2025 Calendar Bèrke

The cover:

A few pictures of the car during various tours for work or abroad over the past 10 years.

Clockwise from the top left;

1. Sunset during the repairs of a sewage pipeline on the eastern bank of the river Meuse.

Ebberstraat Velden (16-08-2016 NL);

2. On top of the Timmelsjoch in the early evening (02-09-2023 I);

3. Waiting with my camera gear for a lunar eclipse that turned out to be obscured by clouds.

Schoor Neer (27-07-2018 NL);

4. A sewage pipeline relocation project in the context of a flood protection program.

Beekstraat Beesel (11-05-2022 NL);

5. Timmelsbrücke Moos in Passeier (23-09-2016 I);

6. In front of the Hotel Pfandleralm. Jaufenstraße Sankt Martin in Passeier (04-09-2023 I)

Another year over and time for my traditional calendar post. 2024 was again a rather poor year for my TR7’s. Life and work again intervened. Though there was some progress on the ’76 car! But problems with the water pump of ‘t Kreng meant a fair amount of my spare time was aimed at getting the various leaks sorted. And that still is a work in progress as winter’s come!

As 2025 will be the 10th anniversary since I bought my current daily driver, I decided to use that car as the subject for the coming year’s calendar. So this year I’ll bore you with some pictures of my 2008 Land Rover Defender 110 Station Wagon, called Bèrke, taken over the past 10 years.

January:

In front of a closed potato wholesaler.

ZLSM railway emplacement Simpelveld (21-11-2018 NL)

February:

Patiently enduring the heavy downpour.

Silberhüttstraße Stulz (13-09-2023 I)

March:

On a local green-laning tour. Hoverheideweg Belfeld (03-11-2018 NL)

April:

Another sewage pipeline relocation project in the context of a flood protection program.

Sunrise over the valley of the river Meuse, Hagendoorn Neer (28-10-2021 NL)

May:

On top of the Timmelsjoch in the late afternoon.

Just across the border with Austria (10-09-2021 I)

June:

The final stage of replacing a sewage pipeline using the proven HDD technology,

pulling a more than 900m¹ long HDPE630 pipeline in one piece through the prepared bore hole.

Daniken Geleen (21-06-2022 NL)

July:

Another sewer line relocation. This time for the widening of the A2 motorway.

Ophoven Echt (06-05-2020 NL)

August:

Near the toll booth of the Timmelsjoch near Hochgurgl (19-09-2023 A)

September:

In front of the Hotel Pfandleralm.

Jaufenstraße Sankt Martin in Passeier (16-09-2024 I)

October:

At the start of the 34th edition of the LTV Nachtrit, after the final check of the road book.

Rolduc Abbey Kerkrade (28-10-2023 NL)

November:

During a local green-laning tour.

Bosheideweg Belfeld (03-11-2018 NL)

December:

Back home after a wintery green-laning tour. (07-02-2021 NL)

Calendar girl 2024

The cover:

A few pictures of the car during various tours over the years.

Clockwise from the bottom left;

Ribblehead Viaduct (1-8-2014 UK);

Buttertubs Pass (2-6-2011 UK);

Pwllgloyw, Wales (22-5-2013 UK);

Vijlen (30-10-2021 NL);

Another year over and time for my traditional calendar post. Compared to the previous years, 2023 was a rather bad year from a “driving-my-TR7's” point of view. Even with one road worthy TR7, ‘t Kreng, I only managed to take her out for a drive five times. This lack of use was solely caused by a lack a time. Hopefully 2024 will offer more spare time to use ‘t Kreng, do some more work on the ’76 car (maybe even finish it!?) and start the DHC’s repairs.

So as 2023 draws to a close I decide to compile my TR7 calendar using a selection of pictures from my favourite drivers car, ‘t Kreng! Most pictures being taken during the many trips I enjoyed with this car in my home area and abroad!

January:

Hiding in the streets of Broughton-In-Furness,

after Club Triumph’s International AutoEcosse (6-6-2012 UK)

February:

In the parking area of The Old Stone Trough on the eve of

the 1st edition of the Border Raiders Tour (1-8-2014 UK)

March:

Upgrading the car’s interior (1-4-2015 NL)

April:

At the entrance of one of the many sand pits in the area,

or ‘t Kreng being in daily use near Klein Hanssum Neer (2-5-2018 NL)

May:

On an unclassified road near Auwel (27-3-2019 D)

June:

In front of a spare weir door in Baarlo (22-5-2019 NL)

July:

Early evening on the Länderstraße L228 near Bocket (25-5-2019 D)

August:

Autumn colours between Baarlo and Maasbree (10-11-2019 NL)

September:

‘t Kreng’s engine bay (22-11-2020 NL)

October:

Showing clear signs of use on local muddy country lanes

after our annual “Nachtrit”. Belfeld (31-10-2021 NL)

November:

Spring tour near “De Lanck” in Swalmen (23-4-2022 NL)

December:

On the brake tester at a friend’s workshop, for the car’s biennial

General Periodic Inspection, or MOT for the UK residents (8-6-2022 NL)

Calendar girl 2023

The cover:

A few pictures of the car during this year’s edition of Club Triumph’s 10 Countries Run,

including a glimpse of the damage sustained to the car during this event

Another year over and time for my traditional calendar post. Compared to the previous two years, 2022 should have been a better year from a “driving-my-TR7's” point of view. And it sure was till early September, when the DHC was badly damaged in a head on collision in the mountains of Northern Italy. Hopefully 2023 has some more positive moments in store.

So as 2022 draws to a close it is a good time to look back over the 12 years since I finished the restoration of the car in 2010. And what better way to do that, than with a selection of some of my favourite pictures taken during the many trips I enjoyed in my home area and abroad.

January:

Inside the Flimserstein Tunnel (8-9-2010 CH).

Homeward bound during her inaugural Alpine tour after the restoration was completed.

February:

Sunrise on top of the Sankt Gotthard Pass (9-9-2011 CH)

March:

Stopping for diner on the market square of the small village of Watou (4-9-2013 B)

April:

In the pit lane of the old Circuit de Reims (5-9-2013 F)

May:

Near the dam of the Nant-y-Moch Reservoir in Wales (10-5-2014 GB)

June:

On the northern slopes of the Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse (11-9-2015 A)

July:

During a local autumn tour near the “Broken Castle” in Grubbenvorst (4-10-2018 NL)

August:

A lovely summer’s evening in the wide valley of the river Meuse, near Neer (30-7-2019 NL)

September:

On the Passo Pordoi in the Dolomites (5-9-2019 I)

October:

In front of a spare weir door in Baarlo (12-12-2019 NL)

November:

During another local summer tour in Belfeld (24-06-2020 NL)

December:

On the eastern flanks of the Timmelsjoch (7-9-2022 I)

And of course there was the rather time consuming business called work. Here the Defender took all the credits for getting me around!

Renewal of a sewage pressure pipe in Geleen (21-06-2022 NL)

Renovation of a sewage water pumping station in Munstergeleen (03-08-2022 NL)

Another sewage pipeline renewal. This time in the woods and the countryside

between the villages of Heibloem and Roggel. And this project will continue well into 2023 (19-10-2022 NL)

Calendar Girls 2022

The cover:

My 3 registered TR7’s together in the shed for the first time

Time again for my traditional end of year post. As previous year, 2021 wasn’t a good year from a TR7 point of view. Not much work has been done on the ’76 car. And ‘t Kreng and the DHC both haven’t seen as much action as I would have liked. In total I covered only 1766 kilometres in my TR7’s so far, of which 1316 kilometres were covered with ‘t Kreng and only 450 kilometres with the DHC. At least I managed a few more kilometres with my TR7’s compared to last year. And maybe there’s an opportunity to take the DHC for a spin during the festive season, if time and weather allows! But I do hope 2022 will be a better year (famous last words).

At least one proper tour booked for 2022; Club Triumph’s 10 Countries Run. Actually booked is a bit of an understatement, as I’m part of the organising committee. Hopefully this event will go ahead in 2022. Time will tell! (here’s an impression of the 2019 edition)

But as last year my Defender again clocked up more than its usual annual mileage. Work again being the main culprit, including some wading action during the summer floods. And it was also used (again I should say) for a two week walking holiday in Süd Tirol.

Inspecting flood defences, Bergen (18-02-2021 NL)

Sewage pipe renewal, Hagendoorn Neer (18-06-2021 NL)

Placing part of a new sewage pumping station, Molenstraat Neer (22-06-2021 NL)

Trying to reach our sewage treatment plant in Roermond (16-07-2021 NL)

On top of the Timmelsjoch (10-09-2021 A/I)

Lovely sunrise on my way to one of the construction sites, Buggenum (28-10-2021 NL)

Finishing flood damage repairs, Ohé & Laak (17-12-2021 NL)

As last year these pictures didn’t make it to the calendar for 2022. But the few trips with my two road worthy TR7’s again didn’t supply enough pictures to fill this year’s calendar either. Luckily I was able to spend some quality time on various jobs on my TR7’s. This included a brief visitor to the shed that was donated by a friend and which I partially dismantled in the shed, before passing it on. This again resulted in a calendar which has a mix of a few touring pictures of the DHC and ‘t Kreng, supplemented with some pictures showing various jobs carried out on my TR7’s.

January:

Fitting the side/flasher lights to the ’76 car’s front bumper

February:

A Saturday afternoon in the shed, working on the ’76 car

March:

Dismantling the dashboard of the 1981 parts donor

April:

Swapping the back axle of one of my parts cars

May:

First tour of the year for ‘t Kreng,

Eikenbroeklaan Beesel (NL)

June:

Back in the shed after one of her few tours in 2021

July:

Second and so far last tour with the DHC,

Hillenraedt Castle Swalmen (NL)

August:

A few small jobs on the front brakes at a friend’s workshop

September:

Final tour for ‘t Kreng, the day after our “Nachtrit”

October:

Washing of the Nachtrit’s dirt at the local car wash

November:

Detail of the 1981 parts donor

December:

The shed