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Well after wandering around the
Porsche Curve area, I joined up again with the rest of the Tourists for the trip
back to Le Cheval Blanc where we enjoyed the opportunity for a quick wash and
brush up as well as a good meal and the odd glass of wine......
We've
been using Le Cheval Blanc at Le Grand Luce now for many years - certainly I
first went there in 1994 (if I recall correctly) and I think Chief Tourist Ian
discovered the place the year before. This year I had a special gift for
Madame - her own (and very definitely unique) Aysedasi's Le Mans 2003
t-shirt. Unique because it had an extra design on it just for Le Cheval
Blanc! She seemed pleased with the little bit of PR from the Tourists
anyway.....
After our
meal, we piled back into the bus and took our now customary midnight(ish) trip
out to the Mulsanne, where once again we tried to peer over the gates of the
Restaurant des 24 Heures and Les Hunaudieres, but as in the previous
couple of years the gendarmes were determined to prevent anyone from remaining
there for long. They seem to have become very security-conscious indeed in
recent years. We did manage to sneak in somewhere else, but I'm not
about to tell you where.....
It was then
back to the garage rouge and while the others went for a wander around the
fairground, moved substantially now - for the first time since I've been going
to Le Mans, I decided to head back to the pits grandstand for a sitdown and a
spot of photography.
I spent quite
a long time there, in the hope that being that little bit closer to the cars
than usual would enable my flashgun to be brought into play. Unfortunately
in most of the shots it stilled proved not to be man enough for the
task.
But it was
still a great place to watch from. And after so many years, it was good to
be watching the race at night from somewhere I hadn't been able to get to before
(thanks again, Fab!). In years past, I used to walk the
circuit a great deal at night, often the entire stretch from as far as you can
go at Tertre Rouge to the Porsche Curves, at least once, stopping wherever I
fancied to set up my tripod. These days though, my poor old feet don't
quite take the strain as they used to!
I was also
able to wander along the "promenades" at the back of the grandstand
and watch the activity down below. Amongst other things, I saw the
abandoned 91 TVR looking very sad and forlorn, waiting to be loaded onto the
team truck.
I finally
quit the grandstand at about 3 am, determined to do a spot more walking and made
my way all the way down to Tertre Rouge, under the underpass and back up again
to what used to be the little hillock at the bottom of the stretch between the
Dunlop Bridge and the Esses.
Of course, the view from there has changed
enormously since last year's circuit alterations. I still prefer the
circuit as it used to be and thoroughly deplore the fact that the change was
made not for the cars, but for motorbikes.....
So after
spending half an hour or so at the bottom of the hill (a nice relaxing place to
watch during the night), it was a case of wending my merry (or should that be
"weary") way back up towards the garages.
If you look
at last year's (2002) story, you'll see that I took a few shots from the outside
of the Dunlop Curve with the big wheel as a backdrop. This year I thought
I'd have another go. You can see the results above.
The amateur
photographer at Le Mans really has to use his or her initiative. Any
professionals out there reading this will have to forgive me for saying so, but
they really have it easy. Access to all the good spots with all the right
gear and no fencing in the way. Child's play. But if you have
to use your initiative I think it leaves you feeling just that little bit more
pleased with yourself when you get a reasonable shot. I'm not saying these
are great shots at all, but I like them and I think they generally work quite
well.
Back in 1998, I took what was
perhaps the best photo I've ever taken at Le Mans. My Toyota GT-One, of
course. (You can see it in my logo). I've been trying to recreate
that image (or something similar) ever since. I don't think the Pesca
Courage gets anywhere near, but, as I said before, I think it does just
work. I'll keep trying anyway, perhaps 2004......
During all this wandering, I
had of course been hoping to keep up to date with the happenings in the race via
Radio Le Mans.
Good plan, eh?
In 2002 I'd bought myself a
new pocket radio and I'd kitted that out with fresh batteries and new earphones
for 2003. Unfortunately, however, I had been foolish enough to allow my
son James to borrow it several times during the year..... The end result
was that when I went to use it for the first time in the pits grandstand earlier
in the day, although it was working, I could barely hear it on full volume.
I was not
pleased. I've become used to the company of RLM during the night, and its
just so important for finding out what's going on out on the track. (Note
for self for 2004 Le Mans - buy new radio......!).
The
early morning saw me feeling really quite tired. OK, I hadn't
slept, but I didn't feel tired through lack of sleep as such, more
because my 46 year old legs wee beginning to cry
"enough"....
It's
not just tiredness in the physical sense either. I'm sure I've
commented before on that early Sunday morning feeling at Le Mans.
I just love the night so much - its one of the things I really go
to Le Mans for - and when I know its over for another year, the Le Mans
experience begins to wind down for me.
I
was due to meet up with those Tourists who had chosen to return at
around 8 am, so it was time to load up on the caffeine. In fact, I
did do quite a bit more walking, particularly down through the
Village. Its an interesting place to wander in the early hours of
the morning.
Right
on cue, the Tourists returned to the circuit. Not all of them, of
course - there were still sleepy-heads back at Le Cheval Blanc for whom
a lay-in was more important - but, if I recall correctly, Ian, Robert
and Paul came back.
Instead
of heading straight back to Le Grand Luce I was delighted when Ian said
he was determined to go and find the viewing area at the Porsche
Curves. I'd been there before - at the Classic the previous year -
but this was a first for the others.
Its
another good place to watch from and although there is still plenty of
fencing, it seems less intrusive than in other places. There are
also a couple of spots where you can actually avoid the fencing
completely - and there aren't many of those around the official
spectator areas at Le Mans!
So
it was back to Le Cheval Blanc for a change of clothes, a wash and a
spot of breakfast, before the Tourists were sufficiently roused to pose
for the usual team picture with Madame in the car park.
After
this, it was back to the circuit to catch up with the news (actually we
did that with Radio
Le Mans on the way),
before heading out to Arnage and Indianapolis.
These
days, we have a tendency to spend quite a long time around lunchtime at
Arnage/Indianapolis. The biggest problem is - so do an awful lot
of other people! So much so that there are now two overflow
car parks situated quite a long way away from the corner. I
normally don't mind a walk at all, but at lunchtime on Sunday, having
had no sleep since the Friday night, that walk is an absolute killer!
We
took lunch at the usual excellent eaterie at Arnage, before heading back
to the circuit for the final hour or two. As we all know, it had
become a Bentley benefit by that time, with Kristensen, Capello and
Smith edging out their sister car. Kristensen registering an
incredible fourth consecutive win.
At
the conclusion of the race we headed off in the van, breaking the
journey for a drink in a very pretty place that I was just too tired to
register the name of! Before long, we were back at Le Gue du Holme
(which had been our post-race recovery spot for the previous two
years). So it was here that the most wonderful bath of the year
was enjoyed.......!
The
food at Le Gue is excellent, although the service is just a little
stuffy - but hey, when I have a plate of foie gras in front of me, you
don't see me complaining!
On
Sunday we gradually meandered our way back up towards Cherbourg, getting
slightly lost in the country lanes before taking a very nice lunch
at St. Vaast la Hougue - my first trip back there since 1995. As
it had been over the whole weekend (apart from that couple of hours at
lunchtime on Saturday), the weather was glorious and it was wonderful to
bask outside in the sunshine and enjoy a(nother) nice meal. (Who
said the Tourists only go to Le Mans to eat and drink..... ;-)
After
a spot of shopping at Cherbourg it was back to Portsmouth on the ferry.
This
was a very good Le Mans trip, well up there with the best of my previous
17 trips. As always, good company, great weather and a good result
to the race for us Brits (even if I would have preferred the 8 Bentley
to win - at least it wasn't a darned Audi victory!).
After
the race, my Radio
Le Mans pal Paul
Truswel was kind enough to send me an RLM polo shirt and another RLM
sweatshirt which had been signed by Gunner Jeannette, Oliver Gavin,
Kelly Collins, Thomas Enge, Darren Turner, Anthony Davidson, Terry
Borcheller, Robin Liddelll, Butch Leitzinger, Shane Lewis and Johnny
Mowlem. Needless to say, I was very pleased indeed and hope that
we will again have the pleasure of inviting Pual to dine with us on the
Friday at Le Mans in 2004.
Speaking
of which, bring it on with all speed.....! |
