Inaugural meeting of the Ridgeway Group
Ridgeway group inaugural meeting
I would like to thank the 9 members (and apologies from 3 others that were away) who came to Black Horse on
20th February to support the formation of the Ridgeway Group. Phil Horsley, our South-Central Rep came along to explain that the group will be officially recognised from 1st March 2019 and the process that will follow.
Phil explained that VOWH group had been invited to reapply as a TR Register group, splitting the area with Ridgeway but currently it seems VOWH would prefer to continue as an independent group without TR Register recognition.
If this is the case Ridgeway will initially occupy the area previously covered by VOWH. As this is quite a wide area I am hoping each of you will suggest a venue or activity throughout the year for mid-monthly meetings so we can spread meetings across the whole of the area we cover to encourage more members to join in.
I have been asked to act as GL for a few months to gauge the response to the new group, and then members
will be asked to propose and vote on any officers for the group that are needed. We do need a permanent venue to list with the Register, I am open to suggestions, particularly now we seem to be covering the whole area not just the Eastern half, and we can trial different venues, but I would propose we continue with the Black Horse for the next few months while I am acting GL.
As the year is moving on I have drawn up a draft events list, please let me know of any others you would like added and if there are any you would particularly like to go to as the group. Many shows now charge a small entrance fee for charity, and many require advanced booking, so we need to make some decisions soon, especially for Drive it Day on 28th April.
There are a few events in particular I would like to mention, 5th May is Abingdon air and country show, which we have been invited to as a local group; 12th May is Thorneycroft society at Basingstoke, a Register event that you need to book for before 1st April; 23rd June, TR Mega meet at Haynes museum, several of you wanted to do this run last year and we suggested it might make an interesting weekend away. The event is being organised by Revington for a Sunday breakfast TR meet up. I can look into finding a hotel for group members if there is any interest.
There is an evening event at Witney on Thursday 4th July for modern and classics and Notcutts 4th show is on 7th July. As you know I help organise this one and wondered if this group would be willing to get there a little earlier and help take charity entry money on the gate, as last year the queue to get in went all the way back to the roundabout on the bypass!
9-12 August is retrofest at Newbury show ground, a very large and diverse event which is great fun, we did suggest a weekend camping event last year, so again let me know if it is of interest. The International on 16-18 August moves to Stratford upon Avon this year, so pretty much a local show. Again, would anyone like to group camp or try to find a hotel or house to rent?
BHMonday 26th is the White Horse Show at Uffington, a small country show but it does get some exceptional cars and I have a group invitation from the organisers. For those of you that have not taken up the invitation from our friends at Chiltern group to go to Kop Hill on 21-22nd September you are missing a stunning event, and a great BBQ!
Peter Bowden GL of Chiltern group has sent his best wishes and offers of help and support for the new group and an open invitation to visit them, as has Phil and KVG. I will forward invitations from other groups as I receive them and on 24th March KVG have invited us to their mid-monthly with Glavon for their crazy golf challenge.
There are lots of other events and tours, please discuss what you would like to do, and anyone that would like to volunteer to arrange an event please let me know.
The first afternoon drop-in at Notcutts is on 28th March, 12.30-3pm.
As discussed at the meeting I have approached Fiennes restoration to see if we could take up the postponed
invitation to visit their extensive workshops and am delighted that we have a special invitation for our group and the Register to visit as part of a drive it day run (we can choose another time if a different DiD event is preferred). Fiennes have extensive workshop facilities, specialising in Rolls Royce and Bently restoration (they now machine more cylinder heads for Rolls than Rolls do!), but also many other exotic and rare cars, vintage and classic, many of which end up for sale at the Cotswold Motor Hub. They have offered to tailor a visit to our specification but suggest allowing around 1½ hours for the tour (several workshops, body forming workshop, trim, machine shop etc) and the4y have also offered us refreshments while we are there. We can go any time
between 10 and 4 and have first choice of the time. The Cotswold woollen mill, museum and shop is a short walk away, as is the local gourmet pub, the Five Alls, they have offered a private fixed menu, £30.00 for 2 course and £35.00 for 3, although there are many other fine places to eat around Filkins and Burford is only 6 miles away. The day could also offer a drive through the Cotswolds. I will be listing this event on the Register web site and need feedback as soon as possible to say if this is what you would like to do for a group for DiD, and if so, in what order, also very happy for offers of help to arrange the run.
Our next Group Club meeting will be at the Black Horse on Wednesday 20th March from 7.30, (Faringdon Road, Abingdon, OX13 6JH Tel: 01865390530). Knowing beforehand how many would like to eat there would be useful in deciding which room we use, but not essential, hope to see you there
Robert Longstaff
GL the Ridgeway Group of the TR Register