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MG MGA - England

We are planning on going to England within the year for two weeks. What should I see? What should I avoid? What is the best time of the year to go? Should I stay at a hotel in England or should I stay out of town at a bed and breakfast?
I would like to visit the birth place of MG and of course drink some of the famous English beer. ( Do they make any wine worth drinking?) We would like to to take a drive around England and maybe to take a drive to France.
What is the approximate cost to rent a MGF for a week?

Ray


Ray Ammeter

Ray,

As an MG enthusiast you must try this beer.

http://www.angelfire.com/amiga/mga/Old_Speckled_Hen.jpg

Mick
Mick Anderson

Ray,

If the URL link does not work, copy the link and paste the URL directly into your browser's "Open" dialog box.

Mick
Mick Anderson

Mick,
Thanks, I cut and copied and it worked. I have heard of this a few times. Is it available all over England or just in the finer pubs around good old London?

Ray
Ray Ammeter

Ray - First, two weeks is not nearly long enough. We were over there for 5 weeks last summer and it was not long enough. Where to stay - unless you want to spend a lot of money, stay outside London in a B&B, but close enough to get back into the city via the underground. If you are going to drive, get a small car - first they are more economical (the price of gas over there makes our whinning about the possibility of $2.50 a gallon gas seem very trivial), second the roads over there (other than the motorways) are very narrow, with no shoulders.

You won't see much of the birth place of MG anymore, all that is left is one small office, occupied by the MGCC, but it is worth going to just for they way you will be welcomed. The Magic midget pup in Abingdon is no more. It has been turned into a pizza joint with only one picture of an MG inside and nobody there who knows what it is all about. English beers are all rather good, with OSH being on of many worth sampling. Wine is not a real big deal in the pubs we ate at, but is drinkable (eat at pubs recommended by the locals for really good meals).

Give us a call the next time you are through Kitsap County and stop by to see some of the things that we saw and did while over there and let us present you with the opportunity to take us along to carry your luggage.
Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

Check out http://www.mgcars.org.uk/mgccmga/events/events.htm for some events. As this is the 50th aniversary, Silverstone should be good!
Ian Pearl

Ray

I am an ex southerner (Londoner). After you you have done the obligitory sightseeing in the capital get out of the place as quickly as possible. I live on the edge of Wordsworth country (The Lakes) and it is a 'must experience' area of natural beauty. The people up here also smile and say good morning. Also go further north to Scotland if you have time. Lovely people and a bonus if you can understand what they are saying! I spent 5 years there flying with the RAF and have nothing but happy memories, other than a broken back when I crashed my jet - but that's another story.

Best of luck with your itinery. If you pass up my way (near Preston) drop by for a cup of English tea/beer and a drive in my A.

Steve
Steve Gyles

If you are going to London then a must is the London Eye. I would suggest that you also visit the city of bath which is only about 1 ½ hours way from London by train.
Here are a few links for you to try.
http://www.pubs.com/ for London Pubs
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/planmyjourney/time_table/journey_requirements.asp?&T2ID=6851_200332619658 for the national railway time table
http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/intro.asp here are some images of England so you can decide on what you would like to see.
http://www.ba-londoneye.com/ for the London Eye.
And if you love silver and antiques then you have to visit
http://www.thesilvervaults.com/home.htm
http://www.fatbadgers.co.uk/ for pubs in other parts of the country.
http://www.visitbritain.com/vb3-en-gb/index.aspx?c=1 to plan your trip.
HTH
Cecil Kimber

Make sure you visit the Duxford Air Museum just out of Cambridge. If you are going during Septemeber don't miss the Goodwood Revival Race Meeting.
David MacFarlane

As Americans visiting London on our honeymoon, my wife and I really enjoyed "proper" English tea (looseleaf tea, finger sandwiches, cakes, etc.) at every opportunity. Of course, there are many places in London to enjoy this tradition. We particulary liked tea time at Fortnum and Mason and Harrods, but I'm sure some Londoners on the board can recommend better places.

Regards,
M.D.
'57 Coupe
M. D.

Ray,

If you make the trip to France you will need to travel through Kent (nearest county to France) you could visit these places in Kent:-

Shepherd Neame Brewery, Brewing for 300 years, Spitfire & Bishops Finger fine beers.
http://www.shepherd-neame.co.uk

Lamberhurst Vineyard
http://www.travelpublishing.co.uk/CountryLivingSouthEast/Kent/CSE23733.htm

Leeds Castle
http://www.leeds-castle.com/index1.php3

Hever Castle
http://www.hevercastle.co.uk/

Also Dover Castle & Canterbury

Regards
Dave
Dave

Sorry I did not have much time to do some google-ing for you when I last posted but here is an answer about hiring an F.
Hydeaway
3a Sea View Road,
Highcliffe
Dorset
BH23 5QJ
MGF Abingdon LE model also available
£119 per day fully insured (over 25) £250 Excess. They will collect and deliver almost anywhere.
http://www.welcome.to/pearl.car.hire
Also try MG Dealers, G Kingsbury & Son of Hampton. They certainly used to rent out Fs and are close to Heathrow.
Telephone number is (44) 181-481-8000.
http://www.uk250.co.uk/details/15252/mg-car-hire.html
for a ferry to France look at this web site.
http://www.ferrysavers.com
Cecil Kimber

Ray,

If you get the chance please visit Warwickshire.

Warwick, the county town, has a very famous castle and then of course there is Stratford upon Avon for the birthplace of William Shakespear and theatre. Rugby, where I live is famous as the place where the game of rugby was first played (Rugby School).

Whilst in the area the Motor Heritage Centre, Gaydon (a museum of the British motor industry including MG) is worth half a day.

Hope you enjoy my country, the beer ($4 a pint) and the price of our petrol! (about $3.50 per litre.....)


Steve
S Tromans

Of course Ray, your way takes you to Abingdon on Thames. A nice cafe there and a nice local beer too .
Renou

I done this a bunch of times and this is my favorite route:

Gatwick or Heathrow to Brighton to Dover to Maidstone/Kent to Dunsford (Air Museum) to Lincoln (Cathedral's) to Harrogate/York (Your wife will thank you for incredible shopping)area up to Newcastle (beer)cross into Edinburgh (beer,shopping, Scotch and castle) South towards the Lake's Region (beautiful) and touch into Northen Wales area and then shoot down to the Midlands. Continue to Gaydon then Abingdon area as a destination. Abindgon has next to nothing to see as far as the old MG works is concerned. However hidden from most visitors is the MG Car Club Headquarters which is right near to the original office blocks that you see in all the old pictures! Visit the club and buy some memorbilia. For a "Bevey", go the old factory Pub hangout that is now I believe a "Little Kings" Pub for an "Old Speckled Hen". Make sure you take an afternoon to take the ferry/barge-whatever it is called to Oxford. It is a wonderful trip on the upper end of the Thames. The wife will love it. Call ahead to Gaydon to get the special VIP tour. From there head to Warwickshire-visit the awesome Warwick Castle. Get out of town and head to Bath (the wife will love it) and if you have time go to Bristol and Stonehenge. Spend your last day in London walking about. My favorite is the ferry/barge to Greenwich to the British Naval Museum and the Cutty Sark. Pick it up in front of the Tower. In London do the usuals ie. The Tower, Regent Park, Buckingham Palace, "Big Ben" area. After many visits to the UK, I still love the country side the best. Stay out of the hotels and do all B&B's!

Don
Don Tremblay

Nice one Don. Some there that I have not yet done! You must have been exhausted at the end of that tour.

Steve
Steve Gyles

Having just visited my brother today in Abingdon for lunch as I do on regular occasions, I hate to dispel some peoples idea of Old Speckled Hen Beer, but apart from the name it has nothing to do with Abingdon. Morlands the local brewery in Abingdon was bought out and closed down by Greene King a few years ago. The site of the Morlands Abingdon Brewery is now a housing estate and the beer is brewed elsewhere in the UK. Mind you it is not bad beer, but local beers in London are very good and are still brewed there. Youngs is brewed in Wandsworth(in the south west of London) and I have spent many a happy hour stuck in traffic jams in the one way system there in a car or on a motorcycle just smelling the beer fumes. Also try Fullers another local beer which tends to be sweeter tasting (at least to me) beer but very good.

It makes me cringe every time I pass the old site of the MG car plant that my brother took me around in the 60's when he worked there to see a bloody great police station. Almost enough to make me cry in my beer (I had to say it).

By the way you can easily spend 2 weeks in London and hardly scratch the surface. Get of the tourist route and go on walk with a A to Z map. On the south side of the Thames you can visit the Globe theatre, Tate Modern gallery etc. and go to Clink Street, the site of one of the first prisons in London, hence thrown in clink, meaning being thrown in jail. There was/is a museum on Clink Street that explains the history of the south of the river Thames and the involvement of the church in building it up. Go on one of the history/pub walks that happen around London and enjoy a pint or two of beer on a nice day in one of the many pubs on the side of the Thames. A trip up the Thames to Greenwich is great as someone else has mentioned. Mind you, you probably need a bank loan to stay in London though although you can often get good package deals through the airlines.

The coutryside is also beautiful in most directions from London, but bear in mind that the west tends to be wetter, particulary the Lake District.

As regards the time to come, London is always busy with tourists, but outside London try and come outside the school summer holidays particulary if you are heading to the south or west coasts. Roads are generally quieter during school holidays in local areas, but routes to holiday areas, particularly the west/south coast can be extremly busy in the summer and on any national (called bank) holidays in the summer season.

Rod
Rod Myers

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. I will print this off and check into the places you all have recommended.
Dave I will take you up on your idea to stop by on my way through town.

Thanks again,
Ray
Ray Ammeter

Ray, why not think seriously about shipping your A over and join us on the Tour of Britain starting August 27th from Abingdon. There are 3 cars coming from Australia, although we will be there for Silverstone.The shipping prices are not as much as you would think.
Gary Lock

Just a thought. If you happen to be driving up the eastern side of England and are passing Doncaster/Pontefract why not drop in and see our Mr MGA, Bob West. He usually has a couple of As undergoing full restoration to concours standard, has masses of spares (new and used) and of course has his famous Le Mans racer (SRX 210) in his small showroom.

If there is anything you ever need to know about an MGA, then he and his small team are the people to talk with. He was one of the authorities in Clausager's 'Original MGA'.

Steve
Steve Gyles

I think you are beginning to see why two weeks is not enough! In London, if the weather is good, begin with a half day sightseeing tour by one of the open-topped double decker buses. There are two main companies that offer these tours (one has classic red buses, the other is green...both are good and you just hop on at their bus stops at any of the major attractions). It's a good way to get an overview of the main attractions and a guided tour and history of the city. (Sadly, London Transport is replacing all the classic double-deckers with a more modern design and eventually they will be no more.) At the Tower of London, take the time for a tour by the Yeomen Warders (Beefeaters) and do see the Royal Jewels vault there. If you are in London on a Saturday morning, stop by Portobello Road's open air "antiques" fleamarket (like crowded place in any major city on earth, do beware of pickpockets). Visit the War Rooms and the new Churchill Museum which were the underground bunkers where the British government had its HQ during WWII (near Whitehall, a short walk from Buckingham Palace). A short walk from the War Rooms are are Houses of Parliament, for Big Ben and Westminister Abbey. Take time to get a guided tour there. A thousand years of amazing history in one place. Do see the Food Halls of Harrod's Department Store. Picadilly Circus has some interesting shopping streets (Regent Street is probably best) radiating from it. Stop by Fortnum and Mason's department store near Picadilly Circus and have tea and scones in the dining room in the late afternoon. Don't believe the stories that the food there is bad. London has some amazing restaurants. Try a good Indian restaurant (my favorite is Bombay Brasserie, near Gloucester Road tube station). Getting to and from the major sites downtown is easily done by the Underground (the tube...subway). Buy a multi-day pass that allows unlimited travel in Zone 1 (Circle Line area). Do get a couple good guide books (Frommers and previously mentioned London A-Z are good). And spend a LOT of time researching on the web! Great Britain is an amazing country...two weeks will whet your appetite for more!
Frank Nocera

Ray,

I'm fortunate in that my business has a location on the former MG works grounds. The previous messages are all very factual, and Abingdon and all of Oxfordshire are well worth your time. In Abingdon, I recommend staying at the Four Pillars Hotel, right across Marcham Road from the former works location 44-(01235) 553456. Be sure to take in the Heritage museum at Gaydon. I was lucky to accidentally time my visit for an MG show there a few years ago. You may want to check the schedules of the vintage car events and time your trip accordingly. Go on to Oxford and to make it even more interesting, look up the address of the original Morris Garages and then try finding it. Oxford is a very well known university city, and the canals are a must-see. There are more than a few very interesting restaurants there, as well. If you chosse to stay in Oxford, I recommend The Royal Oxford Hote 44 01865 248432. Close to the city centre and a short walk from the bus depot. I have to say Oxford is much better than Abingdon in the categories of hotels and restaurants. On the way to Gaydon, you may want to take in Silverstone race course which is on the way. Again, see if you can match up to an event.
Tom Balutis

As Frank said in an earlier post, the London bus tour is well worth taking in my view. The "Big Bus" company (red ones) also offered guided walking tours as part of the package and these were excellent as well, particularly the "Ghostly London" which was also an excuse for a very enjoyable pub crawl!
Tom Heath

This thread was discussed between 09/03/2005 and 10/03/2005

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