DURNOVARIA 1008 NEWSLETTER JUNE 2016

The Essential Newsletter for the MG Owners Club Dorchester Area 1008 £5 p.a.

Club visit to Hooke Park School of Architecture MGOC Durnovaria 1008 - June 2016

Hooke Park Our happy group of MGers found the visit most illuminating and we were all fascinated by the creativeness of the timber work and accommodation structures erected on site. The surrounding woodland looked a picture with great swathes of colour provided by the bluebells in full bloom carpeting the forest floor.

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NEXT CLUB MEETING TUESDAY 5th JULY - EVENTS DIARY ‘NOGGIN & NATTER’ - NO JUNE CLUB EVENING Our Wednesday evening run on June 1st to Minterne House Gardens is in lieu of the June club meeting.

MONTHLY TUESDAY CLUB EVENINGS WEEKEND RUNS

MAY MAY Tuesday 3rd Bring and Buy Saturday 7th Hooke Park Wood & School of Architecture JUNE Kingston Maurward 11:15 for 11:30am No club meeting - replaced by Wednesday evening run MAY JULY Monday 30th DAMASC - Classics in the Park Tuesday 5th Noggin & Natter’ Park AUGUST JUNE th Tuesday 2nd ‘Prod & Poke’ bring your MG Sunday 26th Gartell Light Railway - Templecombe Top O’Town Car Park 11:15 for 11:30am SEPTEMBER JULY Tuesday 6th Wayne’s MG ‘Beetle Drive Sunday 31st Abbotsbury Sub Tropical Gardens OCTOBER Top O’Town Car Park 11:15 for 11:30am th Tuesday 4 Murder Mystery Evening AUGUST th NOVEMBER Sunday 28 Stourhead House & Garden Tuesday 1st AGM & Quiz 8pm prompt Top O’Town Car Park 11:15 for 11:30am SEPTEMBER DECEMBER th TH Sunday 25 End of Season Run to Tuesday 6 Christmas Dinner (venue TBA) The Fox Inn Ansty All meetings at The Colliton Club 7:30 for 8pm: Top O’Town Car Park 11:15 for 11:30am Colliton House, County Hall, Please note that events may change or be amended - please check Dorchester DT1 1XJ Tel. 01305 224503 the current newsletter or contact a committee member

WEDNESDAY EVENING RUNS MGOC 1008 DURNOVARIA CONTACTS

MAY 11th The Sennett’s Mystery Tour Chairman - Ray Moore Top O’Town Car Park 6:30 for 6:45pm T: 01305 268105 E: [email protected]

JUNE 1st Visit to Minterne House Gardens Vice Chairman & Events Organiser - Peter Elliott Top O’Town Car Park 6:30 for 6:45pm T: 01258 451763 E: [email protected]

JUNE 23rd Evening Fish & Chip Run to Treasurer & Secretary - Paul Storey Durlston Castle T: 01305 848656 E: [email protected] Top O’Town Car Park 6:15 for 6:30pm Charity Organiser and Assistant Secretary - Hilary Storey T: 01305 848656 E: [email protected] JULY 13th Graham Starr’s Mystery Tour Top O’Town Car Park 6:30 for 6:45pm Committee Members Alan Cooper T: 07815 305619 E: [email protected] th AUG 10 Ray & Lorrain’s Mystery Tour Mike Benton - Newsletter - T: 01929 554250 E: [email protected] Top O’Town Car Park 6:30 for 6:45pm

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Roman Roads and Chalk Valleys - ‘The Sennett’s Mystery Tour’ May 11th

The combined efforts of Bryan and Pauline, and Jessica and Finn, provided us with a very scenic route. We left Dorchester on the Roman road under thundery skies passing on our right Poundbury Hill Fort with its impressive earthworks.

Up Cerne Manor Estate Lake The lanes back to were rich in wild garlic and we had views of the famous Giant, Britain’s largest chalk hill figure at 180’ high.

Poundbury Hill Fort We were soon crossing the River Frome at Muckleford and up the valley of one of its tributaries, the Sydling The Cerne Giant Water to Sydling St. Nicholas. Another Roman road then took us on to Lower Burton, on the outskirts of Dorchester. ‘The Sun Inn’ was an excellent choice as it was the venue for the inaugural meeting of 1008 in April 1996. We were pleased to choose from a very varied menu and the quality was excellent, and the food very tasty

Muckleford Bridge, River Frome

The Sun Inn During our journey we even had a quiz question about which is the longest River entirely in . The answer is the Frome at about 30miles long!! Many thanks to the ‘gang of four’ for a lovely evening. HS

Sydling St. Nicholas

Onward up the River Cerne to Cerne Abbas. We continued in a northerly direction to the very picturesque Up Cerne Manor Estate with its beautiful lake. River Frome Archive photos 6 MGOC Durnovaria 1008 - May 2016

When is an MG an Austin - or is it a Morris or even a Wolseley? ‘noun: midget - a very small thing or person - diminutive of midge (from Old English mygg, mycg (“gnat”)

The Sprite was powered by an engine and transmission which had come straight from the Austin, and was a 948cc pushrod, overhead valve, four-cylinder A-series unit. In the Sprite however, it had been given twin SU carburettors and developed around 42bhp, which was sufficient to propel the little car to around 80mph.

In 1922 the tiny 748cc Austin 7 had brought motoring to a new public. William Morris’s answer was the Morris Minor, a small 4-seater car with an 850 cc engine produced from 1928 to 1934. A more complex design than Austin’s Seven, the all-new car was on As we know this car became known as the “Frogeye” the market by the middle of 1928. Sprite due to its headlamps being set into the front of The new Morris engine was designed by Wolseley which the one-piece front end, with a mouth-like grille being by this time was personally owned by William Morris. mounted on the front edge. In 1961, the bodywork of the It was largely a new design but much smaller than any Sprite came in for a major restyling. The central cockpit existing Wolseley unit. The overhead camshaft engine portion remained essentially the same, but the front and produced 20 bhp allowing a top speed of 55 mph. rear bodywork was completely restyled and redesigned to give the car a more conventional squared-off appearance. The engine and running gear was essentially the same as the earlier Sprite, but output was up to around 47bhp, which lead to increases in performance also. In this form, the car was known as the Austin-Healey Sprite Mark II, but shortly after a De Luxe version was announced. In 1961 It had been re-badged to become known as the MG Midget. The Austin’s steering was replaced by a rack and pinion set-up as used in the Morris Minor. The Minor was also the source for the hydraulically- operated rear brakes, although the rear axle was from the baby Austin. The MG M-Type Midget had been developed from the The original Sprite’s one piece front end had been dropped baby Morris Minor, The result was a basic, cheap, fun two- in favour of separate wings, front panel, and a pancake seater, with sporting pretensions which triggered a whole type rear-hinged bonnet. The headlamps had been moved dynasty of Midgets. It was the Midget series which had to the forward corners of the front wings. At the rear, the established MG as a manufacturer of sports cars with an “square” styling theme was continued and was extended excellent reputation in motor sport. as far as the tops of the rear wheel arches being squared- The Midget range off. The rear lights were fixed in the upper extremities of had culminated the rear wings, and there was a separate boot lid. The flat with the TF face-lift windscreen remained, as did the removable soft top and model and was laid side-screens. MB to rest in 1955, when it was replaced by the more modern design of the MGA. It seemed doubtful that we would ever see a Midget again. However, in the late 1950’s, yet another basic, cheap, fun two-seater was developed from a “baby” car. This time, the more modern equivalent of the old Austin Seven was used, the Austin A30/35. This new two-seater car was the Austin-Healey Sprite, which appeared in 1959 and was built at Abingdon. 5 MGOC Durnovaria 1008 - June 2016

Recommended Replacement Parts - ‘When you Can’t Get Them! Sent in by Ray Moore, this collection of DIY repairs shows just what can be done should the need arise. “Mater artium necessitas” or Necessity is the mother of invention. Particularly ingenious is the motorcycle front brake system (non ABS) utilising a modified pair of grips - hydraulic actuation has been ousted in favour of cable operation - I trust the wooden wheel can take the strain!

Shocking Replacement Lightweight Racing Seat Clunk Click - Every Trip Motorbike non-ABS Brakes

Always Use the Correct Speed Rating Tyres for Your Vehicle Suspension Lowering Kit

State-of-the-art Climate Control BMW Recommend Original Replacement parts

Multi-Directional Lighting Enhances Illumination on Corners 18 Inch Wheels & Low profile Tyres - No Problem 6

TRANSPORT OF YESTERYEAR ( DORSET) th 17 HARDY COUNTRY CLASSIC TOUR Vintage & Classic Vehicles of all types are invited Sunday 5th June 2016 Supporting the Weldmar Hospicecare Trust Sponsored by Weatherbury Roofing, Dorchester

Our 17th Hardy Country Classic Tour will start from Autopassion ( Classic Car Workshop ) at Hampton Farm Business Park, Higher Bockhampton, Nr Dorchester DT2 8QH by kind permission of the proprietor Alan Matthews. There will be catering facilities available at the start and at the Lunch Stop, provided by ‘ Just Good Food ‘. The finish venue will be The Riviera Hotel at Bowleaze Coveway for our afternoon static display. Classes are – VINTAGE / CLASSIC / COMMERCIAL / PSV / MILITARY / MOTORCYCLES / Contact Nick Aplin 01305 260038 / 07880916657 for any Enquires. PLEASE SEND S.A.E. WITH YOUR ENTRY A5 SIZE PLEASE

Name ……………………………………………….. Telephone …………………………

Address Mobile …………………………………………………………………………………………………..

…………………………………………………… Postcode ………………………………. Email ( if applicable ) ………………………………………………………………………

Make …………………………………………. Model …………………………………….

Year ……………………… Registration number ………………………………………

Cc /Hp …………………………….. Class …………………………………………………

Return form with A5 S.A.E. with your £5.00 entry fee to NICK APLIN, 45, ALFRED ROAD, DORCHESTER, DORSET, DT1 2DW. Cheques payable to ‘’ T.O.Y. Dorset. Entries will be accepted on the day Transport Of Yesteryear (Dorset ) reserves the right to refuse entry to this event and reserves the right to give no reason for said refusal PLEASE NOTE all vehicles entered must be road legal and should be covered by insurance while taking part in this event. PLEASE REMEMBER YOUR S.A.E. A5 SIZE PLEASE. YOUR WINDSCREEN NUMBER & FINAL INSTRUCTIONS WILL BE SENT TO YOU! THANK YOU. ROUTE DETAILS WILL BE ISSUED ON AY . Supported by -

MGOC Durnovaria 1008 - June 2016

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