M 131 Editorial
Moderators: Ian Grace, Will Grace
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Highlander
- Posts: 489
- Joined: Fri Nov 24, 2006 12:52 am
Re: M 131 Editorial
Ian, We are all different, I met Ken Martin on Tuesday who came over to Minchinhamton were I was in a golf tournament and we have a pint and exchanged goodies (motor sports and books) Ken also likes steam trains. I am a very keen golfer and play 4 times a week. I am also a Scottish country dancer and dance and teach 3 times a week. I also like old cars and drive them (now only it) every day. Most if not all rallys are week ends. I dance Saturday night and play competition golf on Sunday mornings. I for one cannot make most rallys on a Sunday. When I putchased my minor in November 3 years ago I telephone every minot owner in Surrey either to visit them or they came over to me. Not one person had a minor running, or would come out in the winter!!! I have an Austin 7 friend up the road who goes to a local pub meet and a dozen 7s turn up. I go to Brooklands and was the only minor. I am , like Ian, at a loss. I enjoy Minor motoring, and will continue to do so - on my own! Highlander.
Re: M 131 Editorial
Alister,
Selecting a date for the summer rally is always a minefield these days because there are so many conflicting events - and not only car events. I have been taken to task more than once for scheduling the summer rally the same weekend as the Thames Classic Boat Rally! And then I have my own constraints because of our US location - next year, our daughter will be graduating from her Masters degree in the UK and we will have to put the rally on just before or just after her graduation ceremony. But until she decides where she is going and until that University decides when their 2009 graduation will be, I cannot begin to plan where or when for the rally!
As Ian Judd pointed out, location is another issue with the summer rally. Because we are not big enough to hold regional events - other than the spring and autumn pub meets, we hold the rally in different parts of the country every summer to try to help those in different regions attend. This strategy has had only partial success, since the majority of cars are concentrated in the central south and west of the country. This year, for example, with the rally in East Anglia, we have picked up a couple of local members who have not entered before, but have lost more than we have gained! The same thing happened when we gathered in Leicestershire a few years back. And then you have to pick a rural area which is suitable for rallies. Many members live in the Thames Valley and around London, but the roads around these areas are not ideally suited to nav rallies and tours. So we tend to gravitate to the Cotswolds and Wiltshire, which has historically given us the best entry numbers.
Of course, driving our cars is, and should be, far more than dusting them off for one rally a year. They should be used for what they were intended for, and are eminently suitable for a run out to the local on a Sunday morning and general local stuff.
I still think that there is a general cultural difference between Minor and Seven owners because when I look at the chassis register, it is very apparent that a disproportionate number of Minors are drivable or near-drivable but are never driven. And there are a huge number that have been in pieces or laid up for decades with no progress whatsoever towards roadworthiness. I could put literally dozens of pictures of perfectly good Minors on the forum which are never driven. The VMR expended huge effort in the early years trying to entice owners of such cars out onto the road - with virtually no success. Then a better approach was stumbled upon. Encourage owners of unused cars to sell them to those who would drive them, but don't have a car. This strategy had much more success, and, to this day, we matchmake wherever we can - finding suitable cars for potential owner/drivers. At least a dozen cars have benefited from this process. A classic example would be Chris Lambert's Semi-sports. The previous owner had been restoring it for 35 years, but progress had ground to a halt about 20 years ago. He was eventually persuaded to sell it. Within a few months Chris had it finished and brought it to the summer rally last year. Now it is used regularly.
Surely, for most, a major part of the pleasure of owning an old car is driving it. So I think I'll start a new thread inviting people to recount their most memorable drive in their Minor or M Type.
Selecting a date for the summer rally is always a minefield these days because there are so many conflicting events - and not only car events. I have been taken to task more than once for scheduling the summer rally the same weekend as the Thames Classic Boat Rally! And then I have my own constraints because of our US location - next year, our daughter will be graduating from her Masters degree in the UK and we will have to put the rally on just before or just after her graduation ceremony. But until she decides where she is going and until that University decides when their 2009 graduation will be, I cannot begin to plan where or when for the rally!
As Ian Judd pointed out, location is another issue with the summer rally. Because we are not big enough to hold regional events - other than the spring and autumn pub meets, we hold the rally in different parts of the country every summer to try to help those in different regions attend. This strategy has had only partial success, since the majority of cars are concentrated in the central south and west of the country. This year, for example, with the rally in East Anglia, we have picked up a couple of local members who have not entered before, but have lost more than we have gained! The same thing happened when we gathered in Leicestershire a few years back. And then you have to pick a rural area which is suitable for rallies. Many members live in the Thames Valley and around London, but the roads around these areas are not ideally suited to nav rallies and tours. So we tend to gravitate to the Cotswolds and Wiltshire, which has historically given us the best entry numbers.
Of course, driving our cars is, and should be, far more than dusting them off for one rally a year. They should be used for what they were intended for, and are eminently suitable for a run out to the local on a Sunday morning and general local stuff.
I still think that there is a general cultural difference between Minor and Seven owners because when I look at the chassis register, it is very apparent that a disproportionate number of Minors are drivable or near-drivable but are never driven. And there are a huge number that have been in pieces or laid up for decades with no progress whatsoever towards roadworthiness. I could put literally dozens of pictures of perfectly good Minors on the forum which are never driven. The VMR expended huge effort in the early years trying to entice owners of such cars out onto the road - with virtually no success. Then a better approach was stumbled upon. Encourage owners of unused cars to sell them to those who would drive them, but don't have a car. This strategy had much more success, and, to this day, we matchmake wherever we can - finding suitable cars for potential owner/drivers. At least a dozen cars have benefited from this process. A classic example would be Chris Lambert's Semi-sports. The previous owner had been restoring it for 35 years, but progress had ground to a halt about 20 years ago. He was eventually persuaded to sell it. Within a few months Chris had it finished and brought it to the summer rally last year. Now it is used regularly.
Surely, for most, a major part of the pleasure of owning an old car is driving it. So I think I'll start a new thread inviting people to recount their most memorable drive in their Minor or M Type.
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Tony Gamble
- Posts: 180
- Joined: Mon Nov 20, 2006 5:16 pm
- Location: Selby , North Yorkshire. UK
Re: M 131 Editorial
To all who may be interested !!
I have just returned from Beaulieu, where two very stalwart members of this club have manned a stand [ and stayed overnight for two nights in a tent !! ] to promote this club to potential new members. Chris and Trevor deserve a medal for their loyalty and dedication to THIS club.
I have also read this thread topic from top to bottom !
Can I just say one or two things.
1. PLEASE drop all references to VSCC ! Those who are keen members please remain so , but keep it out of this club in the depth of involvement that has taken place. I know that it is important to keep the Minor in its respectful place but that is the only involvement of this club. Those who attend the VSCC rallies and maintain the Minor's image are doing a good job BUT in ANOTHER club. Let it remain so , and let us keep our club to the mark and doing what we are doing. Joint rallies with VSCC are OK for some but not all.
2. PLEASE let everyone do their own thing with respect to driving , restoring , rallying or whatever. We all have tremendous respect for the way that Ian has pulled this club together , but many people have other hobbies as well as old cars and don't want to spend every minute up to the eyeballs in Morris Minor's. I say that very respectfully for this club and don't want that to sound demeaning in any way.
3. PLEASE try to support the organised events more than you do , but let's not get too despondent that the numbers are far less than they could be. Perhaps we are aiming for too grand an annual event .
Finally , let's calm down , we don't want any backbiting in this club. Keep it going as it has started. It is the envy of many other clubs , and Ian has created this by a lot of hard work. Too obsessive perhaps , and this could be why some of the problems have occurred .
We are all members of a super club , by choice , and by good fortune.
Don't let it all go ! Pull together !
Please.
Tony Gamble.
I have just returned from Beaulieu, where two very stalwart members of this club have manned a stand [ and stayed overnight for two nights in a tent !! ] to promote this club to potential new members. Chris and Trevor deserve a medal for their loyalty and dedication to THIS club.
I have also read this thread topic from top to bottom !
Can I just say one or two things.
1. PLEASE drop all references to VSCC ! Those who are keen members please remain so , but keep it out of this club in the depth of involvement that has taken place. I know that it is important to keep the Minor in its respectful place but that is the only involvement of this club. Those who attend the VSCC rallies and maintain the Minor's image are doing a good job BUT in ANOTHER club. Let it remain so , and let us keep our club to the mark and doing what we are doing. Joint rallies with VSCC are OK for some but not all.
2. PLEASE let everyone do their own thing with respect to driving , restoring , rallying or whatever. We all have tremendous respect for the way that Ian has pulled this club together , but many people have other hobbies as well as old cars and don't want to spend every minute up to the eyeballs in Morris Minor's. I say that very respectfully for this club and don't want that to sound demeaning in any way.
3. PLEASE try to support the organised events more than you do , but let's not get too despondent that the numbers are far less than they could be. Perhaps we are aiming for too grand an annual event .
Finally , let's calm down , we don't want any backbiting in this club. Keep it going as it has started. It is the envy of many other clubs , and Ian has created this by a lot of hard work. Too obsessive perhaps , and this could be why some of the problems have occurred .
We are all members of a super club , by choice , and by good fortune.
Don't let it all go ! Pull together !
Please.
Tony Gamble.
Re: M 131 Editorial
Tony is a longstanding Minor owner and enthusiast with a good collection of OHC Minors, so could be considered one of the ‘elders’ of the Minor world - if there is such a beast! I agree with most of his remarks.
For me, I guess the whole issue pivots on whether this club should simply be the provider of a service in return for subs, or be something more. It could be that we should simply offer the magazine and website as a service and forget trying to mount actual gatherings of motor cars, and not have a stake in what owners do with their cars or whether they drive them or not. Or is the main objective of the club to get more Minors restored and back in service – whether it be for rallygoing – inside and/or outside this club - or simply regular use. The latter has actually been our primary goal from the outset, and we have had considerable success in the realm of the OHC Minor. Now we are embarking on a similar exercise for the SV Minors, and have yet to see comparable results. We also include the M Types – not because the MG boys need any encouragement to drive their cars, but simply to help numbers and because the M is so closely related. That said, we have never sought membership numbers for their own sake. Rather, we have sought to get more cars on the road and in so doing, owners tend to become members. But of course, the more of us there are, the more we can collectively achieve, and the more worthwhile it is to organize things – gatherings, spares batches, etc.
I think it fair to say that, if it were not for our gatherings, all would be quite well with the Register. Everyone seems to like the Magazine and, by and large, the subs continue to flow in steadily. But when it comes to gatherings, the summer rally, the pub meets (with the notable exception of the Hatchgate), or other events, then the effort put in to plan and organize them becomes disproportionate to the results obtained, and nowhere is this more marked that with the summer rallies, simply because the required planning effort is so enormous. It could be that future summer rallies are simply small-scale local, ad hoc affairs organised on the fly by independent groups of members if ever and whenever they actually feel like getting together with their cars in a particular place on a particular date, and with no expectation of numbers, organization or anything else. I, for one, would be disappointed to see the summer rallies go that way, but if I am in the great minority, then so be it. It is simply not practical to expend the necessary effort for less than a dozen cars. This year, so far, we have seven vintage Minors entered, two SV Minors and one M Type – assuming there are no scratches on the day, which there always are. To put things in perspective, that probably adds up to well over 100 hours of planning per entry! For example, I have yet to write the Tour Handbook for Saturday. This task usually takes about 100 hours of research, writing, printing, collating, stapling, and so on. Anyone who saw last year’s Dorset guide will know what I mean.
If there is a rally format that would be more generally attractive, then I’d like to hear it. The philosophy of the rallies has always been to provide variety – nav rallies, tours, pub runs, socials, etc., and then let everyone pick what part(s) of the weekend they want to enter. This year’s rally cannot be described as over-ambitious – we have a tour, a trip to the seaside, a singsong with fish and chips on Saturday night and an afternoon at the museum on Sunday. If I made it any simpler than that, then it would not be worth members’ while to travel from afar and pay accommodation costs, etc. Remember this is supposed to be a national (indeed an international) rally. For the same reasons, a one-day event is unlikely to work. The last thing I want to do is organize something that most people don’t want, so I’m wide open to imaginative suggestions for 2009 – if there is a formal 2009 summer rally.
Looking back over entries since we started seven summers ago, it has to be said that the mainstay of our rallies has been VSCC (sorry Tony!) members, and if we have failed, then it is because we have not been able to spread their ethos of using their cars to others. The data suggests that there is a core of active users and rallygoers and these are largely VSCC members (5 out of 7 this year, for example), which may go a long way to explaining why our rally numbers are not increasing with membership numbers.
For me, I guess the whole issue pivots on whether this club should simply be the provider of a service in return for subs, or be something more. It could be that we should simply offer the magazine and website as a service and forget trying to mount actual gatherings of motor cars, and not have a stake in what owners do with their cars or whether they drive them or not. Or is the main objective of the club to get more Minors restored and back in service – whether it be for rallygoing – inside and/or outside this club - or simply regular use. The latter has actually been our primary goal from the outset, and we have had considerable success in the realm of the OHC Minor. Now we are embarking on a similar exercise for the SV Minors, and have yet to see comparable results. We also include the M Types – not because the MG boys need any encouragement to drive their cars, but simply to help numbers and because the M is so closely related. That said, we have never sought membership numbers for their own sake. Rather, we have sought to get more cars on the road and in so doing, owners tend to become members. But of course, the more of us there are, the more we can collectively achieve, and the more worthwhile it is to organize things – gatherings, spares batches, etc.
I think it fair to say that, if it were not for our gatherings, all would be quite well with the Register. Everyone seems to like the Magazine and, by and large, the subs continue to flow in steadily. But when it comes to gatherings, the summer rally, the pub meets (with the notable exception of the Hatchgate), or other events, then the effort put in to plan and organize them becomes disproportionate to the results obtained, and nowhere is this more marked that with the summer rallies, simply because the required planning effort is so enormous. It could be that future summer rallies are simply small-scale local, ad hoc affairs organised on the fly by independent groups of members if ever and whenever they actually feel like getting together with their cars in a particular place on a particular date, and with no expectation of numbers, organization or anything else. I, for one, would be disappointed to see the summer rallies go that way, but if I am in the great minority, then so be it. It is simply not practical to expend the necessary effort for less than a dozen cars. This year, so far, we have seven vintage Minors entered, two SV Minors and one M Type – assuming there are no scratches on the day, which there always are. To put things in perspective, that probably adds up to well over 100 hours of planning per entry! For example, I have yet to write the Tour Handbook for Saturday. This task usually takes about 100 hours of research, writing, printing, collating, stapling, and so on. Anyone who saw last year’s Dorset guide will know what I mean.
If there is a rally format that would be more generally attractive, then I’d like to hear it. The philosophy of the rallies has always been to provide variety – nav rallies, tours, pub runs, socials, etc., and then let everyone pick what part(s) of the weekend they want to enter. This year’s rally cannot be described as over-ambitious – we have a tour, a trip to the seaside, a singsong with fish and chips on Saturday night and an afternoon at the museum on Sunday. If I made it any simpler than that, then it would not be worth members’ while to travel from afar and pay accommodation costs, etc. Remember this is supposed to be a national (indeed an international) rally. For the same reasons, a one-day event is unlikely to work. The last thing I want to do is organize something that most people don’t want, so I’m wide open to imaginative suggestions for 2009 – if there is a formal 2009 summer rally.
Looking back over entries since we started seven summers ago, it has to be said that the mainstay of our rallies has been VSCC (sorry Tony!) members, and if we have failed, then it is because we have not been able to spread their ethos of using their cars to others. The data suggests that there is a core of active users and rallygoers and these are largely VSCC members (5 out of 7 this year, for example), which may go a long way to explaining why our rally numbers are not increasing with membership numbers.
Re: M 131 Editorial
On my stall at Beaulieu I was just about to run the minor round to the display (well done to Eric and Norman for providing the other 2 cars) when I was able to guide an enquirer towards the vmr. He wanted a vintage minor to use within the vscc, lets not put off these people with disagreements. Maybe minor usage is less due to a percieved (false) fragility? At Beaulieu every year I see stalls selling everything 7, from new blocks to conrod nuts, if you wanted a car to use very hard then the 7 would be suitable due to a spares availability that rivals some of the moderns I've owned! 
if it's got wheels or chips - it'll cost you dear
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chris lambert
- Posts: 541
- Joined: Sun Nov 19, 2006 8:06 am
- Location: Suffolk. U.K.
- Contact:
Re: M 131 Editorial
It seems to me that that Jeremy's response has sparked a much needed debate about the VMR, what is it, where is it going and what it means to its members? As for the VSCC/PVT/Side Valve Minor debate, in my opinion it has run its course even though I have been a strong lobbyist for the cars inclusion from the very start! Until there are further fundamental changes within the VSCC, the three words Side Valve Minor will be greeted with groans by a small, but highly influential group within that club. That dust should be allowed to settle before any renewed lobbying for its inclusion is started and then only on a very low key, non public, basis.
Apart from that, I think this debate only matters to very few VMR members and it has had more than its fair share of coverage in the magazine and to be perfectly frank, on the forum also. In other words it is a very parochial subject, interesting, but probably not a key issue to the vast majority of the memebership. I am as guilty as anyone of keeping it on the agenda, but it is now time to stop. As is the sniping that David enjoys making at that car, and by association, the car's owners. Hiding the jibe with a 'smiley' is still a cheap shot.
As to the 'main issue', I don't see it as one. What the members of the club do with their cars is totally upto them. I joined the register because there were a group of people 'out there' who owned a similar car to mine and were a knowledge source. It turned out to be a lot more than that. I have made lasting friendships, had more fun than I imagined possible sitting down, and grown to understand the lasting attraction that develops with ownership of these pretty ancient machines. Ian has been a driving force and without him many of us would not have experienced the enjoyment to be had from our cars. He has been the catylist that has got the club to this point. Without the club we wouldn't be having this debate and we therefore have much to thank him for.
As Toby mentions, the numbers argument is important. The spring Beaulieu event (my first) from which I have just returned, put things in perspective for me. On just about every other stall, you could buy Austins Seven bits and pieces. Opposite our stand was a company manufacturing from scratch almost anything you could ever want for the car's engine or gearbox. Literature was everywhere. If you required a new body, there were bodies to be taken away that very day - and brand new. Owners club stands were very evident as were the cars themselves. Eight turned up in procession on the Friday evening and they were from just one section of the Hampshire Seven club. The VMR can't attract more than a dozen or so cars to an event because of the simple, undeniable fact that there are far fewer of them. Of the clubs 200 or so club members, many reside overseas, predominantly Oz and NZ but also a significant number from the continent and beyond. If there are 140 UK members to get 10% of those members and their cars to your summer rally is a very positive achievement. Over the weekend at Beaulieu, I met 5% of our worldwide membership on the stand!
Another great achievement of the club is getting cars into the hands of people who will rebuild and use them. Since I have been a member (2002) upwards of 20 cars have been 'surfaced' and have eventually been rebuilt or refurbished and are now back on the road. Cammy cars are surfacing far less frequently these days, but S/V cars turn up almost weekly on eBay. This represents the main chance for the club as so few s/v owning drivers/owners know about us or are currently members. Beaulieu also proved this point with one new s/v member signed up and enquiries from others - all saying that they had not heard of us until then. If the club is to grow and prosper it will be by getting to, and recruiting these s/v owners. They will almost certainly not be members of the VSCC, probably don't read The Automobile, are members of the Morris Register (if a club member at all). I would be a supporter of more localised club rallies and events if some of the VMR membership subs each year, was spent spreading the word in publications like Classic Car Weekly and other appropriate publications, as well as getting higher up the internet search engine listings.
I think the real question here is to ask Ian what he wants from HIS club and where he sees it going. This is critical, as of course there may be a clash of visions. If that is the case then we can make individual decisions as to what to do about our membership in the future.
Chris
Apart from that, I think this debate only matters to very few VMR members and it has had more than its fair share of coverage in the magazine and to be perfectly frank, on the forum also. In other words it is a very parochial subject, interesting, but probably not a key issue to the vast majority of the memebership. I am as guilty as anyone of keeping it on the agenda, but it is now time to stop. As is the sniping that David enjoys making at that car, and by association, the car's owners. Hiding the jibe with a 'smiley' is still a cheap shot.
As to the 'main issue', I don't see it as one. What the members of the club do with their cars is totally upto them. I joined the register because there were a group of people 'out there' who owned a similar car to mine and were a knowledge source. It turned out to be a lot more than that. I have made lasting friendships, had more fun than I imagined possible sitting down, and grown to understand the lasting attraction that develops with ownership of these pretty ancient machines. Ian has been a driving force and without him many of us would not have experienced the enjoyment to be had from our cars. He has been the catylist that has got the club to this point. Without the club we wouldn't be having this debate and we therefore have much to thank him for.
As Toby mentions, the numbers argument is important. The spring Beaulieu event (my first) from which I have just returned, put things in perspective for me. On just about every other stall, you could buy Austins Seven bits and pieces. Opposite our stand was a company manufacturing from scratch almost anything you could ever want for the car's engine or gearbox. Literature was everywhere. If you required a new body, there were bodies to be taken away that very day - and brand new. Owners club stands were very evident as were the cars themselves. Eight turned up in procession on the Friday evening and they were from just one section of the Hampshire Seven club. The VMR can't attract more than a dozen or so cars to an event because of the simple, undeniable fact that there are far fewer of them. Of the clubs 200 or so club members, many reside overseas, predominantly Oz and NZ but also a significant number from the continent and beyond. If there are 140 UK members to get 10% of those members and their cars to your summer rally is a very positive achievement. Over the weekend at Beaulieu, I met 5% of our worldwide membership on the stand!
Another great achievement of the club is getting cars into the hands of people who will rebuild and use them. Since I have been a member (2002) upwards of 20 cars have been 'surfaced' and have eventually been rebuilt or refurbished and are now back on the road. Cammy cars are surfacing far less frequently these days, but S/V cars turn up almost weekly on eBay. This represents the main chance for the club as so few s/v owning drivers/owners know about us or are currently members. Beaulieu also proved this point with one new s/v member signed up and enquiries from others - all saying that they had not heard of us until then. If the club is to grow and prosper it will be by getting to, and recruiting these s/v owners. They will almost certainly not be members of the VSCC, probably don't read The Automobile, are members of the Morris Register (if a club member at all). I would be a supporter of more localised club rallies and events if some of the VMR membership subs each year, was spent spreading the word in publications like Classic Car Weekly and other appropriate publications, as well as getting higher up the internet search engine listings.
I think the real question here is to ask Ian what he wants from HIS club and where he sees it going. This is critical, as of course there may be a clash of visions. If that is the case then we can make individual decisions as to what to do about our membership in the future.
Chris
Last edited by chris lambert on Mon May 19, 2008 7:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: M 131 Editorial
Chris's remarks are pretty much on the money - no clash of visions here. The big picture is that the VMR is doing very well indeed. Membership continues to grow apace and numerous cars have been put back on the road this year so far. And even MT has a new engine! 
Regarding local runs, there are potential opportunities here. The East Anglians have had a couple of great runs around Norfolk and the Dutch members and owners gathered this weekend at Halbe's house in Holland where they talked about a pub meet in the autumn (I didn't know there were pubs in Holland?!). There is also talk of a 'raid' to Holland at some point. If anyone else would like to put on a small/local gathering or run of any sort, I'd be delighted to support them with the club's communications resources. And isn't it time our Oz members had another rally?!
We also need to start thinking about the autumn pub meets which are not THAT far off! And then there is the Light Car Summer Rally at the end of next month - in the Peak District which should be a super weekend 'oop north'.
Looking ahead to the 2009 summer rally, this should be a good one. I don't know where or when yet, but if a relatively clash-free date can be found and a relatively central location picked, then I have high hopes of a record turnout.
Regarding local runs, there are potential opportunities here. The East Anglians have had a couple of great runs around Norfolk and the Dutch members and owners gathered this weekend at Halbe's house in Holland where they talked about a pub meet in the autumn (I didn't know there were pubs in Holland?!). There is also talk of a 'raid' to Holland at some point. If anyone else would like to put on a small/local gathering or run of any sort, I'd be delighted to support them with the club's communications resources. And isn't it time our Oz members had another rally?!
We also need to start thinking about the autumn pub meets which are not THAT far off! And then there is the Light Car Summer Rally at the end of next month - in the Peak District which should be a super weekend 'oop north'.
Looking ahead to the 2009 summer rally, this should be a good one. I don't know where or when yet, but if a relatively clash-free date can be found and a relatively central location picked, then I have high hopes of a record turnout.
Re: M 131 Editorial
Toby wrote:On my stall at Beaulieu I was just about to run the minor round to the display (well done to Eric and Norman for providing the other 2 cars) when I was able to guide an enquirer towards the vmr. He wanted a vintage minor to use within the vscc, lets not put off these people with disagreements. Maybe minor usage is less due to a percieved (false) fragility? At Beaulieu every year I see stalls selling everything 7, from new blocks to conrod nuts, if you wanted a car to use very hard then the 7 would be suitable due to a spares availability that rivals some of the moderns I've owned!
Toby,
Agreed – from the perspective of 21st Century motorway motoring madness, the VMR and VSCC share virtually the same vision of using and enjoying our ancient cars, so let’s not see VMR bashing in the VSCC, nor VSCC bashing in the VMR. Too many one-make clubs look down their noses at other makes. The VMR has always welcomed any pre-war cars (yes, even Austin Sevens!), and often post-war cars as well. Remember Frank and Peter hurling their Jag hire car up Prescott?!
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David Whittle
- Posts: 102
- Joined: Wed Nov 22, 2006 11:08 am
- Location: Wantage, Oxon, UK
Re: M 131 Editorial
.............................................
Last edited by David Whittle on Thu Jun 26, 2008 9:53 am, edited 1 time in total.
OHC 1929 Tourer WE6554
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chris lambert
- Posts: 541
- Joined: Sun Nov 19, 2006 8:06 am
- Location: Suffolk. U.K.
- Contact:
Re: M 131 Editorial
David,
Faynites - Time to move on eh?
Chris
Faynites - Time to move on eh?
Chris
Re: M 131 Editorial
Hello all,
Yes, It's Ian's club but without members there is no club.
It's therefore also the responsibility of the members to do their best in order to have the best club we can have.
Do not only ask yourself what the VMR can do for you, but also what you can do for the VMR .
Halbe
Yes, It's Ian's club but without members there is no club.
It's therefore also the responsibility of the members to do their best in order to have the best club we can have.
Do not only ask yourself what the VMR can do for you, but also what you can do for the VMR .
Halbe
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David Whittle
- Posts: 102
- Joined: Wed Nov 22, 2006 11:08 am
- Location: Wantage, Oxon, UK
Re: M 131 Editorial
Well if that’s a retraction, or even the apology your inane comment justifies, I expect moving on is a very good idea!chris lambert wrote:David,
Faynites - Time to move on eh?
Chris
Last edited by David Whittle on Tue May 20, 2008 10:18 am, edited 1 time in total.
OHC 1929 Tourer WE6554
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Trevor Wilkinson
- Posts: 161
- Joined: Sat Dec 02, 2006 4:44 pm
- Location: Bedfordshire UK
Re: M 131 Editorial
I think remarks such as this could upset the people that put in a lot of time and effort on Ian's behalf and get no credit at all.This year’s rally cannot be described as over-ambitious – we have a tour, a trip to the seaside, a singsong with fish and chips on Saturday night and an afternoon at the museum on Sunday. If I made it any simpler than that,
What would help would be support and credit for the hours put in for the clubs sake, not belittling their efforts.
Re: M 131 Editorial
Hi Trevor,
I think you may have indvertently taken this all the wrong way. I wasn't belittling the effort that goes in to the planning - by myself or others. I was just trying to answer an earlier comment that our summer rallies might be over-ambitious in their structure.
Even relatively straightforward rallies like this year (no nav rally, mainly) take a huge amount of planning beforehand and work over the weekend itself. I am only too grateful for the help from Chris, yourself and the other East Anglians to help plan and run the rally this year in my absence, and there is always someone local who helps out with the planning on the ground beforehand (like Ronald last year in Dorset), and we are never really short of marshals on the day, without whom things would get very difficult!
I think you may have indvertently taken this all the wrong way. I wasn't belittling the effort that goes in to the planning - by myself or others. I was just trying to answer an earlier comment that our summer rallies might be over-ambitious in their structure.
Even relatively straightforward rallies like this year (no nav rally, mainly) take a huge amount of planning beforehand and work over the weekend itself. I am only too grateful for the help from Chris, yourself and the other East Anglians to help plan and run the rally this year in my absence, and there is always someone local who helps out with the planning on the ground beforehand (like Ronald last year in Dorset), and we are never really short of marshals on the day, without whom things would get very difficult!