Shakedown: 1321's first proper road test 25/01/15

With the previous day's developments fresh in our minds, it was down to your humble blogmaster and project leader Paul to take 1321 for a proper shakedown and put it through its paces. Sunday 25 January dawned a cold, yet sunny day, and Paul stunned all concerned by turning up to pick me up at home a whole TEN minutes early! After the shock had subsided, it was off to the farm to pick 1321 up, and once the batteries had been connected (yes, Paul even braved his phobia of potential sparking to connect the battery), we set about turning the bus around to take her out of the farm. It was at this point that Paul decided to shunt the bus at the bottom of the yard rather than reverse up the yard, and managed to get it temporarily bogged in the soft ground at the end of the farm...still not sure what was more brown, the ground where the grass had been uprooted or Paul's trousers!!

(C) Michael Rogan

Once un-bogged and out on the farm track, we set off in the direction of Eastwood Morrisons for some forward propulsion fluids, before heading for a trip around Heanor to surprise Mr Michael Rogan whom we had heard was working on loan to Trent's Langley Mill depot piloting plastic Optare Versas between Nottingham and Ripley on the 'Rapid One' service. As it turns out, he was actually working even harder with his feet up supping tea in the Langley Mill canteen on spare duties (like all good busmen), although the temptation of having a quick look around 1321 soon brought him outside when we pulled up to say hello.

We pressed on in the direction of Derby via the M1 and A52, with a quick photo stop in the sun at Pride Park near to your blogmaster's workplace and for Paul to grab a brew from the local Subway, prior to a trip up the A6 and the scenic lanes around Wirksworth and Middleton (complete with a visit to the 'world's end' at Middleton Top for more photos) and a visit to Matlock where a hearty lunch was consumed. We then returned via the back lanes around Lea Mills and Crich to Alfreton, where a stop was made to pick up some shopping for Paul's tea on the way home, before putting 1321 back to bed at the farm.

And the verdict of all this madness?? Apart from the water buzzer coming on when she was started, which was soon silenced once the tank was topped up, 1321 never missed a beat, and performed faultlessly. We were now quietly confident that if she could handle what had been asked of her on this road test - everything from steep hills and narrow lanes to fast motorways and dual carriageways - she could cope with anything we threw at her

Roll on the rally season...