
Nice to meet mike too...and kill some beers in the evening with you and your old-man...

Mapracing...
The one arm bandit was doing his thing Sat and sunday...but couldnt stay...you gotta stay next time mate and have some beers with the mob..you have earnt it with all you grafting at work days...List the kids on ebay so the auction finishes a day before, then buyers will sure as hell return them within a few days solving the childcare issue...start another ebay account to swerve the negative feedback though!!! The diff locked leafer was doing its thing...with Paul burning off a good 1000 or so calories leaping in and out to switch being 3 and 4wd in a CV joint and steering preservation exercise...The beast just drives up stuff at idle that others have to gun it at to carry them through the crossaxles...impressive stuff...cant wait to see how your truck does in the mud in winter...Didnt see that much off you over the weekend, as you were out playing all the time...

Retro pedro...
Pete returned with a freshly rebuilt truck (finished that morning...now thats what I call fresh!)...running road tyres to give more of a challenge (or ran out of time to change them?)...the first I think to sustain a puncture up the woods to date...A more subdued Peter arrived on Sunday after a session saturday evening, but that didnt deter him...and his 2.8 beasty was doing its thing all over the woods as usual...Big thanks again for the timber for the picnic bench and your help clearing up at the end...

Davetheraveuk...
Dave came up saturday with his daughter Dannielle (Dan)...Big thanks dave for all your help making new stuff in the evenings, and assisting in the picnic bench construction...and for rescuing the li'll white leafer from its seesaw on the really spitefull tree obstacle we built one evening, but hadnt tried till the sunday of the weekender...I think Dan enjoyed it, took her for some brain in glovebox antics in the li'll white leafer...and everyone seemed to find the unstoppable little white leafer well and truly beeched (get it beeched...ie tree...not beached...with an A...I will get my coat eh!) really funny...poor little car!
Daves 2.5tds did its thing all day, and collected a souvenier on its rear quarter courtesey of a tree!...Glad you could make it mate...need to camp next time! Thanks again for your help mate...

DJsarge...
Came down for the whole weekend with his 2 westies...Thanks very much for the cutlery and stuff...much needed, as slicing things with an axe gets kinda iffy after a few beers...His shorty won a bit of carnage...dented wing and bust exhaust (which we found in the clearing yesterday! :evil:

)...

markon72...
Mark and co came down sunday, and campaigned their shorty all over the site, with mapracing...didnt see much carnage on the motor, so a job well done I think...looked like you were all enjoying yourselves...nice to see you all again...

Kevin and Kim...
Came down on Saturday on Kevins birthday :dance:

...great to see you both again, and glad you could make it down for the day with another shiny to keep the purple glitter ball company...

Wolfie666 and wife...
Another newbie to the woods in a way to shiny B...nice to meet you both and cheers for your input in the houndog recovery...nice to know the proper way to do stuff...but together we got it out which is good...Hope to see you again soon, maybe with a plaything!

Louis and Lloyd...
Well Louis was Louis...came down with his sister and Rose (the landowners daughter and lloyds girlfriend) on saturday, and campaigned the fourtrak with avengance...the fourwheel drive gave up after an hour or so (suspected cv joint failure...hardly suprising, as they were mullered)...but did that stop him...n'ah...he was everywhere in 2wd with a boot full of throttle...daihatsu faired well, some rear bumper carnage which was to be expected as we were gonna cut it off but didnt have time...suspension flexed well, but then I did gas-axe the front antiroll bar off when louis wasnt looking up the workshop...My lashed up hubs didnt break...and the bullbar stayed on and resisted many impacts, and the British Rail towing point worked just fine...Louis was a great help all weekend, and provided his usual entertainment in his truck for everyone to enjoy...Louis camped with us all, lloyd came back on the sunday after spending the evening with us with the girls who seemed to enjoy themselves...The daihatsu finally stopped when louis ripped off the U-bolts that hold the rear axle on!
LLoyds bobtail rangey did well with no breakages (other than bodywork) and he made it over the trees that beeched the li'll white leafer...got to say the rangey was sounding sweet, after Lloyd had been fettling it between meets to get it running right...did a massive quantity of fuel though...40litres and a couple of cans full,...then their dad came down to refill the cans for more fun...

As seen in the pickies earlier posted, Louis and lloyd were both awarded the chocolate toolkits for their carnage and breakages up to date on there motors (chocolate motors! hence chocolate tools!) and the entertainment they have provided the rest of us...
These guys are deffo part of our gang, albiet not in fronty's...their willingness to help, muck in and join in is great, and it is a real pleasure having them around...
Their dad came down for a while over the weekend to test his bravery in the daihatsu and rangey with his boys...nice fella...

Roma...
Roma came down saturday and stayed till sunday afternoon...so that Sally could stay for the saturday night fun...I would like to thank everyone for giving Roma her space and controlling their dogs while she was there...It meant so much to me that Sally could stay after all the work she puts into the meets and prep...Thanks again everyone...

Sally...
My Sally as always was a massive help and a great hostess the whole weekend...We couldnt have done this without her commitment to making this work...Huge huge thanks Sally..the success of this whole venture would certainly not have happened without you...

Me....
Well...I had a blinding weekend, and was really pleased with how it went and how everyone seemed to enjoy themselves...
This was a scary one as I said earlier as neither of us have ever organised anything like this, but with some percervance, and a lot of help from our friends we did it..together...and that is a great feeling...

A memory which will stay with me for a long long time is returning to the clearing with Ian, after doing the toilet run, to see all the lights through the trees, the tents all lined up with lamps lighting the camping area, fronties parked everywhere and the raging fire, music, and loads and loads of people in the picnic area all having a really great time....
...thats what will stay with me, as just that one snapshot made all the hardwork over the last year really worthwhile...

Together we have achieved something massive...this aint just offroading, this is something far more than that...
a group of 4x4 nutters who through working bleedin hard together and playing hard together, in scorching weather, and in sub-zero conditions...have become the best of mates with something that collectively bonds us as true friends...

Thanks everyone for making this happen, for giving so willingly your time, sweat, food for supplies,equipment, enthusiasm and for supporting Sally and I all the way...

Cheers guys...look above and below in this thread and see what you all made happen and I know that we can count on your continued support to make the next one better still...

Some pickies I took....not many I am afraid!

looked a good weekend some nice trucks there

Thank you so much to you all for making us geordies so welcome! We had such a fantastic time and I know Robbie loved it! He's still buzzzing from his experience. Cant wait for the next one! I know ive been converted, I will take part next time, if i get the chance! Thank you to Greg and Sal especially for letting us come down and for all the work you put into the weekend! The BBQ was excellent and the atmosphere was great! Think Roma is gorgeous too!!!
Look forward to seeing you all in September if we can get down!!!

Clare & Robbie, (Harley & Kita)

Sally and I would like to thank you for all the kind things that everyone has said, and to say that it really was our pleasure to organise this event,
and we are so glad that everyone really enjoyed themselves...
...thats what makes it all worthwhile, but it is nice to get feedback that we got it right, giving us all the go ahead to build on this for the next one...

We must reiterate that, although we organised this event, its success was down to the participation of everyone who came and supported it, and ALL the hard work put in by so many members over the last 11 months....

You all deserve a huge pat on the back (and not the crawling under a cow type!) for helping us to get everyone working together to make this a great place for us all to spend some quality time together...

And this aint just a southeast thing....
....everyone is welcome from FOG, and the SE members will ensure you have a great time and make you really welcome....

So from whatever part of the country you come from, if you look at the pickies and reviews in this thread and think that it looks like the kinda fun you want to be a part of, get your name down for the next weekender in September...which promises to be better still!

Thanks again for everyones support...and we look forwards to doing it all again and more in 12 weeks time!!! :dance:

Greg n Sally

thanks again to greg, sal and every one else for making us so welcome at the weekender and yes gerg we got her home ok lol. I just have to take harley every were i go or he just wines all the time.
I am hoping 2 have my old sport ready for the next weekender so i shouldnt need to borrow yours.

kevin it was good to meet you and the misses at long last

see you all in 12 wks or so Robbie
ps
Oh and thanks to djsarge for my intro to off roading

never a true'r word said there John...... :wink:

The atmosphere at the woods at the weekender was fantastic, it was like we had all known eachother for years. It was superb.

......

I loved it, even though I crunched me bumper....abit :oops:

I am really liking that camping and social set up, well done to all of you and Greg for getting it together, top banana :v happy:

The site is woods, I hate woods, it hurts and every time Ive been through woods Ive done damage, but I still go :lol:

Glad you all had a good time, one day $$$ I WILL be there, even just to show Bobins how to drink properly and have a proper hangover, bloody navy boys :lol:

Is that a challenge Ste???????? You're on

Bloody PONGOs :lol:

OOOOOOHHHHhhh yerrrrr :party:

the NAFI is racist, it has a bell :shock:

hi ya all

what a fantastic weekend that was ,arriving friday evening, first plan was to put the marquie up, thanks to crusherfor his help in the dark, and radomross for the loan of extra pegs to hold it up, then over to the BBQfor sum supper and a few beers around the new table (thats a piece of art on its own) lots of banter and chit chat till the early hours was had by all, then saterday driving round the new site trying out the bombholes and other obsticals ,then more fun saterday night BBQ beers camp fire ect then got woke up in the early hours by some exotic birds cackling in the woods :lol:

in all the week ender was a blinder, bushwacker junior thats big mike has put pictures up for me cos i am not computer literate :oops:

thanks to gregster and sally for putting on a fantastic event and every one else involved , may many more week enders follow :dance:

............pete