2006 EVENTS

The Viking Express

June 14th - 18th      

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The Viking Express

MGF Register 

Text/Website  : Tim Morris

Photos :  Tim & Liz Morris, Dieter Koeneke, Hajo Witzel, Keith Williams, Hakan Sigemark

Special to thanks to all those that joined us on the Viking Express 2006

The Viking Express was an MGF Register trip from the UK to Sweden to join in the MGCC Sweden's National Event at Falkenberg. This is the story of that trip in three parts.

The Viking Express

MGF Register 

Run organised by Adrian Clifford with thanks to Kjeld Anderson & Dieter Koeneke

Sweden Run organised by Hakan & Eva Brit Sigemark

Sweden MG Meeting organised by MG Car Club Sweden with thanks to Hansi Borgstrom.

It was not an auspicious start arriving at Maidstone Services in a downpour. First stop was the motorway shop to buy the waterproofs we thought we might need as we began the journey on the Viking Express to Sweden. We shouldn’t have worried as although the first day driving was hard amongst spray and rain we soon crossed the first four countries of this epic trip. The destination was Falkenberg on the Swedish coast and the occasion was the MG Car Club Sweden’s national event. The MGF Register has in the last year been forging links with various countries around the world and it was time to take advantage of some of these newly appointed Representatives. Hakan Sigemark is our Swedish Rep and he was keen to point out that the Swedish event was in the south of the country this year and within a reasonable striking distance of the UK and he would be delighted to escort us there.. The Register’s International Rep , Adrian Clifford, set about mustering the troops and we soon had a sizeable group of MGF/TF enthusiasts  ready to undertake the journey of around 1000 miles. This is an event that has proved popular with UK MG enthusiasts in the past thanks to the good ferry links to the country, but the MGF Register doesn’t always like to do things the easy way, so we made plans for the drive through seven countries.

We set off from Dover to Dunkirk into France then through to Belgium where things got a little tricky as we lost a car in the spray on the motorway as we pulled into the services and he didn’t. We soon caught up at the next services but unwittingly had missed our turning to Antwerp which meant a slight cross country detour during which we lost another car – Keith Williams was not to be seen again until gone 11pm that night. Reaching Antwerp we traversed Ring Road 1 and Ring Road 2 a few times before admitting we were lost. Thankfully a friendly local showed us the short cut, dodging the trams, to the Kennedy tunnel and we were soon back on track again. On to the third country, Holland and then into Germany, still with spray obscuring vision on the Autobahn, and local drivers inches from your rear bumper, in some cases even bouncing along the central reservation trying to force their way by .

Nonetheless we made it to Osnabruck and the Hotel Busch Atter safely where we joined our German hosts in the beer garden to watch their nation win their world cup-tie. After a splendid meal and finding Keith, who had let his Sat Nav take him on a nice circumnavigation of the Netherlands, and being joined by our Netherlands Rep – Daphne and Hajo Witzel we retired ready for another long drive the next day.

First stop was, appropriately, the Burger King in Hamburg  where we met up with our German rep Dieter Koennecke & Rosie plus Erik and Yvonne . They joined the convoy as we headed for the Danish border where we met our Danish Rep Kjeld Anderson at the first, or was it second, service station. Kjeld sternly warned us to make sure we had our headlights on all the time from now on or face an on the spot fine and led us through to our second nights stop at Fredericia. The England Match was on that night so several of us found an Irish Bar to watch the game. Luckily it was full of England football shirts but on Danish backs ! We watched with our Dutch friends and followed the victory with a meal in an Italian restaurant. This was to be a truly international event !.

The third day took us over the Danish Islands firstly over the Baelt bridge where we worried the Danish Secret Service by pulling off the motorway into a restricted car park just prior to the Bridge itself – well it was a nice view and a splendid photo opportunity – the bulging suit jackets suggested we may like to continue so we took their advice and headed over the 70 metre high Baelt bridge on to Sjaeland. Quickly crossing the island we skirted Copenhagen , sniggering at the “Fart Control” sign as we went, before plunging in to a long dark tunnel. Hang on I thought we were going over the Oresund Bridge, as the sound of three Trevor Taylor, and a number of other, sports exhausts rattled around the tunnel, their owners dropping an enthusiastic gear. Not to worry as a few kilometres later we emerged in the middle of the sea to go straight up on to the Oresund bridge for the next few kilometres until we landed in Sweden.

Finally having made it we were greeted by Hakan , his wife Eva-Brit and, another MGF enthusiast, Per-Ove. We were handed splendid “goodie” bags containing MGR memorabilia from Norway, including little tins of MGR M&Ms, and fantastic neckerchiefs which proved useful in keeping the sun at bay, once Eva-Brit had shown us how to tie them. They escorted us the remaining distance to Falkenberg stopping off for lunch at an old music hall, Torringelund, where we could take photos of the cars and the bus enthusiasts amongst us admired an old coach that also turned up.

From there we headed straight to the Hotel  Strandbaden in it’s great location right on the beach. The sun was fully out by now and thoughts of the rain on the first day had been left far behind. From now on it was glorious weather and a hotel room that opened straight on to the Beach. Having been greeted by representatives from the MGCC Sweden we parked the cars amongst the array of other MGs in the secure parking area and joined them in a buffet dinner on the first night.

The next day the Club had arranged a scenic run with a difference as not only did we get to see some fantastic Swedish Countryside but also had the opportunity to drive our F/TFs with buckets on our heads, off road of course, eat free ice creams at an ice cream factory and then puzzle over a broken MG logo , answering MG related questions and identifying various car badges whilst eating our salmon buffet lunch and being watched over by a figure dressed in full armour.

Having got back to the hotel we barely had time for a paddle before it was suits on , slightly crumpled having travelled 1000 miles in the back of an F, for a champagne reception and prize giving . Haaken came 7^th in the Rally whilst our highest UK placed competitors were Dave Alexander and Michelle King who came 11^th.

We then headed straight up for the gala dinner and more speeches and awards. Our video car crew Jonathan and Colin Lee won the furthest travelled award having driven from Southampton. Adrian gave a thank you speech to the MGCC Sweden and then we embarrassed the committee by presenting them all with MGF Register bags containing bottles of Old Speckled Hen kindly donated by all those that took part.

Sunday saw a POO and Concours competition with a Mexican Spec MGTF150 winning the F/TF category. It was then time to book out and Hakan and Per-Ove took us on a country route hugging the coastline back down to Helsingborg for our final night in Sweden. Our evening meal was taken in a unique way bouncing between Denmark and Sweden on the ferry, one course each way !

We bade farewell to our Swedish hosts and prepared for the journey home. It was in Heslingborg that the group split up with some remaining in Scandinavia for a few days or taking the ferry back from Esbjerg. A hardcore of half a dozen were driving back through Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium and France but that was all dependent on Andy Phillips managing to get Scarlet Fever going again. A bolt had sheered on the gearshift system leaving Scarlet with no gears. Luckily Andy is like a Boy Scout and is always prepared.  So having dismantled the car he repaired the offending bolt and Scarlet was ready to roll again, if only that boot lid would stay shut. The hardcore took a slightly different route back to take in the Zuider Zee which presented one more photo opportunity of many on the Viking Express.

GO TO PAGE TWO 

The Viking Express

Viking Express Organiser - Adrian Clifford

Swedish MGF Register Organiser - Hakan Sigemark

Sweden MG Meeting  - MG Car Club of Sweden , Hansi Borgstrom

Printed Reports - FasTForward Autumn 2006, Safety Fast October 2006

Photo acknowledgements

Tim & Liz Morris , Dave Alexander, Hakan Sigemark, Adrian Clifford, Hajo & Daphne Witzel