September Newsletter
Our September Club Night at the Foresters Arms Bagshot, will be on Tuesday 1st September from 7:30pm, although if you intend to eat beforehand we suggest you arrive around 6:30 to ensure you are ready for the start of the meeting. If you would like to take advantage of the ‘Steak and Wine for Two’ Special at just £33 then please phone 01276 472038 the day before to place your order.
Andy McLaren’s ticket was first out of the hat in August, so as well as having the pick of the prizes, he won the dubious honour of organising the raffle for two months on the trot. Thanks Andy, very much appreciated!
Free Tools
We have been given a couple of tool boxes containing a variety of tools, spanners etc all looking for a new home. Barry will bring them to this next Club Night for you to have a rummage and take whatever may be useful before they go for recycling.
Entertainment
Your Club Night Entertainment this month is Terry Schraider giving a presentation entitled ‘A Most Peculiar Rally’.
Next club night will be Andy McLaren talking about vehicles he has owned, both good and bad,
GL Report
James writes: Although I wasn’t able to attend the last Club Night, I am told that Lance and Angela’s quiz was hugely entertaining with the final winner being ‘The Losers’ also known as Jeff, Trisha, Laurence and Suzanne. Hopefully, Lance and Angela can be persuaded back for 2027.
In the last newsletter I posed my quiz question – from what railway station can you get direct trains to different London terminals that leave the station in opposite directions to one another?
In case you were wondering – and I expect you were – the answer is Exeter St Davids. Direct trains to Waterloo leave in the opposite direction to direct trains to Paddington.
My TR7 Sprint is finally reaching the end of its engine rebuild. Just about everything that could go wrong with this project has gone wrong but I hope to have it back before the anniversary of starting what should have been a relatively straight forward job. Perhaps I will do a presentation at a future meeting on the re-build and the history of the TR7 Sprint which is not well known to most members.
I also attended a Group Leaders meeting at Malvern. The idea was to follow up on the actions from the GL meeting held earlier in the year. About half of the 50 or so Groups were represented for a discussion on the – in my view – very comprehensive responses provided by the TRR Management Team to the questions raised at the earlier meeting covering membership, finances, IT systems, TS2 and the TRR insurance scheme. If you want further details on the meeting please let me know but I came away with three main thoughts. Firstly, TRR membership continues to decline in common with similar car clubs. There are still many new members it is just that these are outweighed by those not renewing. General view is that this is largely an age related decline. Secondly TS2. I was minded to the view that spending large amounts of money on the required restoration of TS2 would not be a sensible use of limited club funds however there was no doubt that it was one of the stars of Car Club Fest where it was available for anyone to have a short drive. I am sure that we will come back to this subject. My third takeaway is that trying to get GLs to agree on anything is like herding cats so I have a huge amount of sympathy with the TRR Management Team who are moving the club forward whilst trying to satisfy divergent opinions on just about every subject. I left thinking that the Singapore government model of a ‘managed or illiberal democracy’ might be the best way forward.
The Summer BBQ and formation riding display due to take place this weekend has been postponed as heavy rain is forcast.
I will finish with my normal request….please let me or any of the committee know of any events that you would like to be arranged. Even better if you would like to arrange them!
I won’t be at the September meeting but will be back for October.
Recent Happenings
Car Club Fest 2026
Eleven members of WFTR attended Car Club Fest in Malvern for part or all of the weekend of 14th – 16th August. The event was a testament to the hard work of many TRR members and volunteers involved with the organisation of the event. Hankin Independent Traders was a constant source of entertainment and provided a handy base together with Bullimore base camp.
Classic Car weekly reported that 2,500 cars attended the weekend and dedicated a good chunk of their latest issue to the event. I am sure that Jeff will be able to give us an inside view of the event once the dust has settled, and update on plans for the future of this event. Trisha and I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend and met a number of old friends including the previous owner of my TR8 from 18 years ago (he wishes he hadn’t sold it) and my TR7 Sprint (I am the 16th owner of this car but there only seem to be about 8 previous owners as many have owned it two or three times in the past).
Laurence and Suzanne secured first prize for their TR6 in the concourse so they have another trophy to go alongside the one for winning the quiz!!
I thought the central arena events were excellent with Wayne Scott demonstrating his encyclopaedic knowledge of cars and ability to speak without hesitation, repetition or deviation. Truly impressive. There were some non-motoring events with a bird of prey flying demonstrations and stunt cyclists. According to the host of the bird of prey show, who told some truly awful jokes, all birds could be trained for display purposes except it appeared for Eric the Owl who wouldn’t leave his cage.
Alton Classic Car Show
Three 6’s and a 4A from Windsor Forest turned out for Alton’s biggest annual Event. Organised by Alton Lions in aid of St Michael’s Hospice, this event sees 100’s of classic cars lining the streets throughout the town centre. The featured display this year consisted of some 20 French classics, supported by actors performing scenes from Allo Allo, a gendarme ticketing the cars for parking offences etc. – you get the picture!
Charity and craft stall attracted a lot of attention plus plenty of street entertainment to keep us amused. Our own Steve Campbell was singing in the Rock Choir. Barry & I have been going to this show for the last 16 years and we haven’t tired of it yet!
Upcoming Fixtures
5th September – Fish & Chip Run to Littlehampton – An afternoon run of approximately 50 miles, starting from the Hogs Back Services. A detailed route will be given out at the start. Our favourite fish and chip shop has inside seating however, if the weather permits, it is lovely to sit outside along the river Hamble and take in the views. This is the run that was planned for 12th July but postponed due to the weather. If you were coming on that date and still want to take part, could you please re-register in the usual way.
15-25th September – Trip to Circuits des Remparts d’Angouleme – A chance to see some of the beautiful French countryside. – Unfortunately, registration for this event is now closed.
27th September – Summer BBQ & Formation Riding Demo – A run of 1.5 – 2 hours will finish at the home of Laurence & Suzanne in time for coffee. The riding demonstration will be followed by the BBQ which will start at approx 12.30pm. All existing registrations have been cancelled so please re-register if you would like to attend on the new date.
17th October – Autumn Leaves Run and Lunch – A scenic run of approx.50 miles includes a coffee stop at Lasham Gliding Club. This event closes for registration on 1st October.
23rd October – Skittles at the Frog & Wicket – A relaxing and fun evening with a break for supper. Registration closes on 6th October
Around our Patch
Here is your chance to spread the word about what is going on in our area. If you hear of anything that may be of interest that you would like to share, then either let Jenny know at a Club Night, or email the details to jenny@emailgreen.co.uk
1st Saturday of each month (Except August) 10am – 12pm – Breakfast at Browns – The Firs Farm, Leckhampstead, Newbury. (Venue of the coffee stop on this year’s Thames Valley Tour) Come and look round our facilities and talk to our team about ongoing projects. Bacon butties, tea, coffee and soft drinks will be on sale. Click here to visit Web Site
1st Sunday each month – Classic Car Sundays – This popular event has moved from The Departure Lounge to a new venue. From 6th June it will take place from 2.00 – 4.30pm at Country Market, Borden, with space for up to 1,000 vehicles of all types and updated facilities. £2 entry on the gate to show your car. Click here to visit Web Site
1st Sunday each month, April to September – Auto Jumble and Car Boot Sale – Located at Hillside Nurseries, Alton GU34 4BH Phone 07734 888326 for further details. Click here to visit Web Site
2nd Tuesday each month from 6pm – Classics at the Ace – Ace Cafe, Ace Corner, North Circular Road, NW10 7UD, Food available. Click here to visit WebSite
NEW ENTRY Last Sunday each month from 1pm – Departure Classics – The Departure Lounge Cafe, Basingstoke Road, Alton, GU34 4BH. A relaxed gathering celebrating a diverse range of classic and iconic vehicles. On-site food and drinks available from the cafe. £1 entry on the gate. Click here to visit Web Site
