Rally Roll Call 2008

[chris lambert]

For those of you NOT attending Friday's 'Welcome' at The Swan in Hoxne, I will hand out your welcome packs prior to the start of The Airfields Tour on Saturday morning. I will be at Thorpe Abbotts from 8:00am on Suturday and would like to see everyone away by 9:15 at the latest, if possible.
I will hand out the welcome packs to everyone else on Friday evening.
Looking forward to meeting up with some old friends and meeting some new ones. See you on Friday.
Chris

[Ian Grace]

Chris

Received tickets for Cream Tea and Saturday Evening Party today.

Where is Ian ? He seems to have vanished into thin air ?

Tony G

Hi Tony and all. Apologies for my total absence from the Morris world over the last couple of weeks. The reason is that I have been distracted by events. As many of you probably know, my company - Smiths Aerospace - was bought out by General Electric in May last year. At that time, GE assured us that there would be no layoffs as a result of the purchase, but they were being economic with the truth - to put it mildly. To cut a long story short, GE laid off about 150 engineers from our facility two weeks ago - and I was one of them. Our work is being outsourced wholesale to India, Moscow and elsewhere. I'm sure you can imagine the ensuing personal chaos. I have been working to set up interviews from coast to coast and will be in Seattle and Portland early next week. The agony is that Jayne has to give up her great nursing job here in Grand Rapids as well if we move. However, just today a prospect arose right here in Grand Rapids that I am pursuing with great energy - with one of our US outsourcing companies - so fingers crossed, we might be out of the woods before too long. Once things settle down, service will return to normal I am sure, but I wouldn't wish this sort of situation on my worst enemy. I want to record here that I am deeply grateful to Chris for anchoring the rally this year. If I had come across to run it as usual, I may well have returned to find I had no job, or almost as bad, I would probably have found out days before we departed for the UK and that would have definitely killed the holiday spirit. Thanks, Chris, for all your help.

This is the first time I have logged on to the forum in these two weeks - it is heartening to see so much activity. I cannot wait to get back into things again. I'll keep you all updated in the coming days as best I can. In the meantime, have a great weekend in the Fens everyone - I'll be with you in spirit.

[Highlander]

I too have been through it and at the time there seems no light at the end of the tunnel. Molly and I wish you all the luck and we are sure everything will work out. Thank you for all the work and time you have put into our Register. We are all behind you, Highlander.

[cammy]

Ian, sorry to hear of your troubles. An old school buddy, Paul Kingston, who you may know as he was in the RAF is involved with aerospace out in the USA so some one told me. If the Grand rapids thing doesn't work out he may be worth searching out to see if he knows of anything.

ATB Clive.
ps I think he is on Friends Reunited.

[Ronald]

HI Ian and all,

I'd just like to say good luck to Ian with the Seattle/Portland thing, we were there just last week, i take it the opputunity might be with Boeing..????

Also, good luck to everyone on a great weekend, lets hope the weather improves slightly eh...

Ronald.

[Ian Grace]

Thanks for all the kind thoughts guys - much appreciated. I'll be chasing around interviewing for the next few days but a possibility has opened up to work with one of our outsource partners here in Grand Rapids. If this works out, then we could be out of the woods. I hope to know in a week or so. In the meantime, all the very best for a super weekend in the Fens - fingers crossed for the weather and I look forward to seeing all the photos when I get back next week.

[cammy]

Chris, In spite of the late night I just had to leap out of bed to say what a great evening we had last night. It was really nice to meet with such pleasant people and to see some pristine Minors arriving. The venue was great and how you arranged the flypasts ... well the imagination boggles.
We were both surprised by the quality of the entertainment, Fiona and her orchestra, and it was a bonus to discover she went to the same school as me.

We hope that one day in the near future we will be able to participate in the on the road activities of the Register but in the meantime will just have to be content with the social aspects.
I know that all who attended are, like us, more than appreciative of your hard work. A very sincere well done!!
ATB
Clive & Bren

[Highlander]

Chris, I ecco what has been said. I was sorry not to be able to attend but I did mention that I had won my way to the quarter finals of the Surrey Senior Golf Championships which were held this week end - I was runner up, i.e. second. I am more than pleased. We are off to Swanage for a few days but my hopes of buying the Maltby Saloon are slight. Molly was quite cross to say the least!!! Even after 51 years you cannot win them all. Thanks again Chris and for all of you who help make this a GREAT club. Highlander.

[halbe]

Chris,

We also had a great weekend, excellent rally ,Great Club
Thank you all for making us feel very welcome and hope to be back soon!

Halbe & Monique

[chris lambert]

I am just about to sit down and write the rally report for the VMR mag. There is a lot to put in it! The weekend was made for me by the club members. Old friendships re-kindled, many new friends made.So many highlights and no downside. Brilliant!
Chris

[Simon]

Chris

Thanks for all the work that you and your helpers put in organising an excellent weekend. Very many thanks to you all.

I clocked up over 530 miles from home to home if the mileometer is correct !!

Simon

[Frank van Voorst]

Many thanks indeed for the excellent rally, in particular the 40's night

Frank & Pieter

[Toby]

Sorry to hear of Ians woes, maybe you should come back to the uk-I've lots of projects waiting and many minorists would use your minoring services!!! I also echo the other comments about the rally, as a club we certainly punch above our weight. Nice photo of some balding youngster being talked into racing modifications by an older tearaway, is there a law against corruption of minors (pun intended )

[chris lambert]

Just to close this thread down I thought I would post an image that tipified what the weekend was about for me. Here's to next year!



Chris

[Ian Grace]

Wonderful - yes, here's to 2009!

PS I finally received my formal offer from Universal Avionics in Seattle this afternoon, I start there 29th September - after a mega road trip to get there!

Celebrations in full swing here tonight.