Christmas virtual pub meet

[Ian Grace]

Counting down to the New year - lots of virtual pub visitors, but all too shy to post!

Just had an e-mail from Alex Dempster in New Zealand:

"Dear Ian,

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. We are enjoying the Christmas break with our extended family at Wanaka. I have made the break from full time work and officially "retired" though still in for 15 weeks relieving next year starting with a week on Jan 6. However we will get the best of the summer weather here in Wanaka during late Jan and Feb.

Our plans are in place to attend Prescott and I have completed the form which I have attached. When I get back to Dunedin I will print off the copy and mail it with my cheque. YWe are in transition state from living mostly in Dunedin to here and some things like cheque books and printers have still to be moved.

Kind regards,

Alex"

[Ian Grace]

Happy New year everyone! Website back up again after a few hours of downtime. The clue was that i run three websites hosted on JustHost, and all three went down together.

Here's an inspirational video just in from Mike Norrey this morning. Mike reports from Shropshire:

'The very short video, as far as I can ascertain, shows the first time engine 26832A on MU 2165 has run since 1983! The original starter motor has been overhauled, the engine oil was changed and the original filter was thoroughly cleaned. A new rotor arm was installed in the distributor, the existing plugs were cleaned and reset and the appropriate electrics installed. The carburetter was topped up with petrol and away she went. During the short run the oil pressure was 50 + psi. Early New Year we shall be adding the radiator so an extended run can take place in order to check the output from the dynamo.

Maureen and I wish everyone a very happy and interesting 2014."

http://www.vintageminor.co.uk/Forumpix/ ... g%20up.mp4

Who is going where tomorrow for New Year's Day? Reports and photos please!

[Ian Grace]

From Clive Hall:

"May the best of your 2013 be the worst of your 2014."

From Geoff and Ruth Colquitt:

"Happy new year to one and all."

2013 has been a tremendous year for our Register - Lady Tanya Field became our Club Patron, the unearthing of the world's earliest surviving Morris Minor, the 80th Anniversary of the Gilg and Kay Expedition, the discovery of the ex-A. B. Demaus M Type, our membership of the Federation of British Historic Motor Vehicles, our participation in the Morris Centenary celebrations in Oxford and at Gaydon, the completion of the Morris Minor Genome, the best Summer Rally and Pre-War Prescott yet, the start of the Two Hemispheres Rally planning, a superb weekend at Manor Farm and a growing membership.

Heartfelt thanks across the globe to everyone for your magnificent support, enthusiasm and encouragement, and here's to an even better 2014 - still four hours away here in Seattle!

Ian, Jayne, Amanda and William

[Toby]

has to be worst new years weather for quite a while. Only 11 cars at the white buck, the minor/7 ratio was 1/4 instead of the usual 1 or 2/20+

[Ian Grace]

Well, it's that time of year again. The bar is open! Looking forward to chatting over a virtual pint and hearing all your news of the past year.

We certainly enjoyed our trip to England again in July - the Summer Rally, Pre-War Prescott and a super VMR weekend in the Lake District. In other ways, life got in the way bigtime this year, so I was unable to get the fabric saloon back on the road, but I did replace the front road springs, completely overhaul the brakes and generally sort the suspension, so there's only a couple of days (famous last words!) of work remaining to get it running in the spring. 2015 will also be the year when I really get to grips with the McEvoy rebuild.

[Ian Grace]

Just received a video of the nav rally from Nick Williams - thought you might enjoy it...

Can't wait for next year!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsNnCXefxgk

[martinng]

Lovely video and good to be reminded of the dry part of VMR Prescott. A fabulous weekend even for the non prizewinners.
Martin

[Ian Grace]

Thanks Martin,

And another summer rally snippet today. We had a set of Smiths shock absorbers donated during the day, for the RAF Charitable Trust. Can't remember who donated them. Ewan Lambess has acquired them for Y329 (see Our Cars), and donated GBP 201 for them for the Trust. Nice one, Ewan!

[Ian Grace]

Here's another amazing video - sent in by Pam Knight for us. Pam's '29 tourer is off the road with various ailments at the moment, but she hopes to get it out and about again shortly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACkmg3Y64_s

Thanks Pam!

[Ian Grace]

Thinking ahead, who is planning to go where on New Year's Day?

[garagiste]

The Baron at Bucknell Shropshire, 7 miles East of Knighton will be the VSCC meeting in the Welsh Marches.

Good beer and food, large car park.

Will use M type if fine, Alvis if cold, modern if it as wet and flooded as last year!

David.

[plj]

I had originally intended to make Brooklands my destination, but on reflection, I think I will avoid the crowds and go to the VSCC meeting at The Barley Mow, West Horsley.

Philip

[Ian Grace]

Just received the print proof of M 151 by e-mail from our new UK printers this morning. I approved it in about five minutes! So it is in print today and should be posted to everyone very shortly indeed. Hopefully it will be with most members by year's end - including myself - this will be the first time that most members receive their Magazine before I do!

Meanwhile, M 152 (the Winter 2014 issue) is also all ready to go and is just waiting for M 151 to be circulated before it also goes to print and will be with you some time in January. M 152, the spring issue has also been started and I'm, looking for material for it if you have anything to send in - particularly photos and reports from the upcoming New Year's Day meets up and down the country.

Cheers!

Ian

[Ian Grace]

Since M 151 is in print and should be with everyone shortly, I thought I'd put the low res print proof online so you can read it immediately!

http://www.vintageminor.co.uk/M%20151%20LoRes.pdf

[Ian Grace]

Boxing Day sunrise and sunset at VMR HQ today. The snow line is down to about 3,000 ft - the peaks around us rise to just over 4,000 ft.