Volume 56 ORRIS Number 10 October MONTHLONTHLYY 2016 MAGAZINE OF THE MORRIS REGISTER The Club for Morris vehicles designed before 1940 www.morrisregister.co.uk Volume 56 ORRIS Number 10 October ONTHLY 2016 MAGAZINEM OF THE MORRIS REGISTER PRESIDENT Malcolm Dixon writes: CONTENTS lease accept my apologies for my absence at the AGM 2 President Pthis year due to family circumstances – namely visiting my younger son in Brisbane to celebrate my Golden 3 Editor Wedding anniversary on 8th October with my wife and elder son. However, you will be in my thoughts while 4 Obituary lounging by a pool sipping ice-cold beer – even more so on the weekend 5 Warm Welcome of 15/16th October when the family will be attending a Morris Register of Queensland rally near Towoomba. The President, Col Schiffer, has kindly What’s it Worth? invited us to view his personal collection of 42 vehicles after the show. 7 Fitton's Files My son mentioned he has garaging to accommodate any vehicle I may buy over there! Look out for feedback on this in a future issue. 8/9 Forum Files If I had been present at the AGM, I’d have remarked on another successful and thriving year for the Club due to the sterling efforts of an army of 10/11 Morris 8 Special Tools willing volunteers. Our magazine is a truly professional production 12-17 Exactly Eighty thanks to Rob Symonds and he ensures all members are kept informed of current on-goings as well as the ever-useful technical tips. Every 18/19 Minor Musings member is welcome to send in their views, reports and advertisements. National Rally organiser, Ben Gadsby, produced another successful 20/21 Pictures from the Past event at Thoresby Park while the NEC stand in Birmingham organised 22-25 Regional Round Up by Chairman John Ford was received very favourably. Additionally, Beaulieu Autojumble in September and the Bristol Motor Show are 26-29 MR National Rally now featured annually and we owe our appreciation to those members giving their time to keep the Morris flag flying. Well done everyone. It’s 30-48 Regional Round Up(cont.) impossible to mention all of the regional events but I offer my personal 49/50 Morris Mail thanks and appreciation to all who contribute. At the top of the pile – no insult intended – our National Committee sets 50/51 Morris Mart the standard and guides the Club and their support is invaluable. I encourage you to participate actively in Club affairs. It won’t make 52 Foto Finish great demands on your time and is worthwhile. Taking this forward a step, we are still looking for an Information Officer who can act as a Cover picture: Paul Jackson's 1934 10/4 Pre Series saloon at Thoresby, August 2016 [Photo: Rob Symonds] The Morris Register Spares Service he Register’s Spares Service aims to provide a basic service that will help members keep their Morris Tin good fettle and suitable for safe and enjoyable motoring. We stock a range of spares needed for the maintenance and overhaul of the most popular models.These stock items mainly comprise engine, transmission, electrical and brake parts for the Morris 8, 10 and Minor models with a limited stock of similar parts for other Morris models. ON-LINE SHOP (www.morrisregisterspares.co.uk) The new on-line mail order shop enables members to shop for Morris Spares in a secure on-line environment. The Shop includes a full description, a photo, and details of which Morris models each part will fit. Each product in the shop has a unique “part number” with 2 letters and 3 numbers, and is a unique reference system for our Spares Service. The shop is linked to a secure PayPal payment system; you don’t have to have a PayPal account to use this, you can use your credit or debit card. Please go to the Club’s web site and click on Services/Benefits – Spares Service. The information given in the descriptions in the on-line shop should be sufficient to identify the parts you need. We cannot answer questions from members as to which is the correct part for their car, or about parts suitability or application. 2 The views and opinions expressed by the Editor and contributors to this magazine are CHAIRMAN: SECRETARY: theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the John Ford 01386 832 447 Jim Riglar 01225 754 981 views of The Pre 1940 Morris Register Limited. [email protected] [email protected] Any advice provided is not intended to be advice on which you should rely. You must MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY: obtain professional or specialist advice before Office hours: 9 am - 5 pm, Monday to Friday taking or refraining from any action based Jane Nathan, 1 Fallowfield, Shoeburyness, Essex SS3 8DF on the content of this magazine. No liability 01702 589 643 [email protected] is accepted for the consequences of following any advice provided in the magazine. EDITOR: conduit to those members who specialise in particular areas of Morris Rob Symonds, 49 Gorsy Road, motoring, be it technical or historic. A replacement Webmaster is also Quinton, Birmingham B32 2SJ required and perhaps by the time this is published these posts may have [email protected] been filled at the AGM. 0121 682 0640 Returning to the National Rally, 29 rooms were booked for 2016 at the Warners Hotel and details of 2017 prices will be published in possibly the DEADLINE next issue of the magazine. If the event is held a week earlier, the same 14th of the month prior to publication prices will apply. In conclusion, I thank you for your continued support. MAGAZINE NON-ARRIVAL: Please contact the Membership Secretary Contact details above EDITOR Rob Symonds writes: irst of all, a thank you to the few who sent in photographs BACK ISSUES: may be purchased Ffrom Thoresby, a selection of which appear on pages from the Club Shop 26 to 29. Special thanks go to Simon Stephen, who took on the difficult task of cataloguing and photographing the WEBSITE: www.morrisregister.co.uk awards ceremony. Elsewhere in the regional sections of Morris Contact: Mike Rose, Webmaster [email protected] Monthly you will find individual pieces on Thoresby, so thanks are due to those who took the trouble to contribute. I made a specific appeal on the SMALL ADS: Post/email to: Forum for coverage of the Saturday driving games and brewery visit, but The Editor (see above) sadly got little response. Free for members (max 1 car per month) Staying with the Forum, there has been some recent discussion there Non-members: please contact for charges. about an electronic edition of Morris Monthly. This is perhaps a good time to remind members that a pdf version always appears on the website COMPLAINTS: Any complaints shortly after the printed edition hits the doormats. In addition there are against any officer of the club, or about the way the club is being administered archives of all MR publications since the year dot. A couple of members should be referred to the Secretary have already expressed a wish not to get the print version of Morris Monthly and this can easily be arranged should you wish it. THE PRE 1940 MORRIS REGISTER LTD DVLA Authentication Service: Members needing access to Registered Office: the Club’s scheme for registration number retention should get 70 Alderton Way, Trowbridge, in touch on 07507 264 980 or [email protected] Wiltshire BA14 0UH ©Morris Register and various authors and photographers 2015. PRINTED BY Material published in Morris Monthly may not be published LAVENHAM PRESS elsewhere without the permission of the Editor. 01787 247 436 The Morris Register Spares Service POSTAL SALES If you know the part number of the parts you need, but don’t want to use the on-line shop, please get in touch with David and Lindsay Smith, email: [email protected] or by post at Morris Spares, Units 5 & 6 Priory Farm Industrial Estate, Station Road, Portbury, BRISTOL, BS20 7TN. We cannot take orders by phone. • Please state clearly the part number (the unique 2-letter, 3-number code as shown in the on- line shop), the description of the item you need, and the quantity • Please quote the model and chassis number of your car – take the chassis number from the brass plate under the bonnet, and include the letters as well as the numbers • Please quote your name, address and membership number in all communications • We can accept payments by cheque, but prefer payments by card using PayPal. Instructions for payment will be given when you order • Please remember the Service is run by members for the benefit of other members in their own time amidst many other family and personal priorities • If you are not sure what the correct part is, please put a request for help onto the Forum. There will always be members “on line” who will be able to share their knowledge with you. 3 JACK ELLSMOOR (1915-2016) ack William Watling Ellsmoor was born on 12th April 1915 at Teddersley Park, Penkridge, and died on 20th July Jinto his 102nd year after a short spell in hospital. He was educated at Stafford Convent, St Leonards, and finally at King Edward V1 grammar school. After leaving school, he joined the garage trade as a trainee mechanic, but soon left to be employed at Boulton Paul as a semi skilled, soon to be fully skilled, air frame fitter before moving to the experimental department.