MTWC-Bulletin-August.Pdf
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MTWC Group Events in August To check with GOs, see contact details p29 1 Aug FFSW Group, Black & White MCC Fox & Hounds, Scorrier 01am. 2 Aug South East Group meeting, The Swan, Horndon on the Hill, 8.00pm 5 Aug Brooklands Group meeting, New Inn, Send, Surrey. 5 Aug East Anglia Woolpit Lunchtime meeting, 12.00 noon. 13 Aug North West Group Lunch meeting, The Smoker Inn, A556, Plumley, Nr Northwich 13 Aug FFSW Group VSCC, Hawkins Arms, Zelah noon: 13 Aug West Midlands Group meeting, Fruiterers Arms, Ombersley, 8.00pm Aug No group meet at Hare Arms, Stow Bardolph See Group report. 17 Aug Far South West Group meeting, The Huntsman Check with John 20 Aug East Midlands Group meeting, Royal Oak, Brandon, from 6.00pm 20 Aug South Coast Group meeting, Six Bells Chiddingly, 8.00pm 21 Aug FFSW Group meeting, Fox and Hounds, Scorrier 7.30pm: 21 Aug Lancs and Lakes Group meeting, Royal Oak, Garstang, Dinner beforehand. 6.30pm 27 Aug West Midlands Group Monthly meeting. Clent Club, 8pm. 29 Aug North West Group meeting, The Whipping Stocks, Over Peover 7pm. 31 Aug Oxford Group meeting, The Abingdon Arms, Beckley 7.30pm if a weekday or lunchtime if a weekend remember CHECK the GO’s report … just to make certain PLEASE! This list is regular CLUB meets for additional runs - see reports Dates for your 2014 diary th Sunday 6 Sept: Training Day (see p5) 17th/18th and 19th October: The AGM and Dinner Dance Weekend ( see p6) Contents: 3 Editorial Nonsense 14 Letters and emails 40 More ***** Questions 4 Chairman's 15 Help the Aged 41 Last Months UPE sorry Steering Column 16 Beatrix: 100yrs Old 42 NW Group Camp 5 Training Day 18 Morgans Reunited 43 Nutley Windmill 20 F-Type Crutch Mods 44 Parky’s Fave Drive 7 Curborough Photos 22 Mogspares 46 Floggery 8 Sue’s Curborough 23 JAP Spares 48 More Curborough 9 Thrill on the Hill and 26 Registrar STEVE Photos 30 Group Reports 49 Keep looking …... 10 Competition report 38 Run Invites 12 Electronic Speedo 39 Regalia Cover Photo: 100 Years at Pickersleigh Road : Line-up outside the Factory entrance Photo: Grahame Joseph 2 VOL 69 August 2014 No 8 THE BULLETIN THE MONTHLY MAGAZINE OF THE MORGAN THREE- WHEELER CLUB AFFILIATED TO THE ACU: NON - TERRITORIAL CLUB WEBSITE: www.mtwc.co.uk Editorial “Hello children, when the music stops, the countryside. Ian’s article is redolent of a Daphne Oxenford will be here to read you a regular series in The Blue ‘Un as the weekly story”… twingaloo, twingaloo ... This month you have another eclectic offering and as much variety as can be mustered to render you catatonic. The Club Twisty Sprint at Curborough was a huge success - Pete and Sue Clews are to be congratulated on a magnificent event. There are two related articles … Pete’s Competition Report gaudia, discursus, covers the details in his usual, nostri propositum inimitable and readable style libelli est. ex quo … but I urge you to read the version that Sue has written - a nico vestitor remarkable insight in to what tollentibus tres organising the event involved. rota primus Truly extraordinary. I can only imagine how popular - and how much bigger the sprint might be next year as a result. A true MTWC event in the Proper Sense and enjoyed by the participants and some ninety spectators. It just goes to show what can be achieved with first class organisation and plenty of advance notice. More of this please and mark it for your 2015 diary. Also a success was the Morgan factory double event “The Thrill on the Hill” on the Saturday followed on Sunday by “100 Years at Pickersleigh Road”. Thanks must go to Ian and Maria Parkinson and Richard and Penny Atherton for their hard work on the Club stand on both days. See reports on page 9. Ian Parkinson also makes an appearance in this issue with an article that reflects one of the pure delights of owning a Morgan Three Wheeler of any age … the sheer enjoyment of just going for a drive, the simple pleasure of getting out, just to enjoy 3 Hon. Chairman — Steering Column Michael Joseph Trevor Seymour made a point in his GO blending in. Four of them were competing on Report last month about members coming the track including our Treasurer John from other areas to the Brooklands Group Scruton with wife Jackie as passenger, in meetings. Some may feel parochial but it is action for the first time in their red example. the Morgan Three-Wheeler Club that I joined Jackie is keen to drive next year so there will and to which I belong. be even more direct competition between Another excellent example of various family members. At a Sprint, one is of course sections of our Club all joining together for a primarily competing against one’s self and great day out was at the recent Club Sprint at the times set on previous runs. One thing Curborough. It was a perfect event that about the 5 speeder is that comparisons showed what could be achieved when the between drivers can more easily be made Club is pulling together. The organisation ran because the cars are so similar. The MMC like clockwork thanks to our tireless factory car is particularly quick in the hands Competition Secretary Pete Clews and his of Mark Reeves. There is no doubt that wife Sue who did an exemplary job ensuring competition improves the breed and sales. a safe and From the successful meeting. very early My gratitude also pioneering goes to the event days through officials, marshals, to the commentators, present, this helpers and has brought assistants. success and There was a built the combined Morgan enthusiasm made reputation. up of marshals and There are spectators. On the not many track there was an cheaper interesting assort- ways to ment of Morgans ‘Timing is everything’ enjoy motor and also old motorcycles some of which sport and it is nice to see how through this were being ridden by well-known members. Club it is possible to take a Morgan three- Some drivers have now retired from active wheeler and enjoy it to the full on the road, motor sport and could be seen enjoying a sprint course, hill climb and racing track. I picnic on the grass, soaking up the friendly guess all things are relative but wonder how atmosphere on what was a glorious sunny long we will refer to the 5 speeder as the new day. three wheeler? When it first came out there The new Leavens timing equipment were understandably sceptics fearful of how worked well with only a few very minor it would change the Club. The experience so mechanical issues which can be corrected. far has been entirely positive; bringing in This is a valuable asset which is saving the new members, putting us in the public eye, Club money encouraging closer ties with the factory, There was an impressive crowd who adding a new dimension and swelling the arrived in all types and ages of vehicle. I number of cars on Club runs. However, noticed a quad of colourful Trikings, several perhaps its greatest contribution is that it has four wheel Morgans, lots of members on helped to bridge a few gaps, break down motor bikes and it is comforting to see how some barriers and in doing so brought the easily the 5 speeders are now accepted and wider Morgan world together. 4 The AGM and Dinner Dance 17th/18th and 19th October 2014 You probably already know that this year’s per person). Plus they’ll lay on several new cars for members to try the new five-speeder The GO’s were asked to discuss it with for themselves and we can use the car park to members and provide feedback …. some folk hold our annual ‘concours’ event. are happy about the changes and others are... As it happens it was decided to hold the how shall I put it, um ...spitting washers. spares fair at The Abbey Hotel as usual but Certainly our long-haul visitors are happy on the Sunday morning with the tours, test because they can now get the cheaper drives and concours taking place at the October air fares. But it wasn’t changed for factory on the Saturday morning and the their benefit and it wasn’t changed just for club’s AGM in their Visitor’s Centre on the change’s sake. Saturday afternoon. With limited dates available from the hotel I must admit I was a bit taken aback by the I was looking for a Saturday that didn’t clash reaction of some to the changes. Why with a Sporting Section event. The above wouldn’t you want to go for a drive from date was the only one that fitted the bill ...the Great Malvern to Malvern Link to the factory racers had better turn up!!!. where, most likely, your car came from? As Personally, with many friends at the far as I know there isn’t a classic car club in factory, I’ve always been puzzled why it existence that wouldn’t kill to be able to go wasn’t more involved. However ... with new back to the factory where their cars were management at Pickersleigh Road, I became originally built to see modern versions being aware (directly from the Managing Director, made - and coming out of the same gates that Steve Morris), that efforts to create stronger member’s cars came out of! Talk about a connection between the factory and clubs photo opportunity! Its part of the uniqueness was sought - the MSCC as well as us.