The Tradsheet

Founded 1967

Newsletter of the Traditional Car Club of Doncaster December 2019/January 2020

1 EDITORIAL We are approaching the Christmas and New Year season. Easily spotted by the advertising overload of strange perfume adverts, Black Friday deals (but not necessarily on a Friday) and a veritable bombard- ment by the charity industry. Added to the heady mix is an election with all of the promises of wonders to come. I am having a Whatever you vote, I hope nobody is offended by my Christmas Dinner plan. Brexit Christ- In this Tradsheet, Howard Sandford has taken up the challenge of telling us about mas dinner this his motoring past adventures. I really enjoy the stories of how, with our lives ahead year. Same as of us, we do ridiculous things that seem sensible at the time. You can all send as usual but with many stories like this as you like, I find them very enjoyable. I have done some tales a while back now, might do some more, feel free to join in. no Brussels. The Club Annual General Meeting will be held on Wednesday 12th February at the Burghwallis, (it is on a normal club night). It will follow the usual agenda of minutes, reports by committee members, election of the committee for 2020, questions, answers and discussion plus any motions that members wish to put forward. There are no motions as yet and the next Tradsheet will be done to give out at the meeting on January 29th to give the notice required under our rules. This is just an early notice. At this point I would like to tell you the wondrous things that I have done to my cars, but I can’t. It feels like it has been raining, or at least left the ground wet, since my last editorial. As I have a small bit of welding to do underneath on the Herald, dry ground is quite important as electrical tools and water do not mix safely. The Bongo van only failed the MOT on a non working foglight. This is an excellent design that has a hole at the back where it can collect all the rain from road and wheels, fill up with water and rot. A replacement unit fixed that. Latest plan for the van is to get a solar panel, leisure battery and see what chaos I can cause with that. My problems with the rain are minor compared to the poor souls who found themselves flooded. The committee could not find any good way of checking on members so the hope is that, if anyone needed help, they asked. If you still need help, you can still ask and the club will do what we can. Another annual event involves you dipping into your pockets and purses and renewing your membership. Mem- bership subs are due from 1st January and a renewal form is included in the envelope. Please do it before you forget and put the form in a safe place for later. I hope that all have found the club worthwhile again this year with the events, club runs and the meetings with like minded crack- pots. Boring but useful advice at this time of year, check your lights, wipers, tyres, fluids and fanbelt. Take something warm to wear in case of breakdowns, when the engine stops, so does the heater. Something to eat and drink may be useful in case of breakdown or traffic, road closures happen far more often nowadays. I always have some rock salt in an old four pint milk container, just in case of snow or ice. As it is the season of Christmas, good wishes go to all and may sprouts not darken your dinner. I have chosen a theme of berries this year as we have already had holly and ivy in previous years. As usual, I have stretched the depiction of berries as far as I can. So, to start as I mean to go on, Berry Christmas Andy Campbell.

3 The Sleigh

It seems timely to look at this mode of transport which is a lot over 20 years old. Firstly, there is a sleigh, which is the same as an early car or carriage with sleds for landing in the snow that we don’t usually have at Christmas. (Many parts of the world have no snow ever but who am I to challenge the story?) No apparent suspension, and steering via the reins so low maintenance. Is obviously quite large to accommodate one fat jolly person and a whole lot of presents for children who have been good. Rumours that there are less presents these days, because kids are not as good as we were, are hotly contested. Propulsion is by magic reindeer that can fly. Tradition from 1823 says 8, but America added Rudolph and many cards show any- thing from 4, through 6 to 8. There is a strong opinion that Christmas cards are not actually accurate as they show differing numbers of deer and even ordinary Roe deer (like Bambi) which, as we all know, are not strong enough and can’t fly. Assuming that a reindeer has a strength similar to a cart horse, the power will be 4hp, 6hp,or 8hp which probably fitted into the various road tax brackets at any given time. The sleigh doesn’t actually use the road but parks on it sometimes so must pay the tax or risk being impounded and/or crushed. No one has tested for emissions, we don’t really want to think about that. Despite using the road and the obvious dangers from drones, aircraft, high buildings and pylons, there is no record of Father Christmas ever passing a driving or flying test and, considering that he drinks some gallons of spirits left out for him (soaked up by cake and biscuits) he is very lucky not to have been breathalysed. It is fair to say though that there is no record of any accidents whilst he does his deliveries. We have only seen copies or kit versions of a sleigh, you can’t see the real one even though it can be tracked on a computer, but you could make one a bit like the go carts made from an old pram. First, get an old pram. Take off the body, you can sit in that bit, painting it red would be a good idea although they are all that colour. Bit of flip/ flop paint maybe, a little custom work? Metal coat hanger aerial? You will need a plank or two, bit of old scaffold board maybe, to fix the wheels to and do the rope steering system. For the reindeer, cut out their shape on a bit of old ply, then fix them to a pole, a bit like the bowsprit on a sailing ship. Fix the pole onto the scaffold board at a 45 degree angle (to simulate take off) and then you are done. Be careful not to spear the neighbours with the reindeer pole. Brakes are shoes on the ground or wheels, as in childhood. You could motorise the whole catastrophe using a lawn mower but would need insurance, tax and MOT which might be difficult, stick to no engine and use a hill, or maybe the static version is probably safest. Disclaimer. The Traditional Car Club cannot be held re- sponsible if you choose to make a sleigh then wander around in strangers’ homes in a red suit, drinking their booze and eating their food. Even if you do leave them a little pre- sent.

I enjoyed Jim Konstandelos’ story about his trip to Greece by Reliant in 1964. I am looking forward to more like that, please. Not much by comparison, but even in 1970 a road trip as far as Yugo- slavia was big adventure for me and a couple of school friends in a 1962 Renault 4L. Bought cheap with a fresh MOT, goodness knows how, it was “prepared” over the early Summer, while we worked to finance the trip. Mum and dad returned from their holiday earlier than expected to find the dismantled engine neatly arranged all over the kitchen table, but I think I got away with it. The brakes were not really up to it due to the seized adjusters. So we fitted new linings and hammered the drums back on declaring, “they’ll soon wear in”. Off we went. There were several unscheduled stops – some on the way to Dover to pour water on the hot brake drums. In Calais we accepted the inevitable and lost a few days and many pounds to have some new back-plates fitted at the swish Renault agency. We then continued, following the red line that the RAC had drawn for us as it meandered across the map of Europe. Agreed, 55mph flat-out on an Autobahn was a scary place to be. The next enforced stop was Ulm. The bracket attaching a rear damper to the suspension arm had sheared off, taking the brake pipe with it. Driving up a mountain to camp, then down again the following morning with only a handbrake, was entertaining. A service station attempted a weld repair. The mechanic remarking “Jugoslawien?!!” while making a cut-throat sign. We just assumed that Germans were unpopular there for some reason. The weld repair lasted a few miles after which we re-routed the brake pipe and threw the damper in the back for the rest of the trip. Next stop Munich, clutch cable snapped. Mole grips lashed to pedal worked quite well. Beer Festival. No point in trying to find a long cable in Salzburg either, they only have short LHD ones. Mole grips for the rest of the trip then! We struggled up the Alps to the Karawanken Tunnel and paused for puerile humour. Then we screamed down into Italy around the hairpin bends with the handbrake permanently on and one back wheel pogo-ing madly. At the Yugoslavian border we misunderstood and did not stop when required but luckily no bullet-holes resulted. After that things went quite smoothly until at Split we thought we had better turn around as our time was up. The journey holds the memories, not the destination. Renault 4 (early model)? -A rot box with some quaint French features. The 750cc struggled with the loads we put on it but it would go almost everywhere without 4WD. Great for camping with removable ham- mock seats (a la 2CV) for stowing your tent poles underneath. Another friend toured Greece and Turkey in one not long after that. By the time we reached Brussels it was tiring rapidly but it made it flat out as far as Huddersfield for the (apparently) vital game with Wakefield Trinity. That was about the last I saw of it before my mate sold it to some gullible individual. Fondly remembered, though. Howard Sandford

( I love this, damper in the back, brake bodges and mole grip holding the clutch cable together, brilliant, Editor.)

Hello Club Members The car show season may well be in hibernation - by the time you read this we will be fast approaching the Christmas season, a time for reflection on the outgoing year, from the early season success I had with both my cars winning trophies, the mid season height of our own Doncaster Show (which I was able to attend this time due to its date change) and the new passion I picked up for World War 2 re-enactment after our D-Day commemorations (much to my family’s dismay). It seems hard to believe but this time last year I began to ask if I could have a look at the clubs website to see if I could update it. Well, 10 months on from the new site launch (at the time of writing) it has received almost 64,000 visits and attracts a significant proportion of our new members as well as providing a useful resource for show dates, regalia, club meetings, points of contact and now holding the begin- nings of the clubs electronic version of it’s archive. I know the internet is not everyone's cup of tea but coupled with everything else the club has going for it we are definitely a thriving club. We have also lost quite a number of members and friends over the past year. A quick glance through the photos on our Facebook page reminds us of the fun we have shared with them and at this time of year reflecting on those times seems appropriate and an uplifting way to remember them all. The festive season is also a time of giving. Carol will be busy with the hats, scarves & gloves campaign for the homeless I am sure and we have all contributed as a club to the success of the Doncaster Show earlier in the year. At this time of giving and thinking of others I would like to share with you some aspects of the wonderful evening I was fortunate enough to be invited to by the Rotary Club (our partners in organising the Doncaster Show). Newer members in the Club may not be aware that one of the main purposes of the Doncaster Show is to raise as much money as possible for the Doncaster St Georges Ro- tary Club to hand out to good causes in our local area. Good causes encapsulates not just charities but other projects, events and social issues taking place in our local area. The evening I was invited to was the Rotary Club’s presentation evening, taking place earlier in the year and before the Doncaster Show. Throughout the year any local good cause can apply to the Rotary club to receive financial help. The award evening is where the successful applicants can send a representative to receive a cheque for their cause whilst detailing what their cause is and how the money will be used. This year there were 46 different applications and 38 of these were successful. A total of over £25,000 would be awarded during the course of the evening with the funds being raised not just by the Doncaster Show but also by other fund raising activities the Rotary Club had undertaken throughout the year. We began the evening with Doncaster Girl Guides who were going to help in providing allotments for disabled gardeners, followed by Viking Explorer Scouts who were using their award to pur- chase new explorer equipment. Sheffield Children's Hospital received an award to help with the Cystic Fibrosis Unit.

6 Rossington Scouts will enjoy a new home thanks to their award whilst the Doncaster Deaf Trust (the venue for the Doncaster Show) will build a new sensory garden with theirs. Rossington Good Neighbours will be able to re-open their meals on wheels service now, whilst St Johns Hospice will be able to re-furbish patient rooms with recliner bed chairs. Denaby & Conisbrough Ladies Group have been able to establish a community choir and Doncaster Foster Parents Group have been able to put on events and activities for the children. Conisbrough Forward are to use their award towards improving the centre of Conisbrough, Ivanhoe Mums & Tots Group are able to buy new toys for the children. Creative Wellbeing are able to buy equipment to help vulnerable people suffering with dementia to help with their long term health issues. Barnburgh Junior Athletic Football Club are now able to offer football to a wider age group of children. Grey Star Canoe Club at Hatfield are able to buy canoes for younger children to be able to join in. Friends of Barnsley Road Playing Field have been able to set up a nature reserve whilst the Y.M.C.A have been able to help 109 families throughout the area. Fun Filled Days have been able to provide an event every month at their day-care centre for adults with learning difficulties. Stainforth For All have helped 30 financially disadvantaged children and families to go to see the Christ- mas panto (oh yes they have). Artistic Spectrum have been able to provide a Saturday art class for people with autism. Austerfield Mosaic Trust have been able to provide better access for the disabled at Austerfield nature reserve. Doncaster Mind support mental health issues in Doncaster and have been able to produce new leaflets to help raise awareness of their service, likewise the Cascade Foundation has also been able to raise awareness of the work it does helping people with learning difficulties after they have had a head injury. Hatfield Library were able to put on summertime activities for the children of Hatfield. Cry Askern have been able to continue in their work helping people with drug and alcohol issues and in providing a family food bank. Doncaster Samaritans were able to buy new chairs for their volunteers. Several local scouts and girl guides groups were able to either fund new equipment or activities using their awards. This is now the second time I have been to the awards evening and the variety of causes helped have been amazing and completely different each time. I did take the opportunity to spread the word about the Doncaster Show to help us fill the coffers for next year’s award recipients. Long may the good work continue. All that is left for me to say is that on behalf of everyone at the Traditional Car Club of Don- caster have a wonderful, happy and healthy Christmas and New Year. We look forward to spending 2020 with you; Rodger and I have already begun the process of gathering details of 2020 shows & events for you and putting them onto the website and into the Tradsheet. Graham Wickham

Parking in a central area of Berry St. Edmunds.

7 Vauxhall Magnum 1973 to 1978

First seen at the London Motor Show in October 1973, the Magnum was an HC Viva with a larger engine, more luxurious interior, higher trim level and four rather than two headlights. It shared its suspension and drive train with the larger-engined variants of the Vauxhall Viva and Firenza.

The smaller-engined version used the 1800 cc Slant- Four engine, and a twin-dial instrument panel, while the more powerful version used the 2279 cc Slant-Four and had a seven-dial instrument panel.

Both were available in 2- and 4-door versions, a fastback- shaped 3-door estate and a coupé. All had "Rostyle" wheels. Confusingly, it was also possible to buy certain Viva models with the larger engines, but with vinyl interior trim. The contin- uing lack of coherency of the model range during that period was one of Vauxhall's main marketing problems.

Late in the model's life there was a mild "upgrade" which saw the 2300 switch from twin to single carb with a drop of 2 bhp to 108 bhp, although the 1800 jumped from 77 bhp to 88 bhp which cut the 0- 60 mph time by 3s to 12.5s, and raised the top speed to 100 mph from 93 mph previously.

The Magnum badge also superseded the Firenza badge used on the two-door coupé model, which name was then used exclusively for the HPF "droopsnoot" model from 1974. The Magnum model range continued until 1978: by then it was increasingly being overshadowed in the domestic market place by the Ascona based Vauxhall Cavalier.

The various trim and body options that were originally exclusive to the Magnum made their way over to the Viva, producing the top of the line Viva GLS, in a bid to shore up the increasingly poor sales of the model.

The main difference aside from badging was that the Viva GLS only had the 1256cc and 1759cc engines, the latter only with an automatic box. The Viva range was finally discontinued in 1979.

The Magnum name was adopted for the Viva 1300 in New Zealand from1975, where it had the four headlight frontal treatment of the British Magnum, but standard Viva interi- or trim.

An idea for your Christmas Turkey. Go on– you know you want to.

8 A special variant of the Magnum estate, known as the Sportshatch, was produced in limited numbers (197) in 1976. This model used the "droopsnoot" nose cone, which had been designed by Wayne Cher- ry, Vauxhall's Chief Design Engineer to be used in the HP Firenza Droop Snoot model.

In Trevor Alder's book "Vauxhall - The Post War Years" mention is made of a HP Firenza Sport Hatch prototype which was a one-off and was painted in silver starfire, with a six-light version of the droop snoot nose and also sharing the Viva/ Magnum estate body shell. This car (registration plate GNK 31N) has sur- vived and is known to be in the hands of Vauxhall enthusiasts.

The HP Firenza project was proposed to produce over 2,000 cars a year, but production of this model ceased after just 204 examples were built. Some nose cones were left over at end of production and these were used in the limited run of "Sports Hatch" models as de- scribed above.

The Sports Hatch limited edition did not share the uprated 2279cc slant four engine with the HP Firenza Droop Snoot model, but instead was fitted with the standard tune single carb 2279cc slant four engine and running gear of the Magnum. Also included in the standard specification was the famous "seven dial dash", Avon Safety Wheels and a distinctive paint finish in a then brand new Vauxhall "Extra Dark Wine" (only available otherwise on the brand new for 1976 VX 2300 GLS model) which was complemented with bright red striping and highlights. This model was always rare with 197 vehicles being completed and is now highly collectable. Vauxhall marketed this car as a "hatchback", since it was coming under increasing pressure from new European models such as the Golf that were hatchbacks. However, the Sportshatch shared its bodyshell with the Viva Estate (which was only ever produced in a two-door plus tailgate configuration).

Nick Berry The Magnum coupe is also worthy of men- (And I sneaked a Herald tion in the Magnum range. There were only in there, and Yorkshire.) 1692 coupes produced from late 1973 to early 1975 with the majority sold later in the model's life due to the 1973 oil crisis. The Magnum range had larger engines than most other Vauxhalls thus were one of the cars with the most affected sales in this period. The 2279cc engined car had a particu- larly short run of only 525, according to Vauxhall 427 cars were produced in 1974 and 98 in 1975, only 1167 1759cc engined coupes were produced.

Performance was quite brisk, but fuel economy was never the Magnum's (or the Vauxhall Slant Four Engine's generally) strong point. In normal use the Magnum 2300 would manage around 25mpg, rising to over 30mpg on a restrained motorway journey.

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10 No, it’s not finished yet, I blame Mussolini.

When, as a teenager, I was scrounging for mini parts at my favourite breaker’s yard ( Dodds of Cud- worth ), I would see an interesting little car perched on top of a removal van. It was kept tantalisingly out of reach. Being a drag-racing fan, I had seen plenty “Altereds” in Hot Rod Magazine, so I knew it was a Topolino. Conceived as Mussolini’s “Car of Work and Savings”, it was a small, cheap car for the people. With only two seats though, it was not really suitable for families of peasants. The first owners would be business-men and ladies who wore hats. The Fiat 500 was born in 1936 and the public christened it Topolino. The “little mouse” was probably only expected to survive until WW2 was over. After that everybody would be rich enough to afford something better, perhaps a Vespa or a VW. Accordingly, it was made from a new composite material (a rolled rust and steel sponge cake) and blown over with a coloured wash that would last almost long enough. The designers had toyed with the concept of front-wheel drive and hung the engine way out at the front, just in case. The accountants must have then told them to forget that and copy the rear of the chassis from an Austin 7. The puny 570cc side-valve engine was topped with a huge 12v dynamo, almost as big, driving a propeller big enough to be a secondary means of propulsion. It does not get very hot in Italy, so the propeller would continually blow warm air from the engine through the radiator, over the fuel tank towards the occupants. The door skins bal- looned out for maximum elbow room and had small sliding windows to flick fag ash through. If a driver should feel faint from the heat or fumes, air intake flaps were provided to cool the legs and a roll-back roof to cool the head. 2007– It just needs finishing.

The roof and the door seals would allow rain to flow in, keeping the interior cool and dissolving the seats and the lower six inches of the bodywork. The battery behind the driver’s seat would help. The delicate body-shell was underpinned by a flimsy chassis. Unfor- tunately, this ended in front of the rear axle and left the rear bodywork overhanging. With no roof to speak of and a rusty floor, the effect of perching too many “bambini” in the rear could be disastrous. However, for the safety-conscious, the new-fangled hydraulic brakes could stop it even from its dizzying 50mph maximum. A good job because the transmission brake might destroy itself if grabbed whilst in motion. In an emergency, occupants could always bale out through the “suicide” doors which would then act as air-brakes.

Chuck Berry

11 Forty years later, in 2007, I was able to bring home my own little mouse and hide it in my newly- constructed garage/workshop. Needing to finish the extension and re-roof the house, I could only look at it from time to time. However, I began to notice a few disturbing features.

That door will never fit Hidden bodgery inside a sill The floor and sills turned out to be home-made concoctions and not as conceived by Fiat. The sills, which should have an elegant double curvature, were a single curve of the wrong radius. The doors were curved to a different radius. They never would fit properly because, during replacement of the floor, the door-openings had been allowed to close up. Underneath the thick layer of grey primer that coated the body, I found a badly pitted skin that was tissue-thick, well hammered and blasted. Scraping away the paint in some places and holding a light behind the panel was like viewing the sky on a starry night. I had ignored all that good advice about avoiding cars that had been b’ed about with. This was going to be a long job.

The house renovations and a dalliance with a pre-vandalised Mk1 Golf cabrio lasting three or four years delayed the inevitable. It was about 2014 that I finally grasped the angle-grinder, vowing that all botch- ery would be avenged. Replica sills and door bottoms were sent from Holland, so that I would have at least something of the correct shape to begin with. Apart from floor pans, there are no other ready- made panels available. After wasting months on trying to improve the original distorted doors and bat- tered wings, I put all that down to experience. It was pure luck that I found the “doors from Singa- pores” and the front wings from a bloke putting a Topolino body onto a Talbot chassis (wonder how that’s going?). So I started on repairing those instead.

At least it is small for throwing about,

And it comes with a handy work- bench.

12 Only about 30% of the original panels remain.

Whenever I congratulated myself on completing one section, I would then look over and see another bit that needed replacing; a seemingly never-ending night- mare. The car’s unofficial nick-name is now “Patches”. The body shell has been laboriously spot-blasted, inch by square inch and sealed. Other panels have been blasted in a home-made booth. This summer’s goal was to get some paint on all the body panels and have the seats reupholstered. As I write, not much chance of that. The blasting, tapping, filling and sanding has not abated. Is the engine that has waited patiently for so long now seized? Will the once newly-rebuilt brakes now be solid? Next year? Well, as always, there remains hope.

Howard Sandford

carry on 2017, a rare day out Spraining the mouse’s nose back into shape - a brexit of a job in 2019

13 The weather forecast for the Autumn Closer Run was horrible. Wind, heavy rain and all sorts of apocalyptic warnings were issued so we went anyway. On the day itself, although the sky looked a bit suspect, the weather was safe enough to drive the whole route as planned. The Burghwallis again looked after us with refreshments before we set off. Many took the sensible option of bringing the more modern cars along, obviously there were those that didn’t. I don’t think that anyone got lost this time, Kevin made it quite clear that, unless we learned to take the fourth turn on the very clear route directions properly this time, we would repeat it on club runs until we worked out how to do the first left on the main road without going straight on. We learned. Driving through the Doncaster then Goole area country- side as part of a line of classics and friends is a good day out, even if the group gets a little broken up at junctions.

After the least direct route to Drax Power Station possible, going through nice villages that we might have heard of but mostly know from road-signs seen from the bigger roads, plus lots of good views, we all managed to follow the route as planned. Sky was fairly changeable throughout, brighter one minute, threat of rain the next but no real rain hit us.

Halle Berry

14 Stop for dinner, Drax Power Station.

Time to stretch our legs, have a very nice meal and do what we do best, Have a chat and get along with each other. We have been there twice now and the meal does not disappoint, carvery, nicely cooked. Then, out for the team photo where an idea was suggested to take another photo from up a nearby ramp. (well, we didn’t have a drone)

The problem of the ramp became obvious as the lamp post was in the way. (I am still not con- vinced that I am not taking these photos just to give someone an alibi. Wasn’t me officer, look, I was there)

Never mind, it gave Graham the opportunity to do his ‘vampire standing in the only shadow he could find’ impression. d find’ impression Now, fed and entertained, it was time for the second leg of the journey. Back to the cars for part two.

15 Away from Drax, we set off for Sandtoft airfield with it’s promise of a café with cakes and buns. Unfortunately, we had one breakdown which was fixed by the call out mechanic later. At least we had a few of us there to check all was ok and we did volunteer to bring buns back but we were told to carry on, so we did.

All happy in the café, Paul thought he had an early spot of Father Christmas flying past.

Remember that weather forecast? This is the sky not long before we left, absolutely chucked it down ( meteorologi- cal term) for a short while on my way home so we had a bit of luck on the way round. Good day out.

Photo is Berry St Edmunds again, is that Lance’s car?

16 Our next event was Halloween. Held on the club night a week before the actual day stopped us trick or treating but our normally scary members went a step further.

I think that it very fair to recognise how horrible we all looked. Always a worry of a breakdown, or need to pop into a shop on the way home but, that is a risk we had to take.

These dressing up theme evenings go well.

17 Of course, the cars like to join in.

Even though they have little choice.

Our most recent event was the craft night. All sorts of rather cleverly made things to buy.

18 THEY'RE EVERYWHERE !

There's no getting away from it, whether you're reading a classic magazine, visiting a Classic Show ... or just enjoying one of our Club get-togethers, Morris Minors are everywhere! Love 'em or loathe 'em, they are an important part of UK motoring history.

I took my four year old grandson to Brooklands Mo- tor Museum whilst I was down South a short while ago. It is a fascinating place and is known to be the oldest purpose-built motor racing circuit in the world. Amongst their large and varied exhibits is an actual Concorde that you can board and watch an interesting film on the subject (thinks ... another masterpiece, just like the Morris Minor!). On our walk out to the aircraft, we came across these two Minors, one a van and the other a pickup fire ap- pliance. They could both do with a refurbish, but were an interesting part of aerodrome life in days gone by. For anyone who is interested, this place is a superb visit for people of ALL ages ... and if you combine it with a good look round 'Mercedes World' which is just across the road, I can guarantee you will have a good day out.

CHRIS DIXON

I think that there is a reasonable expectation that Morris owners should dress like this for club nights. ED

Good to see Marion well enough to come to the meeting. Unfortunately committing the misdemeanour of accidentally spilling her wine. Second only to the shame of arriving to a club night on a breakdown truck.

Meanwhile, Geoff Humphrey spotted this rather strange vehicle, which way would you turn to avoid it?

19 And so to two wheels– A 650cc bike that was good but never hit the mainstream Matchless G12 The Matchless G12 was one of the last motorcycles under the Matchless name and was also produced as the AJS Model 31 by the same company. Designer by Phil Walker, AMC knew that it had to be a 650 cc but wanted to use as many parts from the Model 11 as possible. The cylinders could not be bored out further so the stroke was lengthened from 72.8 to 79.3 mm, resulting in a capacity of 646 cc. This meant developing a new crankshaft and primary chain- case, which also provided the opportunity to add a Lucas alternator. Volume production began in September 1958.

In 1959 the G12 was redesigned and modernised as the De Luxe with a new full cradle tubular duplex frame and a new cylinder head. Vibration had always been a problem, so the crankshaft was upgraded to nodular iron. Capable of 100 mph performance, the G12 became popular with the American market.

The Matchless G12 CS (sometimes referred to as the CS X) was an off-road version of the Matchless G12 with improved ground clearance and a slightly upswept exhaust and an 8.5:1 compression ratio. It was not a trials competition machine but instead aimed at the 'desert racer' market in the US. While never as popular as rivals Triumph and BSA 650's in Open Class desert competition, the Matchless was powered by a torquey and reliable motor and was suspended with the superior Teledraulic front fork. The Matchless G12 CSR designation officially stood for "Competition/Sprung/Roadster," the same no- menclature used with the G80 and G50 models. It is mistakenly referenced as Competition/Sport/Road. It was dubbed the Coffee Shop Racer by its rivals. With its distinctive two-into-one 'siamese' exhaust system and upgraded camshafts the CSR was a high-performance motorcycle with what was, at the time, a high compression ratio of 8.5:1, distinguishing it and the G12 CS from the other G12 models, having a 7.5:1 compression ratio. The factory diverted Chief Engineer Jack Williams from AJS 7R development to address the problems with leaks and vibration and modify the bikes for racing – with the result that Ron Langston and Don Chapman won the prestigious Thruxton 500 long-distance endurance race on the AJS Model 31 counterpart to the G12. Encouraged by this victory in 1963 the G12 CSR gained the name Monarch and twin carburettors (the AJS version was renamed Hurricane).

In 1964 the CSR gained Norton brakes and forks, and the following year a Norton Atlas 750 cc engine replaced the trouble prone AMC unit. In 1962 and 1963, AMC had produced a limited run of 212 tour- ing motorcycles of 738 cc displacement using an enlarged version of the G12 AMC-designed engine, but these bikes, which were given the model designation "G15/45", proved even less reliable than the 650 cc version when ridden hard. So AMC's original plans to develop a 750 cc desert racer version were abandoned. It is interesting to note however that when examples of the rare G15/45 surface they often have achieved similar mileages to the G12 on which they are based.

The styling and colour schemes may be equally to blame for the lack of commercial success. If successful, this could have saved the company as there was a huge un-met demand in the US for powerful desert racers to compete in endurance events. By this time the company were in financial trouble and production ended in 1966.

Some success was achieved with the Norton 750 Atlas Hybrid powered models, around 10,000 being sold in total, more than the number of Norton Atlas'. The CS "street scramblers" were competitive and popular [4500 built], and the project 11[P11] models won a world championship [1969] before the European 2- strokes arrived, and sold 2500 units.

20 Little did we know that George, Teresa’s car until recently, had a hidden past. George’s Great Adventure A few notes describing George’s Rally to Monte Carlo in 1990

November 1989 I decided it would be fun to take part in the Monte Carlo Challenge, after reading an article in the Classic Car magazine describing it as the first ever rally for pre-1960 classic cars, of a make and model which had competed on the Monte Carlo Rally There was just the small matter of finding a car and suitable companions for the trip. My work colleague, Kevin Dobson, a trainee architect, had already navigated for me on a navigational road rally and also one special stage rally so he didn’t take much persuading to join the expedition. Tim Neal, a trainee quantity surveyor in the office next door, was also interested so suddenly we had a three- man crew. Kevin had heard that a Mr Buzzard from Adderbury had a Hillman Minx for sale so £500 changed hands and we had a car. December 1989 That was the easy bit. Now we had to turn this delightful little car into a rally car, and sort out the logis- tics for the event Firstly, we had to obtain a FIVA licence to prove the car’s eligibility. A previous owner had replaced the original (presumably rusty) front wings with fibreglass copies, so I had to prove that fibreglass wings were available at the time when the car was manufactured. Hours spent scour- ing old motoring magazines eventually produced a 1957 advertisement for fibreglass wings, so the licence was issued. I fitted an old Halda Tripmeter, previously used in a rallying Mk 1 Cortina, and then we drove to the Halda works in London. As supplier of tripmeters for London taxis they were able to calibrate the tripmeter to suit the Minx We obtained spare parts from R.J Grimes of Coulsdon, a wonderful supplier of all spares for old Rootes vehicles (sadly now lost in a fire). Kevin’s father Derek rebuilt the gearbox and fitted new wheel bearings but otherwise the car was me- chanically sound. A set of snow tyres were fitted by Central Tyres of Chipping Norton, and I had the brake shoes relined with VG 95 competition brake linings. An aluminium instrument panel was made to house an ammeter, spotlight switches, fuses and a maplight. Period chrome spotlamps were supplied by Barrons our local car parts stockist and light relays, full harness seat belts and a new battery were fitted. A Karobes seat cover was fitted over the front bench seat to give support to the driver. We all attended a rally briefing with the organisers, before we bought a set of Michelin maps and plotted the whole rally route. It had always been our intention to use our adventure to gain sponsorship for a local charity, and so it was necessary to gain as much publicity as possible. We were featured in the Banbury Guardian, Ban- bury Cake, Focus, Oxford Mail, Radio Oxford and BBC filmed a feature for the local news.

21 Friday January 26th 1990 The adventure begins! A steady drive north up to the Glasgow start included battling through driving snow on the B6277 via Langdon Beck Saturday January 27th The cars were scrutineered in George Square by Bill Price, the ex-competitions manager for British Leyland and we signed on in Glasgow City Hall, The service in the Copthorne Hotel was so slow that they gave us a free lunch! In the evening we put on dress suits for a Burns Night dinner at the Hospitality Inn. One of the event rules was that, as well as the car, everything should be in period, so the next day we would be dressed in tweed suits or flying jackets with flat caps

Sunday January 28th The rally started from Blythswood Square with a send-off from a lone Scottish piper, and a police motorcycle escort out of town. We were running at no.69, with all the faster sportier cars ahead of us, but with early morning frost on the roads and the sun shining in the driver’s eyes we soon came across the first casualty, a modified Standard 8 rolled into the ditch. The rear suspension on the Minx was bottoming on some of the bumps (we had packed plenty of spares) but gradually improved as supplies were used up. First time control at Peebles was manned by David Steel MP, who was so impressed by the event he took part in the following 1991 event. We were followed initially by the event’s back up Discovery but he was soon left behind. Controls followed at Scotch Corner, Thirsk and Lincoln. Most of the teams stopped en-route for a quick meal, but our plan of a three-man crew and eating self-heating meals on the move meant we were running near the front of the field by the time we reached the evening meal halt for a curry at Roches- ter.

Monday January 29th We handed the hired dress suits over to spectating friends, checked the leaking diff, and headed for an autotest around the ferry terminal at Dover. Didn’t manage to sleep on the short ferry crossing and then competed in another autotest around the Calais terminal. As we left Calais, we were 36th overall and 4th in class ahead of Sunbeam Rapiers and MG Magnettes. We took turns at sleeping, navigating and driving and kept on the move, driving into the morning sun through St.Omer, stopping for a moment at a passage control in Theroanne, on via Behagnies., stopping again for fuel at Arras. Then another passage control at Ham, through St.Gobian, until we reached a time control in Reims, where we were treated to Champagne in the luxury of the Piper facility. Feeling very out of place there in our unshaven scruffy state. On we drove, passing an MG TD, to the next control at Conde-S.Marne. Refuelling at Cheppe-la prai- rie, through Wassy to our next time control in the walled town of Langres We were all feeling tired now, driving through dense fog, stopping for a passage control at Gray, before another time control in a café in the centre of Lons. Very tired now but still overtaking many cars. We left a Wolseley and an MG behind us through Dortan, and then Mieugy. The scenery now was what we had hoped for, snow covered roads, through dense forests of pine trees.

22 At last we arrived at our first overnight stop, a Novotel in Chambery. Too tired to eat the meal laid out for us, we crawled into our beds for the first proper sleep since Sunday. Tuesday 30th January Our position now was 31st overall, 3rd in class. The rally was now getting serious, we were heading straight out over the Alps. Over the Col du Granier, through St.Phillbert passing a Rapier before stopping at Fred Gallacher’s control. Next the Col du Cucheron and the Col de Porte, and Grenoble. Catching up with the Bentley, and then through the Gorge d’Engine, the Gorge de la Bourne and the frightening drops of the Col de la Machine. On over the Col de la Por- tente and the Col de Rousset to a time control at Die, there tightening the exhaust pipe before the last few miles into a short rest halt at Gap. The more serious crews had organised hotel rooms for the 4-hour halt, but we spent the time adjusting the brakes and checking the car over before the night section to come. We were still in 31st place and feeling very confident with the car. A Jaguar was overtaken easily on a downhill loose section, and we had a long dice with a Wolseley for miles before overtaking him. The Bentley had slid off the icy road in front of us and we overtook the class leading MG just before the time control in Digne.

Wednesday 31st January Our luck didn’t last. I got out of the car at the next time control at Pont des Moilans and almost fell over, I hadn’t realised just how icy the roads were! The first regularity section was steeply downhill and our fading drum brakes were just not as good as the discs on many of the cars. I had to keep it in 2nd for much of the downhill sections to avoid going straight on at the many hairpins and we dropped from 3rd to 5th in class. At the next control at St. Martin we hadn’t lost any time on the road section, but the regularity section had penalised us severely. Through the Gorge du Cians I was taking Proplus to keep awake, over the Col St Martin I was now aware of the ice and driving to survive. We lost 30 mins over the Cols and then the Halda failed during the next regularity climb of the Turini. After a short stop at the top we needed the starting handle to start the car. The final run down to Monte Carlo was covered in snow, and an Alfa crashed into the wall without reaching the finish Our little Hillman had made it all the way to Monte Carlo without any major problems! We put the car through a car wash on the way to the finish before driving over the finishing ramp on the sea front Mon- te Carlo (the ramp was left there for us after the modern Monte had finished the week before). One last competition which didn’t count towards the overall result was a Concours d’elegance, judged on origi- nality and condition, in which George came 20th out of the 69 entries. Kevin phoned through a rally re- port to Radio Oxford, not realising it was live! We attended the prize presentation in the Hotel, had a well-earned night’s sleep, and then drove all the way back home again! A week later we presented a cheque of £1100 to the Redland Centre, which provides daytime support for adults with learning difficulties. I removed the spotlamps and auxiliary bits before selling the Minx, but the next owner of George fitted separate front seats and a floor mounted gearchange before competing once again in the Monte Carlo Challenge. The snow tyres were hardly worn and were used again by my brother who fitted them to a Sunbeam Rapi- er to do the 1991 Challenge. Graham Moore

23 Clyno- at one point, Britain’s third largest car manufacturer, I had never heard of them.(Ed) Clyno Engineering Company, later Clyno Engineering Company (1922) Ltd, was a motorcycle and car manufacturer that operated in Thrapston from 1909 to 1910 and then in Wolverhampton from 1910 to 1929. During this time they produced over 15,000 motorcycles and between 36,000 and 40,000 cars, at one point becoming Britain's third largest car manufacturer. Clyno was founded in 1909 by the cousins Frank and Ailwyn Smith. The company took its name for the pulley designed for belt-driven machines which was known as the "inclined pully", becoming abbreviated to the "clined" and then Clyno. The cousins' original workshop was in their hometown of Thrapston, Northamptonshire.

The company exhibited for the first time at the 1910 motorcycle show at Olympia, displaying motorcycles, adjustable pulleys and telescopic stands.

Clyno continued to exhibit at every possible trials attracting attention by taking on hills previously thought unclimbable. This attention brought business to the company with orders in excess of manufac- turing capacity in 1912. The same year the company took over the unoccupied Humber cycle factory which was on the other side of Pelham Street from their original factory.

The company's success proved to be something of a double-edged sword as the constant pressure to per- form at trials required constant development, pushing the company beyond its financial means. It was decided that the company needed to produce an affordable motorcycle which they did in 1913, releasing a 250cc motorcycle, one of the first to be sold fully ready for the road. Exhibited at the 1913 motor cycle show the model was a major success. As with many manufacturers, the First World War was a time of prosperity for Clyno. Together with Vickers they created a motor cycle with machine gun attachment, which was produced in large numbers.

The choice of Clyno over its competitors as supplier of the standard motorcycle combination outfit for the Motor Machine Gun Service was made in 1915,

At the Armistice in 1918, there were 1,792 Clyno motorcycles in the possession of the British armed forces: 1,150 at home, and 642 overseas, including 478 in France. Clyno also signed an agreement with the Russian war commission to supply their army on top of their business with the British forces.

Clyno continued to supply the war effort providing mobile machine gun units, ammunition carriers and building dragonfly aircraft engines. The company also designed a new motorcycle, the "Spring 8", which had a top speed of 50 mph, although it was two years before it went into production.

After the war, the motorcycle industry collapsed and Clyno's Works Manager Henry Meadows departed the company to found his own. In 1920 the Clyno Engineering Company went into liquidation. In 1922 Frank Smith decided to resurrect the company under the name Clyno Engineering Company (1922) Ltd. Frank decided to focus mor e on car production and although motorcycle production did continue alongside car production by 1923 it had ended. 1920 Cyno fabric bodied car.

24 The company continued its trials policy, winning two gold medals in the 1923 London to Edinburgh Tri- al. Clyno debuted its first car at the 1922 motor show. The mainstay throughout their existence, the 10.8, designed by AG Booth had a 1368 cc 4-cylinder side-valve Coventry Climax model F engine and sold for £250. Initially no differential was fitted but this was soon added. From 1926 four-wheel brakes were standard. It was renowned for its reliability and economy. About 35,000 are thought to have been made including some sports versions and de-luxe Royal models. A slightly bigger model, the 13 (later 12/28), but still with the same 8 feet 9 inch wheelbase was introduced in 1924 using Clyno's own engine. About 8,000 were made.

The company was determined to offer cheaper prices than its competitors and was rewarded by soaring sales. Between 1923 and 1924 sales increased 770% with the release of popular models such as the 'Weymann' saloon and the 'Royal 2' tourer. In October 1925 the company released their 13 hp. car which again proved to be a popular model. Clyno continued to slash prices and sales rose 260% between 1924 and 1925 and by 210% between 1925 and 1926. At its peak in 1926 the company produced 350 cars a week, with workers operating day and night to meet demand. At the end of 1926 Clyno launched the Cowley Saloon which sold for just £199.20. At this point Clyno were the third largest car manufacturer in the country, behind Austin and Morris, and they decided to expand their operation by opening a new plant in Bushbury and introducing two new models. The 12/35 had the engine bored out to 1593 cc, presumably to cater for heavier coachwork, although most of these chassis seem to have carried fabric bodies.

In an attempt to minimise costs, Clyno ended their agreement with A 1928 Clyno Two-Seater their long term partner Rootes and stopped using Coventry Climax engines in favour of concentrating on the Hillman design and this hastened the demise of Clyno. The repercussions of these moves were seen in the failure of Clyno's "Century" model which effectively sounded the death knell for the company.

The development of the "Century" seemed to be part of Clyno's ongoing price war with Morris as it was announced only a week after the Morris Minor. However it proved to be a step too far and only 300 of the "Century" model were ever produced. The car was intended to sell for £112.20, a price which an- noyed Clyno's new dealers as the profit margin had been completely squeezed. Critically the "Century" was deemed to be cheap and shoddy, earning the unflattering nickname, the "cemetery". The combination of the depression of the late 1920s and severe competition coming from the Austin 7 and Morris Minor led to a severe sales slump.

Clyno had lost the price war with Morris, unable to offer both the value and performance that Morris could. Production costs had been pared back to the bare minimum meaning there was nowhere left to go price- wise. The failure of the "Century" destroyed Clyno's reputation which they had relied upon to get loans on order to fund their business. Without this there was little scope for improvement to Clyno's models and funds quickly began to dry up. On 11 February 1929 a receiver was appointed and in September the company was wound up. The company's assets were eventually acquired by Birmingham company R.H. Collier while the 'Nine' design was taken to fellow Wolverhampton manufacturer AJS by A.G. Booth.

26 The Ford Fiesta is a supermini marketed by Ford since 1976 over seven generations and manufactured globally, including in Europe, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, China, India, Thailand, and South Africa. In 2008, the seventh generation Fiesta (Mark VII) was introduced worldwide, making it the first Fiesta model to be sold in North America since the Fiesta Mark I was discontinued at the end of 1980. Ford has sold over 16 million Fiestas since 1976, making it one of the bestselling Ford marques behind the Escort and the F-Series.

The Fiesta was an all new car in the supermini segment, and was the smallest car yet made by Ford. The car was to have a wheelbase longer than that of the Fiat 127, but with overall length shorter than that of Ford's Escort. The final proposal was developed by Tom Tjaar- da at Ghia. The project was approved for production in late 1973, with Ford's engineering centres in Cologne and Dunton (Essex) collaborating.

Ford estimated that 500,000 Fiestas a year would be produced, and built an all- new factory near Valencia, Spain; a trans-axle factory near Bordeaux, France; factory exten- sions for the assembly plants in Dagenham, UK. Final assembly also took place in Valencia.

The name Fiesta (meaning "party" in Spanish) belonged to General Motors, used as a trim level on Oldsmobile station wagons, when the car was designed and was freely given for Ford to use on their new B-class car. Its initial competitors in Europe, apart from the Fiat 127 and Renault 5, included the Volkswagen Polo and Vauxhall Chevette. Chrysler UK were also about to launch the Sunbeam by this stage, and British Leyland was working on a new supermini which was launched as the Austin Met- ro in 1980.

Fiesta Mk 1(1976–1983)

The Fiesta was initially available in Europe with the Valencia 957 cc (high compression and low compression options), and 1,117 cc engines and in Base, Popular, Popular Plus, L, GL (1978 onward), Ghia and S trim, as well as a van. In the US market, the Ford Escort replaced both the Fiesta and the com- pact Pinto in 1981, competing with the Chevrolet Chevette and Chevrolet Cavalier.

A sporting derivative (1.3 L Supersport) was offered in Europe for the 1980 model year, using the 1.3 L Kent Crossflow engine, effectively to test the market for the similar XR2 introduced a year later, which featured a 1.6 L version of the same engine. Black plastic trim was added to the exterior and interior. The small square headlights were replaced with larger circular ones, with the front indicators being moved into the bumper to accommodate the change.

For the 1979 auto show season, Ford in conjunction with its Ghia Operations in Turin, Italy, produced the Ford Fiesta Tuareg off-road car. It was touted in press materials as "a concept vehicle designed and equipped for practical, off-road recreational use."

Minor revisions appeared across the range in late 1981, with larger bumpers to meet crash worthiness regulations and other small im- provements in a bid to maintain showroom appeal ahead of the forthcoming second generation.

27 Fiesta Mk2 (1983–1989) The Fiesta Mark II appeared in August 1983 with a revised front end and interior, and a bootlid mirroring the swage lines from the sides of the car. The 1.3 L OHV engine was dropped, being replaced in 1984 by a CVH powerplant of similar capacity, itself superseded by the lean burn 1.4 L two years later. The 957 and 1,117 cc Kent/Valencia engines continued with only slight alterations and for the first time a Fiesta diesel was produced with a 1,600 cc engine adapted from the Escort. The new CTX continuously variable transmission, also fitted in the Fiat Uno, eventually appeared early in 1987 on 1.1 L models only.

The Mk2 Fiesta core range (excluding special editions) was made up of the following model variants; Popular, Popular Plus, L, Ghia, 1.4S (1986 onwards) and, finally, the XR2.

Ford Fiesta XR2

The second generation Fiesta featured a different dashboard on the lower-series trim levels compared to the more expensive variants. The XR2 model was thoroughly updated with a larger bodykit. It also featured a 96 bhp 1.6 L CVH engine as previously seen in the Ford Escort XR3, and five- speed gearbox (also standard on the 1.3 L CVH models), rather than the four-speed gearbox which had been used on the previous XR2 and on the rest of the Fiesta range.

The engine was replaced by a lean-burn variant in 1986 which featured a revised cylinder head and carburettor; it was significantly cleaner from an environmental viewpoint but was slightly less powerful as a result.

A truly "hot" Fiesta was never produced by the factory to avoid impacting on sales of performance Ford Escort variants but many aftermarket conversions were available, the best-known being that by the English firm Turbo Technics boosting power to a well documented 125 bhp, which easily out- classed its "standard" rivals. Ford appreciated the high quality of this conversion and was keen to look after its customers: the installation was undertaken by approved fitting centres and all the war- ranties remained valid after. The facelifted Fiesta, facing competition from the Austin Metro, Fiat Uno, Nissan Micra, Peugeot 205, Toyota Starlet, Vauxhall Nova and the Volkswagen Polo was one of the UK's top superminis.

In its best-ever year, 1987, over 150,000 Fiesta models were sold in the UK, though it finished second in the sales charts to the Ford Escort. It was available in Japan, sold at Ford/Mazda dealerships called Autorama; it complied with Japanese government dimension regulations and the engine displacement was in the more favourable Japanese road tax bracket which helped sales.

Ford Fiesta Mk 3 (1989–1997)

The third generation Fiesta Mark III, codenamed BE-13was unveiled at the end of 1988 and officially went on sale in Feb- ruary 1989. The car was based on a new platform ditching the old car's rear beam axle for a semi-independent torsion beam arrangement and looked radically different, addressing the principal weakness of the previous generation – the lack of a 5-door derivative, something that was by then available in its major rivals such as the Fiat Uno, Peugeot 205 and 106 and Opel Corsa/ Vauxhall Nova. The other main change was to the running gear – the improved HCS (High Compression Swirl) version of the Kent/Valencia powerplant. The CVH units from the second generation were carried over largely unmodified. The diesel engine was enlarged to a 1.8L capacity. As for sports models, the XR2i was launched in August 1989 with an eight-valve CVH (standing for "compound valve-angle hemispherical combustion chamber") engine. This was the first Fiesta to have a fuel-injected engine. This was then replaced by a Zetec 16 valve version in 1992, which also saw the RS Turbo being supplanted by the RS1800 as the CVH engine was being phased out. The RS1800 shared its 1.8 litre Zetec fuel-injected engine with the 130 bhp version of the then current Ford Escort XR3i and had a top speed of 125 mph. The XR2i name was also dropped in early 1994, and the insurance-friendly "Si" badge appeared in its place on a slightly less sporty-looking model with either the 1.4 L PTE (a development of the CVH) or the 1.6 L Zetec engine.

From 1995 the vehicle was built and sold at the same time as the new Mark IV. To distinguish the car, trim levels were revised, and it was marketed as the "Fiesta Classic". This version continued until production finally ceased in 1997.

The next batch of Fiestas go over our 20 year old criteria so I have ignored them for now, but as time goes on we may return to later models.

Mexican– Fiesta.

This isn’t just slung together you know, however much it might seem that way.

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30 Forthcoming events 2019, edited, PROVISIONAL (*=entry for m available. Local events in bold) A more comprehensive list of events can be found in the Information Folder. Prices given are for pre-booked entries only.

Dec 8 SYTM 1940s Xmas 2020 Shows Jan 27 Inter Car Club Quiz, Horbury WMC, Cluntergate, Horbury WF4 5DB Feb 24 Inter Car Club Quiz, Horbury WMC, Cluntergate, Horbury WF4 5DB Mar 30 Inter Car Club Quiz, Horbury WMC, Cluntergate, Horbury WF4 5DB Apr 26 Drive It Day (FBHVC) May 6 VE Day, Burghwallis (TCCD) May 8 (Fri) Crow Nest Park (YTCC) June 14 Locke Park Concours, Barnsley (YTCC) June 21 Steel City Cruisers, Hooton Lodge, Kilnhurst Road, Hooton Roberts, Rotherham S65 4TE* June 22 Hope Motor Show, Travellers Rest, Hope Valley (SHMC) July 5 Doncaster Classic Car & Bike Show, Deaf Trust, Leger Way July 12 Heath Common Rally, Wakefield (WRBG, YTCC) July 19 South Yorks Transport Trust Open Day, Chesterton Road, Rotherham (buses) Aug 1-2 Hebden Bridge Vintage Weekend http://www.hebdenbridge-vintageweekend.org.uk/ Aug 9 Locke Park Gala, Barnsley (YTCC) Aug 15 Auckley Show Aug 31 Epworth Show Sept 13 Otley Vintage Transport Extravaganza, Pool Road, Knotford Nook LS21 1EA Sept 19-20 Crowle 1940s weekend South Yorkshire Transport Museum (SYTM) hold open days each month – see their website. Sandtoft Trolleybus Museum open days – see their website. Other event sources; In the north; https://.morgansyearbook.co.uk In the south; www.yeomansyearbook.org.uk

If you wish to enter an event please refer to the Information Folder which will give more details. It is the responsibility of the entrant to ensure the event they wish to enter will take place. If you know details of any local events, please inform Rodger. A copy of an entry form is ideal so it can be copied, giving others the opportunity to enter. Next year, we are thinking of a sort of autojumble to get rid of those spares for cars and bikes you no longer have, workshop manuals maybe, never used accessories that were a good idea at the time but never got out of the box. Need to have a good chat with the pub first though, all oily, grubby, rusty bits out- side! We will organise the Drive it day and Autumn closer and recognise the anni- versaries of WW2 ending in Europe and

A bus and trams at Berry, Lancashire.

31 It’s dark, and cold and gloomy, but full of Christmas cheer Again we are approaching the ending of a year It’s time to give a thought to friends that sadly are now gone And know that they would want us to smile and carry on. To look back at the cars and bikes, events and sunny shows And all the things that give the club it’s happy rosy glow. To make a plan for next year, it’s coming up real fast And look towards our future, but not forget our past To listen to the potty tales and have a bit of fun Hearing all the things that we just should not have done Goodwill to all our members, let’s agree a plan We can’t help out with everything but help out as we can The thing we’d like to say right now and be so very clear Is to Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy, Fun New Year. From The Committee