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November 2019 From the club desk...

In This Issue...

Social Media

Faggots & Ducks

Meet the members

Welsh Walls

MG Motor News Not much to report for October bar our move to new premises (photos at Merchansdise the back thanks to Steve Brace) and it would appear that the additional Forthcoming Events space has been most welcome. However, for the first time in a number of years, the December meeting will see the Christmas Dinner being held Contact Us at The Oak Tree Upton Grange Chester CH2 1BL. If you haven’t already provided your order to Angie, please do so at the next meeting in November. Send us an email for more information about the club’s activities or to join us. In addition, Steve and Amanda have kindly arranged the first of the Winter Sunday lunches for the Sunday, 17th November, at The White Horse in Churton. Angie Haughton - Area Secretary Please let Steve know as soon as possible if you plan to go along. The Winter [email protected] lunches are more of a social gathering and there is no requirement to take your MG if it is hibernating. Neil Wallace - Candles Run The committee met up during the month to sort out plans for 2020 and I am [email protected] sure Angie will provide an update at the next meeting of the plans. Neil has also Mike Haughton - MGCC Liaison provided an update on the 2020 Cheshire Candles Charity Run and our [email protected] LLANERCHINDDA FARM trip. There will also be another rolling road day to allow us to get our tuned for Summer 2020. Martin Williamson- PR/Newsletter The weather was reasonably good through October at times (although I [email protected] may be confusing that with the various places I have been on business) Volunteers: Steve Brace, Neil which meant that the last of the various Cars & Coffee events had a great Kennedy, Neil Gray, Richard Hayes, show of support. (Picture below from Chester Lakes by Steve Brace). and Matt Brookfield. Until next time. Visit us on the web at: www.westcheshiremgoc.club Cover photo: “MGB in reflection” by Martin Williamson

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Keith Davis & Son Ltd

Parsonage Garage

Family run, customer focused business, committed to providing value for money and traditional honest service & repairs on all modern and classic cars. Worked in the motor trade since 1971 and established in Aldford since 1993. Work undertaken on all makes & models - modern or classic. Traditional servicing methods used combined with modern diagnostic technology. Classic enthusiast and MGB owner for many years. Maintenance, repairs and MOT testing undertaken on all classic cars including MGs.

Parsonage Garage, Middle Lane, Aldford, Chester, CH3 6JA

01244 620 399 or 07714 157200

[email protected] citroen-specialist-chester.co.uk

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Savoury Ducks By Stuart Bebbington Faggots are meatballs made from minced off-cuts and offal, especially pork (traditionally pig's heart, liver, and fatty belly meat or bacon) together with herbs for flavouring and sometimes added bread crumbs. It is a traditional dish in the , especially South and Mid Wales and the English Midlands.

Faggots originated as a traditional cheap food consumed by ordinary country people in Western England, particularly west Wiltshire and the West Midlands. Their popularity spread from there, especially to South Wales in the mid-nineteenth century, when many agricultural workers left the land to work in the rapidly expanding industry and mines of that area. Faggots are also known as "ducks" in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Lancashire, often as "savoury ducks". The first use of the term in print was in the Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser of Saturday 3 June 1843, a news report of a gluttonous man who ate twelve of them.

The first use of the term in print, as cited in the Oxford English Dictionary, dates from 1851, in a piece by Henry Mayhew in which he describes a dish identical to the modern product with chopped liver and lights in an outer wrapper of caul. This was in . The use of the word "faggot" has caused controversy due to its additional meaning as a pejorative term for a homosexual man in American English. In 2004, a radio commercial for the UK supermarket chain Somerfield, in which a man rejects his wife's suggested dinner saying "I've got nothing against faggots, I just don't fancy them" was found to have breached the Advertising and Sponsorship Code and was banned by the industry regulator Ofcom. In November 2013, it was reported that British Facebook users had been blocked temporarily for using the word, in its culinary sense, on the website. Facebook said that the word had been "misinterpreted."

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The month in pictures!

Not quite as impressive as Angie Haughton and Mike's drive up the Stelvio Pass with it's 45 hairpin bends and height of 2757 meters. However, rather closer to home, me & Amanda did follow Neil's TF up the Llanberis pass this afternoon. No hairpin bends and s total height of 335 meters.....still a great drive though! And then s very pleasant journey home down the A5.” Steve Brace on Facebook.

To join us on Facebook search for westcheshireMGOC

Photos by Steve Brace

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My Cars Gone Viral

I must say I got a bit of a surprise a few weeks ago when I opened up a couple of national MG Instagram and Facebook sites that I follow - only to see my own car staring back at me.

It all started when Martin posted a picture of my car (he always manages to make it look good, so thanks for that Martin!). It appears that this photo was then picked up by Facebook's Classic MG Magazine under the headline 'A white 1966 MGB, with chrome wire wheels. Could this be perfection?' With over 300 'likes' and comments such as "certainly close to perfection" it was good to see and hear!

The same photo then appeared on Instagram's 'classicmgcars', another national site in the MG world. This time it attracted over 600 'likes' and a few more encouraging compliments.

Now whether all these 'likes' and comments would have been expressed, had they seen the car in the flesh rather than from Martin's nicely edited photo is debatable - especially bearing in mind my well advertised lack of car show prizes, but again they were good to hear.

So not quite viral but definitely a good result all round. And in this digital age I now remind myself that it's not all about the prizes, it's also about the 'likes'.....

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Meet the members!

Name: Mike Haughton Age: 65 What MG(s) or classic(s) do you own? Currently an RV8 and an MGC GT How long have you had it/them?: RV8 4 years - MGC 35 years Have you had other MGs or classics before this one?: Pre our MG era - a Mk 2 Cortina Lotus - then a few B's and Midgets, a 1300, a Metro, 2 Maestros, 2 Montegos, modern TF, ZT 260 V8, ZT 1.8 Turbo, ZT-T 180 briefly, MG3, MG6- think that's all... What made you decide on an MG? I was looking for a Lotus Elan back in 1980 (having sold the Cortina Lotus) but they were over £3,000 - and a 1973 MGB GT was only £1,200 - so no contest really! Have had at least 1 MG ever since! Also the MG clubs and social scene has helped us make many long terms friends over the years. Working or Retired?: I might be retired (if I keep my head down) after 40++ years in the life insurance business. After being in a rather senior position in a multinational company that closed down, I started as a self employed consultant in 2003, and never missed the corporate environment. Single or partnered? Very happily married to Angie since 1977. Hobbies, what floats your boat? Apart from MGs - Rock music; saw probably all the major rock bands in the late 60's and 70's - did a couple of festivals, and have met a fair few band members too, including a memorable curry with Rick Wakeman. Also rugby union - used to go to all the England 5 then 6 Nations matches - Dublin was always a great 'craic'. Bit of photography too. Any bucket list items? No real list as such - but we've just done the Stelvio Pass in the MGC, which would have been on the list if I had one! We have really enjoyed exploring parts of Europe the last few years with other MG friends, so will continue that. A Rugby Union World Cup Final would be nice.

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Meet the members!

Name: Angie Haughton Age: Yes What MG(s) or classic(s) do you own? 1971 MG Midget “Tigger” How long have you had it/them?: This time just a year, but owned it 35 years ago for a year or two, it was sold to a friend to make way for the MGC GT… Have you had other MGs or classics before this one?: Best see Mike’s answer – I think that’s the lot! My own first MG was a MG 1300, which I loved, but Mike didn’t, he thought it was like driving an armchair! I think it ended up in the scrapheap in the sky. What made you decide on an MG? like Mike said, we couldn’t afford a Lotus Elan, so got a MGB GT which was at the same garage. Working or Retired?: Working - employed in the mornings, then self- employed in the afternoon, all other time working for family, or MG clubs. Single or partnered? Married 42 years and counting, to my chief mechanic and knight in shining armour (it must be the WD40 that keeps it shining). Hobbies, what floats your boat? Walking the dog - spending time with, and cooking for, friends & family - driving holidays and museums. I like meeting new people as we travel around the globe. Any bucket list items? Drive an MG to the Arctic Circle, and back– and maybe an Austin Healy 3000!

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Cars & Castles By Steve Brace

On 29 September a few of us, namely myself & Amanda, Rob, Martin & Gail, Matt & Julie and Neil attended the North Wales Walled Towns Trail Car Run. Although the weather yet again wasn't kind, it didn't stop this being a great end of season drive.

Over 90 cars started from Denbigh and finished beneath the magnificent walls of Caernarfon Castle for the prize giving. No prizes for any of us, or in fact any MGs, this time but we did decide that it did seem a little biased towards the Triumphs! My own particular favourites included a vintage and a back to the future DeLorean. The castle, however, made for a fan- tastic backdrop for all the cars in attendance.

Caernarfon Castle was built on the orders of Edward III in 1283, following his conquest of Wales. Whilst the castle was being built the town walls were also constructed. Caernarfon acted as an administrative centre for North Wales and formed part of Edwards 'iron ring of castles' to protect his Welsh gains - so the defences were built on a grand scale. The work cost a massive £25,000 which represented more than the Treasury would have taken in tax per annum at that time. The work took until 1307 to complete and the castle walls are said to reflect the imperial architecture of the walls of Constantinople.

It was besieged by Llywelyn, Prince of Wales in 1294, whilst still under construction. During 1401, 1403 and 1404 the castle saw further action when being attacked by Owain Glyndwr's army and other Welsh and French forces. From 1485, when the Tudor Dynasty ascended to the English throne, ten- sions between the Welsh and English diminished. The castle was therefore allowed to fall into disre- pair. Despite this, during the English Civil War the castle was held by Royalists but eventually surren- dered to the Parliamentarians in 1646. This was the last time the castle was used for war purposes.

The castle escaped being slighted, which was the fate of many castles at this time, but remained ne- glected until the late 19th century. In 1870 the gov- ernment of the day funded controversial restoration work to the castle, rebuilding and repairing the stone work rather than simply conserving what re- mained. However, this has left us with the impres- sive structure that we see today. In 1986 Caernarfon Castle was added to the UNESCO list of World Herit- age Sites as part of the 'Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd' in recognition of its global importance.

On our way to Caernarfon we had driven over the fantastic roads of the Denbigh moors for a coffee stop in Conwy - another of Edward's fortified towns. This was followed by a drive to Beaumaris on Angle- sey for lunch. The castle at Beaumaris should have been the 'masterpiece of all castles' but instead is famous for being the castle that was never finished. Largely down to expense and due to the fact that funds had to be diverted elsewhere, the castle re- mained unfinished and a dream that never quite happened.

So not unlike many a classic car restoration project then..... 10

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ALL NEW MG HS, THE QUALITY SUV FOR QUALITY FAMILY MOMENTS

MG Motor UK launches All New MG HS, its flagship -C segment SUV

Sporty on the outside, family friendly on the inside, All New MG HS is the quality SUV for quality

family moments with soft-touch materials used throughout the spacious cabin

New 162PS turbo and high-tech MG Pilot driver assistance suite are fitted as standard

across all versions, making the driving experience refined, enjoyable and safe

From just £17,995 OTR, All New MG HS creates a new definition of affordable luxury with beautiful

materials and high levels of standard equipment across the range

All New MG HS is backed by MG’s famous 7-year warranty, which is now standard across the MG

range, highlighting real confidence in build quality and reliability

MG Motor UK is delighted to announce the launch of its new flagship model, All New MG HS, a quality C-segment SUV designed for quality family moments. All New MG HS offers buyers an exciting and high-quality alternative to the conventional choices with a sporty exterior and a family friendly interior with soft-touch materials used throughout. By combining high quality with keen pricing, All New MG HS creates a new definition of affordable luxury for new car buyers in the UK. All New MG HS has been designed to look purposeful, sporty and perfectly at home on British and European roads. At the front, the latest iteration of MG’s stellar field grille perfectly frames the largest MG logo yet. At the rear, twin tailpipes and an aluminium lower bumper add a classy and sporty finish. Inside, soft-touch materials reign supreme as MG’s designers have prioritised comfort and quality to make the cabin a very inviting place. The well-appointed driving position and roomy seats make All New MG HS into a quality space for quality family moments.

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Front passengers can enjoy class leading shoulder-, hip- and head-room with soft-touch materials in all the right places. Piano key buttons, turbine design air vents and soft-touch door cards are pleasingly tactile, adding to the sense of comfort and quali- ty inside the car. Rear seat passengers are catered for too with the reclining seats offering bags of space, twin air vents, two USBs and a sleek fold-out arm rest, which cleverly opens to reveal storage space and twin cup holders. All New MG HS is powered by MG’s latest 162PS turbo petrol engine in all three versions; entry level Explore, mid-level Excite and top level Exclusive. All versions are available with a six-speed manual or with a seven-speed DCT transmis- sion on Excite and Exclusive versions. Exclusive DCT versions also include a steering wheel-mounted ‘Super Sport’ button, which engages the car’s Sport mode and illuminates the interior’s red ambient lighting. With the MG Pilot suite of high-tech driver aids coming as standard, All New MG HS provides a quality driving experience with measured performance and driver assistance. MG Pilot makes driving a joy with Active Emergency Braking, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keep Assist, Intelligent Speed Limit Assist, Intelligent Headlight Control, Traffic Jam Assist, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Blind Spot Detection and Door Opening Warning.

All New MG HS offers affordable luxury across the range with all versions highly specified. The entry level Explore model starts from just £17,995 OTR. Standard features include 17” alloy wheels, keyless entry with push button start, a 10.1” colour touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and and electric folding and heated door mirrors. The mid-level Excite version is available from £20,495 OTR and adds rear parking camera, 18” alloys, rain sensing wipers and sat-nav. Top spec Exclusive is available from £22,995 with a choice of two leather interiors (black or red and black), front and rear LED sequential indicators, electrically adjustable heated sports front seats, dual zone climate control, ambient lighting and a stunning panoramic opening Skyroof. DCT versions also include driving modes including Super Sport and a customisable elec- tronic opening tailgate. Daniel Gregorious, Head of Sales & Marketing at MG Motor UK commented, “We’re absolutely delighted to bring All New MG HS to the UK. This car brings a whole new level of quality and refinement to the segment, wrapped-up in a sporty and afforda- ble package. All New MG HS will appeal to families looking for a high-quality alternative to run of the mill SUVs. This car deliv- ers a combination of quality and value that only MG can achieve, and we’re delighted to add it to our growing range.” On sale now with customer deliveries starting in November, All New MG HS becomes the fourth car in MG’s range alongside the MG3 hatchback, MG ZS compact SUV and the all-electric MG ZS EV. All New MG HS is backed by MG’s famous 7-year war- ranty, which is now standard across the MG range, highlighting real confidence in the build quality and providing customers with complete peace of mind.

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LLANERCHINDDA FARM

We are still on track to hold our 2020 5 day rally 15-19 June at the Llanerchindda Farm base, from which we will emerge each day for a tour to Brecon Beacons, mid-Wales and coast. All 14 rooms are currently taken by members, including two couples from the North Wales Octagon Car Club. In its recent Autumn newsletter the Farm reported that so far 23 car clubs have booked for 2020, including 5 MG clubs. If you are visiting the NEC Classic Motor Show, 8-10 November, you will find the Farm on stand 163 in Hall 1.

2020 CHESHIRE CANDLES CHARITY RUN

There is not much to report so far, although much effort is being put into finding mid-point and finish venues. Con- trary to earlier reports we will again be starting the run at Bellis Brothers Farm Shop, Holt, on Sunday 3rd May. The online booking system will become “live” soon with an announcement on our website and Facebook pages. For 2020 the cost will be £22 per car, the first increase since we started these runs in 2015. As previously, we accept any MG and any other make of car with historic class status (registered before 1979).

The charities we are supporting are Clatterbridge Cancer Centre and also Brain Injury Recovery and Development (BIRD) at Eccleston, near Chester.

Neil Wallace October 2019

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2019 Club Events Visit the club website for updated information and more details. November Tuesday, 12th - Monthly meeting—Note the new venue! Sunday, 17th - Pub Lunch at The White Horse

www.westcheshiremgoc.club

And Then There Was Space

October club night was the first in our new venue; The Trophy Room, Cheshire County Sports Club on Plas Newton Lane. Although sorry to leave the Shrewsbury Arms and thankful for the support they gave us over the past 12 months, we are looking forward to holding our future meetings at our new venue.

As if to celebrate it wasn't even raining, we had a good selection of MGs on display and 47 of us attended. Also great to see the of another two new members - so welcome Rod and Clive. We are looking forward to seeing you both and your cars on future events.

We received some good feedback with members liking the increased space and ample seating arrangements. And with the room living up to its name with plenty of trophies on display, at least Neil will feel at home!

Words & Photos by Steve Brace

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