Last Updated: 17/01/2012 14:28:34
For our November club night Brian Page and his partner Angie came along to give us a talk about the 1940s re-enactments they go to. They brought along a large number of wartime items such as ration books, medals, kit and uniforms, and a photoboard of various aircraft, London during the Blitz, the Land Girls, etc. Brian gave the first part of his talk dressed as a civilian member of the Home Guard before they started wearing uniforms, but his boots were still polished to perfection (20 hours of work, he said). In the middle of the talk Richard ‘volunteered’ with a bit of arm twisting, to be taught the rudiments of standing to attention and at ease, and saluting, which he managed reasonably well, albeit with a smile on his face! Angie then showed the ladies amongst us the sort of outfits the women in the 1940s would have been wearing, and how they managed to make themselves smart by various means, everything being on ration (apart from hats). They would never have gone out without a hat, handbag and gloves and it was interesting looking at some of the 1940s clothing catalogues and patterns. Angie looked very smart in a two piece suit and hat she’d made herself and her ‘Mary Jane’ shoes. The evening concluded with a sing-along of wartime songs. A most enjoyable and informative evening; thankyou Brian & Angie. We are now looking forward to our Xmas dinner at the Manger on 16th December, but more about that in January! The Abbott & Stour group would like to wish all TR club members a very happy Christmas and New Year and we will look forward to 2012 for more fun in our TRs.
Despite a damp and overcast start, fourteen group members in seven TRs set off on our Autumn Leaves run through lovely Suffolk and Norfolk countryside to have lunch at Breckland Lodge. The weather improved during the run and, after an excellent carvery lunch, we made our way in warm sunshine to St. George’s Distillery, the only whisky distillery in England. We were treated to tea and coffee then a very informative tour of the distillery and warehouse, where the fumes from the 1500 barrels of whisky were rather intoxicating. We were then given tasters of the three year old whisky, both peated and plain and whisky cream and blackberry liqueurs before having a little retail therapy time. Our thanks to Gary and Sarah for planning a very interesting and enjoyable day. For our October club meeting David & Irene set a car quiz for us. It was very varied, with photos, anagrams and plenty of interesting questions, some of which really made you ‘think outside of the box’. Thank you both for an enjoyable evening’s entertainment and well done to Bob Bell for winning. No more events are now planned for this year apart from our Christmas Dinner to be held at the Manger on 16th December. Most of our TRs will not be used a great deal now during the winter months but some, including ours, will be undergoing remedial work ready for next year’s fun. The usual monthly club meetings will still be held at the Manger, new or prospective members or members from other groups will be given a warm welcome.
Each year see’s the Helmingham Hall Festival of Classics and Sports Cars attract more and more cars along with public attendance. This year we attended as a Club Stand, with the Essex and East Saxons Groups, where we exhibited over 38 TRs from TR2 through to TR8. This made for a very interesting and more impressive group arrangement. Alongside our combined stand was the local Suffolk Stag Owners Club stand - so even better to get to know all there is to know about Triumph's sports cars. This year's show was as packed as usual with a range of interesting cars displayed in front of the Hall. The weather held good for most of the day, so walkabouts were in order; a good chance to have a drink and snack in the excellent café and view Helmingham’s beautiful gardens; from where do they import their soil? Perhaps next year we can get even more TRs to attend including the Wensum Group - plus a gazebo and BBQ would be fun! August’s Club Night saw our last scheduled Drive-Out for the year. Gary organised an excellent country lanes drive to a mystery pub, fortunately distributing route maps so that we should all end up at the same pub – a nice thought! How can it be then that we seemed to approach the pub from a number of different directions? Oh well! We all ended up at the right destination and had an excellent evening discussing car stuff...and slaking our thirst with a range of good ales! We were lucky with the weather with fifteen cars turning out for our last evening run of the year. These have proved very popular with excellent attendance. Lavenham Rare Breeds Motor Show nearly did not happen this year, but once again proved to be the most interesting and varied classic car show of the year. I have no idea why it is, but this show attracts the widest range of classic cars to be seen anywhere, with TRs in abundance (one cannot have too many TRs, can one?) The TR Register presence this year was impressive, with over 30 members’ cars from Abbott & Stour, Wensum, East Saxons and Essex in attendance. Everyone enjoyed themselves, with a few of us bringing along picnics, whilst there was plenty of choice for refreshments, coffee, hog roasts, beer tent and craft stalls – so looks like the organisers catered for most everyone’s needs. An excellent show to round out the year with – what with the weather turning cooler already! and the night’s drawing in, it’s only our club nights to look forward to!!! So, looking forwards, we have a quiz organised for our October club night and for November Brian Page is coming along to chat to us once more, this time about the 1940s re-enactments he attends, which should be interesting as they are becoming very popular. There is a charge of £5 per head covering sandwiches, with profits split between club funds and Brian’s preferred charity The Royal British Legion. Our Christmas meal is at The Manger on Friday 16th December, so please add to your diary. Would all those wishing to attend either or both of the above events please contact Peter or Hazel so that we can give the pub a good idea of numbers expected. As always, everyone is welcome, so just come along to a club night or keep up to date and contact us via our website.
