Trips & Holidays

A chance remark to Trevor Rayner about the fact that I had always wanted to take part in the Ballycotton 10, kicked off a series of regular trips and holidays to places far and wide, consisting of members of the Club and others that still continues today.

Trevor’s response to my remark was, “Let’s hire a Mini Bus and go.” So in March 1997 seventeen people piled into a Mini Bus and off we went. What had been forgotten was that we needed to take our luggage as well, so, as can be imagined, it was a little tight, (to say the least), fitting everything into a 17 seater bus. We did, however, arrive there, in one piece.

Ballycotton is a small fishing port about 10miles east of Cork in Southern Ireland. The 10mile race route is nothing special, so why is it full, long before the closing date every year? The atmosphere and hospitality of the Irish is the formula. It has to be witnessed to be believed. Where else can you buy a pint of Guinness in one pub, take it across the road to another, then down the road to another? You have to be there to take in the whole event. If you get a chance to go, take it! But ensure you send your Entry Form off in good time.

So where we have been over the ensuing years? See the list below: -

Destination	Date	Destination	Date
Ballycotton (Cork) Ireland	March 1997	Twywn (Race the Train) Wales	August 2003
Ballycotton (Cork) Ireland	March 1998	Los Cristianos, Tenerife	October 2003
Benidorm (Costa Blanca) Spain	November 1998	Prague, Czech Republic	May 2004
Ballycotton (Cork) Ireland	March 1999	Twywn (Race the Train) Wales	August 2004
Limossol, Cyprus	February 2000	Salou (Costa Daurada) Spain	October 2004
Palma Nova (Majorca) Spain	December 2000	Isla Canella (Costa de la Luz) Spain	May 2005
Twywn (Race the Train) Wales	August 2001	Llandudno, Wales	August 2005
Playa de los Pocillos, Lanzarote	Nov/Dec.2001	Tsivili, Zakynthos (Zante) Greece	October 2005
Sliema, Malta	February 2002	Sunny Beach, Bulgaria	May 2006
Brugge, Belgium	June 2002	Tenby, Wales	August 2006
Twywn (Race the Train) Wales	August 2002	Porec, Croatia	October 2006
Benidorm, Spain	November 2002	Llandudno, Wales	November 2006
Fuengirola (Costa del Sol) Spain	Apr/May 2003	More to follow next year ………

So the story goes on. In the pipeline for 2007, trips to Portugal & Sicily. No doubt there will be more to come. Watch this space.

JohnWhiteman (Boss Wrinkly).

Compiled with help from Brian Wilkinson & Tony Robbins

Submitted: 19^th October 2006