West

Below you can find all the West Social Scene reports submitted for the most recent TR Action, in full. If you have any problems with the content then please contact the office. Should you wish to find your nearest group then please use our postcode search facility or visit 'We're Only Hear for the Beer' for listings of all group details. Please use the links below to find your report:

• Brunel
• Chiltern
• Glavon
• Kennet Valley
• South Glamorgan
• Wessex
• Wye Dean
• Y Ddraig Goch

Brunel

Andy Spencer

Having quite rightly received a ticking off and a rap on the knuckles for missing our last report I thought that I had better try to write something meaningful.

So what has been happening at Brunel? At the TR Register AGM in November, Elf Harris was awarded a very much deserved Gold Award and it was good to see a contingent of Brunel members present, half of whom were totally unaware of what was going to unfold.

We have our own Annual General Meeting in February where all the officers of the group will hopefully stand for another year. The year’s proposed activities and events will also be tabled so please come along and have your say in the running of the group. Check our website for venue details as this will not be at our regular meeting venue.

Our greatly anticipated Christmas meal will have just taken place by the time that you read this and no doubt we will all have had a wonderful evening and hopefully all behaved ourselves.

So it is forward into 2012 and what should be another cracking year for Brunel. Please keep and eye on our website for up to date details of what we have planned.

Chiltern

Peter Bowden

Happy New Year! I trust that you all had an enjoyable and relaxing Christmas and New Year break and that you are rested and ready for a new season of TRing.

We did manage to pack a lot into 2011, had lost of fun, and met some great new friends. We finished the year with a visit to Waddesdon Manor, to see the Christmas decorations, had a good lunch, a wander around the Food Fayre, and had the privildge of parking right in front of the house. That was followed by a very successful Christmas Dinner at The Peacock, many people taking advantage of the very comfortable guest rooms to stay over and have a few beers, instead of having to arrange transport home.

We’re now into a new year and we have planned a busy calendar of meetings and events for 2012. Some are new and some old favourites. In addition to our regular monthly meetings at The Peacock, mid monthly meetings and various locations around the Chiltern Hills, shows and visits, there are overseas trips planned to Classic Le Mans, Angoulême for the Circuit des Ramparts, and Ireland for the Gordon Bennett Rally. A complete list of dates and details can be found on our website at www.chiltern-trs.co.uk/Events.html

If you have not managed to get along to a Chiltern Group meeting or event before, why not get out the diary now and make a note of a few dates ? If you can bring your TR, we would love to see it, and if you can’t, no matter, come along anyway. You can be sure of a warm welcome at The Peacock in Henton, or any other event, from a friendly and enthusiastic bunch of TR people. It will be a lot of fun and I know that you will enjoy it. And ladies, do come along too, it is not all about oily bits!

Glavon

Llayla Jane-Smith

I would like to start the report with a HUGE thank-you to Kevin Jones for doing the splendid and hard work co-ordinating all of his West area, giving plenty of support; thank-you Kevin. You will be dearly missed from the other West area members but we just can’t get rid of you. Hehe.

Anyway Thursday 20th October was Phil and Alison’s quiz night at the hall. They had really thought about it as some members wanted it to be a car themed quiz. It was very challenging but factual at the same time (felt like being back at school). As you may have already guessed, my team came last and it was Kevin’s team that came first. Well done to all and thanks to the Critchleys for organising it - but please can we have it easier next time?

November the 6th was firework night, hosted by Chris and Jan at Oldbury on Severn. Jan had made a fantastic range of savoury food which was demolished before the display, which was held in the field behind their house. Everyone had brought big fireworks, so it really did go off with a bang. For afters, the Glavon ladies had made the puddings. The evening was lovely and welcoming.

Thursday 17th November was the AGM. As you have noticed Andy West and I have been voted in to continue with writing the report - sorry! The meeting went smoothly with everyone doing the same jobs as last year. The diary page is slowly building up for 2012.

In the next report, Andy will be talking about Glavon’s Xmas bash, which is at the Highwayman Inn at Elkstone. As well as the Xmas nattering and the New Year walk hosted by the Inds. Oh, and also: Happy New Year!

Kennet Valley

Michael Field

As the sleigh bells have all stopped ringing, the remaining few pine needles have eventually been found by being trodden on by bare feet (ouch!), and the last of the mince pies and Christmas cake is being distributed to those who probably have now got sick of the sight of them; the winter blues for some have well and truly set in. But not for the KVG members, as we prepare to take a trip this coming weekend all the way to Cirencester, for our Christmas Party and disco, at the Stratton House Hotel, where most will be staying for two nights.

November club night, yes I know it seems ages ago now, we enjoyed a presentation about the KVG trip to France and the Chanteloup Hill Climb, but also, and probably more significant to us all, the importance of the additive ZDDP in classic oils, after one of our members suffered a camshaft failure recently. We were well educated about something most of us had never heard of. I encourage all to Google ZDDP if you wish to learn more.

Our November mid-monthly meeting was a skittles and buffet evening which went very well with some twenty plus people attending. The winners of the two killer matches were Phil and Jill. Do I hear “Fix”? No, they won fair and square beating the rest of us. Thanks go to Karen for organising the event.

To keep the winter events going December’s club meeting is embracing a quiz evening, with an invite to local TSSC members also, and I am sure a report on these will follow in due course.

Looking to the future, we have several events planned for club nights, including an interesting presentation about a 1930s Wolseley Hornet rebuild, and parts 2 & 3 on the history of Triumphs, with video footage and talks.

We are also planning further ahead, one event being our camping weekend at Merley, Wimborne, Dorset, in June which is also open to other groups, so if you are interested in joining us for this pleasant weekend, or for any other KVG activities, please email Mike Field on kvg-tr-events@talktalk.net or phone 07411 238034 for further details.

From me, all that is left is to say is a slightly belated Happy New Year to all our KVG members and friends, and hope to see many of you during this coming year, both at The Winning Hand on club nights, and at the various events we arrange or attend throughout the year.

Full details can be found on the KVG calendar on the TR Register website.

South Glamorgan

Spiro Tanti

We ended 2011 with our Christmas dinner at our December monthly meeting. 16 members in all met up. The picture did not really get everyone in – sorry, not too good with the camera!

A big thank you to Mike the landlord at the Barley Mow for his hospitality throughout the year and our Christmas dinner was very good. We did manage a few runs in 2011, not as many as we would have liked but all the same we did a few. Our numbers at our monthly meeting have varied through the year but on average I like to think we did well with some new faces and some old popping in.

We now start to look forward to 2012. Plans for next year for us as a group? Well it is pretty open book at the moment. One idea that has been mentioned is a long weekend drive down to The Millau Viaduct in France as one of our main events, along with our local annual classic car rallies, but of course we need to get winter out of the way first. Do make a note in your diaries though of our area group summer BBQ - 9th June, not to be missed like yours truly did this year!

With it being quiet the last few months and not a great deal more to report, we would like to say a very Happy New Year to all.

Wessex

Nigel Jordan

I am delighted to open this report with congratulations to Kevin Warrington who was voted in as the new West Groups Coordinator at the AGM in November. Kevin has been an active member of Wessex Group for many years and he is a perfect choice to continue the great work done by Kevin Jones previously. Well done Kevin.

It seems a long time ago now but back in October we had our skittles match against our neighbours in Dorset Group. The event was hugely popular and Dorset Group came with about 30 members ready to play and we matched this number in Wessex Group although we did have to “lend” Gordon Denson to Dorset to even-up the numbers. After supper the skittles started and, in view of the numbers, we agreed we would play 2 legs and then see how the time was before starting a third. Wessex started well and there were some good scores with Richard Nevines top scoring with 12 and Nigel Barber and Liz Davies both striking 9. The scores were closely matched between the two sides all the way through but Wessex just came out as leg 1 winners with a total score of 201 against Dorset’s 196. We were not so fortunate in the second leg however! Dorset had “got their eye in” and they started to get some big scores. Starting with our own Gordon Denson who knocked down 18 for his second leg score! Dorset soon began to pull away as they began to knock down huge scores. (Apologies for not knowing the surnames): Richard 11, Chris 13, Bob 16, Chris 17 and the highest score of the night went to Steve from Dorset Group who scored a massive 22 points.

Dorset went on to win the second leg quite comfortably but by this time there wasn’t enough time to start a deciding third leg so the match was declared - by me! - an honourable draw! This was a great evening, and thank you to everyone in Dorset Group who made the journey into Wessex territory.

2012 is a very special year for Wessex Group because it will be our 40th birthday. It was back in 1972 when Ian Evans contacted those other few TR owners in the area, and the first meeting was held at The Plough near Christchurch. To celebrate this milestone for the Group we have done a lot of planning for our events in 2012 and it promises to be as busy and as varied as previous year, but with some extra special events thrown in as well. Please look in Wessex News for a full list of planned events. We will be continuing with our monthly Club Runs on the fourth Sunday of each month, starting this month with our customary run out over Cranborne Chase to Compton Abbas airfield for lunch. Put the date in your diary now, it is next weekend, Sunday 22nd January.

Another exciting event we’ve arranged is an anniversary weekend at a country house spa hotel near Wareham in Dorset, on the 25th to 27th May. This is somewhere that, as their publicity says, “..combines the atmosphere of a country house with the facilities of a modern hotel.” There’s a leisure centre, complete with gym, squash court and indoor swimming pool, and a Spa for those essential beauty treatments. We’re planning a run on the Saturday to explore the countryside around the Isle of Purbeck, and including the lost village of Tyneham, but if you don’t feel like being too energetic, you can relax in pampered luxury in the hotel and indulge in a spa or beauty treatment.

There will be dinner in a private dining room on the Saturday night so we celebrate properly, and full details including prices for the weekend are on the Wessex web site. Please contact Nigel more details or to make a booking.

Club Night next Tuesday the 24th is a natter’n’noggin at the Nondescripts but with a twist – literally! We’re introducing the Spark Plug Challenge! How quickly can you change the spark plugs in a cylinder head? Come along and find out...

See you at Club Night.

Wye Dean

Stephanie Piggott

Due to TR Action's deadline dates, there have been two Wye Dean monthly meetings since the last report. The October meeting, which seems a long time ago, was one of our quieter meetings, with a small but select group in attendance. However there were plenty of people at the November meeting, even though the weather conditions were not of the best.

We were pleased to welcome Jeff to our October meeting – he hadn’t been for a while as the last time he set off for a Wye Dean meeting his car caught fire! He took it as a sign to avoid Wye Dean meetings for a long time – fortunately this time he arrived without mishap. Topics of conversation included the Malvern Classic Car Show in October where the Birmingham Group had a TR chassis with suspension and brake drums in situ, which received plenty of attention.

Nick Sanders is on the fourth year of rebuilding his TR4A and had plenty of questions including the right way up for the horn push, the difference between TR4 and TR4A gear lever gaiters and whether a TR6 windscreen wiper rack could be fitted to a TR4A? The answer to this last query was “don’t do it” as it is out by one pitch and Jeff once fitted one which flew off!

There were concerns expressed about the threat to add 10% ethanol to unleaded fuel as this will eat into the old rubber fuel lines on the fuel pump and carburettors. TR owners will either have to use an additive to counteract this or replace the fuel pipes with ones that will not be eaten away.

The next event on the Wye Dean calendar was the Classic Car Show at the NEC. A number of Wye Dean members visited the show and the new TR Register stand, (complete with rotating cube) was much admired, as were the cars on display. As always, members of the Register and those who were interested in TRs were made most welcome and the cake celebrating the 50th birthday of the TR4 was delicious.

Given the approach of winter a number of people wanted information about heated seats for TRs. Apparently MX5 seats fit all TRs as they are relatively narrow – now I just have to persuade Bill to fit some!

As I write this, Wye Dean members are looking forward to their Christmas meal at the Three Horseshoes on 14th December. Before that, we attended the Register AGM at Gaydon, where we said goodbye to Kevin Jones as our group co-ordinator. We will really miss his visits to Wye Dean and the support that he has given to the group over the years. Thanks Kevin – you know that you will always be welcome at our meetings!

Y Ddraig Goch

Carey Prior

I hope all you TR enthusiasts have had a very festive Christmas and are now looking forward to a Happy New Year. Let us hope we get to use our TRs a little more in this coming year.

I visited Kevin the other day to have a look at his new purchase (a blue TR4) which looks very nice indeed. However, Kevin, being Kevin, has gone over the car with a fine toothcomb with wings off and suspension off to name but a few.

Oly organised a local Mixed Classic Car Run around Pembrokeshire in November when Ray, Kevin and myself joined in. We were lucky with the weather behaving itself enabling the hoods to stay down all weekend. Thanks to Oly for providing bed and bacon, sausage & egg butties for breakfast.

Whilst at Oly’s, we had the opportunity to look at the ‘work in progress’ on Martin’s new red TR7 which seems to need a considerable amount of patchwork to the underside but hopefully we will see it on the road soon. It was, however, sad to see his old green TR7 going to the scrap-yard – that is one less TR on the road.

I look forward to meeting old friends and new in the coming TR season.