I have asked if this is going to be a flypast or a full display. I should know tomorrow. Either way, this is a real coup for the Register! The plan is to halt climbs on the hill shortly before the Lanc's arrival and to make a suitable dedication as she begins her run in over the hill. There will be lumps in throats, and I believe we will be hosting a wartime Lancaster pilot for the day - of which more news anon.
Having got the Prescott planning just about under control (I just sent out the draft marshaling plan), I've been turning my attention to the nav rally and tour on Sunday. I sent the route to the RAC MSA a while back, and I'm now sorting out the nav rally clues and preparing the tour guide. Without giving anything away, the route and the stops along the way are amazing. Lots of people in high places (there's a clue!) have bent over backwards to make the day fantastic for us. To date we have 8 entries for the nav rally (which isn't many, but we WILL run it this year, as the Sevens are turning up!), and ten for the tour, with 33 cream teas ordered at the Plough.
Oh, and I have finally been bullied into starting a Pre-War Prescott Facebook page.
So the RAF is being a little coy about what we might expect in the way of a display, as plans won't be finalized until the day. But we do know that we are getting the Lanc.
I've been working on the rally route asnd the scenic tour handbook, and these days Google Earth is an invaluable tool, being 6,000 miles distant. Here's the sort of street level view that even shows signposts and nameplates - invaluable. (And no, this location is NOT on the route. ) I'll be running around the route on Friday to make a final check that everything works.
The Sports & Vintage Cup has been found! Lynda Sanders had it all along. I called her this weekend, and she is going to polish it and bring it to Prescott (Minor fabric saloon or Bentley fabric saloon), or I'll pick it up in Steeple Aston on my way from Heathrow to Cirencester next Thursday.
Heather Hogg stayed the night Saturday night with her friend Frank and a good time was had by all. She hopes to stay longer next time. It was a great evening, and Frank is a very interesting chap - deeply involved with the restoration of ancient buildings. They arrive back at Heathrow from San Francisco 30 minutes after I get in from JFK!
The most useful aspect is to see the road markings at junctions, so I can write the touring route instructions correctly. i.e. either 'turn left at the T junction', or 'follow thew road round to the left'. Also, being able to read the signposts is very useful, so instead of 'after half a mile, take the next right' you get 'take the next right signposted to Little Snoring'. Hopefully, the majority of road signs will not be overgrown!
ie, dragged MT out of the garage and drove to a local small show and back..... about 35 miles i guess..... no issues, apart from an odd vibration at about 65...!!...!
Ronald
According to the late and sadly missed Bev Hicks - your dad managed 70 in MT - 'with front mudguards flapping about' - perhaps the engine is still stiff - or are you not made of the same stuff as your Dad?
Ken
Wedding went of superbly this weekend - now straight in to the final rally prep. Flying out Wednesday lunchtime, arriving LHR Thursday around noon, then up to Cirencester with a bit of English shopping on the way for stuff to bring back. Meeting with Frank Ashley, Ian Patton, etc. Friday at 10 at Prescott. Then running around the nav rally route for a final check, then back to the Gardener's Arms for the evening.
Several members are working feverishly on their cars to have them ready. Roger Burnett's M Type coupe is having starting issues - probably the coil which is being replaced. Peter Hills is extracting his tourer from 7 years hibernation and giving the fuel system a thorough cleanout. And Bill Piggott is at last winning the monumental battle with his fabric saloon - reported elsewhere on this form a while back. If you rememebr, it all started with a broken rocker shaft. Here's his report:
" Dear Ian, thought you'd like to know that my minor is at last running reasonably well, and may even get to Prescott on sat...we'll see..hope so, anyway.It had at least 5 faults all present at once, so hardly surprising it has taken a bit of sorting....of all the "experts" i consulted, only one, an MMM man called Bob Walker,came up with the correct diagnosis for the dire oil burning it developed ,and he got it immediately....Oil was getting down into cyls 1 and 2via that stupid cyl head stud that passes right through the middle of the inlet port.....whenI had replaced the forward rocker cover A bracket it was, unknown to me, slightly away from its previous position very slightly uncovering thethe base of the stud and hence allowing industrial quantities of oil to be sucked by manifold suction downthetiny gap down the side of the stud...an extra copper washer and some sealant seems to have cured that...plus, not only did the car break a rocker shaft, but the carb to manifold gasket was split underneath and the suction pipe for the wipers was perished, both allowing air to upset the mixture.The wrong needle, much too weak, was in the SU as well.....it is amazing it ran at all.Certainly it has never been "sorted" in recent years or used seriously....
As to the monumental backfire that destroyed the exhaust system...well, guilty here in that I managed to put the new Mike Dowley cam in 180 degrees out, but in my defence, the timing marks on the bevel gears were all to cock.....i suspect they came from another engine at some time so I eventually had to set it up from scratch...however, and this is unbelieveable but true, the engine had started and run in a sort of fashion with the cam timing 180 out...theoretically impossible but true.....
So, I'm giving it a test run today and we'll see how it goes...."
As for the entry list, the target was 100 pre-booked entries before the day, and right now, we're sitting at 99, which is close enough.
I'll be contactable on e-mail until Wednesday morning Pacific time.
Just off to the airport. Two 50 lb suitcases, and a carry-on stuffed with M 138's! You wouldn't believe the tonnage of stuff needed to run the weekend!
Apart from the getting soaked on the 60 miles outward journey (no hood), it was a super day, relaxed and friendly. The climbs were fun, and the belated appearance of the Lancaster and its performance really great. Helpful info from the SU people most useful. The M type ran faultlessly, although too much oil finding its way down to the dynamo!
Thank you Ian for putting it all together. July 21 2012 is already on the diary.
Well, i only ever really intended doing the sunday part of this event, so i had spent the preceeding week fitting a towbar to my Land rover 90.... and then borrowed a trailer on friday eve, loaded the car up on sat afternoon, and did a quick test drive.... well, i've never been so shocked at how badly something could drive.... so i decided to ditch the trailer and drive the car there and back, so i left at 6am, and mum left half an hr later so she could play catch up.......... she caught me only about 35 miles away from home, when i was at Warminster, on the bypass..... this was the only time during the trip up to Prescott that i was hounded by traffic, the trafiic being a huge lorry.... that flet it necessary to try and overtkae me on a left hand bend......... nutter..... me shaking my hands and fingers out of the window made no difference....... he clearly thought that the raod was his!!
Anyways, finally got to precott at about 9.30... only to be told that the rest of the cars had already left..... oh well, we got the nav rally sheets and set about trying to decifer the route.... well we managed the first few miles, but then due to frustration gave up and opened the tour envelope..... we then had quite a pleasant drive, although hindered by sometimes vast quantities of water from the skys..... and some through the floor!!
When we had finished the drive we met for the cream teas.... which was all very pleasant........
And so to the drive home, well, we were a bit loate leaving precott, (where the modern was left!) and i was determined not to thrash the car on the long trip home, so i just took it steady registering a max of about 40... (apparently about 45) i had to do the entire trip with the hood up, due to the weather.... the car went very much better with less cargo, and tools etc.... so hills were slightly less of an issue.... mum was following her beloved satnav, and it sent her what i consider the wrong way though Cheltenham, so we got seperated.... (i was in front... even with only a nose to follow!!) she caight up again and all was fine until just south of the M4..... i decided that it was better for traffic flow around me if she waited in a layby for ten mins and then caught up again, this would have been fine had i not been in alayby myself putting side screens in when she flew past... a quick shout and she waited for me,...... it was by now getting gloomy thanks to the foul weather, at times i could barely see, let alone be seen, it doesn't help not having a wiper...... anyways, just south of Warminster, the car spluttered whilst going uphill..... petrol! so i quickly reached down and flicked over to reserve, which made little difference, and i coasted into a pull in ...... i had already emptied the spare fuel ino the car when leavig prescott, as i thought that i'd then have enough to get home...... WRONG!! so, mum was dispatched to the garage we'd just passed, and duely arrived back with 2 gallons of fuel...... we were situated on a very fast piece of road, and an uphill section, so i waved her out and she flew off up the raod..... sadly i could do this, so i had to pull out and go back down the hill in order to get a run up and not be a sitting duck for faster traffic.... it was decided at this point to just drive home as fast as it would..... i was now to the point of needing headlights..... well, we all know how bad they are in a minor... plus the charging issue is not great either..... so i was flicking from sidelights to headlights to save battery.... and even then only putting the headlights on when i needed to be seen, not see....we finally got home at 10pm, totally shattered, and totally ready for bed..... i have to say that the day was intended to be fun, however the trip home spoilt it, and i was actually quite scarey at times being virtually un able to even see the road.......
Oh well........... many thanks to Ian for organising the day/weekend...lets hope the weather is a tad better next yr..!!
Just back in the office after a seemingly endless flight back yesterday - but nothing as stressful as your trip home, Ronald! There are already a couple of photo sets on the web:
And some cool photos by Hereford Vinatge Auctions - scroll down the page. Particularly see the superb trophy they have given us for the nav rally - to be awarded annually to the best performance by a non-Minor. It is solid bronze and mounted on a hefty marble plinth and weighs about 30 pounds. It was won jointly by the three Austin Sevens entered.
But of course the great news is that - for the first time ever - the Lewis & Nicholson Compass was won by a Morris Minor! Congrats to Simon Hodgins and his most able navigator!
The Sports and Vintage Cup went to Andrew Batey for his sterling efforts and support both last year (despite a broken half shaft) and this year (no broken half shaft). The SU Trophy foir the car I would most like to take home went to Alisdaire Lockhart with his Prince Henry Vauxhall, the HVA Distinguished Service Award went to David Williams with his 1936 Frazer Nash BMW 315 cabriolet and the SU most meritorious entry went to the Bowie family and crews who entered four cars - a 1925 3 litre Bentley, a massive 1929 Hotchkiss AM2, a 1933 Singer 9 sports coupe and a 1932 Alvis 12/60 - and all of the crews turned up in WWII superb military uniforms.
) I'll be running around the route on Friday to make a final check that everything works.
!