Welcome | TR Register Essex Group

December 2006

Bulletin 27

Tribute to Glyn Harris

November got off to a sad start with the funeral of Glyn Harris on the 8th November. Glyn passed away peacefully at home on the 30th October after a long illness and I know that all Essex Group Members would wish to join the Committee in expressing condolences to Linda and son Mark. Glyn was a true TR enthusiast, a loyal member of this Group and a regular attendee at The Rabbits. He was a great help to the Committee when it was formulating our Constitution document and could be depended on to give accurate, unbiased advice on procedural matters – his input and his company will be greatly missed.

Welcome to new members

On to happier topics - I am particularly delighted to welcome three new members to the Group – Bill, Bernie and Ken. All these fine fellows own sidescreen cars but at the moment only Ken’s TR3a is on the road. Bill is currently converting his left-hooker 3a to rack and pinion steering (good move, Bill) and sorting out the hydraulics whilst Bernie is faced with a Terry Blake like project to rebuild his TR2 which has languished in his garage for 30 years+!! Don’t despair Bernie, there is plenty of help available within this Group and I know that your old mate, Dave M, will keep the pressure up! Ken and his 3a live just across the border in Suffolk but he hopes to be able to get along to some of our regular meetings and events.

Updates on rebuilds

El Tel’s 30 year old rebuild project is progressing. The main delay to assembling the suspension is finding it!! Components are turning up in every imaginable location in and around the Blake premises but the trunnions and vertical links were recently unearthed so things are looking up!

Ernie’s TR5 rebuild is rattling along and the body and frame are currently receiving attention from Dave Dodd. In reality, Ernie has much more work to do than Terry so it will be interesting to see whose car is on the road first.

Group Leader Andy D is whacking on with mods. to his TR2. The characteristic clattery whirring noise which we associate with Andy’s car (it’s actually his wife Chris’s car!) turned out to be a broken timing chain tensioner and pivot bolt which were thrashing around in the timing chest. Debris from the broken parts had all but destroyed the crankshaft oil seal and a considerable improvement to the oil consumption is anticipated once repairs are complete. Andy is also fitting a rack and pinion steering kit whilst the apron and rad are off so I reckon he will notice a massive difference once the car is back in commission.

Race night - another great night out

The Group’s second annual Race Night was held in Warley Village Hall (nr. Brentwood) on Saturday 18th November and proved to be another (very noisy) resounding success. Over eighty people attended to enjoy the racing and the fish and chip supper provided. The children’s race caused lots of encouraging shouts from the ‘stands’ and everyone received a prize. The six adult heats culminated in an exciting winners’ race final. The overall winner was Steve Hammond driving a TR5 (rather than his usual blue 6). Steve beat his lovely wife Carey into second place and is, no doubt, still suffering the consequences of disobeying Team Orders!!

Over £250 was raised for Group funds thanks to the generosity of the sponsors and the betters – this would have been more had it not been for the gambling skills (luck?) of Val J who seemed to back the winners of nearly all the races! This is always a hectic evening’s entertainment and thanks must go to all those who helped organise the event and the track officials on the night. Particular thanks to Julie H who provided the prizes for the children’s event(s), Graham Seeley who did a sterling job on the P.A. and Barry Street the Clerk of the Course.

The next Essex Group event is the Christmas Dinner Dance which will be held at the same venue as last year – Stapleford Abbots Golf Club - on Saturday 16th December.

Latest Essex News published

By now, subscribing Members should have received the latest edition of Essex News. Carol has, once again, excelled herself with this production and is to be congratulated on such a professional publication. It is a little disappointing that the bulk of the articles are still being penned by Committee members and that relatively few pieces are received from the general membership. Please try to make the time and effort to write an article, no matter how short, for the next issue and don’t forget to let Carol have your digital photos on any TR subject. Copy closes for the Spring issue on the 1st March but don’t delay - do it today!

Do you have photo's for the Group Archive?

The Committee has decided to create an Essex Group photo archive. All members are invited to send digital photos to Committee members (see Contacts) for consideration for inclusion in the Archive. Acknowledgement of the owner will be given if/when the photos are used. Typical perceived applications are: use in creating flyers and posters (e.g. Essex Day) and support for published articles (e.g. TR Action, Essex News and the website). Images need to be of reasonable quality but we are not looking for “professional” type photos, so please have a look through your computer records and see if you have any suitable scenes.

Feedback from the committee

At the Committee meeting a few days ago, one of the subjects on the agenda was preparations for the A.G.M. in March next year. The Committee has come to the conclusion that an amendment to the Constitution is required in order to cope with the very healthy growth in Group numbers over the past two and a bit years – we now boast 81 members owning 89 TRs! The need for a Membership Secretary is now quite pressing and, at the A.G.M., the Committee will table a motion to amend the Constitution to create this post. At the same time it will also be proposed that the post of Member w/o Portfolio be abolished, thus the number of Officers making up the Committee will remain unchanged. Full details of the proposal will be circulated towards the end of January together with the usual A.G.M. paperwork. Electronic copies of the Group Constitution are available to subscribing Members (only) free of charge or at the cost of £2 + pp for a bound paper copy. All requests should be made to The Secretary.

Thanks to the hard work and dedication of our Webmaster, Paul Sealey, our excellent Group Website is now running spam free. Kind words were said at the Register A.G.M. about this site – a full report by Andy D about the meeting and the Gaydon Museum will be published in the next Essex News. Don’t forget to check this site regularly for up to date news and events and remember all Committee Members are now accessible through the site.

Book now for Salston Manor in 2007

Have you remembered to book your place on the Salston Manor weekend at the end of May next year? If you have mislaid your booking form, contact me for a replacement (I can e-mail them if you are on the net) or see any Committee Member.

The Salston Manor weekends are famous within the Group for being a really good bash. Excellent accommodation and food, smashing guided convoy runs around Dartmoor and exceptionally hilarious evening entertainment (just ask those who went last time, if you don’t believe me!). We have the whole Hotel to ourselves for the weekend, including unlimited use of their magnificent indoor, heated swimming pool – note this is a proper size pool, not one of those modern, micro pools so often found in hotels nowadays.

Get your Essex Group Shirt

Logoed Essex Group polo-shirts and sweatshirts will be available at this month’s Rabbits meeting on the 12th and, thereafter, at all regular Group meetings. Last minute Christmas present for your Petrolhead, ladies? Sweats cost £20 and Polos £17 .

And finally.....

The next regular meeting at The White Horse should be on December the 26th but, as this falls on Boxing Day, this will not take place. The 9th January sees us at The Rabbits and 23rd January, The White Horse.

Finally, in case we don’t see you at the Dinner Dance, the Committee and I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support during the past year and wish you a very happy Christmas and a prosperous and healthy New Year.