TR Action 255
It’s that time of year when indoor events are at a premium and Local Group Leaders scratch their heads trying to devise suitable diversions to while away the winter monthly meetings. I am pleased to report that the Essex Group have had no shortage of events to keep the Membership engaged!
Our regular Shepherd & Dog club night at the end of October was of particular interest to those of us who are becoming increasingly concerned over the security of our TRs. Stan Ratcliffe of RBS Ltd delivered a very interesting presentation on their inexpensive (£99!) “Stockade” GPS Tracker. This device overcomes the high cost of annual maintenance contracts associated with conventional vehicle tracker devices and, as a direct result of the presentation, quite a few Essex Group members have now decided to invest in the “Stockade” units.
This year’s Classic Restoration Show at Stoneleigh (23rd Oct) was unusually poorly attended by Essex Group enthusiasts. There were noticeably less stands than in previous years with many of the “major” specialists not attending and although there were plenty of visitors, the event was nowhere near as crowded as usual. Bernie Steeples did very well in procuring a genuine Lockheed master cylinder repair kit (for his TR2) for the princely sum of £5! These usually go at around £20 – well done, Bernie!
Our annual Quiz Night was held on the 19th November and the newly refurbished Childerditch Village Hall was crammed to bursting point with over 80 people attending this popular event. The winner this year was the team of eight classic Le Mans enthusiasts captained by Trevor Hughes and aptly named Maison Blanche – all eight carried away a bottle of the exclusive Essex Group table wine produced for us by New Hall Vineyards of Purleigh. Super job guys and enjoy the wine! Full pictorial coverage of this event may be found on this Group’s website.
The November S&D meet found the Group hosting a very informative presentation by Nina Benscher of the Essex Air Ambulance service. The EAA has been our charity of choice for the past few years and it was pleasing to learn how the money raised by the Group is a welcome contribution towards keeping this vital service in the air. Nina was presented with an Essex Group calendar (featuring the EAA helicopter) and a bottle of the excellent wine referred to above!
A small Essex Group contingent attended the Register’s AGM on the 27th November. It was a very congenial affair which will doubtless be covered in detail elsewhere in this issue but I should like to say how surprised (and disappointed) we were to learn of the unexpected resignation of Steve Redway who has done so much to make TR Action such an excellent magazine – often imitated but never equalled. I am sure all Essex Group members would wish to join me in thanking Steve for all his hard work over the years – it has been very much appreciated.
By the time this edition hits the streets, Christmas will have been and gone so you will have to wait for the next issue to find out about our Dinner Dance and Christmas Curry events. In the meantime you could always click on www.essex-tr.org and check out what we are up to!”
TR Action 254
The first week of September saw eighteen Essex Group TRs head off to Brittany for our annual French bash. Departure was staggered with the majority opting to use the Portsmouth/St. Malo ferry whilst a smaller group of four TRs upheld tradition and made its way overland from the rail terminal at Calais. This journey, through the lovely French countryside (avoiding major roads as much as practical) was spread over two days and, surprisingly, both parties arrived at Carnac within an hour of each other.
Brittany is a delightful region for motoring holidays with splendid scenery and excellent roads which, out of season, were only lightly trafficked. The weather was very mild and although there was some heavy rain during the week, it mostly fell during the nights and did not seriously affect daytime plans. By and large, hoods were down for the majority of the time and some first class touring was enjoyed. The Carnac area is famous for its astonishing collection of Neolithic standing stones which make our Stonehenge look rather insignificant! This area of France must be the Mecca for students of Neolithic archaeology although, to date, no one has come up with a plausible explanation as to why the Ancients were driven to erect mile after mile of huge standing stones. The Museum, in the old town of Carnac, houses one of the world’s finest collections of Neolithic and Bronze Age artefacts – the exquisite bronze axe collection just has to be seen to be believed. The Côte Sauvage on the Quiberon Peninsular offers magnificent Atlantic scenery and wonderfully smooth, windy, deserted roads - just made for spirited TR driving! To celebrate their 36th Wedding Anniversary, Teresa and Bob Bendall invited the whole Group to a super lunchtime “do”. As you might have guessed, an inordinate amount of food and drink was consumed and the lunchtime became somewhat extended.
It was noted that apart from touring the many points of interest in the region, eating out and indulging in copious amounts of “Ricards” seemed to be the primary activities! Despite the French petrol and one minor sparks problem, all the TRs behaved themselves and everybody voted this trip to Brittany a huge success. Next year’s French Excursion is already being planned so, if you fancy joining in, do please contact Andy D a.s.a.p.
The end of September marks the last of the “formal” shows for this Group. As ever, the Battlesbridge Classic Car & Bike Show proved very popular and seemed even busier than previous years. The Autojumble at this event is probably the largest in the County and always attracts hoards of “bargain” seekers. The Essex Group enclosure was brim full and we were delighted when Bob and Jo Eve’s excellent TR3A won a “highly commended” at the end of the show.
With the approach of winter, we are now looking towards more indoor events and our next one – the annual Quiz Night is already sold out... but more of that next time!
TR Action 253
On Sunday 7th August, ten Essex Group cars made their way “through the lanes” into Suffolk for the Helmingham Festival of Classic & Sports Cars. The picturesque and extensive grounds of Helmingham Hall provided a first class venue for the event which attracted an excellent level of support from Groups in the Eastern Region. As well as being a classic car show, elements of a traditional country fair were also incorporated. There were no autojumble/cheap tool vendors but plenty of “posh” stalls selling a wide variety of local produce and craft items. Rural activities such as raptor flying, a dog show and duck and geese herding kept the crowds entertained. One event which attracted a great deal of attention was a very energetic Zumba dance troupe. This Latin American style of dance involves loud, rhythmical drumming, whistle blowing and an inordinate amount of athletic buttock and breast waggling. It was quite noticeable that the crowds the troupe attracted were mainly male – due, I suppose, to the fact that men generally quite like percussion music.
The range of classic cars on show was excellent and varied. The majority of entries were “privateers” and of a very high standard. I was a little nonplussed to spot several “plastic replicas” on show (including a Bugatti and a Lancia) but I guess these qualified under the “sports car” banner. Rather like the Temple Barns event in July, the day started cool and sunny but by mid afternoon clouds had bubbled up and the showers started. As with the Cressing event, this led to the premature departure of many of the exhibits and, although we did not stop to put the hood up on the way home, we were rained on several times and probably should have! Everybody had a great time and it seems as though Helmingham could well become a very suitable event for an annual Eastern Groups Gathering.
The planned Knebworth Classic Car Show on the 28th August did not attract the usual level of support this year, so as an alternative, a run out to rural Suffolk was organised by East Region Co-ordinator, Ian Freeman. Around fifty TRs presented at the Lavenham Classic Car Show & Carnival with East Saxons, Abbott & Stour and Wensum Groups all represented. The day was windy and cold but there was only the one shower around lunchtime. The event coincided with Ian Freeman’s birthday which he celebrated by sharing a large cake with anyone who was not on a diet (and a few that were or should have been!). The highlight (excuse the pun) of the day for Barry Street was a conversation with Dave Solomon (Wensum G.L.) during which they realised that their cars sported rear light lenses which did not match. A quick swap around and both guys wound up with matching pairs and big grins.
Eighteen Essex Group TRs invaded La Belle Brittany in early September but you will have to wait for the next issue of Social Scene for the details!
