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Our F sticks to the Members banking
Runnymede MGOC Guru Bob Borchardt and his immaculate MGA |
The clubhouse - you had to have an ancient MG to park
here ! |
BROOKLANDS MG ERA DAY 2001
MG Era day April 15th - our first offical event with the F - Brooklands Museum - It was a typical Easter
sunday - ie cold and damp. This time the F's were arranged in a fan on the
members banking which looked pretty good facing the B's and midgets. Most
of the museum is still closed after the winter flooding which was a shame.
Good day out though with a Jazz band playing from the clubhouse balcony
and a pretty good array of MG's on display.
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Negotiating the damp start at Tatenham
Corner
Halfway there
Sandwiched between two B's (the mustard
onbe managed to cram 3 kids in the back !)
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A final line up of B's
Arty photo combining best of both worlds
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SURREY RUN 2001
Epsom MGOC organised the Surrey Run 2001. It was a cold, wet and windy
start up on Epsom Downs by the Derby racecourse but there was warm coffee
and a bag of goodies to greet us. After logging in we fixed the Run Plate
tightly to the front grille and headed to the start to be waved off for
the 75 mile run through the Surrey and Sussex Downs. I didn't spot any
hardy souls with their hoods down at the start although by the end it had
dried out and warmed up just enough for some heads to be bared. We took
ours down about 15 miles from the finish and got to the Bluebell railway
just in time for a picnic in the spitting rain.
There were all types of B's represented
and a good proportion of F's also appeared which was heartening.
Some of the more delicate models did not brave the weather however.
Spotted an RV8 and a couple of C's amongst the usual Roadsters and GT's
and I'm not quite sure what the orange Spitfire was doing there (I think
he got confused !). Interesting at one point in the run to get mixed up
with a Jaguar outing - so we had a .line of B's, F's and E Types all
spinning along the country lanes.
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MG's as far as the eye can see.
A bunch of B's negotiate Priory corner
Bob Halfords race winning 3.9litre
MGBGTV8
Richard Evans just Holding off Michael
Gammons in the two evenly matched F's (until Michaels's meeting with the
armco !) |
J Eastwood in his Sprite in the Gymkhana
(almost an MG anway !)
A Row of Cream Crackers.
MG Lola Le Mans car after it had been
dried out (the one that lasted longest !)
The Extreme MGF decked out in MG Racing
Livery |
SILVERSTONE 2001
The Sun shone on the Mg Car Club's 51st Silverstone International
Meeting. What a great day it turned out to be as well - we rattled over
the vehicle bridge over Club Straight to be met with the sight of hundreds
and hundreds of MG's of all shapes and sizes glinting in the mid morning
sun. Particularly heartening to see a very strong contingent of F's, so
many that we were placed in an overflow enclave between some B's and A's
and even this soon filled up !. This was a veritable ABC of MG's not
forgetting T's P's M's and even X Y and Z's. On the site you could find every
part you needed for your MG and thousands that you didn't in the trade
area, you could buy MG's, Sell MG's admire MG's in the Concours and Pride
of Ownership competitions, throw your car around the cones in the
autotests
or just walk amongst the rows and rows of MG's on display. For more formal
displays there was the Triple M registers 40th anniversary exhibition with
it's row of Cream Crackers and the MG Cars stand featuring not only the MG
Lola race car but also the Rally car and Touring car and all three of the
new MG saloons and a surprise in the form of the MGF Ultimate decked out
in MG race colours. On top of all this, and the Old Speckled Hen bar, was
the racing - using the International circuit - nine races on
Saturday and six on sunday featuring all the racing MG's you could want.
Highlight on sunday was Bob Halford in his 3.9litre MGBGTV8 winning two
races and the tussle between the two MGF's in the single Enduro
ending in the Brown & Gammons car drunkenly weaving in to the pits
after an appointment with the Armco.
According to the MG Car Club they had 24,000 visitors, 550 competitors
and 11,000 MG's !!
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JayPeG on display between an RV8 and a 1961 Midget
Moggles standing guard on the rear tonneau.
Tim and JayPeg still on display !
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Looks like JayPeG is now a Concours winning car and here
I am collecting the trophy.
...and here is the Concours Trophy !!
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SOUTHERN NATIONAL EVENT 2001 -
LEATHERHEAD
Driving to the show wasn't too bad but the drizzle started as we found
our way on to the showground. Having found out that I couldn't enter
JayPeG
for the Pride of Ownership competition as it was less than four years old
I was advised to enter the Concours instead. We set the car up in the
middle of a row snuggly between a 1961 Midget from Devon and a woodcote
green RV8 and settled in for a day in the damp. We walked around the
various side stalls with umbrella up where I found a set of chromed MG
dust caps which I sneaked on to the car prior to the judging. We were
serenaded by the Ewell Castle School Jazz band all afternoon - who
unfortunately blasted the poor ladies from the Epsom MGOC who were in
direct line of the loudspeakers !. Not a huge turnout probably due
to the rotten weather which actually brightened up considerably as
lunchtime approached so we could soon open our bonnets and boots and get
the hood down in full display. Moggles the cat sat proudly on the rear
tonneau cover repelling any sticky fingers. The car was judged with a
sheen of drizzle on the paintwork but still managed to come away with the
MGF Concours award !. The awards were collected in the car by driving along
a grassy corridor to stop by the MGOC display caravan. JayPeG and her
owner were justly proud !.
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Liz waiting to go home at the end of the day
A row of F's curve into the distance
The owner of the 6R4 being interviewed by Harvey Barrier
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The new MG ZR rally car took pride of place at the
entrance to the museum.
The Octagon Car Club on their grassy pitch
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MG MARQUE DAY -Gaydon 2001
Would it rain or wouldn't it - after an indifferent few days we
couldn't be sure so set off up the M40 with roof up as it looked a bit
threatening. Not to worry as the sun soon appeared and by the time we got
to Gaydon it was a lovely day so ...roof down to drive the last mile or so
to the Heritage Museum. One advantage over last year when we went in the
Rover 620ti was that as an MG driver I didn't have to pay and Liz only had
to fork out a fiver !. We parked on the right of the show area joiing the
rest of the F's. This was the modern section so we were joined by the
Maestro Turbo club and a collection of Montegos and Metros. The other side
was a muddle of B's, C,s, V8's Midgets, Magnettes and even a 6R4. The
Octagon car club remained aloof on a designated grassy area with their
older machines. After scraping the bugs off the front bumper we left
JayPeG on display guarded by Moggles on the dashboard. After chatting to a
few other Fer's we wandered about the trade stands and had another look
around the museum - you can find the PR5 prototype in here and the Rover
CCV amongst other MG models including the very first MGF 1.8i off the
production line. Harvey Barrier was again walking around annoying...I mean
interviewing people about their MG's but luckily we avoided him - he
seemed to be obsessed with how much insurance cost this year !
After picnicking on the grassy slope and getting an aerial view of all
the cars and still enjoying the afternoon sun we headed back home topless
all the way.
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The Western Lawns Eastbourne covered in
MGs'
One of the more elderly cars on the run - is it a Y
series ?
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A curious passer by tries to find the
engine !
A line up of Fs' on the lawns
Picnicking in the boot
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SOUTH DOWNS RUN - 2nd Sept
Nice drive down to Petersfield to try and navigate the one way system
in to the towns central car park. A quick look at the sky after
registration left us in some doubt as to the weather God's intentions. By
the time Liz's Brother in law had arrived to give us a cheery wave at the
start the rain had already visited. The roof was up and down so many times
in the car park but we left departure in a clear spell so it was open top
motoring all the way. We pulled in to the petrol station behind G10MGF who
we had coincidentally parked behind at Gaydon and admired his Mike Satur
light cluster. I've only seen one MGF with these lights so far and this is
it. Setting off in earnest we soon caught up with a red V8 roadster and
followed him for several miles until he got fed up leading the pack - it
was then down to Liz's navigational skills to get us to the top of Bury
Hill where we stopped at a cafe for a snack...just as it started to
drizzle again. Roof up, tea and sausage rolls consumed, a brief chat with
the Newbury MG Owners Club and we were off again through the leafy South
Downs lanes....and the rain had stopped so roof down again. Luckily we
missed the heavy downpours but from the big puddles we splashed through
there had certainly been some.
We cruised along the windswept Beachy head road and then descended into
Eastbourne where we were waved on to the Western Lawns - great
organisation here - marked spaces and marshalls every few yards. Met up
with a couple of Runnymeders on the lawns ...Bob had chickened out on the
run though and had visited relatives in Eastbourne instead no doubt in an
attempt to keep his immaculate MGA immaculate !
As the lawns were right on the seafront the gathering of some 340 MG's
had attracted the attention of the day trippers and more senior residents
of the town so the F was put in display mode even attracting a few people
who wanted their picture taken in it !
On the drive home the skies darkened as we got caught in heavy traffic
at Junct 10 of the M25 so pulling off at Wisley the first few spots
dropped on us ...under the A3 bridge to emerge the other side in a
torrential downpour ! We couldn't stop to get the roof up until we were up
on the A3 itself so got our first soaking in the car . At least it had
waited until we were nearly home.
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On the lawns in front of Chatsworth - Liz wants me to
unlock the MG !
The view from the cockpit - a bit or rugged
Derbyshire countryside
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MG's galore in front of the house
Back at Chatsworth and off to collect our lapel badges
A short stop for a photo call leaving the estate
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KIMBER RUN 9th Sept
The Kimber Birthday Run re scheduled from April due to the Foot &
Mouth epidemic finally tok place on the weekedn of 9th September. We
had decided to make a weekend of it due to the distance from home and duly
settled in to the Biggin Hall Hotel on the saturday. There was one other
couple staying here due to take part on the run the next day. We rose for
an early breakfast and set off the 12 miles to Chatsworth - weather was
cloudy but looked like brightening up. We got to Chatsworth in time to
park up and register - cars were already beginning to leave and as soon as
we decided to take advantage of our refreshment vouchers it seemed that
everyone had decided to go ! Dashing gingerly between the revving MGs's we
headed for the Chatsworth Cafe. Fully refreshed and walking back
through two rows of Morris Minors , who had also decided to have a day out
at Chatsworth, we re entered the sloping field in front of the Duke of
Devonshire's Stately home to find our car alone in it's line - MG's were
still leaving so we took our turned to be waved away into the folds of the
Peak District.
With Liz carefully navigating via the extensive tulip diagrams we only
managed to get lost a couple of times and that was thanks to the MGOC
thinking that 0.05 miles was written as 0.5 miles ! We arrived at Masson
Mills without too many mishaps and without getting in to the usual long
crocodile of MG's - this was thanks to four routes being used to three
different destinations. The four hundred or so cars just disappeared in to
the craggy valleys. Having explored Arkwright's mill (You must
remember him from your history lessons !) we joined the queue of traffic
at the traffic lights outside to embark on the journey back to Chatsworth
through some more beautiful scenery and trying to avoid bowling over the
numerous wooly hatted walkers jumping out at us from the hedgerows.
Most of the cars had made it back safely and it was a glorious site to
see them all lined up in front of the mansion. Proudly wearing our
finishing Kimber Run Lapel badges we posed for one more photo on the road
leading away from the estate and headed back to Biggin Hall. |
The F Register parking - Unusuaully featuring several
Old English White ones
Magnette Varitone with the Hop Farm in the background
On display - Premier post '54 concours - they even made
a nice little sign.
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Spearing cones in the Gymkhana
The top prize winning cars
"Car of the Show " Rosette
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MGCC SOUTH EAST AUTUMN
GATHERING - 16th Sept
The MG Car Club Autumn Gathering had moved to the Hop Farm at Beltring
in Kent thanks to the normal location of the Chatham Dockyard being double
booked. We joined the touring group at the Grasshopper Inn on the A25 at
Westerham where we registered and received our short list of instructions
- oh no - tulip diagrams again Liz, never mind !. We set off from the pub
and managed to miss the very first turning , it just happened far too
quickly. We were soon back on course and travelling through the high hedge
rows of the Surrey/Kent borders. The route offered tantalising glimpses of
the Weald and it was very pleasant on our own most of the time in the
brisk morning air. We passed Churchills home at Chartwell and were soon
heading in to Kent through sleepy villages . Coming out of one village we
saw WOF bowling along in the opposite direction - was she lost or
were we ? Temporarily thrown we missed our next turning but soon
realised the mistake and before long we were entering the Hop Farm. JayPeG
was entered in the post 54 premier concours along with an MGBGT and an MGB
Roadster. The club had printed little signs with information about the
cars stuck on small posts in front of them - we couldn't help noticing the
one next door proclaimed - winner of the Best MG in Europe - stiff
competition. It was interesting to note the large amount of Pride of
Ownership entries and the small amount of Concours - they seem to do
things the other way around in the MG Owners Club !. There were plenty of
cars on display in Concours condition such that we felt we had entered the
wrong competition. JayPeG had received much polishing and cleaning over
the last few weeks but I did forget the little ledge under the wheel arch
- testament to the judges once clean white hanky ! Quite sure we weren't
going to win anything today we headed off for a stroll around the antiques
fair and the Hop Farm and a look at the Gymkhana - various intrepid souls
were busy doing puzzles, doing the car Limbo, sticking flags in cones and
even taking in the washing. We wandered back to the showground and as we
approached someone congratualated us - eh - what for ? We looked
at the little sticker on JayPeG's windscreen - we had won
"CAR OF THE SHOW" ! After collecting our rosettes
all the top prize winning cars posed for a photo in front of the MG Car
Claub tent. |
