Essex & Adjoining Counties Brunch Meet - SUNDAY, 23 March 2025

[casey]

List on previous page updated with who is doing the drive and who is eating, plus annotated with those who I am aware have pre-ordered food.

Please check and let me know of any updates/corrections needed, thanks

[AutomotiveMasochist]

Due to unforeseen circumstances, I have ended up back in my RX-8, despite putting it away for winter, thanks to my Jaguar coming over all British. Who would have thought the RX-8 would be the reliable one?!

love the RX-8 has come to the rescue, due to (sadly predictable) Jaguar unreliablity!

[SeanP]

Simon Webling also now joining the party

Name added to list on previous page.

[SeanP]

Please add Joe & Lily (Mx5)

[SteveBishopRx8]

Reminder for Sean & Dave that I need your food orders by Wednesday

[SeanP]

The Horse & Groom have rang me to confirm numbers & also what people are eating from the Xmas menu
I'm planning on popping in there on next Wednesday (11th) May have a Guinness too whilst I'm there
If you could dm your meal choices by then would be appreciated
Thanks

I'll have prawn cocktail, Xmas dinner, Xmas pud please.

Asking Joe & Lilly & let you know....

[SeanP]

Joe: Brie and Gammon
Lilly: prawns and turkey

Please could somebody share a google map of the route (at a pinch could probably still work with a tomtom.or garmim itinerary).

[SteveBishopRx8]

Numbers & food orders all confirmed at the Horse & Groom
Look forward to seeing you all on Sunday
Meet for around 10/10.30 am then on for about an hours drive then back to the pub for a Xmas lunch

[Red & Black]

Numbers & food orders all confirmed at the Horse & Groom
Look forward to seeing you all on Sunday
Meet for around 10/10.30 am then on for about an hours drive then back to the pub for a Xmas lunch

We'll done Steve, looks like a good turn out. Thankfully the stormy weather has subsided and it should be dry and hopefully brighter than it has been?

See you Sunday

[BinaryJava]

This should be the sat nav directions for the horse and groom route: https://maps.app.goo.gl/2wgtFgzxKWyw1BgEA?g_st=ic

[nightfire10]

Thanks to Steve for organising today's drive and lunch, plus thank you to everyone who came along to make the time so convivial.

The food and service in the pub was great too.

We had 11 cars on the drive. It was a lovely sight from 9 cars back!

Pictures at Hanningfield Reservoir.

Wishing everyone a great Christmas and a Happy New Year!

[Red & Black]

Thanks Steve, you set it up well today..... dry, a touch of sunshine, nice drive, good meal..... see photos on RX8OC Facebook page

[SeanP]

Such a great event, thanks Steve for organising it. Bought back lots of memories of previous events.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/xSHmqmFzLUVHeq247

[Red & Black]

Such a great event, thanks Steve for organising it. Bought back lots of memories of previous events.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/xSHmqmFzLUVHeq247

Good to see you again Sean and bringing your son along... a chip off the old block when it comes to driving, I know I was behind him!

Thanks for putting up the photos so promptly, I remember waiting quite a while to see the Peak District Drive photos.

Hope to see you again, back in this neck of the woods in 2025.

[New Duke]

That's a super turnout, well done! Hope everyone had a good time.

[Red & Black]

Time to get the 2025 Essex Meets up and running

The meet (starting with brunch) will be on Sunday 23 March, at 10am in the Braintree area, with an optional ~1hr drive afterwards.

Red & Black and I test drove a route to the north of Braintree, including Sible Hedingham, Great Bardfield, Thaxted and Dunmow. The roads were great and the drive superb in the sunshine

Full details to follow, but please post up below your interest in this meet (together with +1's etc), so we can get an idea of numbers and can enquire at some brunch places we have in mind.

[Red & Black]

Ian.M and Simon

Possibly one plus 1

[Myk1e]

Ahh perfect, I'm in Braintree

[casey]

Great to hear you can join us Myk1e. Just yourself (and your carcof course )?

[Myk1e]

May well bring my little one, he's only 3 and likes fasts cars and motorbikes

[Red & Black]

Both Debbie & myself, of course.

[Red & Black]

The next meet, starting with breakfast and followed by an optional ~1hr drive afterwards, will take place on Sunday, 23 March at 10am in the Braintree area.

The start point, with a table booked for breakfast at 10am, will be at The Apple Tree restaurant, Gosfield Lake, Church Road, Halstead CO9 1UD. Further details and the breakfast menu can be found here: https://theappletreegosfield.co.uk/

the-apple-tree.jpg (109.62 KiB) Viewed 167 times

the-apple-tree (1).jpg (78.48 KiB) Viewed 167 times

The route for the optional drive will be published later, but will include Sible Hedingham, Great Bardfield, Finchingfield,Thaxted and Dunmow, finishing in the Braintree area.

Finchingfield

Who's for breakfast and the drive?

1. Red & Black (Derek) & Debbie breakfast and drive
2. casey (Malcolm) & Gwyn breakfast and drive
3. Ian.Mothersole breakfast and drive
4. Simon breakfast and drive
5. Mykie (poss + toddler) breakfast and drive
6. SteveBishopRX8 (Steve) & Tina breakfast and drive
7. Aston & Crissi breakfast and drive

Everyone is welcome to join the meet, just post up if you will be breakfasting (with any +1, +2, etc) and/or will be joining the drive afterwards. I will then add you to the list. Please post up asap, as the restaurant gets busy on a Sunday, so we need to book a table for us all.

[SteveBishopRx8]

Yes for me & Tina

[Red & Black]

START POINT: with a table booked for breakfast at 10am, will be at The Apple Tree restaurant, Gosfield Lake, Church Road, Halstead CO9 1UD.

PARKING: As you enter the site, there is parking immediately to the left and right. The parking to the right is fine but be careful on the left as there are some unusual slopes and I managed to just catch my driver side sill seam on the way out on out test run! If full, there is extra parking down by the lake, or you can park by the nearby church and use a footpath - a 3 minute walk straight to the venue.

MENU: Further details and the breakfast menu can be found here: https://theappletreegosfield.co.uk/

ROUTE: optional drive out after breakfast is here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/NCwcCUrgwt1BJYoC8

Beware that opening this file with a browser shows the correct route of ~1hr. When I opened it directly in Google Maps it took out ALL the waypoints on my phone, just showing the direct route from start to destination!

Map also shown below.

At the end of the drive, as we get back onto the A120 there is no fixed agenda. Options are:

1. Go to the Braintree Garden Centre, as on the map. There is a large car park there, and it seems you can use the adjacent Premier Inn car park too (as it could be very busy on a Sunday!). There is a coffee shop and restaurant in the centre.
2. Braintree Village Freeport, with a HUGE car park, is only a few minutes away.
3. Set off directly home, or whatever else you choose to do to enjoy the rest of your day.

For options 1 and 2, take the RIGHT HAND lane on the A120 when approaching the first roundabout - there is usually a queue up the hill leading to it (shown red on the map).

Still room for more to join us. Just post up BY SUNDAY 16th as Gosfield Lake gets quite busy (we are told) for breakfast and we will need to book.

[Red & Black]

FINAL CALL!! I have spoken to the Apple Tree who have asked for final numbers tomorrow (Sunday), as they are almost fully booked for next Sunday.
Please confirm any "possibilities"