subject: Through Yorkshire Driving A Land Rover: A Traditional English Drive [print this page] Not long ago, a pal of mine wanted assistanceNot long ago, a pal of mine wanted assistance. He had some equipment at his mothers house, that she was selling (the house, not Robs stuff). Shed asked if he could clear the equipment from the residence before the sale happened, which was just over a few days away. The major problem for my mate was that his mom lives in Beverley, North Yorkshire while Rob resides in Manchester. Rob doesn't drive but the amount of stuff he needed to transport would be far too small to warrant hiring a van nevertheless very much too large to make trains and buses an alternative.
It so happened that I had arranged to take a handful of days absent from my employment in which I did not actually need to do much of anything, hence I suggessted to meet up with him in Lancaster one Tuesday afternoon, travel to my house that night to sleep, and then traverse across Yorkshire in that mightiest of autos; a Land Rover. So, tired and perhaps a bit delicate because of our great, home-made steak & ale pie presented with real ale, and then some more hearty beers the preceding night, we set forth. Our task of attaining Beverley at this point paled into second place when compared to the overwhelming desire for the English travellers breakfast of choice; a bacon & egg bun.
We stopped at superb portable burger van in a lay-by just near to Skipton. In the Land Rover a little earlier the two of us had been once more enhanted by the fundamental attractiveness of the rocky hills and wide fields all-around us. Nevertheless, standing outside at the caf on a rather bleak, chilly & windy moment, both of us basically wished to enjoy it from within the automobile again. Thus breakfasted and in addition along with two mugs of strong tea, we continued on our way. In holding with the prescribed theme of A Thoroughly British Road Trip, we had made the decision previously not to employ GPS at all during the ride. We would as an alternative depend on a large street atlas and Robs map-reading competencies.
Forewarned is forearmed, as an old adage tells us. Not relying on satellite navigation from a mechanical voice stimulated us to organise a route the day before on the atlas, meant that we knowingly avoided all larger villages so as to miss any and all other vehicles. I understand from bitter experience just how little fun driving through Bradford and York may very well be. I know that GPS can be pre-programmed for such factors, but there really seems not much point when I possess a book with the same knowledge in it. The book additionally doesn't need batteries and includes an on-screen loading time of 0.0 seconds.
Our simple-but-cunning plan worked beautifully and we arrived at our destination about four hours after wed set off. And of course, the simple satisfaction of driving across Englands largest county in a great machine produced to tackle the undiscovered paths and uneven tracks we sometimes came across there. It was one of those uncommon driving encounters which demonstrates the point of yet another ancient phrase concerning travel, that states that it is not the end, but in what way one makes the journey that is the more important element. And when joined by an old mate, a road map, a breakfast sandwich and naturally, a Land Rover, I shall most certainly concur.
