Picnics Outings Lunches and more! 2021

In Order The Cars Are - Diego Walker TR6, Sue Bretherton with TR4A "Tallulah", John Blakes TR4 ( with Kay), Steve Williams TR5, Roger Stone TR6, Paul Negus TR5.

TR used in the F1 drives parade 2017

The day we stayed at home! Thanks everybody. Peter Stewart, Jason Simmons, Kevin Byrne, Del Herford, Peter Clark, Harry Hampton, Roger Stone, Clive Jones, George Szczepanski, Graham Vaggers, Andrew Willmott, Alan Burgess, John Davey, Chris Musslewhite, Alan Emery, Rick Irving, Paul Negus, Chris Smith, Dennis Hobbs, Steve Williams, Steve Allum, Susan Bretherton, Mark Radford, Derek Hill, Frank Summers, Pete Lovell, Polly, Simon and Luke Ashley, Fred Barker, Paul Gibson. You can watch the slide show here https://youtu.be/QODUngOlcTc

Simms hill section

Limpley Stoke Weekend and a trip out to Bath

Meeting up at Bernaville Garden Centre then on to The Rufwell Arms

Held at Stratford-Upon-Avon

Ancore Inn

Pecorama at Beer Joined by a couple of Dorset members

A drive down to Cornwall

Party time at Limpley Stoke after a trip to Bath

Awliscombe

meeting up at Knighthayes Court and on to The Royal Oak

Thornfalcon meeting at Rumford

Meet up at Bernaville Garden Centre and on to New Inn Coleford

meeting up at Haynes Motor Museum then on to Barrington Court

meeting at Broadclyst and on to The Red Lion

Sunday lunch Oxenham Arms meeting at Bow Gardens

Vist To Tavy Ales a great day out shown around the brewery with little tasting!

Sunday Lunch July 2017 After meeting up for breakfast we had a drive across Dartmoor to the Bovey Tracy Golf Centre for lunch

Killerton Classic Car Show

Drive It Day April 2017 arranged by John and Kay Blake assisted by Tristen

A large group of Devon TR members enjoyed a lovely Christmas lunch in the grand setting of Hotel Endsleigh, on the edge of Dartmoor, many thanks to Derek & Janet for making the arrangements. A great time was had by all.

A lovely day out for Devon TRs, first meeting up for coffee and natter at Killerton House and then a drive through a sequence of lanes to take us to our lunch stop at Keepers Cottage, Kentisbeare. What a lovely lunch! A good number of members and a good number of TRs - many thanks to Roger & Maureen for making the arrangements.

Well, that was a more eventful track day than normal………the weather was superb, completely dry track and clear skies. To make the event viable this time it had been opened up for other non TR classics. so apart from the normal selection of TR’s there were a few other marques including a very nice E type & a Frazer Nash Targa Florio. I went on first in group A with Tris as my passenger and we had a really good session, getting rid of my dust shields and fitting the vented discs has made a massive difference to heat reduction with the front brakes and the new springs and large anti roll bar up front gave some unprecedented stability on the corners, for the first time at a track day I completed my laps without having the tyres screaming at me constantly! Next out was Kay with the novice group & with me sat beside her, she did really well and was quick to pick up the brake points and turn points and was increasing speed with each lap. Last out was Tristan driving with his brother Toby beside him – I saw him make a nice overtake on the pit straight whilst chasing down a particularly quick TR6 but then he came back to the paddock reporting smoke and an oil pressure problem. I’m fairly sure the smoke was nothing more than the amount of hot oil leaking from the crank rear oil being flicked onto the hot exhaust on the bends. The real problem was the oil pressure, a few months ago I fitted a pressure switch into the oil gallery which is set at 20psi or below to bring on a light on the dash which had happened. With help from Phil Tucker I stripped the dizzy & pedestal to spin the oil pump on a drill as I feared the pump had failed but this was not the case and when it had cooled down and was put back together she started and gave about 40 psi on idle but there was a different noise from the engine – it just didn’t sound the same and I was also fairly convinced I could detect flecks of something shiny in the oil so it was game over for us. Phil had an intermittent problem with his fuel pump and also retired early although not before Trish had also had a go in the novice session. Having retired early from the track Kay & I decided to give the dog a walk around the perimeter of the circuit and watch the other cars as we went. Part way around we saw that Neil Revington had come off (with Andrew Willmott in the passenger seat) and was being recovered having suffered a sheared hub and lost his front wheel: And I’m told that the day ended earlier than planned when another car came off and damaged a safety barrier. So back to the garage again for a few of us!

Track days…. John & Tristan Blake with an abused TR4... Blyton Park was an excellent track which was enjoyed by both Tris and myself, the weather was pretty good for us with just a little light rain in the early afternoon which gave rise to the first spin we’ve had on track. It was Tris behind the wheel at the time and the combination of damp track limited slip diff and an over enthusiastic right foot just leaving the second chicane caused a rather graceful twirling motion ending up facing the wrong way, still, no harm done and more lessons learnt. The drivers briefing before the event had included the advice ‘you spin – you’re in’ the reason being that a spin of that kind can shake you up and if you continue on track you are likely to make further mistakes, so we came off the track got out & walked around the car to make sure everything was okay and settle the nerves then straight back on to finish the session without further event. The track dried up quickly during the afternoon and we put in as much track time as possible with Tris completing some really good laps to make up for his earlier mishap. Blyton was a particularly demanding circuit for the poor old brakes & suspension with really fast sections and then very tight bends, it was quite apparent that the front suspension and anti-roll bar are not up to those kind of forces. It was also interesting to see how hot the front brakes got on all the cars although I think mine probably won in that department with smoke billowing out from under the front wings at one point it looked like she was on fire. So my never ending list of improvements now includes uprating the front suspension and brakes in time for the next event. And having mentioned the next event it’s worth reminding everyone it’s only a couple of months away. The details haven’t been published on the main TR website yet but I’m assured the intention is to book Castle Combe again for Wednesday 5th October so get it in the diary and come and watch us or better still have a go, it’s a safe environment and you push yourself and the car as much as you are comfortable with. The groups are set from complete novices up to the very experienced. This time I have convinced Kay to have a go as well and that’s got to be worth watching! John B

A number of Devon members met up for a hearty breakfast at the Old Walls Vineyard prior to a nice drive out onto Dartmoor for our second arranged stop at Castle Drogo. Not so many members were able to attend due to other commitments and being hot on the heels of the previous weekend's International Meeting at Lincoln. The weather held out and a lovely day was enjoyed by all.

Jersey International Motoring Festival - This was kindly arranged be Roger and Mo Stone, we started on Wednesday and returned home on Tuesday. The Hotel was perfect for our needs with pool, the food was great and the staff really helpful and pleasant. In addition to evening motoring timed sections and two daytime hill climbs, we enjoyed many of the Islands attractions, not least the islands relatively traffic free roads, although the speed limits didn’t allow you to take advantage of them. More info in my article to follow.

A number of Devon TR members attended this year's event at the South Devon Railway at Buckfastleigh. Jointly arranged by Jane & Peter Christie with Sue and John of TSSC, there was an excellent display of many Triumph cars, including TR5 & 6 of Steve and Paul from North Devon and Graham, up from Plymouth and Chris and me from East Devon, we came from all areas. A hearty breakfast was a good start to the day and a nice relaxed atmosphere followed, although the heavy downpour at lunchtime saw a number of us rushing to put roofs up :(

What a lovely day! The sun shone and there was an excellent show of more than 500 classic cars set out around the lovely gardens of Killerton House. Plenty of TR's on show with 12 from our Devon Group and a similar number from Somerset Triumphs and a few individual entries too. There was something for everyone and the time flew by. They were even running out of ice cream. Here are a few shots gratefully provided by our group photographer.

With a big thank you to Dennis & Jenny Hobbs, for planning and excellent day out to Montacute House. Members from all over Devon met at Monkton for a morning coffee and then travelled in small groups to Ham Hill, then on to the National Trust's Montacute House. With special parking arranged in the Stables Courtyard, our award winning, resident photographer, Martin Lovell took some excellent shots. We had 19 cars in all, from TR3 through to TR7. After visiting the house Dennis led a small group on a quick hike to the top of the nearby tower then a good number of us stopped off on our return for an excellent meal at Horton. A very successful day out, enjoyed by all.

Some action shots of Devon members - our TR Chairman Phil Tucker driving and Chris Musselwhite 'focussing' on the track ahead.

Our day out with a Picnic Sunday July 21st We met up at Buckfastleigh Steam Railway for breakfast. A parking area in front of the station had been reserved - the station master ushered us into position before going for breakfast. After breakfast the station master took us on a guided tour explaining all the very interesting things they have on display. This involves trips on the trains also the engineering works for refurbishing of the engines and rolling stock is carried out. They also have a large area dedicated to model railways. There was lots of interest in our cars, with lots of people looking as we drove off towards Dartmoor stopping at the Two Bridges Hotel for some refreshments. The sun was shining and the temperature was well up into the high 20s. We were going to have the picnic at Shipley Bridge by the Avon dam, but as there were lots of visitors to the best areas, we decided to stop in a sheltered spot that was not too busy for the picnic. What a good day out, the weather was fantastic also the company and we were driving our TRs what more do we want.

some not so recent pictures from our records - who do you recognise?

some not so recent pictures from our records - who do you recognise?

some not so recent pictures from our records - who do you recognise?

some not so recent pictures from our records - who do you recognise?

some not so recent pictures from our records - who do you recognise?

a regular favourite for many of the Devon Group

A good number of Devon Group travelled to Silverstone for their Classic event which celebrated its 25th Anniversary this year. Friday started off very wet but the sun shone on Saturday, the day of the parades and the chance for a few to exercise their TR's on the track. A good time was had by all! Thank you Dennis, for the photos.

Thanks to Sue & John of TSSC and Jane & Pete of Devon TRR we had a lovely day out at Buckfastleigh. Starting with an optional cooked breakfast and coffee or picnics in the gardens. A total of 49 cars of various Triumph variety shared an idylic setting in the rose garden with donations collected for the Devon Freewheelers, a team of volunteer Emergency Vehicle drivers who support the NHS.

Drive it Day this year saw a group of Devon TR owners meeting up with Somerset Triumphs at Haynes Motor Museum. Arranged by Devon's Triumph Sports Six Club, there were 158 Triumphs on show. Thanks for a great day..

A long weekend in France, just the two of us and the TR6. Four glorious days, sunshine, warmth and beautiful roads to drive on, well one out of three not bad, saying that, having arrived early Friday morning at Roscoff the sun was out and the sky was blue. We made our way to the pink granite coast, stopping at picturesque spots and enjoying the view. Photo 1 and 2 Then inland along quiet winding roads, mile after mile and the only surprise was to see an odd oncoming car or an occasional tractor. We stopped for lunch to enjoy a crepe in a typical French creperie before continuing on to the attractive village of Melrand where we stayed in a typical Breton farm house with converted attached barn. Fortunately owned by my daughters in laws. Photo 3 Then an evening at the local pizzeria for a seafood pizza and a glass of red house wine, why does it always taste better when abroad? Saturday morning a quick phone call to Pierre Le Foll of the Triumph Club de France, I needed help with a trip I was planning. Due to my excellent French we had a complete discussion in perfect English (fortunately he worked in Scotland for an oil company) which culminated in making arrangements to get together. Then off for the day before meeting up. First Concarneau a walk around the town and port before returning to the car and spying an old fort, fancy a brief view before heading off I asked my wife. Breif what did I know, not a lot, a complete 15th century town within ramparts. Picturesque paved streets, and a square with a mixture of half-timber and granite properties, like something from Harry Potter, and shops, and what shops! a sweetshop to die for, French designer clothes as well as the usual tourist trinkets plus a host of cafés and restaurants, even a well maintained garden. Photo 4 5and 6 Then a quick coastal drive that turned out to be less quick than I thought. The only quick bit was accelerating onto a roundabout, bang, one of the bolts retaining the diff to the chassis broke away. The fortunate bit was I happened to be only 500 yards away from Pierre’s home. Having slowly and carefully limped to his house on arrival I was introduced to Marcel Chavaroc who had been invited to join us with his very nice TR4a IRS. I explained what had happened and asked if there was anywhere I could get a repair. I don’t know much about the French resistance but what I got was a lot of French assistance. He told me to “put it in the garage we will look at it, I have a threaded rod with nylocks and washers”, out came the jack, car stands, blocks of wood, spanner, drill, drill bits, tin snips and overalls. I stripped the boot of everything which unfortunately did not include threaded rod. With the help of Marcel we removed the interior of the boot and rear parcel shelf cover, Marcel, Pierre and I removed the tank. With holes drilled, tin snips used, threaded rods and nylocks fitted, we refitted the trim, filled the boot and sat down to enjoy a glass of wine. Many thanks too Marcel, Pierre and Pierre’s wife Christiane, who kindly looked after my wife Janet. Sunday saw a quiet day at Erdeven, with a walk on the beach followed by a traditional French meal at a local hotel. In the afternoon at a French Antique fair we found a fabulous oak bed for 50 euros that sadly, wouldn’t fit in the TR. Maybe it was not such a bad thing. Monday was an uneventful day with a lovely drive back to Roscoff where we enjoyed a coffee in a restaurant overlooking the harbour before the ferry journey home. Derek & Janet Hurford

In 2010 at the Le Mans Classique sat around our campfire, Andy Clemmit, a Devon member now living in South West France, extended an invitation to stay at his farmhouse (an hour from Pau ) once he had finished rebuilding it. The invitation was gratefully accepted and two years later and after a huge amount of work by Andy, 7 TR’s meet up in Plymouth on 1st May. Suitably adorned with rally plaques designed and made by Martin Lovell’s son, Chris, the group set off on the overnight ferry to Roscoff to go south for the Grand Prix de Pau Historique 2012. By this time the numbers had grown and filled Andy’s farmhouse so with the help of his good friends Ali and Michael Jackson extra accommodation was arranged. What we didn’t expect was a picture postcard 15th century chateaux also being lovely restored by Ali and Mike. Due to his extensive knowledge of driving to Spain Derek Hurford developed a route that would take the group through the more picturesque areas of western France The trip to Pau was to be broken into 3 legs; Roscoff to La Rochelle, La Rochelle to Bordeaux and Bordeaux to Campuzan. The return leg being via the ferry from Santander to Plymouth.

What a glorious day not a cloud in the sky and temperatures to “drive” for, the members from the Plymouth to Exeter area met up at the services Junction 30 M5 then drove to Sidmouth where 3 cars were waiting making 12 in total. First things first, a walk over to Connaught Gardens for morning coffee where we sat and chatted outside in the warm spring air. An 11:30 departure time was agreed for the drive out through the forde, then on into the country side to our pub lunch destination The Butterleigh Inn. Firstly Martin and Dennis equipped with cameras left several minutes before to take up position the other side of the forde for a photo opportunity. Now the convoy was complete taking the scenic route through Sidbury on to Honition then Cullompton turning onto the old Exeter road - our destination the village of Butterleigh. We received a warm welcome on our arrival from the landlady. her husband and staff. and all enjoyed a superb carvery. Some of us having a pint of their Black Sheep beer. After lunch some of the girls went for a walk around the village where others chatted in the car park with some sitting in the gardens. Finally when it was time to go Martin invited us back to Exminster for tea and cake that Jane had baked. To get there we took the old Tiverton road to Exeter, this brought our wonderful day to an end. Thanks to all who organised the day.