Cumbria Group Newsletter 1/25 March
51 Castlesteads Drive
Sandsfield Park
CARLISLE
CA2 7XD
Tel;- 01228 497861/07775 944 786 30th March 2025.
TR Register Cumbria Group
"Si fractum non sit, noli id reficere"
Greetings Cumbria Group,
Newsletter 1/25.
Newsletter 1/25, I’m way behind for getting this out to you all, in my defence, I’ve been swamped with forum stuff, the GL meeting, the AMM at Gaydon, the new computer system, - don’t ask yet, and a bit of mechanic-ing (If that’s not a word, then it should be!) thrown in as well.
Further in my defence of course emails are too easy and efficient, and you have had a number of those. We now have only two mailing list members who don’t do emails, and they both receive personal contact for every communication from me.
So briefly, because at least some of this is repeated, posh nosh, came and went excellent as always and thanks to Dave Couling, NYD went and went as the forecast was terrible, though annoyingly not so bad on the day, Jim and Annes, can’t praise these two enough, having cancelled their programmed, ‘Lunch at Their house’ again because of storm, Edna, or whatever it was called, they regrouped and had the crowd of us round on the Tuesday, so good after the disappointment, and of course stunning as ever, a really great start to 2025 for CG. Our AGM was a breeze and resulted in a great 2025 programme, and Thank You, to everyone who offered to help, you should all understand that other groups are not all like this, CG has a full programme, with folk offering to get involved at every level, long may this continue, its our strength!
Our AGM, confirmed our Club Officers for 2025, namely;-
Secretary Extraordinaire….Anne Whitehead, I say this because she had the meeting . minutes to me, almost before I got home!
Membership………………Peter Bonsall.
Treasurer………………….Dave Couling
Website…………………...Mark Dillon
Group Leader……………..John Morrison
2024 Prize winners were;-
The Chris Harrison Beck Trophy
For our Day to Remember 2024………..………Mark and Anita Dillon
Try Harder Award………………………………Mark Sindle
The Neville Theaker Memorial Trophy………..John Morrison
So we are off to Wales, The Isle of Man, and in September to Northern Ireland to take a drive along the Atlantic Coast Road. All this as well as a full itinerary of ‘All Day Runs.
Our programme is full and varied, you all have email copies of this, and I have card printed versions - just ask.
Mentioning our programme, takes me nicely to our first out-door run of the year
by Peter and Nan. We were back around the N lakes, with hotel lunch, lots of planning made for a great day, and also stirred memories when we could ‘Pop’ up Borrowdale and enjoy the drive, not like summers these days, when driving anywhere in the Lakes can be a nightmare.
New computer system have you signed on,?
In the future everything will come from that, it is vital that you use and keep a single email, and that you never change it without telling the club, or the world will end!
Training is coming the GL’s way, and Peter and Mark, our membership and website secretaries will soon be able to answer you questions - I hope!
Just as we do now, any member who doesn’t, and has no intention of ever doing emails, the GL undertakes personal contact for any group news.
Speaking of which, the National AMM was interesting, the vote on the subs. increase
was removed from the meeting, the MT admitting they had made a right hash of the announcement without explanation so no vote was taken or decision made.
I have to report that Chris Thirttle, the clubs FD gave a very professional presentation of just where we are, which in essence is living beyond our means, if we want all we are trying to do.
The plan is for Wayne Scott, to video said Chris Thirrtles presentation, on the proposed subs. increase and when edited, say by mid April, send it to every member of the clubs database in a TR Register email, following that there will need to be a vote.
As I write the the AMM minutes are not yet published, they will be on the club website in the members area, A.S.A.P.
You will have the chnace to make up your own minds. what it amounts too are that choices will need to be made, e.g.;-
Complaints about ‘Never being able to get the office’ are numerous, so the MT have recuited a new for now, part timer Ely, Point is, Ely needs to be paid!
Most members have state that the clubs year should be built around a three day event, preferable at Malvern. These days to do that properly and to comply with all regs, etc., means employing a dedicated professional events organiser, who will want paid!
TS 2 needs to be in the accounts with a budget allocation to include an extensive rebuild in the next three or four years, that will cost a considerable amount, perhaps £40K
Should TR Action, ‘Go Digital’ with some, though not that great, a cost saving, and risk alienating our long term, ‘Like the mag’, members?
Point is you will get to make a choice and vote.
So, to CG next few weeks;- First weekend in April, and Mark and Anitas’ hotel based Welsh weekend, in er, Wales. If you are on this, then you have the information.
End of April, and a crowd of us are off to the Isle of Man. This thanks to some excellent work by Peter Bonsall, who made this work, against some quite large hoops the needed to, ‘Jump through,’ I know you will all wish Peter a continued recovery after his hip operation, I understand progress is good. (He jumped through the hoops before the op)
We travel, Sunday 27th, which also happens to be this years’ FBHVC ‘s
‘Drive-it-Day, so most of CG cars will be on the move, but if you are not ‘En-Route’ to the I-of-M you can start the TR anyway, and go fly the flag!
Thank You to all who offered their support and importantly voted for the recent resolution, proposed by me and seconded by Jonathon Smith, re our forum and it’s future, happy to report what we carried the day.
Dalemain 17th August, Northumberland Group bring a stand to the show, and kindly invite any of us interested to join then for the day.
I mentioned being involved with some mechanic-ing,…. some recent examples , like this Month, being;-
Rex had a misfire, which we couldn’t cure electrically.
I did a compression test, which showed nothing on No 3.
Ken and I removed the head, and passed same to Jim Milligan, who took for a seat regrind to his pal down West Cumberland, with new exhaust vales fitted, Jim cleaned and refaced the inlets, and rebuilt the head, and returned same back to Carlisle.
Ken and I have started the process of refitting same.
Meanwhile,
p
Malcolm Monkhouse had an annoying overdrive leak, that we could not persuade him to ‘Live with’ so with Kens overview, and Malcolms car on my lift, out came the Gearbox, to be delivered to Malcolms workshop, for, with Kens help, an overdrive strip down and assessment, parts are ordered, and as all good Haynes Manuals always said, ‘reassembly is a reverse of disassembly’.
Then we are taking a look at Paul Hewitts mini – that should be fun!
The point is, this for me, is the absolute ethos of what a classic car club should be,
May we, Cumbria group, Never Change.
Finally, Brian Hemmings from out West has a TR3 boot lid for sale, usual tattiness, but I’ve seen much worse, and includes fittings, £100 should make it yours.
Sure I will have forgotten something, that’s life just now, but as ever if you do have questions or comments…….just ask.
John.