Gathering in Constable Country

We then proceeded the short distance on to Flatford Mill, where we parked in the main car park and walked down the hill to the river and the excellent National Trust tea shop there for a lovely cuppa, some cake and sausage roll in my case (Thanks again Baz!).

Suitably refreshed we strolled around the area, watching novice rowers hiring boats and ending up going round in circles and we then wandered down the road to see Willy Lots House and the place that John Constable painted The Haywain.

We met up again at the car park and Trevor had got permission for us to drive down and park the vans next to the famous point Constable painted from for a little impromptu photo shoot.

First pointing one way,

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Then the other! (thats willy Lots House in the corner of the shot). Surprisingly no one voluntered to put their van in the exact spot that the horse and cart were in the painting! :)

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After this point I popped off to go and pick up my daughter who had been at a birthday party and bring her back to meet everyone and join me in our first night camping in the van!

We arrived in time for tea and cake and a toast to Bernie as it turned out to also be his rather special birthday! (21!)

This was also the start of a mild amount of alcoholic consumption and the lighting of the fire pit. I was also regaled with tales of Pankys famous exploits and it sounded like you were sincerely missed :D

(Photo courtesy of my daughter so the whole gang is present).

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What a fantastic report from what looks to have been a fabulous Commer gathering ! Thanks a lot for text and photos, Seven.

I couldn't imagine better locations than Manningtree and Flatford mill for the round trip. And your photos from the latter in particular are absolutely wonderful. Could have been taken in the late 60s! (apart from Colin Foxhall's wife, of course)
 
After a good nights sleep (apart from the odd pigeon walking about on the roof!) we awoke and I cooked bacon & egg rolls for breakfast! Thank you to Heidi for the tomato ketchup without which my daughter would have refused to eat hers!

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Unfortunately my family duties were calling so I had to leave just before midday, but another excellent excursion was planned to Frinton on Sea and Walton on The Naze today, which would have been great fun and I look forward to seeing photos of in due course.

Thank you again to Trevor and Sue for organising a wonderful excursion!

It really was a great pleasure to meet everyone and put faces to the names. I couldn't have wished to meet a nicer group of people and am very grateful for all of your warmth and generosity. I very much hope that this may become an annual occurrence as there are plenty more places to explore!
 
Jostein said:
What a fantastic report from what looks to have been a fabulous Commer gathering ! Thanks a lot for text and photos, Seven.

I couldn't imagine better locations than Manningtree and Flatford mill for the round trip. And your photos from the latter in particular are absolutely wonderful. Could have been taken in the late 60s! (apart from Colin Foxhall's wife, of course)
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Thats very kind thank you Jostein! Your name also came up in the fireside chat and you were missed too by the sounds of things :p
 
Seven said:
Thats very kind thank you Jostein! Your name also came up in the fireside chat and you were missed too by the sounds of things :p
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Thanks for that. I was meant to come over with our two small(ish) children (wife away on concert engangements), but due to health concerns we agreed not to in the end. Will definitely join you all in the not too distant future. The kids have been at it all weekend, and we had to go through previous Commer meet photos (from 2010 and 2015) before they went to bed tonight.. :)
 
I thought my ears were burning, didn't think you could get gout in your ears so I knew tongues were wagging :rolleyes:
Brilliant report and wonderful pics, so sorry we couldn't make it Trev but thank you for organising what looks like a classic meet, one that will be talked about for a long time:)
We WON'T be missing out on Moffat in a couple of weeks - ticket arrived yesterday, No 8
 
Panky, you just said it, and I was thinking the same. This looks to have been a meet which will be a reference point from now on (and one we should have been to, Panky..).

Trevor, you really pulled the stops out and created a very memorable meet, by all accounts. Now, will you be a darling and not let it be a one-off, but do it again some time - for Panky and myself, at the very least ;)
 
Thanks for the wonderful pictures... after all these years it seems that there might not be a need for the "shed" award at a meet :eek:
 
Its a shame I didnt get to meet you Jostein & Panky on this occasion, but I certainly hope that this will not be a one off down this way. Lots of places to explore in Essex, Suffolk and even Norfolk and hopefully we get a chance again in the future.

I heard about the shed award and apparently it is highly coveted (unless you are from Belgium I understand!) :D
 
Amazing pictures - the ones at Flatford Mill especially - only wish Charlie and I could have come along with you all for MUCH longer as it was just BRILLIANT. I know that Chris Hurlock and the Rootes Group East Anglia (https://www.facebook.com/groups/212236782599797/) would love to know about the Commer Campers that are in their area as trying to connect up with all the Rootes vehicles around - they were amazed when I told them about meeting up with you all as hadn't known anything about the gathering. Hope everyone has/had a safe journey homewards and thank you so much for letting us come along and see you all/join in for a little bit. :)
 
Thank you very much Talitha and it was a pleasure to meet you on Saturday!
Glad you enjoyed the morning and thank you for the info on the Rootes Group East Anglia. I dont have facebook I am afraid but did find a website for them for anyone else interested and not on FB (http://www.rgea.org.uk)
Marcus
 
Hi Talither and welcome to the Madhouse:D
So disappointed that we couldn't make the meet, It's not like us to miss an event, but hopefully we'll catch up another time - who knows you might even have your own van by then:)
 
Heidi and I have arrived back home safe and sound about an hour ago, Thanks to Trevor & Sue for organising a great weekend. We have seen a part of the country we haven't seen before,
Also thanks to the rest of the guys who helped make another fantastic Commer weekend, For those who couldn't make it you were really missed.
Trevor and Sue organised a great run out on Saturday then Saturday night everyone helped me celibate my 22ndo_O Birthday well I do have to grow up a little.
1.jpg On Sunday we had a trip out to the sea side at Frinton-on-Sea2.jpg3.jpg
Lots of sea air and dragged round loads of charity shops:confused:
 
Thanks for all your kind words, gang. It's good to know it was worth the effort, as I thought would be with such a lovely bunch of people. Sue and I also had a cracking time apart from when we lost Colin and Helen, and Charlotte and Rob( Sue's Daughter and son - in - law) who was tailend Charlie, only for the phone signal to disappear and the rest of the commervoy unable to find a place to pull over, which got a bit fraught for us, as we were then causing a mobile road block. Eventually we did manage to stop and they caught us up and the rest of the run was very enjoyable.
Turns out their gate card wouldn't let them out the site straight away, so no big problem and all was well.
We were blessed with brilliant weather, which always helps to make a good meet.
As for next year????? we'll have a think, and maybe, just maybe we'll do it again.
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Friday evening and the 1st lighting of the fire pit20180609_122107.jpg20180609_123751.jpg20180609_123739.jpg
Ice cream stop near Mistley Towers by the river Stour
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Flatford Mill
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1st one's down to Willy Lotts house, followed by Colin and Sally's Jennings.20180609_154441.jpg20180609_155104.jpg
After turn around20180609_143527.jpg
 
I had a great time along with "Our 'enry", yes Baz has a new camper, not a Commer unfortunately but a distant relative in as much as it's based on a Peugeot Boxer. Peugeot ended up owning what was left of Rootes. He's called 'enry after (H)enry Cooper the boxer .

Trev and Sue organised a cracking weekend. Thanks guys. Nice to meet Oliver and co too, keep knocking on doors Oliver! Panky and Barb were sorely missed but it was good to meet up with the usual suspects once again.

Really good to meet Marcus and Millie too. Hope to see you both at future events.

A big welcome to Tal and Charlie as well. Charlie, I'll keep a look out for you around Liverpool St (I'm guessing the bars?). Tal, you said you thought we'd met before, maybe I once arrested you?
Don't forget The Imp Club Tal!

Looking forward to the next meet at Martin's.
 
Lots of lovely pictures there of a jolly good weekend. Thanks to Trevor and Sue for organising it. We've just got home from my building job.

We got loads of smiles from passers-by, and I'm sure they will be very unlikely to see a Commervoy again.

I've got just one picture to add, taken from the top of the tower at Walton-on-the-Naze.

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Great to see that Sally joined you on this trip, Colin. Please say hello from all of us here in Oslo.

And may I just add that the Jennings looks great in the photos !
 
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