Summer Rally and Pre-War Prescott 2023

[Ian Grace]

Time to kick things off. First and foremost, the dates are Friday 14th to Sunday 16th July. You can use these dates to book your accommodation.

Right now I'm in the middle of preparing the entry form, the online entry form plus the Summer Rally and Pre-war Prescott websites - not trivial tasks, but I hope to go live with everything in the next week, when entries will officially be open.

Lots of new stuff this year, including a visit to the Morgan Car Company in Malvern on Friday and we will gather on Friday evening at Ye Olde Hobnails at Little Washbourne, just north of Prescott. This super 15th century pub was run down before the pandemic and then closed for about two years. It is now open again and the new landlord Richard has done a superb job. Jayne and I visited it twice in July and we were hugely impressed. There's a warren of charming rooms, nooks and crannies, a vast garden and plenty of parking. And the food and service were outstanding. If you would like to book a table for the evening of Friday 14th July, contact Richard the landlord at thehobnails@quality-inns.co.uk.

Pre-War Prescott will be heaving with M.G.'s on Saturday as we will be celebrating the centenary of the M.G. Car Company.

More news will be posted here as plans develop.

[Ian Grace]

And the Rally website is now live at http://vintageminor.co.uk/Summerrally20 ... _2023.html.

And the 2023 Entry Form can be downloaded from the top of the page. Entries are now officially open!

[Ian Grace]

And now the basics of the Pre-War Prescott website have been updated, to include online entry, at http://www.prewarprescott.com

[Ian Grace]

Everything seems to be working and the first online entry arrived today - from Mike Lees with his 1935 M.G. NB. So we are fully up and running!

I have entered the fabric saloon VG 2007 as I'm not sure whether I'll have the time in England between now and next July to investigate and sort the vertical drive problem on the Semi-sports. I'm hoping to get the head off during our two-week Christmas visit and only then will I know what's required. If I can get the Semi-sports sorted, I'll probably enter that instead of the fabric saloon.

[Ian Grace]

Quick entry update.

We already have 19 entries, 5 for Friday, 18 for Saturday, 39 climbs, 7 for Sunday.

But only one Minor so far - and that is mine!

Plenty of time to make your plans, but please do make plans to attend at least some of the weekend.

To end on a high note, the latest entry, received this morning was from member Col Schiller who will be flying over from Australia to join us. He and his family last visited our Summer Rally back in 2013 - so it will be super to see them again in England after ten years. Needless to say, he has entered all three days.

[Ian Grace]

On a cold and gray winter's day, there's nothing better than to work on plans for the Summer Rally.

Entries are arriving daily - and there were actually five online entries today, bringing the entry list to 58, and 117 climbs booked so far. 12 cars for Friday, 17 bods for the Morgan tour and 21 cars for Sunday, so we are looking at a potential record entry for the weekend which is now less than six months away.

Still only three Minor entries so far - Clive Hamilton-Gould, new member Richard Bullock with his '34 2-seater and my own entry. I'll either bring the fabric salon, or perhaps the Semi-sports if i have time to fix the vertical drive.

Who else is planning to bring their Minor?

[Ian Grace]

Fantastic news this morning from the BBMF. We've been provisionally allocated a Spitfire AND a Hurricane, to display together at 14:25 in the afternoon.

To have not one but two BBMF fighters over Prescott is a tremendous first for PWP and underlines the massive level of support we receive every year from the Flight.

Of course, the allocation is provisional at this stage and will be confirmed in May, but the already announced presence of the Flight at nearby RIAT for that weekend gives me confidence that this provisional allocation will be confirmed, barring any catastrophic event.

Because the hill must be closed during aerial activity, I will be requesting the BOC hold their lunch break slightly later this year, from 1:30 to 2:30 and the MG100 cavalcade to re-open the hill for the afternoon climbs as soon as the fighters have departed.

[Ian Grace]

Here's the Minor entry list as it stands today. It's a good start and I'm hoping for many more!

1 VG 2007 1929 Morris Minor fabric saloon Ian Grace (VMR)
2 BPB 357 1934 Morris Minor 2-seater Richard Bullock (VMR)
3 DG 325 1930 Morris Minor tourer Clive Hamilton-Gould (VMR)
4 BR 8606 1930 Morris Minor 2-seater Richard and Suzanne Woodward (VMR)
5 DV 3600 1930 Morris Minor tourer Jo Langford-Yates (VMR)
6 MM 9385 1929 Morris Minor tourer Steve Kent (VMR)
7 EN 5810 1933 Morris Minor Maddox Special Paul Maddox (VMR)
8 TP 9995 1931 Morris Minor 2-seater George Rodford (VMR)

You can enter online at https://prewarprescott.com/?page_id=161

And a reminder that full details of the weekend can be found at:

https://vintageminor.co.uk/Summerrally2 ... _2023.html

[Ian Grace]

Morris Minors at Pre-War Prescott

As I’m sure everyone is aware, Pre-War Prescott is hosted by the Register, and forms but one of the three days of the Register’s annual Summer Rally. As such I always try to encourage as many Minor owners as possible to come along to one or more of the three days with their cars. To encourage this, for this year, I am inaugurating a scheme of offering Minor owners who have never brought their Minor to any of our rallies before to enter one, two or all three days completely FOR FREE, because I am confident that, once they have entered once, they will come back again! So, if you own a Minor and have not entered before, simply e-mail me and I will book you in and answer any questions or concerns you may have about the weekend. Right now, we have eight Minors entered, but hopefully we shall have many more on the Entry List by July.

Vintage Picnic - Sunday 16th July 2023

We now have the menu and ordering instructions for our Sunday lunchtime picnic, as well as the venue details. There will be a Vintage Picnic at the cricket ground in Moreton-in-Marsh on the Sunday, which will be the halfway point in our Navigation Rally and parallel Scenic Tour. (Note the venue change from Broadway to Moreton-in-Marsh – we couldn’t be guaranteed parking space at Broadway Tower, so re-planned.) You may order from the menu below, or bring your own picnic, or lunch at a nearby pub in the village. Here is the menu:

Unlike last year, please place your order directly with the Register at vintageminor@gmail.com and we will then e-mail you a confirmation and payment instructions.

Sandwiches on either White or Granary Brown:
Cheddar Cheese & Chutney £4.20
Ham & Mustard £4.20
Smoked Salmon, Cream Cheese & Cucumber £7.00

Eggs by The Handmade Scotch Egg Company – The Classic Mac £3.60
The Mumbai (Vegetarian) £3.60
Revills Sausage Rolls Scotch £2.20 each
Pot of Potato Salad 200g £1.50
Pork Pie Small, by The Outdoor Pig Company £2.00
Chicken & Ham Pie Small £2.40
Pipers Crisps 80p:
Sea Salt
Cider Vinegar & Sea Salt
Cheddar & Onion

Homemade Fruit Scone with Strawberry Jam & Clotted Cream £3.75
Homemade Flapjack £3.50
Pimm’s Jelly & Revills Strawberries £5.00
Victoria Sponge Cake £3.50
Chocolate Sponge Cake £3.50

Fentimans Soft Drinks £2.20:
Cola
Victorian Lemonade
Lemon Shandy

Oldfield Cider £4.20 a bottle:
Medium dry
Original
Medium Sweet all 4.8%

Brew 61 £4.20 a bottle or can:
Lager 5%
Greenfields Gold 3.8%
Hazy Bale Ale 5%
Bromsgrove Dark Ale 4%.

[Ian Grace]

Two more recent Minor entries - Alistair Bond with his Semi-sports IA 9142 and Stuart Cooke with his McEvoy prototype RC 300. Also a couple more recent M Type entries from Mark Smith and Roger Payn, plus Roger Burnett's Sportsman's Coupe, bring the M entry to six.

The Old Bull landlord Joe Reed is also going to enter his rare SV tourer, and there's rumour of more Minor entries in the offing, so its shaping up to be an excellent Minor turnout.

And remember, if you are a Minor-owning member and have not entered your Minor for our summer rally before, you get a completely FREE entry! Just contact me for booking details.

[Ian Grace]

With just two months to go today, we are in the final planning stages for a fabulous day at Prescott and an equally fabulous weekend of rallying and fun in the glorious Cotswolds. We have a tremendous variety of Edwardian, vintage and pre-war cars entered and of course entries remain open.

As of today, we have a tremendous 110 M.G.’s already entered as we look forward to marking the Centenary of M.G. in style and with an MG100 cavalcade up the hill in the lunch break.

And in a fantastic first for Pre-War Prescott, the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Spitfire and Hurricane are scheduled to beat up the Paddock at 1425 hrs!

If that is not enough to whet your appetite, we have Scenic Tours on Friday and Sunday, plus the Lewis & Nicholson team challenge on Sunday – the annual and hotly-contested navigation rally competition between teams of Austin Sevens and vintage Morris Minors.

The Friday Tour includes an optional private visit to the Morgan Car Company factory in Malvern and will conclude with cream teas at the Beckford Silk Mill. Our Sunday Scenic Tour and parallel Navigation Rally will conclude with cream teas at the gorgeous Stanway House where we will once again be treated to a launching of the 300 ft gravity fountain.

Full details of the three-way weekend – including our tours, the Navigation Rally and our social evenings can be found at https://vintageminor.co.uk/Summerrally2 ... _2023.html.

And keep an eye on http://prewarprescott.com/ for breaking news as the weekend approaches.

If you have any questions regarding the day, or the full rally weekend please let me know.

Enter online at http://prewarprescott.com/?page_id=161 (entries or spectators) or simply turn up on the day and pay at the gate.

[Ian Grace]

Great news. This morning I received the document pack from the MoD along with confirmation of the Spitfire and Hurricane displays for the day. Should be quite a sight and sound!

https://www.raf.mod.uk/display-teams/ba ... al-flight/

[Ian Grace]

The following is an extract from our June Newsletter, circulated today:

So, let’s get straight to it up front. In early May, while preparing the Pre-War Prescott Programme for
the printers, I contacted the Bugatti Owners Club to confirm our date for PWP 2024, as I always like
to include next year’s date in this year’s Programme. This helps people who book their
accommodation from year to year and also helps our overseas visitors make their travel plans. I was
therefore surprised to receive the following response from the Prescott manager:

"With regards to 2024 dates, council are still in discussions as to how many private hire events we will
be allowing, and which ones they will be, so I’m sorry, but I can’t confirm anything on this front at the
moment and most likely won’t be able to until the latter part of the year. All date confirmations are on
hold for 2024 at the moment. Council are reviewing all the events on the hill and the financial /
diversity / PR they create for the club in order to ensure we are maximising the 30 days use we have,
so please continue to debate internally and let me know your preference, but I’m not currently in a
position to confirm."

It would appear that several, if not all of the clubs that hire Prescott have received a similar response.
Not knowing until the latter part of this year whether we will be offered a date or not gives little time
to plan. Remember, for example that requests for RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight air support
need to be lodged by the end of September for the following season.

Therefore, contingency plans for an alternative venue/date must be made. My first thought has
already been mentioned in our recent Newsletters. As Jayne and I are relocating to the UK in June
next year, I was already looking at possibilities for an autumn 2024 rally. So my initial thought was to
organize an event in September 2024 on a moderate scale, but one which could be throttled up into a
much more significant weekend, should we be unsuccessful in securing a date for Pre-War Prescott
2024.

That would be one option. Another would be to make a clean break, inaugurate a brand new main
event - on the same weekend in July as Pre-War Prescott - and throw everything into making it a great
success, without one event dragging on the other.

To that end, I have spent the last few weeks researching possible alternative venues including hill
climbs, stately homes, ‘green field’ venues, closed road hill climbs and more. I have spoken to
numerous Register supporters, events managers and teams across the area and, to cut to the chase,
one venue stood head and shoulders above the rest, and that venue is Bicester Heritage.
Bicester Heritage is based on the old RAF Bicester airfield in Oxfordshire, which is the best-preserved
pre-war and wartime RAF airfield in the country. Ten years ago, the Bicester Heritage team was
formed and took over the entire airfield and associated RAF hangars and buildings. The site is now
home to around 50 motoring businesses, including MSUK. The team has added a test track and the
vast grass airfield has become popular among the vintage aircraft community.

After a number of meetings with the Bicester events team, the date of Saturday 20th July 2024 has
been booked for the inaugural Pre-War Bicester. The day will include untimed runs on the test track
(in a very similar fashion to our untimed climbs at Prescott, but more suitable for lower-powered cars
and cyclecars, etc.) and a number of vintage aircraft owners have already penciled in the date
including the Tiger Nine display team of nine Tiger Moths and the Vintage Aircraft Club who are
looking to join us as they celebrate their 60th Anniversary. Also, Chris Thompson who runs Finest
Hour Experiences and generously donates a Tiger Moth flight to our charity auction every year is
based at Bicester, so whoever wins the flight next year will be able to take to the skies immediately!
Bicester also offers far more space than is available in the Prescott Paddock for Clubs and Registers to
gather their members’ cars, club gazebos, spares stalls, etc.

All of this is seismic news after having run rallies at Prescott since 2003 and then our inaugural Pre-
War Prescot in 2011. Of course Prescott is a wonderful venue and I will be sorry to leave it after so
many people have put in so much work over the years to develop the day. However, as one close
friend noted recently, the success of Pre-War Prescott is not so much due to the hill, but to the
wonderful people and their cars that it attracts.

And perhaps, after all those years, it is time for something fresh. This year, I have heard from several
entrants that they do not wish to climb the hill, as they have done so very many times in the past.
Bicester gives us a unique opportunity to forge something fresh, new and exciting, while carrying over
the relaxed, garden party atmosphere that Pre-War Prescot has become so well known for. The fact
that we can hold the day on the same third Saturday in July is also a real bonus, not only for
continuity but also because it will continue to be on the same weekend as the nearby Royal
International Air Tattoo (RIAT) at Fairford, which always greatly enhances our chances of securing a
display by the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight who always attend RIAT in force. And of course
the day will be bookended with our traditional Friday and Sunday road runs and evening social
gatherings. Bicester is almost exactly 40 miles east of Prescott as the crow flies, so the area to explore
on Friday and Sunday just overlaps the area we have all become familiar with but also opens up all
sorts of wonderful new Oxfordshire countryside and places of interest to visit.
Additionally, the test track offers a fresh change from the hill and the space available also opens up
the possibility of running VSCC style driving tests.

And there’s one more piece of good news. Unlike Prescott, the airfield is completely covered by high
speed wi-fi which means that we will be able to use hand-held credit card devices on the gate and also
switch to online ticketing, removing the time-consuming and expensive task of printing and posting
carboard tickets to everyone. And I should also mention that, unlike Prescott, there will be NO need
for entrants to hold MSUK licenses or to have to pre-register after they have submitted their entry. As
we get into the detailed planning, the good news just keeps coming!

Clearly, there is much to think through, but there is time to do so and hopefully develop Pre-War
Bicester into something really special that will take the Register into the future.

There will be more video conferences with the Bicester events team in the coming weeks and we will
be holding a site meeting in early July to nail down more details. But for now, please make a note of
the date – Saturday 20th July 2024.

And finally, all this means that Pre-War Prescott next month will be the last running of this muchloved
annual event for the foreseeable future, so if you have never been before but always thought you
would like to visit some year, or if you attended one of our early days at Prescott or if you would
simply like to join in our farewell to Prescott, please submit your entry without delay.

In conclusion, I would like to recognize all those who have worked to make Pre-War Prescott such a
tremendous success. I have worked with no less than five Prescott managers since our Register's first
visit in 2003, but Ian Patton stands out and should be recognized as the man who came up with the
Pre-War Prescott idea in 2010 and against all odds found us a date in 2011. Thanks must also go to all
the Prescott marshals who have made our hillclimbing possible. There have been too many to name,
but I must mention John Hicks who has been behind us from the very beginning, joined the Register
even though he doesn't own a pre-war car and for the last several years has anchored our entries,
posted out our tickets, produced badges for us at no charge and so much more. I should also specially
mention Sue Barnes at the Bugatti Trust who has also been an ardent supporter of our events at
Prescott over the years. I should also mention another tremendous supporter of Pre-War Prescott
and that is past BOC President Charles Trevelyan who has quietly worked behind the scenes over so
many years on our behalf. I also wish the present President Nick Upton all the very best and was
grateful when he gave me Honorary Membership of the BOC for supporting the club through the
difficulties of Covid - thankfully well behind us now. I should also mention Ciaran Mac Cana who
served up our sumptuous evening BBQ's at the Clubhouse for so many years. I wish the Bugatti
Owners Club and the Bugatti Trust all the very best of success for the future.

I must also recognize Mike Dowley of Sports & Vintage Motors who has sponsored our rallies since we
founded the Register in 2001 (and also entertained us on Saturday evenings with his jazz band), Mark
Burnett of SU who sponsored us in our early years and Lawrence Bleasdale of Mintex who has
sponsored us in more recent years. Together they have made so much possible that would not have
been possible without their support. And then there are the tremendous supporters who are no
longer with us. Sadly, there are so many of them, but those that stand out include Bev Hicks, Roy
Hogg, John Warburton, Brian Maeers, David Roscoe, Frank Ashley, Mike Jones and many more. But
above all, I give warmest thanks to all those twelve hundred or so members and friends and all the
other wonderful clubs and all the traders, exhibitors and photographers that have joined with us in
the Paddock over the years and who have made Pre-War Prescott what it has become by attending,
supporting, marshaling and helping out in countless ways. Due to them, Pre-War Prescott has grown
from a small one-make Register's summer gathering into one of the best-loved events on the vintage
motoring calendar, and I know I can depend on your continued support as we make the tremendously
exciting move to Bicester next year. Onward and upwards!

[Ian Grace]

Pre-War Prescott 2023 is JUST four weeks today! Planning is now almost complete for a truly fabulous weekend and we already have a mouthwatering entry of 200 Edwardian, vintage and pre-war cars, many of which will be joining us for the three-day weekend of rallying, touring, hillclimbing and socializing.

Tickets for all of the weekend’s activities have been individually enveloped and will be shipped to Gotherington next week for onward posting. Meanwhile, entries for all three days remain OPEN.

Enter online at http://prewarprescott.com/?page_id=161.

With four weeks to go, we currently have 191 entries for Pre-War Prescott, and 374 climbs booked. Entries include Nick Cook’s wondrous 1907 Stanley Model H 20 HP Gentleman's Speedy Roadster, 14 Minors, 15 Austin 7’s, 50 MMM M.G.’s, 26 M.G. T Types, 8 vintage M.G.’s including Geoff Radford’s historic 18/100 Tigress, 14 Alvises, 5 Bentleys, 5 Vauxhall 30/98’s, 6 Rileys and many more marques and models. And I should not forget that Nick Helliker is bringing his gorgeous 1950 Harrington-bodied AEC coach to grace the Paddock and the Wellington Aviation Museum is bringing a display and a couple of interesting wartime vehicles including a rare RAF signals truck to add to the general atmosphere.

I should also mention that spectators are very welcome at Prescott on Saturday. Tickets can be pre-booked at the link above or obtained at the gate - £10 per person, twelves and under and parking free.

And if you wish to bring your pre-war car, but for any reason cannot commit in advance, you can also turn up and pay at the gate on the day. You will also be able to fill in a form for your MSUK license on the day if you need to. However, you will not receive your free climb and the last few climb tickets will go quickly.

An important reminder to those who have booked for the Sunday runs. We will be holding a Vintage Picnic at the historic Tudor Coughton Court in Warwickshire and fresh farm picnics can be ordered in advance, if you are not bringing your own picnic. If you have not ordered yours yet, you will find the menu and ordering instructions below. Orders MUST be received by 28th June.

Also an important reminder that everyone who is planning to climb the hill on Saturday – and that includes passengers – MUST obtain a MSUK Clubman license and then pre-register with the BOC. These Clubman licenses are completely free but must be renewed annually. Obtain yours at https://apply-rsclubman.motorsportuk.org/landing. Equally important, you will need to print off your licenses and bring them to Prescott where you will be signed in and obtain your wristbands, without which you will not be able to access the hill.

Once you have your licenses, you will need to pre-register with the BOC at https://forms.gle/5hsY3ZBAyavcwrwG6.

It’s a lot of nonsense bureaucracy, but these steps will ensure you enjoy the day with the minimum of fuss.

A highlight of the day will be the MG100 Display and Cavalcade up the hill in the lunch break. Right now, we have 25 historic M.G.’s booked in for the Cavalcade, representing almost every M.G. model from the earliest surviving Bullnose 1925 M.G. 14/28 to a 1980 MGB LE – one of the very last M.G.’s to leave the Abingdon works. We are still looking for the following to complete the MG100 lineup – 14/40, J1, K2, K3, SA, WA, Q. If you own one of these models and would like to join in, please send in your entry el quicko!

Please also don’t forget the Charity Auction in the lunch break. Please bring any quality automobilia, etc. (please no 50p rubbish) that you would like to donate and drop them off at the VMR Marquee in the morning. All proceeds will be donated directly to the RAF Charitable Trust. This is how we can in a small way repay the RAF for sending a Spitfire and a Hurricane to beat up the Paddock at 1425 hrs!

On Friday we have 28 cars booked in for the Tour and 35 takers for the Morgan factory visit, with 40 cream teas booked at the Beckford Silk Mill in the afternoon. On Sunday, we have 18 cars entered in the Navigation Rally and another 46 booked for the Scenic Tour, making a very strong entry of 64 cars for the day.

One update to the previously notified plans for Sunday. We had originally planned our Sunday evening Farewell Pub Meet to take place at the Royal Oak at Gretton. However, the Royal Oak will be closed on Sunday evening so we will meet at Ye Olde Hobnails In, at Little Washbourne just north of Prescott. This is the same venue as the Friday Reception. We recommend anyone wishing to dine at the Hobnails on Friday or Sunday evenings to book a table by calling 01242/621259 or e-mailing thehobnails@quality-inns.co.uk.

Finally, the Souvenir Programme is complete and ready for print and Jayne and I are flying Seattle to London, arriving Friday morning 30th June, when VMR HQ will establish at Middleton, Herefordshire for the two weeks running up to the weekend.

If you have any questions about the weekend, simply contact vintageminor@gmail.com for a response by return.

We are both really looking forward to meeting old friends and new over the weekend. See you there!



Sunday Vintage Picnics – Coughton Court

Please place your order directly with the Register at vintageminor@gmail.com and we will then e-mail you a confirmation and payment instructions.

Sandwiches on either White or Granary Brown:

Cheddar Cheese & Chutney £4.20

Ham & Mustard £4.20

Smoked Salmon, Cream Cheese & Cucumber £7.00

Eggs by The Handmade Scotch Egg Company - The Classic Mac £3.60

The Mumbai (Vegetarian) £3.60

Revills Sausage Rolls Scotch £2.20 each

Pot of Potato Salad 200g £1.50

Pork Pie Small, by The Outdoor Pig Company £2.00

Chicken & Ham Pie Small £2.40

Pipers Crisps 80p:

Sea Salt

Cider Vinegar & Sea Salt

Cheddar & Onion

Homemade Fruit Scone with Strawberry Jam & Clotted Cream £3.75

Homemade Flapjack £3.50

Pimm’s Jelly & Revills Strawberries £5.00

Victoria Sponge Cake £3.50

Chocolate Sponge Cake £3.50

Fentimans Soft Drinks £2.20:

Cola

Victorian Lemonade

Lemon Shandy

Oldfield Cider £4.20 a bottle:

Medium dry

Original

Medium Sweet all 4.8%

Brew 61 £4.20 a bottle or can:

Lager 5%

Greenfields Gold 3.8%

Hazy Bale Ale 5%

Bromsgrove Dark Ale 4%

[Ian Grace]

When we get to the cottage, I'll have about ten days to sort one or other of the two Minors garaged there - the ex-Halbe fabric saloon and the Semis-ports. The fabric saloon is way down on power, which it shouldn't be after its incredibly expensive racing quality rebuild. I've fiddled about with the timing, etc., but currently suspect the rings might be stuck. I did hand crank it a couple of times at Christmas but can't remember how much resistance/compression there was. I also have a restored DS4 to replace the modern VW unit that has been fitted. I know that the car was sprightly when Tony Gamble had it, so I don't expect there's much amiss - just need to put my finger on it.,

As for the Semi-sports, the vertical drive bearings became deranged last summer. I have the new bearings, etc. at the cottage but will need to take the radiator and dynamo off to get at it. I'm hoping the bearings didn't give up because of any misalignment between the dynamo and the vertical drive.

As for the tourer, that's over at Bromyard with Lawrence Bleasdale and is suffering from low oil pressure, but I could bring it if I have no luck with the other two. One way or the other I'll have one of them at Prescott!