London to Brighton 2009

Saturday was spent making final preparations ready for the early morning start.
This series of pictures show the short lived dry weather as we got ready for the start,
two hours later terenchal rain and wind which was so strong that occasionally you could feel the car slowing.

Jim King and I with Jim's imacculate 1902 Stanley Type "B" in Hyde Park.
Once again we thank Jim's son Bill who turned out in the early hours to run us up to London.

What! no visable vapour! Colin Roberts gets his 1904 Stanley CX in steam ready for the run.
Picture by Jerry Everard.

As dawn breaks the cars line up in Hyde Park waiting to be called up to the start.

15 minutes later its almost light, Jim and I ready for the off, little did we know what was to come!
This was to be the wettest run ever.  I'm afraid to say that after we had covered nearly 40 miles
we decided to retire, thoroughty soaked through and very cold.  The car was still running in its usual reliable manner
Unfortunately we were not.

Colin Roberts ready to start, just the wet weather clothing to get into.
Picture by Jerry Everard.

As Jim's Stanley makes steam on the pilot, it was turned off while we wait at the start.
Here I'm re-heating the vaporiser ready to go.
Picture by Jerry Everard.

First signs of what was to come.

About twenty miles from the start we stop for water, Jim is oiling up in pouring rain.

We could have kept goldfish in the front seat!!

What a welcome site, Ray and Chris Clark set up the The Steam Car Club of Great Britain's coffee stop,
each year Ray and his brother provide hot tea, coffee and buns, and many members of the club wait to
meet those taking part on the run, something we always look forward to.

Charles Burnett III 1904 Stanley CX driven by Bill Rich parked at the coffee stop.
The white lines accross the picture are enormous rain drops.
Picture by Jerry Everard.

1901 Steamobile and 1900 Milwaukee owned by Loic de L'arbre have retired
along with twelve of the other seventeen steamers entered this year.
Picture by Jerry Everard.

Jim squeezing the water out of his gloves.
Parked behind is the 1901 Toledo owned by Jim Gregory and David Furnell.
Picture by Jerry Everard.

The Stanley driven by Bill Rich fills with water at the coffee stop.
Picture by Jerry Everard.

Click page numbers for other London to Brighton years

2001 page.       2002 page.       2003 page.       2004 page.

2005 page.       2006 page.       2007 page.       2008 page.

2009 page.       2010 page.