Lucas, The Prince of Darkness! The slogan is known but it's a misleading advertisement ... Suddenly, our headlights stop working, we quickly regret lit up Belgian motorways much maligned in these times of scarcity. We still manage to follow the white line in the halo of our flashing warning lights. After finding a lit up station, we replace with a temporary switch the very one whose expiry we witnessed. We miss the boat, but unlike the shuttle, it has virtually no effect.

We are finally at the gates of Stoneleigh Park! A surprising find, very British, restricted to the initiated, no doubt. A lot of small specialists in cooling, lighting, electricity, rims ... more inclined to share the tips than smiling sales reps of major retailers at a disadvantage here compared to other major automobile events of the year. So British also these piles of parts on the floor getting corroded and whose value written in chalk invariably follows "à la tête du client".

In short, two large halls occupied by sellers of new and used parts for all models that the iconic octagon has given us since the beginning of last century. Tooling, including possible upgrades we haven't known so far and a lot of very specific small crafts such as upholstery, wood paneling, restorers whose magnificent achievements are worth more than any clumsy slogan. Outside, less well established merchants give the impression of packing up and going or of just settling there – to such an extent do their goods show an unstable balance.

We know the way home will be long and we are soon back on the road. Our late light switch is replaced with a new one whose patina reveals its youth. For the next edition we will spend the night there to enjoy a longer time of discovery. While we are crossing our country it is an alternator belt screaming in agony that keeps us awake until the finish. We have just come back from our round the clock trip and our sleep is well deserved, head full of dreams.