Just saw a green cooper but it was too fast and only caught the tail end.
In four days only saw two coopers and one classic mini seven and one cooper one.
Seems not very popular to a city so large.

Got out into the country areas near Kew Gardens yesterday and saw quite a few SUVs. More of mix of luxury cars out there too.

Today the weather is very sunny and some clouds off in the far.
Got my Camera fixed this morning. Quite a chore tracking down nearly the only place in London that fixes cameras on the spot for tourist on the go. Most places want 3-6 weeks to repair.

Next stop the Park Lane MINI dealership now that my camera is back in action.
more later.

Tonight at 7pm will catch a plane to Scotland and rent a car up there. Probably a Ford- will see.

 

:smile: :smile: Have a great time in Scotland - I hear it's just beautiful and it sounds like the weather is holding out for you...

Chow!

Donna
donna@dcmetrominis.org

 

minihune,
How long was the flight for you?

Are you going to Edinburgh - pretty city. Used to pop up & visit every year or so; say "hi" to Newcastle for me as you fly over
We are discussing another trip "home" later this year ... I prefer October/November but my wife is pushing for earlier/warmer weather. But as you are discovering, no guarantees with British weather.

 

Sounds like fun, I miss being over there. Scotland is nice, I was there in June a few years ago and it was 84 and sunny for like five days. The residents were freeking out and laying out everywhere. I don't think I've ever seen that much white flesh before.

 

Have a great time in Scotland MINIHUNE. I bought my MGC in London a few years back, when I lived on the Continent (Belgium). There should be Salmon and Red Grouse in Scotland in August. Happy eating!

 

>>minihune,
>>How long was the flight for you?

From Hawaii it was too long. Left onwednesday at lunch had a stopover LA then onward 11am on thursday to NY then layover for 2 hours then on to London arrived morning Friday, 11 time change!. Verybad jet lag.Totally wrong time change. What do you expect- totally wrong side of the globe.

>>Are you going to Edinburgh - pretty city. Used to pop up & visit every year or so; say "hi" to Newcastle for me as you fly over

Yes in a few days will be in Edinburgh. Will be looking for MINIs there.
>>We are discussing another trip "home" later this year ... I prefer October/November but my wife is pushing for earlier/warmer weather. But as you are discovering, no guarantees with British weather.

Not sure about the predicted weather this week in Scotland

 

I went to the London zoo today and while there I saw about 5 minis parked and driving. One was strange- had a scoop in the front bonnet but the rear looked like a MC with the single exhaust on the right. Maybe they traded out the bonnet for an MCS bonnet.

Went to the dealer. Had high prices and not much in stock. Four MINIs on the showroom and three were used. The only new one was sold. Smaller showroom than in the US. I did pick up some info on the MINI one and MINI Diesel for fun.
Got some window stickers from Park Lane MINI in London.

Just about ready to hop on the plane to Glaslow now.

Ta Ta.

 

Cheers from Scotland,

Caught a plane from London to Glasgow in Scotland then rented a small Ford Fiesta 4 Door hatchback and drove on the M8 and A82 up toward Loch Lomond. I'm in Balloch for a few days. Later Edenburgh. No MINIs up here so far.

I did see a Lotus Elise!!!! Dark blue- Wow.

_________________
ALOHA

 

Minihune,

Take a quick look see at the "August Mini and a Movie" thread and let us know when or if you would like to attend in August. I suggested we hold it on the 17th so you could drop by and show us all your vacation pictures!

MINIangelD

 

>>To quote Samuel Johnson:
>>
>>"Why, Sir, you find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford."
>>Boswell: Life
>>

Great quote.

 

>>Minihune,
>>
>>Take a quick look see at the "August Mini and a Movie" thread and let us know when or if you would like to attend in August. I suggested we hold it on the 17th so you could drop by and show us all your vacation pictures!
>>
>>MINIangelD
Yes I would attend if the meeting and movie were on aug 17th. Save me a place

 

Took a bike ride for a few hours yesterday around a castle and along some rivers near Loch Lemond.

Today went over to Glasglow to visit Henry Bros. BMW and MINI dealership. Not much in stock except I did see a MINI ONE and MCS with JCW kit up close.
The salesman says he gets to drive the MCS JCW around and he says it is:
"Good FUN". I thought only people from Hawaii say Good Fun- but I guess not.
You do have to say it with a Scottish accent for the full effect.

Over in the city I did spot about four MINIs driving around and one that had Budweiser beer plastered all over it- sort of a company delivery car parked in a delivery zone and red with a white top. Hard to stop to take a picture in the middle of traffic.

So far despite driving on the wrong side I have not crashed into anything (large).

 

I wish I were there! I've gots Scotts in me blood and have always wanted to go... I'll make it some day. Until then I'm jealous!

 

>>I wish I were there! I've gots Scotts in me blood and have always wanted to go... I'll make it some day. Until then I'm jealous!

Orbhot,
I will tell them hello from you. Today my son attended a basketball camp sponsored by the only scottish pro basket ball team the "Rocks". After dropping off my son we stuck around for a few minutes and met the owner of the team. They won the British pro basketball championship this past season and he says everyone wants triple last years' salary and he can't afford that kind of increase.

There were two of the team's players there and four coaches with about 70 students from ages 8 to 16. My son is 12 and loves basketball and plays in our local league for several years now.

You can tell that in Scotland basketball is not the main sport as the students were not up to the high standards found in the US at a camp of this sort. They did have fun and my son was asked: " So do you think you will play on a Pro team?" He has pretty good ball handling skills and does shoot well but is short at 4'7".

His biggest challenge was he could not understand anything they were saying due to the thick Scottish accents. He also said that the pronounciation of all of the common names were completely different. Oh well that is English for you.

 

Basketball? No, I think they're into the caber toss.

 

According to the people that live in Scotland, many children play basketball in school but have not outlet for the sport afterthat. Only one team in Scotland for professional basketball- the Rocks. Composed of a few Americans, a few from Canada, England and Scotland. Only one NBA player from Scotland (Archibald on the Memphis Grizzlies) who was born in Paisley which is where we had the basketball camp.

 

Yesterday we drove to Balmaha for a boat tour on the Loch. It was a mail boat so it dropped off the mail to several people on remote islands in the Loch.

While driving up we saw several MCS both red. One lady said she bought hers in December as a close out 2002 and has put on about 11,000 miles and is soon planning to buy a 2004 Red MCS with white roof, checkerboard pattern, sunroof and two piece R90 wheels.

My son says we have seen about 15 or 16 coopers so far. Maybe 2 or 3 classic coopers.

Hey there is an international Classic Cooper show here in England in late Aug or in the Fall!

 

Today I will be driving to Luss on the West side of Loch Lemond then on to the Stirling and then down to Edinburgh for two days, then back to Glasgow airport for one day in a Hotel before on to a small island (Cumbrae) for a week long marine biology class for my son.

 

Greetings from Millport:

I'm here:
http://www.gla.ac.uk/Acad/Marine

Will be here for a week studying Marine biology with my son in a class for families. We have about 11 students with at least one parent attending.
Just got done riding a bike around the island. It's about 11 miles around the perimeter of the island. Got classes to attend and some field trips.

_________________
ALOHA

 

This morning our group went out to the low tide beach areas to dig around for small animals in the sand. Some people had small nets and managed to catch fish (pipe fish, flounder, and small shrimp). There were lots of various worms, starfish, sea urchins, and jellyfish. We brought them back to the lab at the marine station where they have sea water holding tanks. Then we headed back out for the higher beach areas to collect shells and look for evidence of predatory mollusks.

This afternoon we have an exercise on biofouling. Animals and plants that by mistake take up residence on man made things in the ocean. Research is being done to discourage biofouling.

Looked for MINIs but there were none on the "beach".