THE GREAT NORTH RUN 
            - from M. Thatcher to W. O. Bentley

 
Dave and Jane McDonald staged a trip back in time for our May run. Five cars assembled “downtown” at the Gonerby Moor Service Station near Grantham for a guided tour of our bit of the mortal remains of the original A1 from the south of England to the north and beyond. We didn’t quite get a far as the border though!

The new A1 incorporates or at least lies over some of the original road, and we did have to hop off and on a couple of bits of dual carriageway to start with. Nevertheless, through the day we discovered places that are now bypassed totally, and often a good way from the new road. The East Coast mainline was never far away though, reflecting the need for any transport system planner to take account of the terrain.

 First stop on the trail was Vina Cooke’s Doll Museum in Cromwell. This place has to be seen to be believed. Rooms full of all sorts of childhood memories for most of us.

Vina (on the right) has collected over a thousand dolls as well as many other artefacts of childhood, including model trains, books, pictures, clothing and prams large and small. Some dolls were made by Vina herself, and there are plenty of acknowledgements from the celebrities that inspired them.





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 Q. "And what do you drive?"
 A. "I drive an M gee gee"
 Q. "An NGG?"
 A. "No,not an N gee gee, 
      an M GEE GEE"
 Q. "Oh,an MBB?"
 A. "AN M GEE GEE"
 Q. "Oh, really. You woodentop."








Another take on the dolls' tea party. 






After hitting the road again, we dutifully followed Dave, whose determination to cover as much of the original road included getting us permission to drive through a pedestrianised length of Retford High Street just to keep the continuity going. One shop alarm and several bemused shoppers later, we rejoined the road and continued northward.

One olde bell, two youngere belles!

Eating again! Is this group turning into a branch
 de la French TR Register? Mon Dieu!



The Olde Bell at Barnaby Moor is a pub with connections to the Monte Carlo Rally of 1959. A grand place which hosted us for lunch in excellent style. One final photo opportunity outside the pub before heading off for the last leg of the run, going our separate ways just outside Woodlands, north of Doncaster.

A first-class outing, with Dave McD putting an immense amount of historical research into it. A copy of his notes should be attached via a link for all those interested in the details or wishing to reprise any or all of the trip (once he sends it to me!)