Last Updated: 31/01/2012 18:12:21
Greetings viewers. I have limbered up my fingers, oiled the keyboard and will set off now to textually enthral you on what has been and what is to be. October was a busy time. On the 2nd eleven cars set off to Waddesden Manor enjoying some beautiful autumn sunshine and some wonderful country lanes. A good selection of TRs made a rather good head turning display and a welcome to Ann and Ian in their green TR6. Su Cornwell planned an excellent route that took about 90 minutes (I could have done it in 25). The trees were just starting to turn into their golden colours. I conjured up a surprise for the convoy and managed to get priority parking in the front of the house. To get this privileged parking I used my armoury of charm, guile, contacts (actually I phoned the NT and they said OK, but don’t drip oil!!). In late afternoon we departed (before the NT could see the oil drips) and popped round to a local pub for a most enjoyable meal. Many thanks to Su and Bob for arranging a fine day. Later in the month, on the 23rd, London Group had their bi-annual Conker competition. The venue was a very nice pub ‘The Parrot’ at Forest Green. We had the ideal number of chaps & chapesses, eight of each. Actually we had nine of each but soon got down to eight. The quality of the swinging was very high, the quality of the hitting was, er, interesting. Anyway, after many minutes hitting and missing many bruises were starting to form and conkers being shattered. The ladies eventually (this took a long time) got down to the final two. Who won, I hear you calling. Well, actually it was a draw. The suffering was too much and the ladies tossed a coin for the winner, but I think a draw is the fair result. The men however, being much stronger, much braver, much more skilled, did the same. The final two were doing well, hitting more than missing, damage being done, but the ****** conkers would not break. The odd bit of shell came off, but the nut was untouched. Again a draw was the only way out. On 5th November we had our firework night. The colours and sounds made a great evening. Many thanks to John and Erica for providing the venue and a lot of hard work to make it a success and many thanks to all that helped provide food and fireworks. By the time you read this work of art the London Group will have had its Christmas Dinner. This was held at the Ostrich Pub in Colnbrook near Heathrow. Apparently this is the oldest pub in Colnbrook. We were here last Christmas and had a great evening. This year’s theme is ‘cowboys n injuns’. The programme for 2012 has not been put together yet but will include all the regular Register events plus some special ones of our own. Calling ‘ALL’ London area TR owners – the London Group meet at the Rose of York, Richmond on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month. Come on down we’ll show you ours if you show us yours.
It now seems a long time ago but this is the first opportunity to report on the IWE at Harrogate. London Group returned bronzed and well after a fantastic weekend: not sure if the bronze effect was from open top motoring in the sun or from showering in water with a very high iron content! Nigel’s TR250 made it up to Yorkshire without any problems but the same cannot be said for Chris G’s TR5. He eventually got it sorted without the help of a breakdown service and arrived about mid morning. On the Saturday evening, we had a great meal in a restaurant in Harrogate: we walked in off the street and asked for a table for 7. No problem, and we were shown to a table laid ready for 8. As we were tucking in to the poppadums, a waiter sidled up and quietly asked if we were the party that had booked a table for 8 at 8 o’clock? No, we weren’t. There was a look of panic on the waiters’ faces as they hurried to get another table for 8 ready. A couple of the boy racers managed to delight the car park attendants with their unique style of leaving the multi storey car park, leaving a trail of car alarms sounding in their wake. This girl managed to beat them back to the campsite though, in spite of quietly leaving the car park after them. Apart from the odd shopping trip and the meal in Harrogate we did not really leave the showground: we were kept busy attending technical seminars, visiting the trade hall and purchasing spares, chatting to friends and renewing acquaintances, taking part in the TR4 celebrations. It was good to see Roger back at the first meeting in September. He is recovering from his hip replacement, the pain had receded and he was able to drive. We did ask him why he had not finished the TR4?s restoration but his reply was not printable. He now has a target of September for restoration completion; he has not said which year though. On to the future now. An autumn leaves run to Waddesden Manor had been planned for 2nd October. Last year it had to be cancelled because of gale force winds, so hopefully we will have more luck this time around. Another autumn event this year is the LG conker championship. This will take place at The Parrot at Forest Green on Sunday 23rd October. Roger is busy collecting conkers but you can bring your own: they will be checked to make sure they have not been doctored in any way. The Christmas meal has been booked. It will be at the same place as last year as it was so good; yes, they are actually allowing us back. The date is Saturday 10th December at The Ostrich Inn at Colnbrook. A theme for this year has not been decided yet, but we will send out details on the email system and on the website. If you would like to come along, please book your places with Roger. I will end with a cautionary tale: do not believe your TR fuel gauge. A couple were travelling home in their TR4 and only had seven miles to their preferred garage for petrol. The gauge read just under ¼ full, and he was concerned about running out. “It is only seven miles to go” were the wife’s words. At this point on the dual carriageway, the car coughed and spluttered and coasted to a stop. Wife was despatched to walk the mile back to the nearest garage in the pouring rain to get the fuel. Wife was the one who had the foresight to pack a waterproof; I was still soaked to the skin though! Hope to see at an event or down at the Rose of York.
After a very busy June, London Group have been taking things easy. Apart from our usual meetings, a small group convoyed down to the Weald and Downland museum to finish off what they did not see on the last visit, whilst a couple of us attended the Uxbridge classic car show. The last meeting in July saw two ‘new’ TRs in the pub car park. One was a TR6 belonging to Rich Baker; he has been coming along to some of the meetings but this was the first time his TR had made an appearance. Well done Rich – it was good to see both you and the car. The other car was a TR250 – yes, the long awaited appearance of Nigel Adshead’s rebuild. It looked splendid after its nine year marathon with many trials and tribulations along the way. It is hard to believe that his daughter Angie was nearly four when he attended his first IWE; she will turn thirteen this year. Its first long run will have been the run up to the IWE in Harrogate. Come on Jon, you are letting the side down – when are we going to see the TR4 back on the road?
Talking of the IWE, it will be a reduced number that makes the haul up to Harrogate. Roger is waiting for, as he puts it, ‘the cold knife and the surgeons slab’ as he is booked to have his hip replacement immediately after the IWE. He feels he does not want to rush back for the operation on Monday; it is a shame as his TR4 is nearly finished. Hopefully he will make a speedy recovery so he can finish the TR4 and the start the rebuild of ‘Rustbucket’ the TR4A. Other people are away on holiday so London Group’s presence will be down to about six cars and no camping trailer or fire pit. Mark Bulford is still maintaining the Picasa photo site so if you have any interesting photos, please could you let him have copies. I know Christmas seems a long way off, but just bear in mind we do have the dipstick award at the annual dinner on Saturday 10th December. If you catch someone doing anything vaguely silly, especially if it is TR related please let me know, preferably by email so I have a written record somewhere so I don’t forget it. We will then have a long list of nominations for this most prestigious award. Hope to see you at the next meeting at the Rose of York.
