Vintage Minor Register

Ken Martin
8 Davies Close
Marlborough
Wiltshire
SN8 1TW
(H) 01672/515908
kenmartin@waitrose.com

Just bought a copy as well, Amazon must be pleased!

I have long been facinated by long distance trips, I have many books including Peking Paris, Colmans Drive, Desert Taxi, and the Oxford/Cambridge Land Rover trips but had not come across this one before.

As for epic trips, why not! I have always wanted to drive to St Petersburg, then up over to Sweden, across the bridge to Denmark and Germany.

David Brown has done two round Britain runs in his SV Minor 2 seater, Trevors been to Ireland - whats stopping us?

Is there any chance the Morris Owner article could get reprinted in the VMR mag?

Cheers
Jeremy

Yes, I'll print it as the Tailpiece in M 131 (M 130 done already!).

I have just finished reading my copy of Turn Left.... and as promised a very brief review so as not to spoil your enjoyment. OK, I will spoil it - they did get to Cape Town!
My lasting impression is that they (Gilg and Kay) are out of the same intrepid mould as other more illustrious British explorers. More importantly they seem to have enjoyed themselves on the journey despite the worst that Africa could throw at them and their heroic little car. The car is definitly the star here.
It is very clear how long ago this was written, as the passing mention of the killing of 20 troublesome Rhino by gamekeepers illustrates. Also for the sensitive, there is a lot of non pc language concerning the indiginous populace. How attitudes have changed since then!
Finally, I was also surprised at how easily they obtained fuel, even in the remotest of regions and that help was at hand to cope with most emergencies. The colonial powers of France, Belgium and Britain had a massive influence and infrastructure, throughout the dark continent, in the thirties.
If Amazon still have any copies left - buy one. The book is a wonderful testimony to the 30's Minor and to two remarkable Brits.
Chris

Another excellent Land Rover (Series 1) story is Earth, My Friend by Group Captain Peter Townsend...57,000 mile drive round the world alone !
Although what we would regard as a modern Minor, Trek is worth a (rather sad) read...it involved one of the pre-war Minor team..Gilg I think.

What a read!! Those were the days. I think opur next step is to find the TV film - that would be something else. When most of us today think a trip of 100 miles is enough - to Cape Town! 50 years ago, when I started motoring in a 1927 Austin 7 (sorry) I often went up to Crimond, Aberdeenshire from Epsom in Surrey. That was a round trip of 1200 miles. I thought nothingn of it then. I have done the same trip every year since in vintage Humbers, Alvis, Sunbeam, Rolls-Royce. It does take time, and today we seem to have no time. I can do this journey, comfortly in a modern small car in 9 hours, in the minor it would be at lease two days - what does it matter now one is retired! I do not think Molly would come as no room for all her clothes!!! If any of you like long distance holidays our best resent holiday (2000) was rounf the coast of Scotland - turn left at Gretne Green and follow the coast, on all the minor road, all the way up to Cape Wrath across to John o Groats, inverness, Aberdeen and down to Berwick - takes 10 days - 150/200 miles a day. It is our 51 wedding anniversary today and off for fish and chips with some vintage friends. Alister. (Highlander)

Highlander wrote:It is our 51 wedding anniversary today and off for fish and chips with some vintage friends. Alister. (Highlander)

Congratulations!

Congratulations, you have earned your fish and chips.
I agree that distance shouldn't be a problem in a Minor so long as you have the time, but once you start approaching 200 miles in a day it's enough. I am part way through "The Riffs" and to read of 362 miles in one day, and not on roads, well.
I went to Scotland in 2006 Turned left at Gretna,kept off the beaten track and went all up the west coast, along the top as far as Dunnet Head, then came back down the west coast, had a wonderful time and took three weeks to do it. (not in my Minor)

Talking of turning left, the roll call of forumists who have purchased the book looks like this:

Me, Alister, Trevor, Roger L., Ian and Jeremy.

It won't have sold this many since publication in 198? Anybody else bought a copy?

Mine just arrived today!

Yes, I did...in 1981 when I saw the write up in the paper !!...a really good read. Also read Trek.....same bloke (Gilg)..."modern" Minor Traveller.....unfortunately he met his end on this one.

My edition of Turn Left....... does not show an image of the bizarre desert meeting of the two Minors, but I did manage to find this photograph in the summer 1979 edition (Vol. 9 No. 2) of the Morris Register Journal, together with a lengthy review of the Yorkshire T.V. documentary by Harry Edwards. Alan Cooper,the driver of the two seater, was on his way back to Beaconsfield, just a few miles from my birthplace in Iver Heath.



I am keeping my fingers crossed, as I may shortly have some interesting news on this subject.

Chris

The book is amazing, the trip through Spain must have been an experience in itself so close to the unrest there. Gilg describes the sandstorms in northern Africa and I think he should be very thankful that he had such a technically minded person on board. I've only got to Algiers so plenty left to read yet.

Any one watching the Peking Paris programme on the travel channel (sky 261) Sunday's and repeated Wednesday's at 9 pm looks fun but would kill a Minor driving at that pace. A bit slower and less pressure and I'm there. I'll be practicing on the Light Car Trial at the end of March!

Cheers
Jeremy

There is another MR article on many other books on insane pre war journeys in cars! Shackletons first attempt on the pole was in cars, I believe. A little naive, with hindsight, but fair play to him.

Great News. I am about to acquire an official copy of the full length Yorkshire TV documentary on DVD. The bad news is that it costs £117.50 and has a whole host of copyright rules attached to it. It is coming from ITN Source in Leeds, but it is only being supplied to me on the strict understanding that it is for my personal use. I can show it to others as long as no money changes hands. So if we get a wet evening over the summer rally weekend we can all sit and watch Turn Left..... Alternatively, we can go to the pub!
If anybody else wants the contact details to obtain their own copy they are:

jane.chambers@itnsource.com

Chris