Yes folks, This is Warr! Dave and Susan Warr to be exact. Dave and Susan hail from Canada's newest province, Newfoundland and being a member of this great club for a number of years, they finally had an opportunity to come over, Via the Blue Puttees, for a fun filled weekend of BCCCB activities. The Blue Puttees ran a tad late Friday night getting in, but the schedule says that "arrival and departure times are subject to change" So the Marine Atlantic Ferries are always on time. One just expects to get in earlier then they really do. Anyway the activities included a Lobsterfest, Auction, and today... the "This Is Warr Run"
Dave and Susan brought with them, their 1960 Jaguar MK2 for the weekend, leaving behind my... I, I, mean their Triumph GT6 and their 1964 E Type. Not to often one gets to see a 1960 MK2 so good ole Ray had to check out..... the "Warr Wagon". Nice, the wooden dash and oh so soft seats, something the Queen would drive in I am sure.
Also traveling with us today on a very rare occurrence is Ray MacIsaac and his lovely and ever charming wife Georgina with their 1975 Triumph TR6. Ray and Bobby's car seem to have attracted some sun as the sun's rays reflect off their windshields. It's gonna be a hot one baby. The sun brings out the bikes as well, above we have a few bikers checking out the ever popular Austin Bugeye Sprite of Joe and Jean Renzi. Time to drop the hood Joe, Paula and Georgina are showing me their wrist watches. Time to roll!
Over the Seal Island Bridge we go and up Kelly's Mountain. Looks like Ferrari, (Bugeye) Joe is taking the outside track to pass, just like an F1 race car driver would do. The 6 in TR6 doesn't mean she's a four banger baby. Ferrari Joe has to settle for 5th spot.... for now. Where's the Warr Wagon?
Christ, look at that cat go! Ferrari Joe has to settle for 6th spot now as Dave and Susan found some extra juice in the old Jaguar to get her up in front of the pack. Catnip I believed they used. Catnip... I looked it up and your not going to believe this. Catnip is a perennial herb and member of the Mint family Labiatae that is well known for it's ability to get cat's high. Hey, don't shoot the messenger, I only report what I see. Speaking of cats, we hooked up with one cool cat at the Lobster Galley Restaurant, Peter Smith and his lovely wife Sandy. This trip they brought along their Jaguar XJS V12. This Jaguar is a true mountain Climber with all that power under the bonnet and Ole Smokey will be a cake walk. Opps, I almost forgot, Back on the subject of hooking up. While climbing Kelly's Mountain, coming towards us was Bill MacDonald in his great looking 1969 MGB. You know how it goes, when you pass an old British Car, The hands fly up in the air to say hello. I near busted a knuckle on the roof frame. Anyway, Bill pulled a U-ie on the TCH and Joined up with us for the run... this is great.
10 cars left the Lobster Galley Restaurant for the "This Is Warr" run, and what a way to welcome someone to good ole Cape Breton, with one of the biggest Sunday tours we had. Around St Annes Bay we went. This is one great drive. I swear, if you dropped your top and just did the St. Anns Bay Loop, taking the ferry back to the foot of Kelly's Mountain, you would say you just had a fantastic drive. This is a very tranquil sightseeing drive. For about 85% of the drive, the roads were as smooth as could be, the remaining 15% well, not so smooth.
Turning left at the end of the road we continued along the Cabot Trail and some of the roughest roads I have been on in a while. This was short lived as the new pavement was just a few clicks up the road. The next stop.... a staple of ours when we are up this way, The Wreck Cove General Store for an ice-cream.
What a display we presented for passersby's. I love this stuff..... No not ice-cream, well I do like ice-cream but I mean displaying our cars and having people come up looking at them. One lady came up and said, in a rather excited voice, "oh my husband is going to be so disappointed he missed this, he loves these cars". A few took pictures and one gentleman stood by the side of the road and took a picture of each car as we exited the parking lot. Do yah think that maybe I like attention a little to much.
Ok, we all see a great looking Jaguar negotiating a Cabot trail Curve with the roof down, two great people inside with a huge smile on there face. We say something like "oh a pic of Peter and Sandy's car, nice". We see it often and yes it's Peter and Sandy enjoying their car. Now....... Put yourself in the position of the driver or passenger of a Dodge Minivan coming the other way, Air conditioning broken and three screaming kids in back. For the next hundred miles, and perhaps the next few days, the driver and passenger of that Dodge Minivan will silently be wishing, silently would give a limb to be driving, or be the passenger, in that bright red Jaguar cursing the Cabot Trail with the roof down. Oh no! What's this. The police have the road blocked off.
A wrecker was pulling a Tractor Trailer out of the run off lane. There was some damage to the front but no one was hurt thank god. After 5 or 10 minutes, the officer flagged us on, time to hit the mountain. My hat goes off to the bicyclists who climb ole Smokey Mountain but for me, and I think I speak for everyone on this run, if it doesn't have a motor, there is no way I am climbing Smokey.
Up Up we go, higher and higher...oh no... Dave has a fear of heights. Don't look over the side Dave. I truly feel your pain. I am afraid of dying and I am trying to avoid that at all costs. Once again, where is Dave, Susan and the Warr wagon?
There they are, parked at the world renowned Keltic Lodge. The plan was Lunch at the Keltic.. I ran inside to secure seating for 16 and was quickly shooed away. We have two bus tours booked the hostess said as the Christian Bus Tours rolled up to the doors. I could have said we were Christians I suppose. Ardan Rum (the old Atlantic Restaurant) was now the place to eat.
Ardan Rum, beautiful spot. It's worth coming here just for the view. The staff was very good and the conversation was great. I apologized to the waitress before we sat down for any loudness or to much laughter but you know.. we were very well behaved. BCCCB Blues and whites were worn by most, and don't we look sharp. Susan and I both had cold fish but that was quickly remedied. This stuff happens and it certainly didn't ruin the experience.
Ardan Rum's parking lot has an astounding view, The Island, in the background I believe is called Ingonish Island and it was for sale not all that long ago. It would be nice to Kayak around it one day. The guardrail behind the cars would safely stop a car from plunging some 100 plus feet to the shores below but good ole Dave wasn't taking any chances with his old Jaguar. A newfie roll stopper was set in place. More trustworthy then any mechanical devise I am sure.
How regal does this old Jaguar look amongst the backdrop of the buildings around the Keltic Lodge. The staff of the Ardan Rum came out to see the cars and you just know how much we love showing them off. The time is ticking off the minutes and we have to get Dave and Susan back to the Newfoundland Ferry, so off we went like a herd of turtles.
Gosh the grounds of the Keltic Lodge is nice to drive through. Above you have Bill in his B followed closely by Ray and Georgina. Once or twice I seen Georgina with here arms in the air when I was taking a picture but those pics didn't come out, sorry. Leaving Ingonish, I looked in the rear-view mirror and seen Bill just creating the hill with the Keltic Lodge in the background. If it comes out, I though, this could be a great picture. I was a tad fast with the shutter and the pic was a tad blurry. A little Photoshop work and this was the best I could make the shot. Not Bad.
Maybe a good thing and maybe not but coning down Smokey, in front of us was two pick-ups pulling trailers, Slow, oh man, all I could smell was brakes but it did keep us all together. Poor Dave emailed me later on after he got home and told me of his fear of heights. He said the drive down Smokey was more scary then fun, sorry about that but think of the story you can tell. I love driving on this mountain, the twists and turns sure feel good in these cars, and as for the looks well, who wouldn't be impressed by these scenes. Again, put yourself in the position of the driver or passenger of the Dodge Mini Van we spoke of earlier.
Now at the Englishtown Ferry, Dave and Susan didn't even know this existed. Dave thought it sailed up the coast, little did they know, this ferry ride was going to be very short and sweet. Just look at the rolling mountains of Cape Breton. God I love living here.
I told the ferry guy that I had 10 cars and passed him a book of tickets that only held 9 hoping to slip one past him.... he said I had 11 cars, lol what? I repeated 10 and he said 11. I guess he thought the old beat up Cavalier behind Barc was with us. Anyway, I should have asked him to show me the11th but he started counting the tickets oh man I knew I needed 1 more but then he said two. What the heck! Brent had a book and pulled two more tickets.. everyone was happy. Good ole Joe and his Bugeye Sprite look like they need a break. The 1959 Austin Healy Sprite runs like a deer, well, most of the time anyway as she decided to call it a day 2 kilometres from their home, this happens.
Off the ferry the 10 of us went and up Kellys Mountain. Sorry Dave, your height phobia is getting a workout today. Put out your newfie roll stopper and get out for a look and a few pictures.
And they did. I snapped off a few pictures, as did some of the others, as well as passersby's as I am sure we are a nice sight to see. Still a tad early for the boat, we stopped for an ice-cream once more, this time at the A n K Lick a treat. Gosh! You can't come this way without stopping at the Lick a Treat of the Lick a Chick for a snack, i mean after all... this place is famous.
Well this was the "This is Warr" run. It was so nice having Dave and Susan over for the weekend. I am sorry we put Dave's height phobia to the test but I think he'll say it was worth it. This ever growing Club sure makes a lot of fun memories for everyone who gets involved. I got Dave back to the boat on time and they got to Newfoundland (because the schedule says "arrival and departures subject to change") got in on time, two hours later then they thought they were getting in. It was nice to see so many show up to help show Dave and Susan how great their British Car Club of Cape Breton truly is, we all had a blast. As usual.... if you weren't there you missed it. I think you missed one of the nicest Sunday drives we had this summer. Until next time.