Spring pub meet, The Old Bull, Inkberrow, Sunday 30th April

[Ian Grace]

All warmly invited to our spring lunchtime pub meet at the Old Bull, Inkberrow, Worcestershire on Sunday 30th April. Always an excellent and eclectic turnout at this historic pub.

Please ignore previous reports quoting a date of Sunday 1st May!

[SV_Minor]

Oh 'eck! I've just had a major service which included sump off, manifold off, tappets adjusted, full oils and greasing, retighten every single nut/bolt on the chassis and suspension, brakes and clutch adjusted, and four brand new Blockley 3.50x19s fitted, in anticipation of pointing the nose of the little Morris towards the Scottish border and taking it north to the Highlands. I've currently got Friday 21st April pencilled in, with a return over the weekend of the 29th/30th. Might have to delay departure until after the Coronation Weekend.

BTW, the heading for the thread says Sunday 30th July, not 30th April. That confused me a tad

[Ian Grace]

I think I've finally got it right - Sunday 30th APRIL!

That sounds like an amazing adventure - definitely fodder for the Magazine! But of course our sturdy little Minors are more than up to the task!

[SV_Minor]

I certainly wouldn't have contemplated such a journey three or four years ago. It's only really in the last year that I've built up a relationship of trust in the little car, which will be seeing its 91st anniversary of passing down the Cowley production line this coming Tuesday, 11th April. It still blows my mind that I have the confidence to embark on such an expedition, but the car has proven itself time and time again. Just have to hope it doesn't decide to let me down now

[Ian Grace]

Excellent. These Minors are truly sturdy, capable and reliable cars - IF they are properly road sorted and maintained. The biggest barrier to good Minors being used is the nervousness of the owners to use them for the purpose for which they were built.

The Austin Seven fraternity has, in general, a very much more adventurous mindset about their cars and the Seven is nowhere near as capable or sturdy as the Minor.

It has always interested me how different marques of pre-war car seem to attract people of corresponding approaches to ownership of their cars. In general, Morris owners are the most likely not to drive their cars anywhere, preferring to trailer them to beauty pageants. Actually, I think the Bullnose owners are quite adventurous, the BNMC organizing tours all over the UK. M.G. owners are also a keen and adventurous lot when it comes to driving their cars, but many MMM cars are little more than Minors - think M, D and even the J2 and PA, although the latter are little more powerful.

But then the Minor - in OHC or SV form - is more powerful than the Seven and they turn out for rallies and sporting trials in vast numbers. There were nearly 1,200 of them at their Centenary at Moreton-in-Marsh last year. Our centenary is fast approaching (2028). I wonder how many we can gather. Since there were about three times as many Sevens built as Minors, should we expect about 400 Minors at our 2028 gathering? I suspect not, but I would like to see a really good assembly and I hope all those restoring a Minor have the date scrawled in old engine oil on their garage wall!

[SV_Minor]

Think the inspiration came from last year's Austin Seven 'John O'Groats to Land's End Centenary Run'. I thought if they can do it then I can easily drive as far as the Highlands and back. 30mpg is a bit of a hard pill to swallow though. My 2CV manages 42mpg, while my 1.4TSI (petrol) Golf does 55mpg!

[George Rodford]

Looking forward to it!
I am still running my car in, and it may look at little "unfinished", but aiming to pootle over from Pershore.
The prospect of actually turning up to the pub meet in my Minor is causing massive over-excitement - let's hope the car feels the same way...

[SV_Minor]

I'm looking forward to seeing you with the Minor. Have you been putting some miles on it today? It's the perfect day for hood down pootling in a 92-year-old wooden box on wheels. I used mine yesterday to meet up with a friend for lunch. We met at the Navigation Inn, on the Worcestershire & Staffordshire Canal, west of Kingswinford. About 65 miles in total.

[Catherine Buck]

We're looking forward to meeting fellow Minorists today but as our CMS has no hood, we're hoping the rain stops soon

[SV_Minor]

Wear a raincoat, take a couple of towels, and use a snorkel See you there

[Catherine Buck]

Wear a raincoat, take a couple of towels, and use a snorkel See you there

We could have done with some of that on the way back home.
We had a brilliant time and it was great to meet some wonderful and friendly people. Sorry that we weren't there earlier. But we did stay almost to the end.
Minnie, Emilia and I enjoyed the 70 mile round trip and we look forward to seeing lots of you at PWP in July.

[SV_Minor]

Hi Ian, I noticed you mentioned I had just returned from the Highlands in the May Newsletter, but I haven't done the trip yet. If I can't make it happen in the next few weeks then it'll have to be postponed to September. The car was good to go but I had to cancel the trip with less than an hour to departure.

[Ian Grace]

Sorry to hear that! I had assumed you were on your way.