Not lost in France.

[Escadrille Ecosse]

55 minutes ago, JohnD said:

Today's mission (accepted!) is to visit the Remparts Circuit at Angouleme.  Just returned from walking the track, and posting while the details are in my head, and while get my breath back!

Two reasons, one the Citadel of Angouleme is a massive rock, overlooking the Charente river.   Like Lancaster Castle over the Line, this must have been a strong defence since the Neanderthals!   I parked on the north side of the river and climbed up the many winding paths up that face, to find and walk the track.  Which is the second reason why I'm breathless.  Whoever thought it would be a good idea to race around this circuit is mad!    It makes Monaco look like Silverstone!

You may have seen videos or even a map of the circuit, but just walking it is gobsmacking.   The start/finish line is right outside St.Peter's Cathedral to begin with, as it were.

But the lead up to that is via not just one but three full 360 hairpins, one after another, as the circuit climbs the South side of the Citadel.   

I fear this pic doesn't do justice to how step and acute are these KO corners! And, the streets of the city are so narrow that today, with many cars parked, there is only room for one-way traffic.

You may follow the course by map, but on the ground you can tell where the corners are by iron brackets set in the pavement, which I presume support Armco barriers.  You would need iron brackets of a different sort to race here!

John

Proper hard

[JohnD]

40 minutes ago, Escadrille Ecosse said:

Proper hard

Drove the circuit, save for Rue Carnot, which is being resurfaced.    Mad?  It's lunatic!

John

Edited July 4, 2023 by JohnD

[Escadrille Ecosse]

10 minutes ago, JohnD said:

Drove the circuit, save for Rue Carnot, which is being resurfaced.    Mad?  It's lunatic!

John

Was ringing some distant bells. Seems like the old lunatics still race!

https://www.grandstandmotorsports.co.uk/classic-events-and-historic-races/circuit-des-remparts-d-angouleme

Bonkers. But what fun!

[Martin]

What an event thanks for the pics.

Le Mans Classic, on my schedule for next year.
Will be in Angouleme Sept 17th 

[JohnD]

LPWill they be let out of the asylum on the 17th, Martin?    Please report back.  What will you be doing there?

I promised no castles, and no need.  My drive this afternoon was, latterly, along D941 after Limoges, as the country changed from open fields, with patches of woodland to pastoral farming, fences and hedges with animals in the fields.  It also became more wooded and hilly, which I expected as I knew that Charade was often said to go around an ancient volcano.

But suddenly, I crested a rise about 25k from Clermont-F, and a whole horizon of sharp peaks came in sight! I really needed a panoramic camera, this doesn't do the view justice!

My 'target for tonight' was the summit of the volcano that the Charade Circuit, et, circles.   Google Earth showed me that there is a transmission tower there and an access road, off the old circuit road.

At this point I had a problem. I was using a mixture of SatNav, a French routemap with a scale so small, about 4 miles to the inch,  so that small features ate invisible, and Google Maps on.my phone ( NOT all at once, officer!) The lady for the fine stuff, and it was almost out of charge!   The lead that was supposed to be charging it en route had dislodged, but we made it, with 1% left in the battery!

The view is extraordinary!  I must show you tomorrow as I can't take the phone off the van while it's charging.    But I have driven a bit of the old circuit, from Charade village to here, and it's a cracker! Bendier than the 'Ring, with good cambering, wide enough - two lanes everywhere - and with climbs and drops.  Photos tomorrow, same reason.

Late now, going to have drink and

[Nick Jones]

I may have posted this before, but seems appropriate 

bonkers indeed…. But enormous fun one strongly suspects.

Incidently, though I had no idea at the time, we visited parts of the Clermont circuit on our first ever trip to France in the Vitesse in the early 90s. 
It’s a lovely part of France. Lac Pavin, Mount D’Or…. I think we camped at Aydat.

[Martin]

We are two weeks in Brittany then we will stay somewhere near La Rochelle , then via Angoulême we want to travel back via some Loire castles. So pure holiday. But the Event in Angoulême justs fits by chance. 

[Hamish]

That is some video - and track.

respect to those drivers.  
 

No argument about track limits there. 
Don’t think my car would have sufficient lock for some of those corners. 

[JohnD]

Been offline since above, mobile would not charge!  Back in UK halfway home.

John

[Escadrille Ecosse]

Glad to hear John. Was wondering a bit.

And just as well you know how to use actual maps or you may well have been lost in France

Edited July 9, 2023 by Escadrille Ecosse

[JohnD]

It's worse than that! Now home, and I KNOW that I have to catch up, with Triumph and personal related things.  So I fire up the desk top, which doesn't respond at all.    I think while I've been away, the batteries in my keyboard have worn out!  So the Desk top just goes back into sleep mode when it receives no input.

But I am fully electronified!    I have a laptop, which I start up, to go to Outlook and my emails.    But all I can see is messages for 2020!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   And a wondow that constantly pops up,with dteials that I wot not of!

    

WTF????  I've close Outlook by it STILL APPEARS.  Eveyy ten seconds or so!

Oh, FUCK!  What the Sam Hill is going on?

 MAY be able to access my emails via my Fire Tablet   Try that next.  Can anyone send me a native bearer with an explanotory note in cleft stick?    HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!

NOT Lost in France, but lost in the Interweb!

John

Edited July 9, 2023 by JohnD

[JohnD]

It WAS the keyboard batteries!    A freshly recharged pair and I am here again, online.    Still no idea what the Fock (sorry about that above) is going on with the laptop, but I don't normally use it for online work.

Anyhow, may I complete my French odyssey, with a few observations, but no pics, as the mobile was non-functional?  (It is now!  After all night on charge at my sister's  excellent 'hotel' en route, it acquired a 50% charge. from nothing, would not even turn on, then after another since I got home  it's back at 100%!    I had diagnosed a fault, a broken connection, behind the socket, as wiggling the plug would sometimes get a "charging" symbol, but I can't reproduce that now!    Are vehical charging systems less 'powerful' than off the mains?)

Rheims-Gueux.     The unique survival of the original pits and grandstands at Gueux remains an Eight Wonder of the World!   But a small notice on the entrance gate to the paddock filled me with foreboding.   It said, I think, that because of uncivil behaviour by visitors, the Mayor of Gueux had ordered that all events at the site from earlier this year were cancelled!   This followed the warning I received last year, from Le President de Les Amis du Circuit de Rhiems Gueux (who happened to be there) that I should not park outside the pits, else I would be fined for illegal parking, by order of the Mayor of Gueux!   I shall ask Les Amis what is happening.

Wild animal notes.    That night I camped in Le Foret Nationale de Compaigne, a few miles west of Rheims.   During the evening, I saw a small animal, prowling.   It was the size of terrier, with  distinctive eye mask marking across its face and the bushy, striped tail of a RACOON!    There was no doubt about it, and I wasn't drunk, but this is are North American animal!    Since I returned, a little Googling has found that, yes, indeed,  "In France, raccoons have currently established three separate, expanding populations."   See: Larroque, Chevret, Berger et al, Microsatellites and mitochondrial evidence of multiple introductions of the invasive raccoon Procyon lotor in France, Biol Invasions 22/2/23     

Uncomfortable history.    The next night, my last in France, I camped in another forest, Le Foret du Tournehem, a few miles from Calais.   I've been there before, very pleasant, so I drove out by a different route than before, and came across a tiny, open fronted chapel by the trackside.    There were candles burning there and always keen to know (aka Nosey) I stopped .     The chapel had large candle burning trays, with two alight, so must have been  placed there that morning, with shelves of candles for those who wished to light one, and a box for the "Tronc".    In the wall of the chapel, a carving revealed its significance.   I think it says, "This chapel was built for the worship of the Virgin of the Forest, whose intercession saved [male French name] from a sentence of death by the Nazis, July 1943"

I should add to my account a sincere and grateful thanks to TwinCam John and his lovely wife Ann-Marie, who gave me a wonderful lunch at their home on my way from  Le Mans!  A bientot, Ann-Marie et John!

John

 

[Escadrille Ecosse]

Glad to hear your IT problems have been resolved. Shame about the pics but very interesting report.

Rheims-Gueux is slightly concerning. Hopefully it can be resolved amicalbly by 'les Amis'. Le Maire sound like a man not to be messed with!

Bloody racoons, and the idiots who thought it would be fun to introduce them. If caught they should be staked out in the woods and smeared with honey. That might elicit a better appreciation of racoons.

The chapel makes you realise just how fortunate we are to have avoided occupation for so long.

[Nick Jones]

Yes, I’ve heard reports of the Rheims locals being less welcoming in recent times, though understandably if they’ve been having repeated issues with badly behaved idiots, who should be stripped, flogged smeared with honey and staked over an anthill next to the idiots who brought the raccoons…..

Phones can be fussy about charging leads and chargers. When it’s only 5v to begin with it doesn’t take a very bad connection to drop the bolts enough to be a problem. iPhone flash plugs are a bugger for this. Sometimes a good clean and digging the pocket fluff out of the socket is all that is needed.

[mpbarrett]

On 7/10/2023 at 7:40 PM, Nick Jones said:

....

Phones can be fussy about charging leads and chargers. When it’s only 5v to begin with it doesn’t take a very bad connection to drop the bolts enough to be a problem. iPhone flash plugs are a bugger for this. Sometimes a good clean and digging the pocket fluff out of the socket is all that is needed.

USB C sockets seem to always collect enough fluff to stop the connector from working. 

Inductive charging is the answer. Slightly less efficient but always works, if your phone supports it just put it on the pad and it charges almost magic.

Mike

[JohnD]

Swift reply from Les Amis du Circuit de Gueux!

"Bonjour John
Le maire du village est contre le circuit historique depuis 18 ans il nous fait des difficultés et des menaces pour nous faire plier.  Actuellement il nous demande de plus en plus d’argent pour la commune ce que nous refusons car tout notre argent doit servir à la restauration du circuit.  Donc pour 2024 la justice nous dira que faire.
Amicalement.
L’ACG"

Not a good story, I fear, that could be disastrous for this iconic venue.   The site is now as wonderfully restored as ever, in pristine white paint.

It's ironic that the whole site is free of graffiti, so the local louts seem to "Respect les Pilotes" as requested on a few signs there, but it's the louts from elsewhere who have antagonised the people of Gueux, by misbehaving on the Old Circuit.

I hope that the state of the one memorial on the circuit isn't a sign.   It's to Luigi Musso who died in the 1958 French Grand Prix.  A crucifix on the old part of the circuit to Virage Muizon, now cut off and a dead end marks where he crashed, and it used to be in good condition with artificial flowers :

But it's now looking very shabby, no flowers with weeds obscuring it.  Maybe his family have died out.

John

 

Edited July 13, 2023 by JohnD

[JohnD]

As a fan of Gueux, I receive newsletters from Les Amis.  Today's includes pictures of what it was like when they first took charge of the site:

 

The newsletter documents the work and the events they have organised since, and I think they may be said to have made a difference!

If you do visit this  extraordinary living relic, please contribute to Les Amis du Circuit de Gueux!

Les Amis du Circuit de GUEUX (amis-du-circuit-de-gueux.fr)

John

[Escadrille Ecosse]

That's really quite wonderful

[Nick Jones]

10CR 2013.....  Day one.....

There were a couple of TR hooligans making yowly 6 cylinder noises on the straight.

It was very evocative. We then got lost in Rheims in rush hour.....

[JohnD]

More news, and not good, from  Gueux.  The latest newsletter from Les Amis, on a new move from The Mayor of Gueux:

Chers Adhérents

Nous vous faisons part du dernier coup bas de la Mairie de Gueux qui lance un appel d’offre pour nous remplacer sur le circuit, sans respecter les directives du Préfet.
www.xmarches.fr/entreprise/detailConsultation.php?key=29237

Suite à notre dernière réunion du 5 septembre 2023 à la sous préfecture avec Mr le Préfet, Mr le sous préfet, Mme la députée et Mme la Présidente de la Communauté Urbaine du Grand Reims, la feuille de route suivante nous a été proposée. :

1)    Une réunion entre l’expert comptable de l’association et le comptable public devra être organisée, dans les meilleurs délais, afin d’établir de manière définitive et incontestable la réalité des flux financiers de ces dernières années entre le budget de l’association et les budgets communaux.
Cette mise en place financière doit permettre aux parties de relancer des discussions sur une base claire et au Président des « Amis du Circuit de Gueux » d’arrêter les poursuites engagées devant les juridictions, cette étape étant préalable au redémarrage du dialogue avec la Mairie de Gueux.
2)    Sous réserve du respect de la condition précitée, la Mairie de Gueux proposera à l’association une convention d’utilisation précaire pendant la période transitoire, afin d’éviter une dégradation et une absence d’entretien du site.
3)    La reprise du dialogue pourra aboutir à une nouvelle convention entre les parties ou à un appel à candidatures pour la gestion du site lancé par la mairie.

La date de la réunion pour régler le point « 1 » concernant les différents comptables a été fixé le 14 décembre à la sous préfecture de Reims et alors qu’aucun débat n’a commencé, la mairie lance un appel d’offre dans la presse avec réponse courant décembre.

Dés ce jour nous remontons les informations auprès de la sous préfecture qui nous l’espérons recadrera la situation.

(Pour mémoire)

 lors de la réalisation de gros travaux le financement est le suivant :   

47% HT à la charge de l’ACG 

33% HTsubvention de la Drac

20% HT subvention de la région

20% tva payé par la Mairie et récupéré année +1

O%  à la charge de la Mairie

 

En 2019  l’ACG à versé 40 000€ à la Mairie pour réaliser des travaux de restauration des tribunes.

En 2021 seulement une partie à été réalisée pour un montant de 17000€.

Le diffèrent financier vient du fait que la Mairie dit avoir un solde créditeur de 4 062.92 €, bien loin d'un solde mathématique entre + 40.000 € et -17 000 € et qu’elle ne le justifie pas.

 Merci pour votre soutien

L’ACG

I had to resort to Google Translate for this formal and accountancy message:

Dear Members

We inform you of the latest low blow from the Town Hall of Gueux which is launching a call for tenders to replace us on the circuit, without respecting the directives of the Prefect.

[See] www.xmarches.fr/entreprise/detailConsultation.php?key=29237

Following our last meeting on September 5, 2023 at the sub-prefecture with Mr. Prefect, Mr. Sub-Prefect, Ms. Deputy and Ms. President of the Urban Community of Greater Reims, the following roadmap was proposed to us. :

1) A meeting between the association's accountant and the public accountant must be organized, as soon as possible, in order to definitively and incontestably establish the reality of the financial flows in recent years between the budget of the association and municipal budgets.
This financial arrangement should allow the parties to relaunch discussions on a clear basis and the President of the “Friends of the Circuit de Gueux” to stop the proceedings initiated before the courts, this step being prior to the restart of the dialogue with the Town Hall of Gueux.
2) Subject to compliance with the aforementioned condition, the Gueux Town Hall will offer the association a precarious use agreement during the transitional period, in order to avoid deterioration and a lack of maintenance of the site.
3) The resumption of the dialogue could lead to a new agreement between the parties or to a call for applications for the management of the site launched by the town hall.

The date of the meeting to resolve point “1” concerning the various accountants was set for December 14 at the Reims sub-prefecture and while no debate has started, the town hall is launching a call for tenders in the press with response in December.

As of today, we are providing the information to the sub-prefecture, which we hope will reframe the situation.

(For memory)

when carrying out major works, the financing is as follows:

47% excluding tax payable by the ACG
33% excluding VAT subsidy from the Drac
20% excluding tax regional subsidy
20% VAT paid by the Town Hall and recovered year +1
O% at the expense of the Town Hall

In 2019 the ACG paid €40,000 to the Town Hall to carry out restoration work on the stands.
In 2021 only part was carried out for an amount of €17,000.
The financial difference comes from the fact that the Town Hall says it has a credit balance of €4,062.92, far from a mathematical balance between +€40,000 and -€17,000 and that it does not justify it.

Thank you for your support

The ACG.

 

The link above takes you to the proposal from the Municipality of Gueux to contract an organisation  "with the aim of maintaining the site and ensuring a quality welcome to its visitors while enhancing its heritage."   As if Les Amis had not been doing that!

While the newsletter doesn't ask, I'm sure that Les Amis will be grateful for any contribution to help their fight and further their work.   https://www.amis-du-circuit-de-gueux.fr/

John 

Edited November 28, 2023 by JohnD

[JohnD]

Bad news from Les Amis:

Après 20 ans de restauration et de soins apportés au site du Circuit de Reims-Gueux, la municipalité à annulé et rédigé une nouvelle convention cherchant à exclure les Bénévoles des Amis du Circuit de Gueux pour en tirer avantage du travail accompli.
Donc cette année 2024 sera sans événement mais aussi sans recette et sera consacrée prioritairement à notre défense légitime.
Pour cette raison nous avons besoin du soutien de nos 350 fidèles adhérents.
Le combat est rude et injuste, mais céder serait un désastre pour la sauvegarde des bâtiments du site.

After 20 years of restoration and care given to the Circuit de Reims-Gueux site, the municipality cancelled and drafted a new agreement seeking to exclude the Volunteers of the Friends of the Circuit de Gueux to benefit from the work accomplished.
So this year 2024 will be without events but also without revenue and will be devoted primarily to our legitimate defence.
For this reason we need the support of our 350 loyal members.
The fight is tough and unfair, but giving in would be a disaster for the preservation of the buildings on the site.

So, the Mayor of Gueux will take advantage of the 20 years of hard work and restoration by Les Amis, without any outside support, and hand the Circuit buildings to the care of some outfit to exploit them for profit>
 

None of us are in a position here to be of direct assistance, but if you have visited Gueux and admired the restoration by Les Amis, please consider becoming a member! 

Please see: https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fadmin.amis-du-circuit-de-gueux.fr%2Fuploads%2F2023_Bulletin_Adh%C3%A9sion_ACG_bdb581f80c.docx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK

and for Les Amis' main  website: https://www.amis-du-circuit-de-gueux.fr/
 

Bonne chance, et a la prochaine!

John

Edited January 16 by JohnD

[JohnD]

Another year, another chance to tour La Belle France and visit Gueux.     And a message from Les Amis du Circuit de Gueux:

Chers Adhérents, Vous trouverez en pièce jointe notre bulletin n° 53 pour que vous puissiez revivre avec nous, la belle histoire du Circuit de Reims-Gueux.  Notre site internet étant en reconstruction, il n’est plus possible provisoirement de régler les adhésions en ligne, cependant il est possible de payer par chèque ou pas virement bancaire. Merci par avance.

Amicalement

Dear Members, Attached you will find our bulletin no. 53 so that you can relive with us the beautiful history of the Circuit de Reims-Gueux.  As our website is under reconstruction, it is temporarily no longer possible to pay for memberships online, however it is possible to pay by check or bank transfer. Thanks in advance.

Kind regards,

 Bulletin No.53 is a comprehensive History of the Gueux Circuit, and the many leading drivers who raced on it, Hawthorne, Clark, Fangio and many others.  Enjoy!
 

Bonne chance!

John

 

2024 Bulletin ACG N 53 du 2024-04-18.pdf

Edited April 24 by JohnD