LM24.co.uk – Our Mission

“Our mission is quite simply getting to Le Mans and having a good time.  Sub-missions include; cold beer, quality food, comfort, ripping the piss out of each other and whinging about the lack of strippers.”

The Committee:

Chair: Mr Pikey Sir, aka1 “Gooders”

Deputy Chair: Mr Sniffer Sir

Life President (wherever he is): Mad Mick

Almost There:

Mr Chadders Sir

The Next Level Down:

Mr Taylor Sir, aka1 “JT”, aka2 “Bright Eyes”

Mr Matthew Sir, aka1 “TechSupport”, aka2 “Sydney 1k”

The Rest:

Multiple Attendees:

Dr Dick

DT

Sooty

Lofty

J Holmes

Joey (still active when not abroad, “on business”)

Neil

One-off Wonders:

Big Mac

D’Arcy

Dobby

Jimmy G

Pie Boy

Watkins, Eddie

Every year (since 1992) we go to Le Mans for the 24 Hours motor race.  Why?  There are many reasons, but the key points are (in no particular order):

• It’s fast, exotic cars tanking around an 8.5 mile circuit for a whole day
• It’s checking out said cars on Friday lunchtime
• It’s 4 nights away from family and work commitments
• It’s no shaving for a week
• It’s beer, beer and more beer (record set in 2004 was 60 “500ml can-equivalents” per person) and occasionally the odd bottle of champagne, red wine and tequila
• It’s falling asleep on the terraces 5 minutes in to the race
• It’s a fun fair (though getting tamer each year)
• It’s strippers (though the good folk of the ACO seem to have banished them)
• It’s tents, comfy chairs, airbeds, pillows, cool boxes and cold beer (it wasn’t always so, when I was a lad…)
• It’s scorchio, or pissing down with rain
• It’s “cheesy peas”, pizzas, raw steak and frites
• It’s Radio Le Mans, headphones (spot the Brit), baseball hats, sunglasses and grubby shorts
• It’s a mad scramble to watch England play football (every other year)
• It’s a load of Danes in a bar in LM town, cheering on TK
• It’s home of the “pissedergeist”
• It’s driving the circuit, post race and eating Chinese food on the Mulsane
• It’s one gigantic firework party (a bit like downtown Baghdad during Operation “Shock and Awe”)
• It’s TVRs, Caterhams and old Lotuses, Ferraris and Porsches (in various states of repair along the Road to Le Mans)
• It’s turbo-nutter-bastard burnouts at Maison Blanche on the Friday afternoon
• It’s Hawaiian Tropic birds (and others), “do a poo”
• It’s Le Mans Steve and his rush to get home, before the end of the race
• It’s the TWATS – need I say more…
• It’s the great t-shirt debate
• It’s “me so horny, me love you long time…”
• It’s “who’s going to drop out this year?” or “who’s the last minute replacement?”
• It’s “don’t forget your passport” (Sniffer!)
• It’s Dave’s Mate (“grand, grand”), Ha’penny, Ronnie, “Mr Intolerable”, Father-and-Son-Look-Alike, The Chemical Brothers and Stacey…
• It’s coming down t’track, wi’t’lads
• It’s “see you next year…”

In short, it’s more than just the race; it’s the being there.  That’s why half a dozen vaguely intelligent men get all excited about spending a weekend in France every June!