Weekender in the Woods **August BH** REVIEW

Hi everyone, please post all pictures, videos and reviews here please.

Great turn out at this one, when we arrived the clearing was so packed out with tents caravans and trucks i only just manged to find a pitch
to erect chez krusher towers. Still once that was done it was about 6.30 and time to get straight on to the beer which flowed very well indeed.
as can be seen in this little collection.......

.......and then by the end of the night and after the worst nights sleep ever in a torrential downpour some victims err I mean members
decided to go out and play......

and the only video i got........

Many thanks to Greg and Sal for yet another spectacular event, roll on the next picnic.......

Only a quick post for now as we have just got home

Wow

What a fantastic venue the "South East Massive" have down there. Greg & Sally sure know how to put on a party - a four day party :shock:

A party though, is no good without people, and the people that went to the Woods this weekend, made it a party. No stupid drunkenness, not fights, just high sprits, and wholesome laughs along the way.

To anyone who has been involved with the evolution of the Woods over the last few years, you should be mighty proud of yourselves :clap:

Personally, I had a great time (and I did not even take my Frontera out for a play), in fact, I even had my first beer on Sunday night since (I think) last Christmas - I must of been "chilled" in your company.

I've had a quick scan of the many photos I took, and there appears to be a few good ones (I did not appreciate how dark the Woods would be - I used three sets of batteries in the flash over the weekend) I'm off for some supper (but not pork, beef or chicken - as I don't want to OD on that) I'll be back in a bit with some piccies, although the majority might have to wait until tomorrow.

Cheers
Lawrence

Another awesome weekender which was made by the brilliant company and fun times. Thanks to Greg and Sal for another blinder can't wait till the next one. I didn't take many pics but the wench did I did some videos though which I will upload when I get a chance.

Apparently I kept some people up with my snoring i'd like to apologise but i'd also like to say that I think you must have imagined it because I don't snore, was probably Gemma. Thanks to everyone who tolerated mini stretch over the weekend and took him round the woods etc :thumbup:

In case anyone wondered what the weather was like....

Andy and i Had an awesome weekend thanks as ever to Greg and Sally for all they do to get these meets sorted each time and thanks to jim who kept us well fed and is now my best friend as he thought I was younger than I am

A big thanks to everyone that offered me shoes (as I forgot my boots lol) it was appreciated but I ended up with two new pairs out if the weekend so may have to try that one again :wink:

Although Saturdays rain was of biblical proportions a great time was had by all even Andy who got too wet and as he had rushed me had no dry clothes to put on (again thanks all for the offer of dry things for him to wear)
Sunday we managed to go out for some proper playing and andy's over enthusiastic right foot ended up with some rather interesting manoeuvres around the top end of the woods resulting in a few bruises on myself and him although the car has come off unscathed.

Mini stretch and maci added to the enjoyment of the weekend their enthusiasm over everything from wood collection to dog walking is quite infectious and I did enjoy my surreal conversations with them both, maybe next time their den can be added too with an extension their faces when they saw it were a picture :thumbup:

We both really enjoyed catching up with the usual suspects and meeting some new faces I am really getting into the whole off road thing and can't wait for the next meet ( I may even convince him to let me try driving again) :lol:

Thank you to everyone this weekend, so glad i forced myself out to come, just a quick note from me as i think ive OD on meat and lack of sleep and with those lovely hormones ive been throwing up :sick:

so will do piccies etc tomorrow.

Boy had yet another amazing time, and thanks to everyone who really does take the time out of their weekend to help the kids have fun, the den was just the tip of the iceberg !

First "cut" at some non-action photos:

Lawrence_Fowler_IMG_3289_tn by Trugga, on Flickr

Lawrence_Fowler_IMG_2811_tn by Trugga, on Flickr

Lawrence_Fowler_IMG_3285_tn by Trugga, on Flickr

Lawrence_Fowler_IMG_2808_tn by Trugga, on Flickr

Lawrence_Fowler_IMG_2849_tn by Trugga, on Flickr

Lawrence_Fowler_IMG_2978_tn by Trugga, on Flickr

Lawrence_Fowler_IMG_2994_tn by Trugga, on Flickr

Lawrence_Fowler_IMG_2819_tn by Trugga, on Flickr

Lawrence_Fowler_IMG_2989_tn by Trugga, on Flickr

Lawrence_Fowler_IMG_3044_tn by Trugga, on Flickr

Lawrence_Fowler_IMG_3041_tn by Trugga, on Flickr

"You distract Ian, I'll grab the keys and I'll meet you over there in the morning"

Lawrence_Fowler_IMG_3035_tn by Trugga, on Flickr

Lawrence_Fowler_IMG_3311_tn by Trugga, on Flickr

Lawrence_Fowler_IMG_3564_tn by Trugga, on Flickr

To be continued...

Lawrence

Just a few more, then I'm off to bed:

Lawrence_Fowler_IMG_2825_tn by Trugga, on Flickr

Lawrence_Fowler_IMG_2833_tn by Trugga, on Flickr

Lawrence_Fowler_IMG_3006_tn by Trugga, on Flickr

Lawrence_Fowler_IMG_2858_tn by Trugga, on Flickr

Lawrence_Fowler_IMG_3334_tn by Trugga, on Flickr

Lawrence_Fowler_IMG_3391_tn by Trugga, on Flickr

Lawrence_Fowler_IMG_3414_tn by Trugga, on Flickr

To be continued...

Lawrence

Looks like a good weekender was had my all! But dont worry, everything is ballanced out because I was at work over the weekend :evil:

I look forward to the rest of the pics and vids!

Wotcha everyone...

Feeling semi human again now...head still hurts though! LOL...Misty is soundo, totally worn out...and Sally has not moaned at me for an hour or so, so I reckon she is whacked as well...

But what a weekend... :dance:

If we can have that much fun, even though we have a 24hr non stop monsoon during the weekender, then I reckon we have got something right between us all.
Not even the amount of rain that turns the clearing into a river, the tracks into an brown ice rink, and play havoc repeatedly with the electrics cannot dampen the spirit of our bunch of happy campers.

Great to see the old faces and the newbies alike....and a huge welcome goes out to Lawrence, the two Tims (munty and frontytpj and Lois), Chris in the 90, Scott and Elliot in the cherokees and Ryan in the daihatsu who experienced our kinda madness for the first time...

The weekend started off dry and setup commenced, Ross arrived to help early beating me to the workshop.It also began with me loosing the keys to the BRL which delayed the set up...and then upon finding them it lost a wheel on the way to the woods, and then I managed to drop it on my head when it fell off the jack. Not a great start but thanks to my rescuers. The revellers were arriving thick and fast and camp took shape, thanks to all those who helped set up. We had a fight with the lights, 100 metres of the damn things which had tied themselves into knots. then the festivities began, with the campers arriving into the evening.

Saturday bought rain...and loads of it...I think everyone got soaked, and those that ventured into the woods found it tough, if not impossible as the rain poured down. Lloyd dug a small canal to divert the river flowing through the middle of clearing, and we added a nice meander at the end of it, finishing in a FOG shaped canal! The fire looked like a volcano in amounst the sea again. Jims top cooking kept everyone fed all day, infact all weekend, even though it was his birthday. The kids thought the rain was great though! Our fluffball was a proper soggy doggy, outdone though by the labradoodle of Alasdair that was completely brown sooner than white. Scots and Elliots cherokees braved the elements and did well, but won some carnage fighting terrain and elements in some horrid conditions...Chris popped into say hello in his locked up wrangler...and ended up winching out a couple of stuck frontys for us.

Saturday night bought electrical problems as the soaked electrics kept knocking out the gennys...i even bought 2 down to be on the safe side! But we still had a blinding evening even with the interuptions. Bobbins 2.8 then provided the sound system, albiet with the engine off so we could hear the music!

Sunday bought the end of the rain, and the swamp started to dry out...this bought traction in the woods and more and more of the se massive ventured out to test their wits and machines against the elements. Was a crackin day although I scored a fewwounds, deffo wrong choice of tyres on my part. Trugs was out with his camera photographing away as you can see above, with great results. When the kids went off to play I conscipted most of the lads in the clearing to help do a 6 minute makeover and build the kids a new den, as they asked me once or twice to do this. So attacked the woods on the bank behind the clearing and when the kids arrived back they had a cracking new den up in the trees...worth it to see their faces...thanks everyone for your help.
Sunday night went on into the wee early hours, with bobbins putting in an apperance as LALA out of teletubbies! Priceless and something that will have more mileage than a 2.2 with a titanium head gasket!Gutted that Ratty's misses was not well and they had to go home early, hope you are feeling better now. Ratty did well on the loan tyres...the ex LWL dumpers that fudge donated a while back.

Big thanks to the wood gatherers who kept us in fuel and Ross for the use of his holy trailer which doubled up as a monkey cage for the kids.

Monday morning was a subdued affair...many headaches I think LOL. And whilst Sally commenced teardown, I was assisting with the stuck dielaughing with no drive and a blown out 33-12.50-15...found a spare up the workshop and we managed to jack it up with the highlift using the winch to stop it sliding sidewards...Ryan had got it going again when arrived back with the tyre and then entertained us while we cleared down in the clearing.
Then many goodbyes and it was time to shunt everything back to the workshop, big thanks to all those who stayed at helped clear down.

A cracking weekend, but (although I posted hassling everyone to take loadsa pics...) my phone died friday evening and I had probs getting it to charge so the only pics from me sadly are of the BRL's kinda different journey to the woods...

So many highlights to this weekend though...too many to list...
but heres some for me...
...Getting up sunday morning to see the rain had stopped!
...Bobbins teletubby get-up!
...The kids faces when they see their new den!
...Finally after 4 years getting Trugga to venture south of watford to see what all the fuss has been about down here, and share what we have all worked at...
...seeing a bunch of dogs that couldnt be more different getting on so well and playing together...
...catching up with old friends, and making some new ones...
...our token assylum seeker Rospicer jinxing the weather by wearings shorts all weekend!...
...seeing newbie Munty learning offroading in the most brutal conditions imaginable...and doing so well...
...the sunday evening campfire, when it was more than a drying tool and fullfilled its proper role as the hub of the evenings festivities...
...absolutely top tucker, from the BBQ-meister Jimbo, Lisa's cakes, and Kylies detonated pig...
...seeing some great driving, FrontyTpj stealing the show on saturday at his woods debut, with his shorty recovering pretty much everything including the BRL!
...seeing the grins of achievement when the cars appeared back in the clearing, plastered in mud, after many adventures out in the woods...
...watching the Jimjiminy stomp stuff that we found tricky/impossible...but fear not, when freshen the axle twisters it will fall in and disapear...LOL...
...the brill atmostphere that not even floods and stuffed electrics could dampen...
...having Sally stay down again, it aint the same when she has to go home and miss the evening fun...
...seeing misty settled in so well, and everyone making loads of fuss of her...
...seeing Roxy sneakely dive under a rain cover, and then leg it with a bread roll in her mouth!...
...the many battles I had with gravity, mud and no traction in the BRL...one or two of which I actually won!...
...hearing the jeeps growl round the woods...they do sound nice...
...wetting myself laughing(nearly) when rob remembered at 2am ish that he needed to inflate his airbed and he tried to "quietly" move his 4 litre wrangler with its straight through exhaust...
...how cool the woods look with no lecky lights and just the lamps...think this might be something we develop further...watch this space!
...being surpised by how many people asked if I made any more T-shirts when they saw my "home-made" weekender one! Can see a "redneck-boutique" occuring!...or maybe a best t-shirt competition at the next weekender and everyone has to make one...its easy...t-shirt and spray paint!

This weekend was a cracker, the weather was a bummer considering how great it has been of late, but we still managed to all have a great time.
Thanks so much to everyone who came, joined in and made this happen...thanks also to all those who grafted on setup, teardown, with tasks during the meet, which all make this possible...

Hugest thanks as always needs to go my ever suffering Sally...none of this would be possible without her and her hard work...she's a star of epic standing in my book...

The future of our project is looking great...with the support of you foggers, and our new friends who join in from Invicta 4x4 club...bring on the next meet!

Afternoon all.....

First off i want to say a big thanks to everyone making me feel welcome! Was only my second time down the woods and its already starting to feel very familiar!! And secondly...........WHAT A WEEKEND!!!!!!!! With dents, broken glass, broken winches and torrential downpours, electrical problems and the like it was a recipe for disaster! But alas, it turned into one of the best weekends ive had!!! Beer, food, mud, fire and good company!!! Not even 4 new dents, a puncture and a broken winch guide could knock the smile from my face!!!

So to all a big thanks!!!!! I loved every minute and i cant wait for the end of october!!!!!

Glad you could join us Ben, was great to have you down again....see I told you the weekenders were deffo one to not miss!!!
Thanks also for the winching the BRL off the mound by the pond...your winch pulled well when the shorty stopped moving!!!LOL...

The muddy puppy is no longer quite as muddy...still cant figure how her white bits seemed so white all weekend though, even with all the rolling in the mud with the ever horny Harvey!
Bath time LOL...

"help...look what the horrible woman done to me"

Dry again....and fluffyness fully restored!!!

Come on...great pics so far, what else you got foggers????

Hopefully the new den did kinda redeem me with the kids for accidently cutting their climbing tree down into chunks with the chainsaw for firewood :oops:

Imagine my horror when two little faces looked up at me asking "Greg...why did you chop up our climbing tree and burn it?" :shock:

Poor kids...last year Jimbo woke up not very well and stumbled from his tent, before chundering into the nearest clump of trees...which happened to be the kids Mk1 Den...hence we had to do a hungover relocation which was not good, this was then Den mk2...
Den Mk3 is much better and was built with clearer heads, more hands and powertools...

It great as the wooded bank behind the clearing is car free, easily supervised and within yelling distance (easy yelling distance for Gem)...so they can play away in their own woodland playground, safe and unhindered, apart from Roxy running up and stealing wood.

I've got a few to upload Greg - need to get the photobucket uploading again, been a while since I last used it.
Did a lenghty post last night and the bloody lappy done a jump back and I lost it before submitting :oh yer:

Anyhow, glad it stopped raining on the Sun so you guys could go out for a sensible play.
Reckon the torrential rain on the Sat was the heaviest prolonged down pour I've seen down the woods (reminded my of Bala 2010), but all credit to you guys to still be able to party :party:

As always, thanks to you guys for putting on the party, who knows, I might have another go at the camping next year and stay for the :drink:

Good to see everybody again along with a few more peeps adding to the numbers. Getting the numbers edging upwards is what it's all about - the more the merrier.

Looked a fabulous weekend, soooo jealous I may have to delete this thread :oops:

Well done all of you :thumbup:

Oh, how many turns of the knob did it take to get him going on this picture Greg? :lol:

Good man, Ian never fails :clap:

Big thanks to Greg n Sal for yet another blinding weekender in the woods! Every time we have one of these it's better than ever! Even though was wetter than the great monsoon of 2011!

Was great to meet up with the usual suspects again, and yet more new faces! The weekenders just keep on growing, bigger and better!

The dampness of Saturday did hamper my progress in the 2.8 somewhat this time, at's and standard height not the best combination on this occasion, possibly would of been better in an ark! Think my plough / land anchor towbar wasn't helping either!

I didn't manage to get any photos this time, was far to stuck n wet to remember!

Particular thanks on my part to Rob n Chris in the Wranglers for the assistance with the winches, Tim for the tow with the dti, and to Ben for sacrificing his winch guide n side repeater to get himself near enough to tow me, but totally stuck himself instead! And also to everyone who took time out of their day in rain of biblical proportions to help me and or mock me( you know who you are!) when I had one of my near permanent losses of traction or sense of what was actually possible!

Oh yeah, and to Chris in the Jimny for coming to look for me to see if I needed rescuing when I left the clearing for the longest time I had managed all weekend, 20 minutes! O ye of little faith! The look of shock when he saw me mobile and the Daihatsu broken was priceless though!

Thanks to everyone else who turned up to make it what it was and bring on the next one!

By the way, the quality and variety of the photos are excellent Trugga! My other half liked the one with Jim, Ian, me and the cake! She said "Trust you to be within 2 foot of the chocolate cake!"

So, official woods photographer every meet from now on me thinks? Lol!

Last edited by stretch on Tue Aug 27, 2013 8:30 pm, edited 2 times in total.