Porsche Cayenne at Reims-Gueux

Returning home from skiing in the French Alps (click here for details), I couldn’t resist stopping off at the remains of the Reims-Gueux circuit.

It’s a place I’ve been to before and it’s never failed to impress me. The deserted and crumbling buildings have a certain inexplicable aura about them. It’s a peaceful and calm place, almost like a place of worship (and I’m not a motorsport fan at all).

My two children Jonny and Louisa were with me, plus their friends Will and Ben. I didn’t tell them we were stopping at the circuit, but just pulled up by the pit building, half expecting them not to want to get out of the car, as we’d been driving for six hours. As it was, though, they leaped out, camera phones in hand, eagerly exploring the buildings, going through the tunnel under the road and climbing up the grandstand. “This is the coolest place ever,” exclaimed Jonny, who’s a keen film-maker and could see the concrete structures as a great backdrop for a video.

It is a cool place, and it’s wonderful that it’s open to anyone to wander around and explore without supervision.