Happenings

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Ian Grace
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Re: Happenings

Post by Ian Grace »

All very quiet at the moment. Nobody doing any Minoring?

Hectic at VMR HQ with planning reaching a peak for the Summer Rally, the Lakeland Weekend and M 150.
Ian Grace
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Re: Happenings

Post by Ian Grace »

Saturday afternoon, and our Summer Rally three weeks this weekend - can't wait!

Just completed the Rally Programme and M 150 - phew!

M 150 is our 50th issue and is in a completely different format - just for this issue. it was a LOT of work to assemble, but was great fun and I hope you will all enjoy it. I'll be bringing it to the Summer Rally for those who are attending, and posting the remaining copies while in England. It will go to the printers here in Seattle tomorrow.

As for the Programme, this will be printed in England this year - saving a considerable amount of excess baggage when we fly over!

Next jobs - envelope and address all of the Summer Rally tickets and Final Instructions for posting on Monday, and then complete and distribute the first draft of the marshaling plan to our volunteers. And the rest of the weekend will be spent completing the Sunday Tour Handbook.

But before that, a quick cuppa I think!
sv4670
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Re: Happenings

Post by sv4670 »

ian

Thank you for all your hard work, looking forward to the the weekend of the event.
Ian Grace
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Re: Happenings

Post by Ian Grace »

Thanks Derek, and very much looking forward to meeting. M 150 being delivered to the printers in about 20 mins and the Programme winging its way to the UK for printing this afternoon. I also managed to get the first draft of the Prescott marshaling plan out to all those who have generously offered to help today, and I just heard back from a certain party in the Cotswolds re access for Sunday - but my lips are sealed!

All of the tickets booked so far are also going in the post today, so most of the heavy lifting is now behind me and I can start to really look forward to the weekend now not far off!
Ian Grace
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Re: Happenings

Post by Ian Grace »

Utter bedlam here as preps for England swamping all else.

Prescott entries are still pouring in, but I am getting close to finalizing Sunday. The route is a super one this year, and it has been fascinating researching all of the Great War clues along the way.

With all this and M 150, I didn't manage to get a Newsletter out in June (unless you count the Pre-War Prescott Newsletters!), but I plan to get a July one out before flying over on the 16th.

Jayne and I are really looking forward to meeting everyone - specially at The Shutters on Friday evening.

I should have the M 150 hard copy proof in my hands in about 40 mins.

This is the Independence Day weekend here in the States, and I get a four day weekend starting tonight, so I hope to have broken the back of the prep work by Tuesday. In the meantime, probably time to start sun dancing for good weather for the Summer Rally, nog to mention the VMR Lakeland Weekend the following weekend!
rmburnett
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Re: Happenings

Post by rmburnett »

A very happy Independence Day to everyone. We are looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible at Prescott.
Roger & Inka
Ian Grace
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Re: Happenings

Post by Ian Grace »

Thanks Roger, Inka. Just bought the fireworks for this evening and about to fire up the BBQ with all the family!
Getting so close to England and the Summer Rally now. It's going to be huge this year.
Ian Grace
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Re: Happenings

Post by Ian Grace »

Interesting night last night. Fireworks with the grandchildren. Half an hour after, son William put the dead fireworks in the bin in front of the garage, put the kids to bed and retired to the lounge for Glenlivets.

Half an hour later, the smoke detector in the garage went off. Entered the garage to see bright orange glow through the Windows in the tops of the garage doors. Outside, discover wheely bin in meltdown and garage doors on fire!

Fire extinguisher grabbed from the kitchens larder put the doors out, and luckily we had filled the paddling pools for the grand children earlier in the day, so it was hooked up and handy. Managed to kill the bin fire, now totally melted into futuristic shapes!

The fabric saloon was 2" behind the charred garage doors.

If it wasn't for the smoke detector, the garage with bedroom above and the rest of the house would have gone up.

Thank God for that smoke detector. We were all at the other end of the house and would not have realised what was going on if not for it.

Flew up to Friday Harbor today and just having lunch here in the pub overlooking the harbour. Normally you can't see the harbour from the bar, but the restaurant on the harbour edge burned down last year - rats chewed through the wiring in one of thd walls.

Stay safe!

Ian
garagiste
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Re: Happenings

Post by garagiste »

Proof of value of smoke detectors. Glad all is well, hope you have recovered from the shock.

David.
Ian Grace
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Re: Happenings

Post by Ian Grace »

Indeed!

Apart from two grand daughters sleeping in the bedroom above, the garage contained the fabric saloon, the McEvoy, the Tiger Moth, the Queen Bee, about GBP 60k of new Tiger Moth wing spars and God know what else.

I'll be calling my insurance company next week to check the scope of my coverage!
Ian Grace
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Re: Happenings

Post by Ian Grace »

Picked up a few bits at Prescott. Missing engine parts and a pair of SV headlamps for the McEvoy from Toby Sears via Philip Butland, manifold gaskets for the fabric saloon from Mile Dowley and two sets of relief brake shoes for both cars from Ian Harris. Also a fuel filter assy. for the Tiger Moth from Harvey Pole.

Spent an hour refresher training in a Tiger in Dorset (we stayed with the Nagle's). Practiced stalls right over Milton Abbey school, bringing their cricket match to a halt! Looking to plan a rally weekend there again in either 2015 of 16.
Ian Grace
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Re: Happenings

Post by Ian Grace »

Superb weekend in the Lakes! We had three MMM's - M, PA and F, plus a TD and Mike Taylor in his 1951 MO Oxford. Drove back down this morning, just arrived at the Bell Inn, Stilton for three nights before flying home Thursday.

Ian
tonym
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Re: Happenings

Post by tonym »

Ian/Jane
Many thanks for the Lakeland Weekend.
A quite splendid event - thanks for all your efforts.
We had a trip, on Monday, along with the "F" round into the remote and very scenic Wasdale - fulfilling a very long held ambition.
We got home OK, as did Bob after having stormed Hardknott and Wrynose with the F-type.

Thanks again

Tony M
Ian Grace
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Re: Happenings

Post by Ian Grace »

All great stuff! The F is to die for.

Heading for bomber country tomorrow. BBMF, East Kirkby, Woodhall Spa Officers' Mess (now a hotel), and Cranwell for old time's sake.

Home on Thursday.
Ian Grace
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Re: Happenings

Post by Ian Grace »

Back home, over jet-lag and getting back into the routine! Everyone should have received their copy of M 150 by now, and I am starting on M 151 which will include full reports on the Summer Rally and the Lakeland Weekend.

What's everybody else up to? I hear that the weather in the UK right now is dreadful!
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