JAGUARS – RIVERS, LAKES & WATERFALLS BBQ
24.9.2016.- This event was something a little special, something I had been planning for quite some time. A two day event which included two nights at the fabulous Parador Hotel in Albacete, a BBQ with music and dancing on the Sunday then on the Monday a visit to Lagunas de Ruidera with a stop off in a sleepy little town called Munera as guests of the Mayor.
Sunday 18th September 2016, 28 beautiful Jaguars arrived at the Parador Hotel in Albacete. I must say they did look impressive all lined up outside the hotel. This collection included three cars that need special mention. Len and Barbara Pillings new Jaguar F Pace, the first one I have seen in the “flesh”, take my word, very nice indeed. The second and Joel Darget’s replica D Type, something you do not see very often and Joel had brought it all the way from the Costa Del Sol. The third was David Sleap’s superb XKR Silverstone. A total of 58 people checked in, this included 7 people who had come all the way from the Costa Del Sol. At around 19:00 Hrs we gathered for pre dinner drinks in the bar then outside for the BBQ and Dancing in the fabulous hotel grounds that evening.
Monday 19th September we gathered in front of the hotel for the Group Pictures then “Engines Start” at 09:45 Hrs. In a perfect convoy the Big Cats skirted Albacete and headed out on the N430 towards Ruidera a total distance of some 120 Km. However “Our Ian” had arranged a little surprise on the way. We turned off the N430 and headed towards Munera, after a short distance we are picked up by the Police escort who helps get all the cars safely into Munera’s town square as guests of the Mayor. A big thank you to Leondro Lopez Valido for suggesting the idea and organising the whole thing. Maybe you saw us on La Mancha television later that day. We stopped for about a hour then with the help of the Police Escort again we made our way back to the main road and continued our convoy to Ruidera.
Lagunas de Ruidera is part of Hidden Spain, a place very popular with those Spanish that know it exists but hardly ever visited by anyone else. The attraction is the string of beautiful lakes and waterfalls, one of the most important wetlands in Spain. Apart from the stunning scenery you can also take part in various water born activities. On arrival in Ruidera people were allowed to discover this beautiful part of Spain at their leisure then return to the Hotel in their own time.
On Monday night we had a special menu arranged for the club, 5 small treats to start including the famous cheese made locally and superb Iberico ham. A choice of Cod or Veal, with unlimited local wine which I must say was very pleasant indeed. We celebrated two birthdays, Bob Limehouse had reached the “dizzy” age of 70 and Colin Stickland made it to 65. For many the night was finished with a coffee and a little night cap.
Tuesday morning we departed mid morning after a hearty breakfast.
I took the lead on this event but I must thank Ian and Uschi McMenemy for organising the event in Munera with Leondro and for generally giving their support. But most of all I must thank all the members that supported the event and all the kind words that many offered after the event.
The next meeting is planned for 30th October, location to be announced shortly. This will be followed with our Christmas Bash then a couple more local meetings before The Big One 2017 which will be held at Parador de Leon in Northern Spain in April 2017. Built in the 16th Century this fabulous building was originally the head quarters for the Military Order of Saint James. It is now Paradors flag ship 5 star hotel. This event is proving to be very popular already, currently we are expecting over 300 people and 150 beautiful Jaguars. If you own a Jaguar why not come and join us, this really is going to be something special.
The Jaguar Enthusiasts Club is the largest of the worlds Jaguar Clubs, apart from joining in the fun at the meetings, full members also benefit from a glossy 140 page A4 monthly magazine, Jaguar spares department and a technical advice service second to none. If you live in Spain and own a Jaguar you should be a member of The Jaguar Enthusiasts Club. The JEC in Spain is organised by Eric Arnold, Club President and Ian McMenemy, Events Director. Costa Del Sol region is organised by Philip Wray. Eric can be contacted by email or by phone on 609931647 or alternatively check out our web or the JEC main web site . Our Events director, Ian McMenemy can be contacted by email. Not forgetting David Shea who looks after our Facebook identity. Contact details and news of future events can be found on our web site.
Text and photographs by: Eric Arnold
