Well folks, it's been a bit of a hectic week at work (big new hardware launch coming up and one of the magazines is doing their annual manufacturer shootout in two issues time) so it's been difficult to get on the site long enough to post a proper explanation/apology until today...
First things first, I'm really sorry I didn't make it along to the event, escpecially so to those who put in the hard work organising the stand.
The seemingly never-ending-story behind it all started all the way back in February... I was negotiating one of the little twisties on top of the moors not far from here, and the not-ideal environment to be up there. Unfortunately it didn't go quite as well as I'd liked (you can bet your boots my next one has Quattro), and I ended up off the road in need of a new bumper, headlight and wing.
I immediately started making arrangements to get everything sorted out, gutted, but thinking it's not _that_ big a problem.
Without recording the whole sorry-saga here; I'll say that I ended up having to drive a borrowed-banger for a while, then my baby with a temporary front-end for a while, as I waited for my new bumper to come from Dortmund (no prizes for guessing who I was waiting on). Anyway, that came a few weeks ago, and I got my car back in for repairs; stressing all along that the only thing I gave a rats' *** about was getting her on or before the 15th - in time for GTI-I.
Well, panel-whackers being panel-whackers, that information didn't sink in too well (perhaps I should've used tools of their trade to beat it into them); and after a few different but equally strange stories, and finding out that other jobs were getting done before mine; I got over there just before the event to find my car in a very sorry state. Not only was she not ready, but now needed a replacement bonnet - I'm not going to speculate too much about why, but I've got a pretty good idea.
So, GTI-I was well and truly off the cards; without so much as an apology, let alone a reasonable explanation. As I write this I'm starting *another* weekend without her; but I'm damn certain this is going to be the last one - one way or another
Anyway, like I say, I'm fully gutted that I missed the weekend, it looks like it was really good fun. Also, I'm profusely sorry to have messed the organisers around being a johnny no-show. Hopefully I'll not be 'the boy who cried show' and get to meetup with you guys again soon...
Apologies again, and best regards,
Rob.