LIFE OF RILEY - A phrase used to describe a very comfortable existence. Maybe so, maybe we all have a "Life of Riley", or maybe, those who attended this weekend tour to Nina and Haylett's Cottage in New Glasgow lived the "Life of Riley" for a few days.  Either way, this was one amazing weekend with old friends and, as these cars seem to create, new friends, like Don and Eleanor. I honestly expected a very nice weekend of  great drives, seeing some new sights in the New Glasgow / Pictou area and perhaps try out some new restaurants. Well, this weekend went above and beyond any and all expectations I had, and I am sure the expectations of others as well. This is one of those "strap yourself in" kind of stories. Read on.

A 9 am departure from the Bras D'or View Restaurant and then to meet Peter in Baddeck at 9:30 is the plan. I had arrived with my roof up and Don, Barc and Carol arrived with the tops down on this chilly late summer morning. Not to be overshadowed by them, or made fun of for that matter, my top was dropped and my fleece BCCCB jacket was taken out of the trunk. Burrrr, lets hit the road. Climbing Kelly's Mountain there was a bit of rain and I swear I seen a snow flake or two. Maybe not but it sure felt cold enough for snow. Arriving in Baddeck, there's Peter with the roof up, toasty warm. Away we go to start one amazing weekend.

The further we drove the warmed it got, by a degree or two. To tell the truth, once we got off the island it did get warmer. Now, getting off the island, one had to literally run the gauntlet over the Canso Causeway because the waves were crashing against  the rocks and spraying over the highway. Now, I was in a rush to get to the Aulds Cove Irving and I drove through uncaring of the sheets of water washing across the highway, when all of a sudden... swish was all I heard and the taste of salt water filled my mouth. The spray was a direct hit. Damn! A quick stop at the Irving and our next stop was the very warm and inviting Cottage of Haylett and Nina's. Haylett had a log or two on the fire and this quickly warmed our chilly bones. Perfect I thought, lets chill here for awhile, or should I say dechill here for awhile. What a comfortable place.

These shots are priceless. A black cat sitting on the roof of a cool cat's red cat. We were sitting in the livingroom chatting, enjoying the warmth of the cottage and warm hospitality of Nina and Haylett when I seen a black cat walk across their lawn. The cat then leaped on Peter's Jaguar put his two front paws on the rear window and stretched his long body, then on the roof for a pose. Just priceless. As It turns out, the cat's owner, Linda Tanner will be joining us for supper. She loved the pictures. This  cat has great taste and I am thinking Linda does as well.

Before we knew what was happening Haylett and Nina had the BBQ fired up and for lunch, Homemade Hamburgers, what a treat. This is just great, the "Life Of Riley" one might say as we sat around the beautiful warm cottage relaxing and laughing, eating burgers and for some of us, having a beer. Perfect afternoon. Wouldn't you say?

Ahhhh, after we warmed up, the afternoon air didn't feel so cold, maybe it was the fact that we weren't driving made the air feel warmer, anyway, we took the opportunity to check out the cars and have a look at Haylett's great looking 67 Austin Healey. What a car! With the MG's sandwiched between the Healey and the Jaguar you start to wonder... maybe size does matter. The Healey and the Jaguar do look a little more intimidating then the Bs.

I know Don has been in the doghouse a few times but a tree house..... I am not sure. I think Haylett threatened that this was Don's room for the night if he misbehaved. If you look closely you can see that Don tried it out for size just encase the threat was real.

I had asked Peter if he had seen Melmerby Beach, never he said so off to the beach for a run we went. Now there a few things to remember before heading out, Check your zipper, tie your shoes and .... close your engine hood. A quick little stop was needed to secure the Healey's Bonnet. It never latched properly after we checked out the shinny engine bay earlier.

Driving the twisty roads of New Glasgow's cottage country is a treat. While the Healey and Jaguar were leading the pack, I was shutting down anything electrical as my alternator light began to show a sinister glow, oh no! I am not going to mention it and ruin this late afternoon drive, this is to much fun. Awe yes the beach, pretty much vacant now but on a hot day in the summer there is very little room to spread a towel as this place fills to capacity.

Yes the Melmerby Beach was pretty much vacant except for the few from the BCCCB who ventured out on this cool windy afternoon and there was a couple at the beach who tried their hand at surfing. Thy didn't get the waves like those in Hawaii or California but they sure made the best of what they had, and we surely enjoyed the show.  

After the beach, onward we drove. Haylett and Nina lead us through some great scenic roads. I have to say, their Healey sure looks good going down the road and once again, the odd horn would blow and the odd wave was seen as we passed people by. As a matter of fact, just before turning off onto the road leading to their cottage, we passed 4 ladies walking, as we passed they were yelling "NICE CAR". I bet they thought we had the "Life Of Riley" as we drove by. My blinker at this point was blinking at a rate of 1 blink every 5 seconds telling me the battery was getting critically low. Stopping at the cottage, and before shutting the car down I asked if Haylett had a battery charger. Yep in the garage. Before I pulled up to the garage, I checked under the hood. Using  the multimeter, I was getting 9 volts from a power source, gulp. I checked the plug at the back of the alternator and wouldn't you know, loose. A little push and sure enough the dash light was out. Yeah Baby!

Back at the cottage relaxing when a neighbour from down the road drove up to say hello. Haylett invited him in for a chat and he told us that he has a Triumph TR7. He said he seen all these beautiful cars drive by and though this will be a great place to mention that his 1981 Triumph TR7 with only 86,000 K on the odometer was for sale, It's been stored in his garage for 8 years and he is the original owner, well well lets take a look shall we. Original roof, perfect interior and great paint, an amazing barn find. There is one or two very small paint issues but for a barn find... hardly worth mentioning. Ole buddy Don Peters had that familiar sparkle in his eye once more. Could this be a new addition to his collection? We'll have to wait and see.

Returning back to the cottage, we were pleasantly surprised to see Don and Eleanor Robertson from the BATANS group here for a visit. Don and Eleanor are friends with Nina and Haylett and I had the opportunity to meet these amazing people on the Joint BATANS / BCCCB Tour of the Cabot Trail. You know how sometimes you meet people and your impressed right a way, well this is what happened when I first met Don and Eleanor. These two are enjoying life, as do the rest of us and as it turns out, they are interested in joining the BCCCB. Well, welcome aboard! It is, yet again, an honour to have folks like yourselves a member of this great club.

I mentioned in the first Paragraph that I was expecting drives and a chance to try out some local restaurants. How about a Turkey Dinner at the very posh "Chez Clarke". Yes, Nina pulled out all the stops and before us was a turkey feast... yep, were living the "Life of Riley". Holy Heavens Above, the work this woman put into this feast, I mean there was nothing left out. If you look at the first photo, the light is captured on Peters glasses but it looks like his eyes are popping out of his head at the sight, and well they should, as mine near did. I just can't believe the hospitality from Nina and Haylett. This is great! After supper there were a choice of deserts. Don had brought a strawberry rhubarb pie from the Cedar House in Bras D'or and it looked great but Nina had cooked up a Butterscotch pie and a Lemon pie, both had meringue on top that made your mouth water. Oh man, my mouth is watering as I type this. yes... "Life of Riley"

I mentioned the Black Cat earlier, and I mentioned Linda Tanner, the owner. Anyway, another surprise for this evening was having Linda join us. A very lovely and interesting lady...hummmm I wonder can we convince her to buy an old British Car and become a member.... After listening to her, I think she's a tad busy to be a member of this Nomadic group, heck we never stay put. Day one is coming to an end and we finished up the day watching the videos from Barc's Video camera that he has affixed to his windshield. It was great fun watching the videos and poking fun at the big guy. Filling the cottage with the sounds of laugher is the perfect way to end a day.  Haylett and Nina's Cottage has enough sleeping accommodations for almost all of us. I slept in the bunk house belonging to a neighbour.... Now if you can envision a bunk house, forget it, this was a small cottage in itself. It was after 11 when we hit the hay and for myself, I didn't hear as much as a peep all night. Heck, when I opened my eyes the clock was showing 8:18.. Holy crap! What a sleep! As for those in the cottage, there were rumours of an apparitions of a lady in a nightdress carrying a pillow. Don slept with one eye open all night as he though he was going to be a victim of pillow therapy.  

OK... After reading day one and your kicking yourself for missing the trip, stop reading now! Day two may push you over the edge. A hardy breakfast at the cottage set the stage for a great day. B'ye George, the "Life of Riley" for sure. The morning dew had to be wiped off Peter's roof so he can drop the top before we set out on this gorgeous day. This cool cat sure likes getting his picture taken, as he stops long enough to pose for the camera. The morning dew gave me a chance to wash the salt water off my windshield. Perfect! What will this day hold.

First thing this morning , a second look at the TR7. This time outside in the daylight, nice car. Don still has that sparkle in his eye and the negotiation started. There is still a few dollars dividing them and we may have to wait and see what fate has in store for the old TR7 but for now it's still in New Glasgow. Next, time to hook up with Don and Eleanor and their rare and beautiful Lotus Eclat.

What a nice little car, and in perfect shape. We all know that MGBs were mass produced and there is a good chance that there is one hidden in your neighbourhood, 4 door Jags are everywhere and on a rare occurrence you'll see a convertible. A Healey, as rare as they are, the owners do enjoy driving them and I do see one from time to time but an Eclat... well the drive we went on said it all. I seen people walking and stop to watch the Eclat go by as if they never seen one before. I love when people do that.

The plan today is to follow Don and Eleanor, what do they have in store for us. They did say we were going to check out Rollie's garage, wherever that is. I should have clued in that this was going to be an amazing visit when we turned off the road through a gated driveway. The driveway was lined with huge, hundred year old trees and as we crested the hill, a beautiful mansion stood before us.... Oh man! My palms started to sweat.

I couldn't believe what my eyes were seeing. The phrase "Like a Kid in a Candy Store" comes to mind. First, a room with some huge engines, simply amazing. Then in the main garage there was a Mint Grand National and above that an old Chevelle, gorgeous. In back, a Corvette and an old Ford Fairlane but sitting off to the side was a race car. Oh man this was something to see. The panels and parts are off due to a recent wreck and you had the chance to see all the roll cage and inner workings that one normally doesn't get the opportunity to see. Loved it.

I mentioned the Vette but when you walked past you see another garage entrance. On man... when we walked inside our jaws dropped. There before us was a 66 or 67 Coronet a 67 Corvette and a Bright Yellow Farrari. Some one pinch me!

Oh man, this is an amazing shop. Rollie was the perfect host, he showed us everything. He told us of the work they done on each car and how fast he had them going. I was frighten to touch anything but Rollie was very obliging, he enjoyed showing the cars as much as we enjoyed seeing them. I even mentioned that I was adoptable, no reply.

You could almost here the joy in Rollie's voice as he spoke of this old Chevelle, I truly think he like this car best. This is one wicket custom car, the pictures don't do the car justice at all. At the moment there is no engine in it but I believe Rollie said that the engine is being built at Armstrong's engines and that the body will be removed from the chassis to ease in the engine's installation. Imagine having the time and ability to do stuff like this.

Rollie's garage was a treat for sure but the grounds and the house was nothing short of spectacular.  Boy, the girls of the BCCCB are going to be sorry they missed this run. Maybe it's a blessing as I am sure they would have gotten some decorating ideas that they would have us men try to duplicate at our homes. Ugh... I would rather be out driving my car then working in the yard... lol ...  "The Life of Riley".

Don drove his Lotus around the fountain in the front of the house and we stopped for a moment to snap off a few pictures. Peter's Jag and Don's LE looks great with this backdrop. I just couldn't imagine the time involved for the upkeep of this place, everything was perfect. I have a 25 foot keystone walkway and it is a constant care to keep the weeds from taking over. Here, there is literally 100s of feet of flat stone walkways without one single weed. Whomever the grounds keeper is here, deserves every cent of his pay check.

One last picture of Haylett's car in front of the fountain and it's time to move on. The old Healey and the old Jaguar look right at home in these surroundings. It's all about perception. You don't have to be a millionaire you just have to act and look like one and I think we all did just that as we pulled away, just hoping someone would see us and mistakenly think..... these guys and gals have the "Life of Riley"... lol if they only knew. But that's our secret.  

 Next, we followed Don and Eleanor to Pictou's Waterfront. It's hard to beat Rollie MacDonald's garage but you know, this was a nice stop. It was nice to see the Hector once more. This stately ship was a nice backdrop for Barc's car.

Pictou's historic waterfront is now behind us as we moved on to a traditional Ice-cream break. Somewhere between Pictou's waterfront and Don and Eleanor's house lays a little shop with lots of charm and after we pulled in, there was lots of traffic as well. Businesses should book us to stop by for a while to increase traffic flow, as these great looking autos certainly attract a lot of attention on the road and what a way to boost sales, just give us a call.

Time for a stop off at Don and Eleanor's Beautiful place, and as for Don's garage, to clean for me to even change a tire in. Kudos Don, for keeping such a clean and tidy garage. Again I am happy Paula wasn't here to see it. She would want ours to look the same. Now, before the BATANS / BCCCB Joint tour I received an email from Don and Eleanor that went something like, "For those heading to Cape Breton, if they like, they can stop here first for a BBQ along the way" (or something to that effect). Now for those who are involved in the BCCCB, they would know that this is what I call going the extra mile. Anyone can be a member of a club but there are some members out there who volunteer the time and house, making an extra effort to see that people are happy, and it's people like Don and Eleanor as well as Haylett and Nina who make their club excel and make it a pleasure to be a part of. My hat goes off  to you folks and to those who make that little extra effort to help make an event one not to miss, such as this one, The "Life of Riley" Tour.

After a few moments outside enjoying the yard and chatting, Eleanor came out in the yard and announced lunch was ready. Oh my! Everything was set up for us. Just look at the table. There was a very delicious chili and the meatiest ribs I have ever had, a selection of sandwiches and if one wished... a beer. I can't believe this weekend. I am astounded at the hospitality we were shown in New Glasgow. Again, I swear, it's the best people who own British cars, just look at the good times we're having. The "Life of Riley" I am sure.

After Don and Eleanor's, a quick run back to the cottage to retrieve Carol's Bag  and drop Linda off. I hope she enjoyed the drive, now time to head back home before dark. Above, entering Cape Breton, the sun was sinking low in the sky but I think there is enough light to get good ole Pete home. Above he was testing the high beams on the old Jag lol brighter then the sun. Can't be Lucas wiring and lighting ... or is it? 

  So, as the British would say Bob's your uncle ...... We started this weekend off a little chilly and with the warm hospitality from our friends in New Glasgow, the cool drive up was quickly forgotten. I just can't believe what a great weekend this was, and Yes we had "The Life of Riley". Going the extra mile like Nina and Haylett, as well as Don and Eleanor did, I feel is truly important and shows one's true character and builds the strength of a club. I surly never expect people to go the extra mile, it just impresses the hell out of me when people do this stuff. They don't have to do this., they do it for the fun, the laughter and the good ole wholesome good time.  Thank you for impressing the hell out of me and all who attended this weekend.

Life of Riley, A very comfortable existence.  It should be for a period of time as well, because this weekend, we all lived the "Life of Riley". If I wasn't a member of the BCCCB before this weekend, I sure as heck would become one after reading this and knowing the possibilities that being a member holds. Truly an unforgettable weekend thanks to the hospitality of Nina and Haylett and Don and Eleanor These are the people who are more then just members, they are a part of the life blood of his great club. 

And once again. If you weren't there you missed it. Don't be sad. Come along next time.

Photo contributions..... Barc Cunningham