Monsters, MINIs and life: MINI Adventures, they are fun!!!

It's coming up to nearly three months since I collected the MINI from Cooper Tadworth. On the 11th September I said good bye to the Jaaaaaaaaaaaaaag and hello to Dinky. Before you wonder why are you calling the MINI Dinky? Well, to go from a Jag to a MINI is a bit of a downsize (as mentioned earlier in a blog), so Dinky fitted quite well. Anyway, back to the present....

I had a trawl through the interweb, and thanks to Mr Google and lots of well placed words from those interweb geeks, I managed to find millions of Mini clubs and forums across the world. The only problem being, they were Mini clubs and not MINI clubs. Some are very anti BMW MINI, lots of them seem happy that you are in a MINI or Mini of some description, and some, after a bit more searching, just cater for MINIs.

As with the Alfa, MX5 and Jag before, the forums were joined and off I looked for inspiration and maybe more inspiration and possibly a few runs out to MINI or Mini or both meets around the UK. This is when I found SnM. After going through the TotalMINI site and wondering what was happening, I found the Surrey New MINI forum, and since then it has gone downhill since.

Two pub meetings, Nelsons Diner meet, Goodwood Meet, Winter Brighton Run and lots planned for 2012! My first real run in with them was at Brooklands Museum last year at the Mini day. I still like the classic Mini, and I would get one, if I had the time, money and space to rebuild one. But when I decent second hand classic Mini costs nearly the same as a 10 year old MINI, I think I'll go with the one that has air con, ABS and a CD player built in, rather than a possible rust bucket, that would eat my wallet contents like a... erm.... Ducati Monster!

Anyway, the MINI Adventures have been fun. Driving in convoys from Goodwood to Shoreham Airport for lunch with 35+ MINIs. Driving from Box Hill to Brighton in the wet conditions last weekend, was good fun, even with the strange folk of Brighton wondering why 15 MINIs were all heading towards Maderia Drive, well we want fish and chips of course!!

But alas, my 2011 MINI Adventures have come to an end. Nothing else to do but clean the car, buy more Union Jacks and clean the car some more. I'm looking forward to next year. Lots of meetings to go to. The Brooklands Mini day, London 2 Brighton, Mini Action Day at Castle Combe, maybe also some MINI racing and plenty of other stuff inbetween, a service and MOT being two things!

Right lets upload some snaps!