July/August 2010
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VOLUME 15, NUMBER 4 July–Aug 2010 INSIDE THIS ISSUE UPCOMING EVENTS EDITOR’S BIT AGM Tour: Aug. 12th to Aug. 15th As usual, many thanks to all who Project Mini part II 4 wrote and submitted articles for Member’s Cars 6 Filberg Show : Aug.15th this issue including our regulars, Vancouver Moment 9 Rally In The Valley: Aug. 21st Walter, Les and Steve H, without Portland ABFM: Sept. 4th whom there wouldn’t be much of a Cars in Egypt 10 Roundabout. Also a special thank Historic Races 11 VCB Meeting: Sept.7th, Ocean you to John Chapman who’s work Hey Jude 12 Park Village Pub, 12822 16th Ave- has not graced these pages in a nue, Surrey (6:30 for dinner) while, we look forward to the final Louis Brier Show 12 chapter of “What Was I Thinking?” Meeting Minutes 13 ECAIP (Fort Rodd Hill Show): Sept. seeing as the Imp is nearing com- Autojumble 14 12th pletion. Welcome To OECC 14 Whistler All British Run: Sept. 18th After meeting the members of the rest of the group we MY SECRET LIFE were off once again bound for Kamloops via Lytton, Spence‟s Bridge and Logan Lake. Early on in the morning By John Chapman the sun came out which made our cruise into the Okanagan very pleasant. Normally when I go on a run with the club I‟m on my own. Well when Brits „Round B.C. came up this year my wife Emma‟s first amazement was the small town of Yale. Mary-Jane thought that it would be a good idea that one of Maybe, town is too grandeur a description. A hundred the kids should go on the drive to keep me company. Espe- years ago, Yale was a bustling town of over 10,000 inhabi- cially as their schools had just broken up for the summer tants. Now, there are less than 200. It consists of a couple and they would probably be sitting around watching TV or of run down motels, a couple shops, a garage and a few playing computer games. Well, like their mom, they have other businesses mostly all looking the worst for wear. Her no interest in old English cars let alone driving for 4 hrs a comment was “oh my, do people really live here”? It was a day in an old Morgan with the roof little shock to her, being a city girl at down. Mary-Jane‟s remarks are that heart. For me, I love old buildings and it is “very primitive and it messes my the history that goes with them. Yale hair up”. was to be the first of many such quiet little places that we would either So it was mentioned at the dinner ta- drive through or stop and visit that ble one night that one of them should had a grand history from the pioneer- come on the trip with me. The idea ing days. Several times throughout was met with a resounding “oh no, are the trip I would torment her with you kidding?” Mary-Jane assured ideas that her mother and I would them that it was not a joke and that retire early, move to Yale and take she wanted a volunteer. There was a her with us. deathly hush as they both looked down at their plate of food. I found We spent an enjoyable day and a cou- this extremely amusing and when I ple of nights with the Kamloops laughed they both looked up with a branch. We had a fantastic tour of the smile and one of them said “oh it is a area on Sunday and met some of the joke”. But sadly, no, it wasn‟t. They local members with their cars. On the decided to draw straws to see who Monday morning we set off for Wil- should go on the trip. Whoever drew liams Lake a little later than everyone the shortest straw was the winner. My son, Alex won the else due to Alan and Mary-Lou Miles‟ black Sunbeam not competition by drawing the shortest straw, so unfortu- behaving. Emma and I were just moral support while nately for my daughter Emma, she had to go. Now, imag- Gerry Parkinson and Alan fixed it. Once the offending fuel ine, a twelve year old girl trapped with a bunch of oldies line was fixed we were off. We stopped for fuel and to fix driving equally boring old cars for a whole week which that Sunbeam again, this time corroded fuse contacts. We would probably seem to her like an eternity. also stopped roughly half way, at Green Lake for lunch but that was cut short due to rain. The rain was quite persis- So it was off at 7:30 am on a very cold and cloudy Saturday tent but we wrapped up in our coats and drove through it. morning. We drove up to Harrison with the top down to join the rest of the group. It was very cold and it rained a On arriving at Williams Lake nearly all participants little but it could not have been that bad because Emma cleaned their cars and displayed them outside the very actually fell asleep on the way. I wonder if that‟s a first, impressive information Center for an informal show and falling asleep in an open top Morgan while it‟s raining? By shine to promote the old English car movement. Ok, Ok. I the time we had reached Harrison Hot Springs the rain was the only one who didn‟t clean their car. I just hate had stopped, the skies started to clear and Emma had cleaning cars knowing that it will get dirty again within a woken up. hour of driving. Well the rain cut the show a little short so we all retired to the Pub next to the Motel for food and started to climb in altitude the skies grew darker and the liquid refreshment. A good time was had by all. temperature started to drop. It wasn‟t much fun with an open top when it started to rain so Emma and I agreed The next day (Tuesday) we were up earlier than normal that it would be sensible to put the roof on. By this time, and packed the car. By this time I had discovered that Emma had become very helpful with packing, unpacking, Emma was a much happier person if she started the day arranging the motel rooms with our coats and bags and off with a Tim Hortons iced cappuccino and a toasted ba- helping with the tonneau cover. So the hood went on the gel. So from then on throughout the trip we would start Morgan in record time. When we left the pee stop between the day with Tim Hortons for her little treat. That morn- Prince George and McBride the only car not to have the ing we were going to visit the Loran C Tower transmitting roof on was Ric McDonald in his Morgan. What a hero. It station about 45 min drive outside of town. We were sup- was fortunate that we did put the roof up because later on posed to leave at 9:30 but that black Sunbeam refused to in the day the rain came down with a vengeance. We start. Well, we all got our morning exercise by pushing it stopped for lunch in McBride, a pretty little town sur- up and down the parking lot about 4 or 5 times. Finally it rounded by mountains. According to Emma, it must be a fired up and we were off on a very scenic drive through the two horse town as it was bigger than some of the places countryside to the Loran station. Not going to go into any that we had been through. After lunch we drove off to Val- detail about the station but it was a very interesting visit mont and again, just before arriving, the rain fell in tor- and the two guys there were very hospitable. Especially rents which curtailed our plan to see mount Robson first when that damned black Sunbeam wouldn‟t start. AGAIN. before booking into the Motel. Seriously though the guys at the station traced the fault to the Alternator, helped get the car started and arranged for an Auto Electrician to look at it in Williams Lake. We drove down to The Auto Electrician who diagnosed the fault and a couple of hours later we were back on our way with the Sunbeam finally fixed for the rest of the trip. Enjoying some birthday cake and ice cream on Can- ada Day in Valemount Personal disaster: Valemount doesn‟t have a Tim Hortons. What to do? Well, we managed to survive. We spent Can- ada Day in Valemount and went to the super fireworks That “damned” black Sunbeam strikes again! display in the evening. I won‟t go into detail of Canada Day as I‟m sure someone else‟s report will. On the drive to Prince George it rained and Emma fell asleep again. She fell asleep in that Morgan a total of five Friday morning saw us leave for Merritt. This time the times during the whole trip which amazed me. The meal in weather was kind to us and the drive was very pleasant Prince George was a bit scary. The Chinese restaurant and scenic. served up a meal which consisted of almost crimson red sweet and sour pork, chicken and shrimp in a bright yel- Unfortunately, Saturday was our last day on the trip.