20th London Brighton Run 2005

Have I really been doing this event for a decade now? Preparing for it is now a familiar ritual; clean the Mini, hoover it out, fuel it, polish the chrome and tyres, load it with gear, and pray it doesn't rain on Saturday night. Relief, Sunday dawns without a cloud in the sky, but the 4.30 a.m. wake-up call hasn't got any easier in the 10 years. 2005 is of course the twentieth run, its probably safe to say it's an icon by now. Excitement rises as our four car convoy spots other Minis heading down to Crystal Palace. Once the radio mast looms into view we know we are there. The queue to join the official LSMOC convoy is vast, but we are parking down below in order to get a quick escape. O.K., you don't get the sense of adventure that comes with the main parking area, but with the traffic jam like it is, it's just not practical these days. 8.15 a.m. off we go. Concours competitors are already being ushered out as we tear down the hill. Hoot,wave, hoot, and then we encounter our first traffic jam, take a sneaky diversion to avoid it but it does mean we see fewer Minis. Once on the short sprints around Gatwick and down the A23, more cars catch us up, but we return the compliment when we hit Brighton and scoot up the A27 while everyone else sits in the town centre gridlock. Over the hill out of gear (naughty) and coast three miles all the way to, well, the coast. A relaxing run along the cliff top and we have made it in just over 2 hours. What of the show? One and three quarter miles of Minis is still an incredible sight - last year LSMOC had to hire an overspill car park to accommodate everybody, this year they ran out of space, again, and had to park Minis on a gravel area beyond that. You have to pity runners who arrive so late they had to park half an hours walk away from the show. At least they were far enough away from the high traders prices. How I wish I could go back twenty years to London to Brighton No.1, and see how much it has changed, no Sportspacks, no fuel injected Rover Coopers and the new Mini not even thought of. Today some of the most interesting cars are very often the standard 1970's models that turn up, like a 1978 Mini 1000 in Sandglow Beige. If you were going to do a replica, what would it be? Paddy Hopkirk's EJB or an Italian Job Mini? How about Mr Bean, even down to the cheap D.I.Y. store latch on the door.

Having fought our way back out of Brighton I realise that it's over for another year, and despite the early hour of the morning start. the queing, and the prices creeping up every year, we will all be back in 2006. How many classic Minis will still be doing the 30th London to Brighton run in another decades time?.

Report compiled by our Southern correspondent.

Mr Bean replica - Crystal Palace.

Rover Mini & Glass Fibre Trailer - Crystal Palace.

LH Drive Moke with Fibre Glass hard top - 1960's Maderia Drive.

Downton "Clubsport" Mini - One of only 5 ever made.

MKl Concours Austin Mini in speedwell blue - Maderia Drive (Sorry colour washed out in bright sunshine).

AA Mini Van and MKlll Wolsely Hornet convertible (not Crayford).

Minis lined up at Brighton over a Mile away from the Pier!

One of the last Minis to arrive at Brighton.