Second lustrum for Bèrke

Last week an anniversary slipped past almost unnoticed. It was 10 years ago that I took delivery of my current daily driver, a 2008 Land Rover Defender 110 SW. To celebrate this second lustrum, a few photos taken of Bèrke over the past 5 years:

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

On top of the Timmelsjoch in the late afternoon.

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

While on my way to a 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)

On board of the Pride of Rotterdam, crossing from Hoek van Holland to Harwich,

on our way to the funeral of Paul "Burnerboy" Darbyshire (13-03-2022 NL)

Inspecting a project site in the woods between Heibloem en Roggel (19-10-2022 NL)

Patiently enduring the heavy downpour.

Silberhüttstraße Stulz (13-09-2023 I)

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

Photoshoot for the car’s three-yearly valuation (11-07-2024 NL)

It’s lonely at the top! Parking area near the Römerkehre,

close to the Jaufen Kamm (24-09-2024 I)

On our way with the DHC’s body shell for paint removal and shot blasting (12-02-2025 NL)

Picking up the DHC’s body shell after paint removal and shot blasting (12-03-2025 NL)

DHC repairs #7: Paint removal and shot blasting finished

Yesterday, Wednesday the 12^th of March, the first stage of the DHC’s repairs were finished. The paint was stripped from the body shell after which the shell was lightly shot blasted. I have to admit that I was very curious as to what I might encounter in the transfer hall on the site of Giessen BV. Visions of the remains of a completely blasted away body shell sprang to my mind. But I needn’t have worried. There was still more than enough left of the body shell. Even though I already knew for years that it had some patchy, but well hidden, rust repairs. These rust repairs were carried out somewhere in the first 8 years of its life.

After loading the car onto the trailer it was time for a quick inspection of the shell. A few pictures of the worst affected areas!

With the inspection completed it was time to hit the road and drop the shell of for the next stage of the car’s resurrection. Welding!

DHC repairs #6: So it begins!

It is 2 years, 5 months and 4 days today since the accident with the DHC on the Passo di Valparola in Northern Italy. And I am pleased to announce that the repairs have finally started (sort of). Time for another episode in this car’s 45 years of life. Which meant the car’s original bodyshell saw the light of day for the first time in almost 18½ years!

For the first stage of the car’s revival, the body shell was dropped off today at a local company (Giessen BV in Heerlen). First job to be carried out will be paint stripping. After that all rusty areas will be lightly shot blasted to remove all structural corrosion.

Original plan was to have the paint stripped chemically. But after inspecting the body at Giessen they deemed it better to remove the paint and bituminous underbody protection by pyrolysis instead of chemicals. The most important reason for this is that the chemicals are not very effective in removing bituminous underbody protection. A problem that does not occur with pyrolysis. So we decided on that option.

And if all goes according to plan, this part of the work should be ready by mid-March (the carnival season is intervening here!). After which the body shell will be dropped off at a friend’s place for the body repairs and a few slight adaptations.

Seasonal Greetings

Christmas 2024 and the year 2025 are nearly upon us.

Time to wish you all a Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year!

Let’s see what the New Year will bring!

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)

35th edition of the LTV Nachtrit

It’s that time of year again; Autumn, Halloween, All Souls, Saint Martin's Day. But most importantly the “LTV Nachtrit” of course. And yesterday evening (Saturday the 26th of October) saw the already 35th edition of this night time navigational rally.

Last year we had a pretty strong field of participants, with 39 teams heading into the night. Sadly this year we were down on entries, but there were still 26 teams that set off into the night for a very nice selection of roads through Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and The Netherlands. It was a rather international entry list, with entrants coming from the UK, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands!

Contrary to previous editions there was no official halfway stop. Though the 264 kilometre long route could be split up for a meal and a rest wherever the teams wanted. And as in the previous editions, the navigation was with the help of a roadbook that used tulip diagrams.

But first there was the final check of the route for any last minute road works or diversions. Which meant an early start of the day for my navigator and me. Luckily there were no real problems there. Also no signs pointing in that direction. Though it later turned out that, due to a Halloween procession, traffic was held up for a while in the village of Theux. But that was still a few hours in the future. In the meantime we were able to enjoy the fine weather and the beautiful autumn scenery!

And the participants were lucky with the weather too, clear skies and dry. So no slippery roads to catch them out! And of course being dark they missed out on the views. But that should give them a good excuse to return and drive the route in day time! A few pictures of the varied field of participants at the start at the Abbey of Rolduc;

1954 Triumph TR2

1959 Triumph TR3A

1960 Sunbeam Alpine

1967 Porsche 9121

1978 Renault 5 Alpine

Two original Dutch 1982 Triumph TR7 Coupés

1993 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS U9

And few pictures of some of the other entrants in the parking area on the grounds of the Rolduc Abbey: