Vintage Minor Register

Entries looking good - ten Minors booked in so far - 6 OHC and 4 SV, plus 5 M Types.

There are a total of 70 entries so far with 194 climbs already booked out of a total of around 350 available during the day. With 100 being held back for sale on the day, that leaves just 56 spare, which includes free climbs for further advance entries, which means we are getting close to full capacity on the hill.

You may have seen elsewhere that Pre-War Prescott is virtually SOLD OUT in terms of climbs, with just a handful of spare climbs which are going FAST - and that includes the 100 I was hoping to hold back for the day.

We still have space in the Paddock for more cars whose owners do not wish to climb and there is plenty of space in the Orchard for spectators' cars.

However, as we are the organizers of this event, I will ensure that any VMR member that has not yet entered but who wants to do so WILL get at least one free climb.

We have 12 Minors booked in so far, and 6 M Types.

The day is going to be an absolute blast - as will be the entire weekend.

Good news this morning. It turns out that we should be able to fit in 85 to 90 climbs and hour - not 70, so with this plus the extension we have aked for, there should be plenty of climbs for everyone - even if you haven't entered yet. Mind you, the latest entry is a 1921 Cardan cycle car who has booked four climbs, so that might slow things down a bit!

A little more information re the Sunday route. In the morning, we're planning to stop by Croft Farm, Defford for coffee. Croft Farm is a local airstrip operated by Clive Porter, and he has invited us to visit the strip and view the aircraft and any flying that is taking place there.



The strip is located on the southern perimeter of what was historic RAF Defford during the War.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Defford

Twelve Minors booked in so far. So five more needed to best last year's record 16 at Prescott. Anyone else planning to be there? It's going to be an unmissable day at Prescott.

The Batle of Britain Memorial Flight confirmed today that the Hawker Hurricane is due to display over Prescott at 1440 hrs on Saturday.

Three weeks to go to our Summer Rally and preparations are very nearly complete. We already have a fantastic 148 entries for Saturday - about 50% up on last year at this point, but only 11 Minors booked in so far. We had 16 present last year, so right now the Minors are down more than 25%! Are there any more of you out there that haven't booked in yet but are planning to be there?

The situation for Sunday is even worse! We have 12 cars entered in the nav rally and 17 in the tour. Of these, we have four Minors entered in the tour but NONE in the nav rally (so goodbye Roy Hogg Trophy and Lewis & Nicholson Compass)!

Better news is that we have 23 members confirmed to be present on Saturday which is around 10% of the entire worldwide membership, and includes members visiting from the USA, Australia, Spain and Holland, and we already have a provisional entry from New Zealand for 2014!

Magazine M 146 is at the printers (as is the Rally Programme), and I'll be bringing it with me, so members will be able to collect their Magazines at Peatling Magna or Prescott. The rest will be posted the following week.

Three days until we fly - Jayne and I will be in the Cock Inn, Peatling Magna this Friday evening. Everything is just about in place for the two weekends. All of the tickets and final instructions were posted on from Herefordhire this morning. In the absence of a single Minor in the nav rally, the Morris Specials Group has stepped up to challenge the Sevens for the Lewis & Nicholson Compass with a team of three cars.

The entry list for Prescott is fantastic - just today we've had an Invicta, a works PA and a fifth Derby Bentley book in. The 14 day weather forecast is looking good, too.

It is not too late to enter - or simply turn up on the day and pay at the gate. Right now, we have 56 climbs left out of 495.

I should be contactable in the UK on the usual e-mail address.

As they say in these parts, busier than a one-legged man in a butt kicking contest! Seven more entries this morning. I will have a mobile on me in the UK - number will be 07908295696.

On our last day in the UK, I am meeting with Julian Evan-Hart, the UK's leading metal detector. He has a piece of a Ju-88 for me. He collected it at Hartingfordbury Farm in Hertfordshire where it crashed in 1942, after bombing the de Havilland factory at Hatfield, and my father. My Dad lost a lot if his work colleagues in that attack and he died in 1975 from lung damage attributed to the blasts that day.

Spent a happy half hour trying to balance the weight of M 146 across the suitcases and hand luggage. Success! Three bags at 48 lbs and one heavyish hand luggage. So I'll be posting them all in England - probably early next week. I have separated out the mags for Peatling and Prescott as best I know who is coming. Just off to the airport in 15 mins, 14 ...

Have a good journey Ian, look forward to seeing you tomorrow. I have remembered your clutch/brake shaft but haven't had time to take pics of the 2 seater.
Sheila and I have booked to eat at The Cock at 7.30.

Philip

Thanks Philip, we're on our way to the Cock. Sitting at Sea-Tac waiting to board. Rally stuff just got bomb-sniffed! Looking forward to my first real beer for a year!

Friday lunchtime - at the pub checking out the Sunday rally route. Stopped in at Prescott this morning. All set for a great day tomorrow. Weather unbelievable! Bring your sunscreen!

Slight change on Sunday. We'll be meeting at the Pheasant at Toddington on Sunday evening as the Shutters in Gotherington stops serving food at about 5 on a Sunday.

Just finished the recce for Sunday, cooling off at the Pheasant, off via Prescott to the Shutters shortly. Temperature 30 degrees.