Every year, the TR Register awards members from across the club for volunteer work and activities that have contributed to the club in a significant way.

This year, Wayne Scott opened proceedings by mentioning some of the people that were sadly no longer with us, that were this time last year.

• Jim Pickard – TR7 Registrar
• Barry Goswell – Birmingham Group Leader
• Alan Robinson – early member and SDF contributor.
• Tim Walker – Cotswold Vale
• Mike Cook – Former PR and Marketing for Triumph USA
• Jean Jacques Thuner – Works driver
• Sir Michael Edwardes – MD of British Leyland
• Derek Pollock MBE – Founder of the RBRR and President of Club Triumph
• Jean Rolleaux – Forum contributor
• Chris Harrison – Beck – Cumbria Group
• Dick Seyfried – Active member
• Charles Runyan – Triumph specialist

You will have other on your own personal lists no doubt, so a moment was taken to remember them all.

Graham Robson

This year, our Honorary President marked 25 years in the role. For over a quarter of a century, he has been a superb figure head for the club. Graham has written nearly 170 books, some published in several languages, along with countless newspaper and magazine features and columns. Graham is widely thought of as the UKs most prolific author.

In 1961, he became a Development Engineer, then Competition Secretary at Standard – Triumph; at a time when the Triumph TR4, the 2000 and racing Spitfires were all developed. Later, he joined Autocar Magazine in 1965 and the Rootes Group (which became Chrysler UK) in 1969, latterly becoming their Chief Engineer for Product Proving.

He then had a spell as Technical Director at Kangol before becoming a full-time independent motoring writer in 1972.

The Annual Awards ceremony this year featured a fascinating 30 minutes in conversation with Graham, hearing his stories of the years working at Triumph. For his long service Graham Robson was awarded a special trophy for 25 years, with a model depiction in 1:18th scale of 5VC, the Alpine Rally TR4.

Clubman’s Awards

Clubman’s Awards are presented each year to those individuals who have volunteered or worked on a specific initiative throughout the last 12 months.

The first award was given in recognition of this individual’s sterling service to her Group.

Not only does she write the TR Action columns for her group, but she is also the lynchpin of the region. Assisting all the members where she can and going over and above to help out club members when they are in need, often inconveniencing herself in the process.

Wensum Group tell us they couldn’t do without her.

Winner: Anne Hill.

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Gold Awards

Gold Awards are in recognition of those members of our club that, over many years have dedicated themselves either to serving the club as a whole or heading up specific projects. The Gold Award recipients are often the long-standing, unsung heroes of our club who have given vast amounts of their time and energy freely to serve the club and make things happen.

The first Gold Award was given to a long – standing an extremely active member of Leicester Group. He has not only been an invaluable member to his local group but also assisted the club on the national committee. He has organized the Bring and Buy sales at the TR International Weekend on three occasions. He also travels the length and breadth of the country valuing TRs for members, a vital club service.

Winner: Andy Holyoak

Another Gold Award went to a current group leader. He has transformed his local group which now enjoys a record membership since its beginnings 49 years ago. His group is extremely active and he has been instrumental in our displays at the London Classic Motor Show. Full of ideas and energy, he is an asset to the club and a go to guy when the club needs a volunteer.

Winner: Mark Bulford

A Gold Award had been presented before the AGM at the NEC Classic Motor Show, held over the previous weekend. That award was presented to someone who has served as an Area Coordinator. He has also had a long career in motorsport, he began hill climbing a single- seater in the 1960s and was one of the last competitors at the Bo’ness Hill climb in Scotland when it was still a championship venue in 1966.

Winner: Jim Johnstone

The final Gold Award this year was awarded to a Registrar. The job of Regsitrar is a demanding one. Especially when the cars you look after are spread across the world and are rare and obscure. The next Gold Award recipient had created a large database of information on his particular model over many years. He stepped down earlier this year after years of quiet, but dedicated service.

Winner: Ken Yankey

Reg Woodcock Trophy

Reg is a legend in motorsport circles. As a club racer, he enjoyed amazing success racing TRs, mainly down to his incredible mix of driving skill with engineering prowess. He would often embarrass Aston Martins in his TR3A!

This award is given to each year, to someone who has contributed significantly to motorsport of the past year.

This year, our winner has presided over the TR Register Sprint and Hillclimb Championship for many years and last year, lead the series to their highest ever level of entries. He carefully prepares the fixtures lists, regulations and does the heaps of paperwork required to run the championship. He also competes himself in his well campaigned TR6.

Winner: Roger McEwen.

Pratt of the Year

The next award, I know all about. As a winner of this award three years running I know and have demonstrated a sound expertise in exactly what it means to be a prized pratt.

Pratts get extra points for damage to their own property and humiliating themselves in public so let’s take a look at how this years Pratt of the Year managed to earn this dubious accolade.

This year the award was given to our Chairman, Allan Westbury for a less than successful attempt at navigating for Wayne Scott in TS2 for the Saltire Rally.

Wheelspinner Award

The Wheelspinner Award is presented to the local area group who has been most active in their area. Local groups should demonstrate a dedication to a particular project, improvements made to club activities in their area, benefitting the local community or charities or special initiatives to attract new members.

The winning group this year has gone from strength to strength since gaining a new leader earlier this year. They have regularly contributed hilarious reports to the magazine, great pictures and articles that not only represent their members but also their individual personalities.

This year, they not only contributed to ensuring the TR Register has a bright future, but also changed the classic car world when they brought together the various clubs under one single event. The Morris Minor Young Members Club, MG Car Club Young Members Register and Sprite and Midget Club all attended and the event won the Classic and Sportscar Award for best event last weekend.

Winner: TR Register Youth Group

Web Awards

This award goes to the person who has contributed much to the TR Register car club in the digital space by creating compelling content that everyone has found a must-read. It could be a local group web editor writing online reports, it could be the manager of a local group’s social media pages or a contributor to the Forum.

This year, it goes to a new member who has not only tirelessly rebuilt his stunning, concours winning TR6 but has also equally tirelessly documented every detail of the build for us all to enjoy and refer to He represented the club as a result of all this at the NEC Classic Motor Show as Meguiars Masterclass Concours champion.

Winner: Venkataraman Panchpakesan

TR Action Awards

Best photograph

This award goes to a non-professional contributor to TR Action Magazine who has , in the opinion of the editorial team sent in to the magazine one of the most iconic images in the last 12 months.

It’s not very often that the following criteria all come together within one photo.

1. Not having been taken by a professional
2. Being in the right spot just at the right time unexpectedly
3. Having a decent enough camera to take a High-Quality picture
4. Creativity in composition or catching the mood of a particular moment.

Our runner up was Don Hiscock, who captured the bonnet lifting on Paul Hogan’s TR3S at Goodwood Members’ Meeting.

The winner though not only showed creativity but also proves that he uses his TR in all weathers! It was the front cover of TR Action 310.

Winner: Icy TR3A by Joseph Degnan

Best Article

Amongst the runners up this year was the amazing story of London Group rallying around to support Ben Dunham from Crown Classics when he fell ill. Also, Paul White writing his tale of his ex- Pat Moss TR3A through the eyes of the car, as if it could speak!

A well-researched and inspirational technical article on fitting modern fuel injection to a TR6 by Ian Hanlon.

But the winner not only informed about the history of a lesser known event, but also inspired others through his travel writing. It contained plenty of drama and interest alongside some stunning photography.

Winner: Paul Michael’s incredible story of his TR4 entering the South American GP.

Eddie Holden Award

Eddie Holden was a true TR man. A very special member of this club to anyone who knew him or has sought his help in the past. He is best remembered for his ownership of an ex – Ken Richardson works rally TR3 which he drove in the manner that Richardson had intended pretty much all the time.

He was hugely generous in giving his time to help other TR members and was a font of knowledge on all things TR. He in effect, embodied the true spirit of the TR Register, of friendship, of help and support and these traits are common too in this year’s winner.

The winner this year is known to just about everyone in the club young and old. An active member in the midlands since the 1970s, if you need a hand fixing something on your TR he will definitely be there! If there is a beer in it for him, he will DEFINITELY be there! We couldn’t put on our current display at Stoneleigh Restoration show or Silverstone Classic without him. He spearheaded the inter-club Triumph Weekend this year and until recently, had arranged the TR Register Lakes Tour for nearly two decades. He has also spent over twenty years on the committee as it was called when he joined as is now the longest serving volunteer on the management team.

He is everyone’s mate and is always there to help and to be a friendly, pint – wielding face of the club. He shies away from politics, preferring the old-fashioned approach to things, taking his mates for a pint and chatting things over. He is an honorary member of the TR Youth group as well, for good reason and that is that he is still in possession of a good pair of drinking trousers.

Finally, he is the only person that can lead the dancefloor at the Triumph Weekend in the thigh crushing, sat down dance moves to Oops Upside Your Head.

Winner: Paul ‘Cat’ Tunnadine