Christmas virtual pub meet

[Ian Grace]

Hi guys,

Well, not such a great Christmas here - the phone rang at 2 am Christmas morning, bringing the news that Jayne's Mum had died suddenly and without any warning in France on Christmas morning - probably from a massive heart attack. She woke up in the morning and was fine. Her husband went to make her a cup of tea, and when he returned to the bedroom, she was gone. She was 76. Jayne is taking the news as well as can be expected, and everyone is rallying around her here.

Here's hoping everyone else had a good time, and kept safe and warm. It would be nice to hear all your news.

Ian

[Ronald]

Ian, please pass on mine and mums best wishes to jayne and the rest of the family.......... there is never a good time for things like this to happen, but being xmas it just makes it a bit worse i guess....
I suppose the only consolation is that from what you've said she can't have suffered.......

best wishes to all!

Ronald.

[Ken Martin]

We are so sorry to hear the news about Jayne's Mum please accept our sincere condolences. A very close cousin - more like a brother of mine - also died on Christmas day.
Ken and Kate

[Ian Grace]

Thank Ronald and Heather, and Ken. And sorry to hear you news too Ken. We're currently awaiting news on arrangements. Looks like there will be a funeral in Gloucestershire - where she was born. As soon as we know, Jayne will fly over. Hopefully the UK airports will be open. The east coast of the US is also being hammered right now, so we're looking at direct flights.

Here's looking forward to the New Year.

[Toby]

Sorry to hear the bad news, as Ronald said, at least she didn't suffer. My father died the same way at 79 sat in his armchair watching an old film with a glass of whisky in his hand, he was still enjoying cars, it would have been terrible to see him unable to work on cars or garden.

[Ian Grace]

Thanks Toby, you are right - I hope I go as quickly - and with a single malt in my hand. My Dad died 35 years ago today. Seems like yesterday.

[Ian Grace]

Just heard from the printers in Redmond that they have taken the .pdf files for M 136 and recreated the Magazine in the new format and print technology. They are pleased with the results. I'll swing by their print shop early next week and take a look. If all goes to plan, M 137 will be the first new technology issue.

Santa did bring me a single malt - a 16 year old Glenlivet - non-chill filtered Nadurra, which I have not sen before. Very, very smooth.

[Toby]

Ian, as the mags are mainly posted here but have to be sent to here (are you following so far ) could you not get them printed here to save postage across the water? I can recommend someone who prints a mag I edit....

[Ian Grace]

Hi Toby,

Many thanks. Over the last few years, I have probably spoken to at least 20 print shops in the UK, as did Barry Rogers, who was in the print industry. All quotes were too high for small quantity. Then there are the issues of enveloping, labeling, posting, inserting letters, returning photos, etc., etc. plus the fact that about 1/4 of the Magazines have to get shipped down under anyway, so no working solution could ever be found.

So we'll see what the Redmond printer prototype looks like - preliminary estimates indicate that the cost won't be significantly more than now, but we will get a far superior Magazine with properly printed content and even some colour pages, in addition to properly printed colour covers that can be printed right to the edge of the paper. I can't wait to see the prototype next week. And of course the vastly increased quality of printing will open up all sorts of possibilities for updating the layout of articles and photos. What I'd be interested in is any good, user friendly desktop publishing software that anyone can recommend. Until now, I've just used MS Word, which has significant limitations.

The other benefit is that the Redmond printers are literally walking distance from my office - so liaison with them will be near instant.

Are you heading out for New Year's Day on Saturday, or is the snow still playing havoc with transport? If so, at least we have a virtual pub! Another pint?

[Ian Grace]

Here's wishing every member and their families around the world wonderful New Year.

Plenty to look forward to as the Register enters its second decade. May many restorations be completed successfully and more Minors back on the road than for many decades.

With all best wishes and happy motoring from Jayne and I, Amanda and William.

Cheers everyone!

[Toby]

I have posted elsewhere on the forum about going to the white buck in Burley for the VSCC meet, no other takers so far and weather set to be mild. We currently have a 12 page mag with as many photos and colours as you want for around £1.30 an issue with a 100 copy print run. These are then addressed and posted with any necessary inserts by a club member.

[Ronald]

MT will be out tomorrow, i'll try to remember to take a picture..... just doing a local charity run. nothing too far, as i refuse to put the roof up....!!

Happy new yr everyone!!

[Ian Grace]

So the virtual pub is now open for Christmas 2011!

First off, it's been a pretty good year at VMR HQ - the container arrived from the UK in the spring containing the fabric saloon (which turned out to be Wolseley-bodied!), the McEvoy, a Mirror dinghy picked up on eBay as a container-filler and complete with a very nice, original Seagull outboard. Then in May I was incredibly fortunate to be able to secure the Tiger Moth, which definitely wasn't in the plans, but couldn't be passed up. And then the husband of a fellow worker offered his 1962 Austin Healey Sprite for sale at a giveaway price, so ... I had a 1971 Sprite back in the seventies when I got married, and so it had to be replaced by a Ford Cortina estate as the family and dogs came along!

On the Register front, an equally good year. We have continued to grow and so were finally able to go professional with the Magazine which is a vast improvement over the old photocopied item. And then there was the Summer Rally and the inaugural Pre-War Prescott which was hugely successful and bodes very well for 2012. And we have seen a huge amount of activity on the restoration front - much of which has been superbly showcased on this forum. Thanks to everyone for their posts throughout the year - it really helps bind our worldwide community together - from the USA to the Antipodes to our new members India!

On the home front our daughter Amanda and her husband Chris presented us with a granddaughter in November - arriving a month early - and a cousin for our grandson. Our son William finally managed to secure a position in aviation - he starts tomorrow. A huge achievement in the current economy, which is no better here than in the UK.

Workwise, things could have been better, of course, and I know that many members are struggling in the poor economy, but I am hopeful that the New Year will be an upturn, so we wish everyone a very enjoyable Christmas and a wonderful year to come.

Jayne and I look forward to reading all your news from 2011 and your hopes for 2012. Cheers, and your very good health!

[Toby]

Why is it that when the weather turns cold I have garage time! This year has seen the garage roof insulated though and a fibreglass roof decking in place with the sagging timbers pushed up and more fall on the roof surface to stop the swimming pool appearing. Also there has been the aquisition of a lathe and welder plus reoorganization and relocation of spares from Reading. UX is painted although there is still much to do and I need to get one of the easier cars back on the road for 2012 before starting any more tasks. The testing of a spare engine continues, it has run successfully so clutch etc are being built up and everything is going back on/in and hopefully between xmas and new year PJ will be out for a test run before the engine is drained and fitted to UX, hopefully the correct engine for PJ can then go back in with oil pressure that doesn't burst pressure gauges. It has been stripped and cleaned but no blockages or restrictions were found! Might even re paint before re-fitting.
It is starting to feel too christmassy fror work of any kind

[Ian Grace]

Toby,

You'll be getting some good work out of your engine hoist by the sound of it!

For the last couple of years, I've suggested members delve into the Members' List online and send a Christmas card to one or two members with similar cars to theirs - preferably ones they don't know, perhaps with a photo of your car. Just one more way to bring us together.

Also, if anyone is planning to attend a New Year's Day meet - please post your intentions here, so that other members can plan to join you.

Well, I don't want to put a jinx on things, but it looks like, three years after leaving Michigan, that we have sold our house over there. This will come as a great relief to my bank manager as we have been paying two mortgages since we moved. We hope to have the purchase agreement signed next week. This will, of course free up significant funds for the cars and the Moth next year.

Cheers!