Bedford:The Story (non-Audi but momentous)

[quk@isham-research.demon.co.uk (Phil Payne)]

In message <01bd28a4$9e3409c0$LocalHost@default> David Boyd writes:

> I speak of your  Earl Duke, who long ago settled the untamed English lands
> beyond the Watford Gap, quelled the savage bands of native cavemen, and
> founded the aristocratic 'Dukes of Bedford' dynasty here, modelling his home
> and country estate, Woburn Abbey, on one of your typical little Texan town
> houses and backyards.

Another bloody Northerner who thinks the Watford Gap is somewhere near
Watford.

(It is, but not _that_ Watford.  It's actually in Northamptonshire, just
 south of Junction 18.  The 'Watford Gap' is a geological formation 
 through which the old A5, the railway, the Grand Union Canal and the M1
 just manage to fit.  Every now and then, all four are crossed in less
 than five seconds by a low black car with a howling turbo, on its way to
 and from BR Motorsport via the back lanes.  With a decent map, you can
 trace the route from Isham through Orlingbury, Hannington, Holcott, 
 Brixworth, Creaton, Hollowell, Guilsborough, West Haddon, Watford, 
 Daventry, Southam, etc., a hell of a trip in an ur-quattro.)

Down nearer the _other_ Watford, the tiny village of Toddington, right 
next to the Duke of Bedford's Woburn Abbey (which is also not an abbey, 
BTW) is the home of Audi's official 'Club Audi'.  They are on fairly good 
terms with the Duke's estate, and occasionally use the grounds for Audi 
club meetings.  We met the Sport Quattro Owners Club there, about 18 
months ago.  In the past, stages of the RAC rally have been held at 
Woburn and the Duke is said to be a bit of a quattro fan.

As an aside, BR Motorsport had two MBs in yesterday, both exhibiting the 
same old problem of lean mixture at high revs.  One of them is the oldest
MB I've yet seen and, my car excepted, also the dirtiest.  The owner had
driven it from northern France for a service!

Several people have already commented that my car will inevitably be
washed while it is away at the bodyshop, and they're looking forward to
seeing what colour it turns out to be.  There is some disagreement on the
subject.

-- 
 Phil Payne
 Committee Member, UK Audi [ur-]quattro Owners Club