Last Updated: 18/07/2008 12:39:34
David and Jane McDonald’s Great North Run, held on 11th May was meticulously planned and hugely enjoyable. The day got off to a bad start however, with Steve and Gina Talbot losing their exhaust on the way to the meeting place and having to return home. Steve’s just rebuilt a TR4A and fitted a Rover V8 engine, which was smoking rather badly. Not a man to let the grass grow under his feet, by the time I got home and called him, he had already got the engine out, and appeared a week later with another engine installed.
We started from a Service Area off the A1, tracing the route of the Old Great North Road as it was in the 1950s. We followed the A1, cutting off several times to go through very pretty villages, and rejoining it again. Dave gave us all a copy of a route book he had written, which pointed out the history associated with the road and interesting places along the way. Our first stop was in the village of Cromwell at the Vina Cooke Doll Museum for a quick tour, followed by Coffee and Scones. A Georgian Rectory, every room was filled with literally thousands of dolls, many of which Vina Cooke, the lady who showed us around, made herself. Some of these are modelled on famous 1960s film stars, TV characters and members of the Royal family. It was a quirky and fascinating place, although Julia Prebble and I decided that we wouldn’t want to spend the night there.
On the road again, Dave obtained permission from the police to drive through the pedestrianised town centre of Retford, where I managed to set off a shop alarm on the way through. Lunch was at Ye Olde Belle Hotel at Barnby Moor, a 17th Century Coaching house which in its heyday had stabling for 200 horses and was one of the most prominent establishments on the road. In 1959 the UK route of the Monte Carlo Rally started in Glasgow and had its overnight stop at the Olde Belle before going on to Dover. We finished the run at Red House, north of Doncaster, just before the road becomes the A1 again, tired, hot and with very full stomachs. Thanks Dave and Jane for a great day out.
Unfortunately, Dave had a nasty coming together with Mike Hughes at Oulton Park a couple of weeks later, while racing his TR6. Both cars very badly damaged but thankfully no serious injuries, except to their wallets.
There are still a couple of places left on the Northumberland weekend that Dave Roach is organising from Friday 29th August until Monday 1st September. Leaving Lincolnshire on Friday morning, staying for three nights at the Schooner Hotel in Alnwick, Dave has a boat trip and car runs planned for Saturday and Sunday, with a journey through Kielder Forest on Monday, on the way home. For further details contact Dave on 01507 450066 or e-mail daveroach@talktalk.net
We’ve made a really good start to the social year with brilliant attendances and loads of TRs at each event. April’s ‘Drive It Day’ Run and pub lunch, a joint venture with the Camb Followers, saw twenty eight cars converging at the Red Lion, Dunston, after rain soaked runs through the Lincolnshire countryside. A very convivial lunch followed, with promises to ‘do it again soon’.
Being the second largest county in England means that some people have a very long way to travel to our regular meetings and because of this, some members who live in the ‘Far North’ or ‘Deep South’ tend not to get involved much. With this in mind, I am trying to include these members a little more, in the hope that when they get to know us they will want to become more involved. We had a run up to the Scunthorpe area in March, where we met several members previously unseen and enjoyed a really good day out together.
Julia Prebble is organising June’s Run in the South of the County and has arranged a pub lunch with a visit to Bourne Classic Car and Bike Show on Sunday 15th June at Wellhead Filed, Bourne. No parking provision for non exhibitors, but there are plenty of local car parks. It would be great to see some Southerners there. Details as follows: A Carvery Lunch has been booked at The Nags Head, Bourne for 12 noon. Numbers needed urgently. Entrance to the Show is free. Contact Julia for details: 07810 122931.
Due to the number of National and International events taking place in July, we have nothing planned. Locally, there is Thoroughbred and Sportscar Racing at Cadwell Park on 5th and 6th July which will be supported by some members of the group. Contact me for further details.
Our regular meeting place has changed and we are now meeting at The Turnor Arms on the A158 at Wragby. The pub is on the main road, approximately ten miles from Lincoln, opposite the market place. There is a large car park, good menu, newly refurbished loos and it’s warm. The date has not changed and we continue to meet on the third Monday of every month at 8pm.
Andy Kutarski, our Secretary and Web Editor is adding to and updating our website weekly, and all the latest events and photos are being included as they happen, so add the website address to your Favourites list and keep up with the latest news at: www.groups.tr-register.co.uk/lincolnshire/
I look forward to seeing you at our new venue.
The first jolly this year was a good pub lunch at The Coach and Horses, Faldingworth, organised by the group’s former Secretary, Anne Newman. Fourteen members of the group attended, in an assortment of interesting cars. We had four TRs, an MG TF, a Volvo and a lovely Jaguar XK8 called Ruby. It was a mild and blustery day and the first time out for most of the cars, although only Peter and Cheryl were brave enough to have their hood down. New TR Register member David Dean owns a pub in the small village of East Butterwick, south of Scunthorpe. He’s just bought a ‘basket case’ TR3A and plans to renovate it in his spare time. However, as he works seven days a week, it’s not going to be finished any time soon. I rang to introduce myself and he said that because of the pub, he can’t get to meetings. So, by the time you read this, our March Pub Lunch and country run will have taken the scenic route up the side of the River Trent and we will have visited David and his wife to say hello, had a drink and shown him our lovely cars. Not too much of a hardship as he brews his own beer. We are joining the Camb Followers for a ‘Drive it Day’ lunch on April 20th. They are leaving the Waterside garden centre in Market Deeping at 10.30am, and then wending their way through the back roads of Lincolnshire to meet us at The Red Lion, Dunston. After lunch they will be visiting Tattershall Castle. Our group will be congregating in the Market Place, Wragby, for an 11am start. As we are expecting at least twenty cars, food orders are being taken in advance by Peter Parkinson, Camb Followers Group Leader and myself. Please contact either of us for details. Dave McDonald is interested in old road routes and is putting together the ‘Great North Run’ which will trace the route of the Great North Road, as it was in the 1950s. This will start at 10am on Sunday 11th May at Gonerby Hill, Grantham and finish at Red House, north of Doncaster. Along the way there will be a coffee break stop at a Doll Museum and finally lunch at the Old Bull, Barnby Moor, near Retford. For participants, he is producing an informative guide to sights along the way. Club members from neighbouring groups are most welcome. For more information please contact Dave on 01777 719754, 07769 600348 or e-mail: david.mcdonald18@btopenworld.com And finally, the venue for the monthly meetings is under review. The location is perfect, unfortunately the venue isn’t. We are planning a pub crawl shortly to see if we can find somewhere else. TR Lincs members will be consulted before any change takes place and informed via the website and Social Scene. Thanks for your continuing enthusiasm and support. P.S. Our Treasurer, Malcolm Brown’s contact details have changed to: malcolm_sherry.trlincs@yahoo.co.uk
