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Mini Clan Northern Ireland Tour

30th August - 1st September 2002

All Photos below available in higher quality versions. Please contact me to ask for them!

This was a SUPERB event - I'm not sure how much more fun a Mini event can be. Full credit to the Irish club to an amusing, well organised, different event. Also credit to Judith and Arno for organising it for the Clan.

Friday 30th August - After cohttp://members.optusnet.com.au/cbassoc/YesFANZ-Newsletter-14.htmmpletely failing to meet up at the Burrell Collection due to Friday rush hour traffic (bit of a surprise that one!) we all gathered successfully in convoy at the Seacat terminal in Troon before boarding the ferry. A friendly security guard made out that he wasn't going to let me and my new MINI on - it looked like we were just tagging on the end of the other Minis... but we got on board and then everyone headed up to the passenger deck. The ship was very busy so we headed out to the rear open deck. All went well with beer and burgers being consumed in quantity until the ship was mid-channel when things started to get a bit more interesting! Initially just a joke, this actually became quite exciting and a couple of our number looked very green for a while...

Rob, Graham, Judith, Mark and Alex grinning on the Seacat before things got choppy!		Neil and Roger hanging on!	Looking a bit greener and damper now!
4 water jets driving the Seacat Scotland Catamaran at 35 knots (40mph)	This photo taken while I tried to stop myself sliding/falling overboard on very choppy sea!	Euan looking a bit green around the gills.	Land ahoy ... much to Euan's relief.

After docking, we headed through Belfast North towards our hostel in Bushmills on now dark, wet Northern Irish roads. Managing to stay together, and getting lots of enthusiastic attention on the road with stops for food and petrol we arrived at our Hostel at around 10:30pm. Managing to get 24 people into rooms taking of 2,3 or 4 people was interesting but achieved in the end! A brief search for an open pub was conducted but they all seemed to be "lock ins" - i.e. they had people in them but no-one could enter... strange!

Thanks to John Smith and Roger though much-needed refreshments were available in the foyer of the Hostel until nearly midnight when Keith called to say he'd tracked down an open pub - we all dashed off up the road, dodging the soldiers with machine guns (!) before entering the pub - which was someone's house complete with front door with door bell! Here I discovered Bushmills whisky... well I discovered 4 or 5 actually... before we all staggered back to the Hostel at about 2.

Saturday 31st August - Excellent help-yourself Breakfast in the Hostel was followed by a trip to the nearby Giant's Causeway. Ł5 per Mini, with no discount possible, made us all grumble a bit considering it was a natural attraction and not man made (so they say!). Considering that a week earlier a family had been washed off the causeway by a freak wave (a regular occurance apparently) I was doing quite well not to stress about everyone messing about at the edge... but in some of these photos they resemble Lemmings or something! Very impressive though.

our Minis outside our Hostel in Bushmills	The mad Scotsman leads his troops onto the Giant's Causeway	Euan and son Kieran			Arno Explores
Suzi with jimmy hat and flag	Rob, Keith and Euan	John, Kenneth, Arno and Neil
	Keith and Rob getting a bit too close to the water for comfort!		John getting up close..	Euan and Fraser	Arno
Like Lemmings or sheep - not sure which!		Arno nearly getting wet	I still think they're from B&Q...	The Minis take over the Causeway car park - well at Ł55 we felt obliged!
	Graham with Charlie and "Jugs" the sheep

After the Causeway we headed along the stunning coastal road towards the famous Carrick-A-Rede rope bridge. Spanning a chasm with a drop of 80ft, this is not for the feint hearted! Traditionally used to allow fisherman access to the island to catch Salmon, it is now mainly a tourist attraction.

		Arriving at Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge
Arno on the rope bridge	Euan and Kieran...	...	OK, who's next!?	Keith...
... and Keith!	Judith tackles the bridge...	Kenneth, Rob, Arno, Suzi, Judith (recovering) and John

We then had lunch in a local hotel, which seemed well able to cope with a sudden influx of hungry Mini Clanners before heading to Dunluce castle which for 75p was by far our bargain of the day! An amazing ruined castle with a stunning sea-cave below which they used to use for their boats... can't imagine how! I left my camera in the car, so no photos of this, sorry! We then headed to Bushmills Distillery and raided the shop just before closing.

After a brief rest in the Hostel, and changing into our event T-shirts (artwork by Judith B, printing by Keith Rogerson), we headed back to the distillery for the start of the Mini events - the "Dash of the O'Irish" run. This was an amazing run including a theme of rescuing nelly and some ice cream (I think). The machine guns firing blanks at our cars were a bit OTT, in my opinion, after coming across live machine guns for the first time in my life the night before... but other than that the run was a riot.

The police had closed many roads for us including Bushmills, PortStewart and PortRush and we got tons and tons of attention - people waving and flashing their lights, kids running alongside - the works. It was also a beautiful night. A gter the run we headed back to the Hostel to fish-suppers, previously purchased refreshments, and a party atmosphere prevailed until after 2am - great fun! Neil lit a fire in the Hostel using the hugely inflammable coal provided, even though it wasn't particularly cold, which meant we all ended up at the far side of the room to get away from the heat! We all were introduced to "Helga", and a we married John off to a Hen (on her hen night).

Neil's supercharged Mini gets a lot of attention at the Bushmills distillery

Mini traffic jam on the night run in Portrush. The town streets were closed for us by the police and we got a LOT of attention!

Mid-run assembly point on the run to keep everyone together (clever!)

Charlie flew the flag throughout the run

Rob tries a "real" Mini for the first time in a few years and finds its too big for him inside!

Sunday 1st September 2002

... story to be continued ... watch this space

Charlie on Downhill Beach	Help! Our car has rolled into the water! As if... Euan and Kieran		The Clan Minis on the beach with a beautiful sky
Neil's cracking supercharged Mini	Charlie with Neil flying his Kite behind	Charlie with his flag and Neil's kite!	Rob doesn't realise he's being brainwashed all weekend into buying a Mini...	Euan tests his rust proofing...
		Arno wonders what he's got himself into...	Impressive Turning Circle!