JOGLE

[charlie carpenter]

I did JOGLE in 72 with Gerry Flockhart in his dad's 65. we were the 2nd youngest team at 18/19 with the Frayling Cork brothers slightly younger. We were unaccompanied and drove from Glasgow to Lands end then to John o Groats and back. 

Great experience but never again and I agree with Malcolm the roads and motorways are just to dangerous now.

[Chris Garner]

I did it with Geoff Roe in his Special, taking 22 hours 7 minutes. Glad we did it, but not again - too dangerous nowadays.
The wind at the top of Scotland was so strong we passed cyclists pushing their bikes downhill. Sideways snow at Aviemore. The rest of the journey was quite boring. Reaching Cornwall, being tired and perhaps dropping off, we found ourselves veering off the road. One of us to the left, the other to the right. We decided it reflected each of our political leanings!
Following the run we were put up by a friend of mine who had just bought a tumbledown cottage in the wilds of Cornwall and being instructed not to walk on certain parts of the bedroom floor as we might find ourselves in the room below!

[Nick Turley]

I am with you Malcolm.

Having done the Jogle twice myself which was great fun, it now does not seem safe on motorways in a Seven.
Personally I think any vehicle doing less than "truck speed" should not be allowed on motorways.

A run as suggested by Malcolm could be great fun and a lot safer, or maybe a run in Scotland for a week could be interesting.
Or maybe both !

Or something completely new ????

[Malcolm Parker]

We could add an extra day to the normal two day Pennine Run to venture further into Scotland?

For most that would make it a six day event.

[Nick Turley]

Sounds awesome to me Malcolm. .

[David Cochrane]

I did the 1982 JoGLE non-stop in a standard Chummy with a participant in the 1972 event, and we both agreed that doing it like that was rather a tedious (or even slightly masochistic) exercise. Even so I am glad that I did it and ticked that box, but if I ever thought of doing it again (which is very unlikely) I would take a more leisurely approach. The positive aspects of this sort of run are that it can be quite a challenge, and also can raise a good amount for charity.

The fastest route now is about 840 miles in length, with around 455 miles (i.e. over half the distance) on motorways and a good many more on long dual carriageways like the A9 & A30.  These days we should be seen to be using our cars responsibly, and letting 100 slow little fragile cars loose on the motorway system would not be viewed as being sensible. One could imagine that the mildly amused interest of the average Eddie Stobart driver might be diminished somewhat when he has to negotiate his 20th Austin 7 on the M6. If it were to be run again, then a route such as: John O'Groats - Inverness - Perth - Stirling - Airdrie - Lanark - Carlisle - Penrith - Kendal - Lancaster - Preston - Wigan - Warrington - Whitchurch - Telford - Kidderminster - Worcester - Gloucester - Bristol - Bridgwater - Taunton - Tiverton - Crediton - Okehampton - Bodmin - Penzance - Land's End would keep us off the motorways, etc, but does include quite a lot of fast main roads and bypasses.

[Henry Harris]

1972 was the only time that I did the run. (In OY 8166)
An optimistic attempt at the MCC Lands End Trial on the way to the start at Lands End was a failure, mainly due to expecting that a racing Jack French camshaft would work wonders. It was the wrong choice for trialling.
We left Lands End at midnight and followed the main roads, including motorways.
Early afternoon, on the way down from Shap at high speed on the M6 there was an awful noise from the engine. Working on the hard shoulder, quick sump off , all ok, head off, three pistons at TDC!
Put it all back together, closed the points of the plug on the cylinder with the broken piston and drove slowly down to Gretna and a hotel.
Next morning we slowly set off north on three cylinders, but after about an hour it went on to four.
We reached John O'Groats just before midnight.
I am planning to do it again, but definitely not on motorways.

   

[Ruairidh Dunford]

I have never done an official JOGLE/LEJOG because it does not appeal to "me".

I have done the journey, many time - both ways, however.

My recommendation is that from Thurso (land of my grandmother) you should head West towards Tongue, then Durness.

To Scourie and Unapool, take the coastal route to Achmelvich and Lochinver. South to Achiltibuie, Ullapool, Laide, Gairloch, Torridon, Sheildaig, Applecross and Strathcarron. Spend a day in all of these places - at least (some deserve a week, maybe longer), suck in the fresh air, the quiet, the views, the lack of people and then stop.

Then simply don't do anything else, it will be totally disappointing in comparison - trust me.

There are other nice places and challenging roads but, until you have driven the above (in an Austin Seven), you won't understand.

[Malcolm Parker]

Totally agree Ruairidh, if you get the weather that journey must rate as the finest in Britain, if not the universe!
The only problem to my mind is the lack of accommodation, unless you fancy packing a tiny tent and all your camping gear in the back of the Seven.   A couple of years ago I planned an Austin 7 trip around the west and northern coasts of Scotland, starting in Oban.   Having called at John O'Groats, I would have back-tracked and headed south via Altnahara to Nairn, then through Nethy Bridge to Perth and finish in Kelso.
The whole trip, including the  trip from home in  North Yorkshire, would have taken 14 days, the average daily mileage in Scotland being around 80 miles, with a couple of very lazy days thrown in.
I had high hopes until I looked into the matter of accommodation, hotels and B & B's are few and far between.  The Scottish 500 long distance cycle route has ramped up demand for accommodation and as a result the cost has become excessive (to a Yorkshireman).
Nevertheless, the idea of driving an Austin 7 around the top of Scotland remains.

[Reckless Rat]

People that have never been up to that end of the mainland don't realise how beautiful it is, or how far for that matter. I remember driving up there in 1973 to stay with the wife's uncle and auntie in Thurso (small world Ruairidh) and remember the road sign as you leave Inverness saying "Thurso 140 miles" - it's a "main" road with single track and passing places!

If I could transport mine Star Trek fashion I would love to do a tour. I used to come up to Fort William every year for the Scottish Six Days Trial and always loved the run out west towards Lochailart. Doing Top to Bottom or the other way round doesn't appeal I'm afraid, but hat off to anyone that's done it.