Silverstone...
I'm back... briefly.
Silverstone was brilliant. It would have been even more brilliant if Jenson had had a better weekend, but never mind.
Here is part one of the story, punctuated with photographs. When Jamie uploads his, I'll post part two.
Edit: I've got Jamie's pics and popped them in... behold my Silverstone adventure.
So it all began on Thursday night, when Claire and I left my house to pick up Jamie. We were taking Beeston and Nikki's tent, but what we hadn't realised until we got it, that he'd bought a family 4-man camping pack. It was insane. We ended up offloading most of it, except the tent, and then telling him to pick it up on his way on Friday. Anyway, getting there was easy, finding the campsite was easy, pitching the tent was easy. Remembering the rules to shithead weren't so easy, and as we sat in the freezing cold tent, drinking pint-cans of Stella with the light of a wind-up lantern, we figured the drivers would probably be having a more comfortable time (but they probably wouldn't have Jamie lying next to them singing along to his pretend music and singing 'Ecuador' whilst listening to the slightly distant sound of a rave).
After a whopping two hours-ish sleep, Jamie and I attempted to put up the gazebo. It was far too windy, and we ended up having to dismantle it and unhook it from the barbed wire fence at the same time. We attempted some breakfast as well, but the wind was so strong it ended up constantly blowing our matches out. So we finally ate something and then gave up to walk to the circuit.
It was brilliant. It's been a long time since I watched real F1 cars and they started belting around the track while we were still walking there. Oh my, I suddenly turned into a small child and was slightly hysterical. Unfortunately my camera isn't that good, and it took a very long time to actually get a car in the shot. Even when they were slowing down for the corners. *head/desk*
So once all the action at the track had finished on Friday - of which I watched as much as possible, even though it was very cold - we headed back to the campsite, with Lisa and Dan, to build Beeston's tent and then have some dinner and a drink. Or in Claire and Nikki's case, a lot to drink. When they started on the kareoke in the car, Jamie and I decided to go and find the rave. So we trekked off out of our campsite, down the road, into a bit marquee with flashing lights, got given passes by some people who were leaving and then danced our little socks off.
Saturday was excellent. Beeston, Nikki and Claire were all rather tired and hungover, so Jamie and I went to do touchy-feely stuff, and then watch quali. I debated and debated and finally decided to buy a Vettel t-shirt, so once I'd got that we were stuck between going to look at Mercedes, or going to look at Bridgestone. We picked Bridgestone, which was rather good, as we got there and found they were only having a GP2 signing session with the lovely Lucas di Grassi! We joined at the end though, and they were trying to leave, which I couldn't let happen, so I shouted at him and he eventually did sign my card. Obviously I didn't take this picture, but he's rather lovely and I couldn't not post this pic - I turned up a bit later on than this.
Then Jamie and I watched quali, and I was rather sad because Jenson wasn't doing well.
So the GP2 race was rather interesting as there was a crash in front of us, and the cars got moved out of the way.
After this excitment we went to prod the McLaren, and get our 'team boss' hat on and take pictures of the rear diffuser. Behold.
Then on Sunday, which I don't have the brilliant pictures for, but Jamie does, Jamie and I got up at 7am, and left just after half 7. Clearly this was too late. Beeston had lent me his grandstand ticket, so we could sit together on the terrace. It was rammed. We had quite a lot of space during the Formula BMW and GP2 but Porsche Supercup was a nightmare. Eventually we gave up and went to Becketts to watch the Red Arrows, and the race from there. And then moved further around to Hangar Straight to see them going super-quick. Like Fernandoanando.
He was super quick. As most people then left once the race was over, we stood around to watch the classic cars. And the Eurofighter display. And once all that was over, we were able to walk on the track. And go and nosy around the trucks at the back. And those are the pictures that Jamie has.
I need to pack for France now. I'm so tired it's not even funny. And Neil Young last night was amazing. I have pictures of that too, but that's for another time methinks.