Never return to a lost hat!

Running on vapour, an old Sunriser returns and is out for a duck, 2 up in the bends, 'what's that brown stuff and no NIPs today...

Alarm! Scramble! Sun! 5.15 BST

All of which is a surprise having listened to the rain on the windows a few hours before and fully expecting not to have to take the RS 15 to operational status... it's tough having fun.

Right, roll call : Ian H? Present.

Paul C ? Present after 3 years or so, excellent, welcome back: famous for cold brakes and racing pads and frightening whoever's in front with grip scrabbling noises.Briefed to warm the brakes before using them today.

Rob W? Call up papers not acknowledged.Tut tut.(Since reminded us that he was in Italy blatting around Lake Como in a Fiat...so a reasonable excuse given the choice! )

Andy Coastal Command? Sent apologies, coil problems persist, parts are on order.

Cannonball Bob? Usually early at the appropriate RV ...and not present!

The call came in 'Mayday, Mayday, had to ditch... think it's a fuel thing... not enough of it!' 'Send a refueller and help me to clear the humble pie engulfing the 7 !'

Fuel gauges are never an indication of the fuel status in a 7.

Way over left on the passenger side they bounce, flicker and lie their way into the least popular position of all the instruments in the class. The end of blat reports are just never likely to see them performing with the integrity and energy of the oil pressure gauge or, the head of class : the Rev counter.

Only once does the 'I've done my homework: it's all here' over-bluff from the fuel gauge go on to reveal the empty satchel that brings the rest of the class average to a slow coasting stop and detention!

Long before have experienced blatters called on other pupils to support the class in this area, like the steady maths pupil that is 'Trip'. When it turns to 160 your attention is drawn to fuel reserves, and at 180, it's really time to attend.

So, here's Bob, of sound and logical mind, having run out of gas :-)

The Blat was not to be thwarted by mere pilot error ... we were away.

Paul C's straight cut bag of gears helps to keep tabs on his cosy proximity behind, some times closer than comfortable. Hindhead and Haslemere were dispatched as a warm up exercise ready for real engagement of the old A3 from Liphook south (now mostly deserted having been demoted to a 'B' road).

In and out of tree cover, through nicely changing elevation combined with lead swapping on the short dual carriageway stretches quickly had a man down... a lost hat. Paul C dashed back for the faithful brown beanie, whilst we sat playing the chuntering idle music to the well heeled sleeping neighbourhood.

'SHRT': Standard Hat Recovery Time came and passed.

The hat had made a dash for freedom or perhaps was scooped up by a passing tramp or hungry tarmac sniffing intake scoop. Check nose cones. All clear.

The morse signal came in.... H.A.T. M.I.A. N.O. D.R.I.V.E. A.F.T.E.R. M.A.S.S.I.V.E D.O.N.U.T.

R.E.Q.U.E.S.T. A.S.S.I.S.T.A.N.C.E. S.T.O.P.

Man down.

Warm tyres, grabby tarmac,the loud pedal and an Ital axle: do-not a happy do-nut make.

We found the drive-less 7 in a cinder layby, going nowhere. A nice spot to leave a car, no one around.It'll be fine, no one will find it. (See note 6)

So Paul , keen to have his promised breakfast, jumped in as observer with me and we picked up where we left off. Good man. Blatting for the greater good.

Petworth bends with two up was an exercise in energy management and a reminder that 7's are based around 'the less the better' when it comes to people. The 272 on to Wisborough Green stretched the Blatgland and warmed the soul further... something else had been warmed and loosened 'cos there was brown stuff coming out of the louvres at the front end of the bonnet.

Paul was invited to unbuckle and make his way forward to identify the leak source.He said no.

The breakfast in Guildford beckoned and we pressed on with brown vigour.

Mmmm...nice.

I had some brown vigour on my eggs. Paul ate by himself as he contemplated a lost 7 somewhere in Liss forest:

Outcomes and learnings:

1) Fill up with petrol.

2) Are hats worth returning to? Even ones that you have had since they were lambs?

3) Brown stuff happens when the expansion tank cap is left loose.

4) Remember where the 7 is parked , it saves a lot of time driving around with the trailer trying to find it again.

5) Drive shaft key-ways break off in woods in Hampshire.

6) Keep driving up and down the same road thinking your broken 7 has been stolen until you drive down the right road and find it!

7) Ian H didn't get arrested today.