OFFICIAL JULY OUTING – SMOKE AND CONES _
DRIVING TEST
It takes a bit
of doing to combine four, normally individual club events into one Sunday
morning, Hats off to the chairmen who
were responsible for it all happening . Chairmen Deon, Terry and Jeff of
the TSCC, MG and EPVCC Clubs respectively, did the almost impossible to
organise and co-ordinate the events of the 4 clubs, to culminate in a social
get together at the EPVCC for a braai and karretjie talk on the 27 July 2008.
The events included the Smoke and Cones Driving Test of the MG and TSCC,
organised by Frikkie as a trial run for the MG Indaba in September. This event
was to end with a braai at the EPVCC monthly Bonnets Up event, where the
Morris Club was making a presentation of the 60th Anniversary of the Morris
marque and the Morris traveling from SA to
London.
It all started
with a magnificent squadron of Triumphs and MG gathering at Ultra
Liquors and roaring their finely
tuned vintages of yesteryear along the Old Cape Road, intermingling with modern
day plastics, to the assigned
venue at the old Pick and Pay parking terrain in Hunter’s Retreat. It must
have been a rewarding sight for Frikkie, Deon & Terry who had spent so
much time the previous day measuring and laying out the two mirrored circuits,
to see such support ( 15 cars,
not to mention the spectators in their plastics) arrive for the event.
Chairmen Deon
and Terry organised the roster of Triumphs competing against MG’s although the
emphasis was on enjoyment and driving skills, there was undoubtedly an element
of competition. The spectators
relaxed in their deck chairs, on the elevated grass pavement, and watched the
proceedings, whilst enjoying some thirst quenching refreshments. The
preliminary rounds were keenly contested, but in the end the MGBGT V8 took the
laurels and Carl Butlion did not let the TSCC side down by showing great
tenacity and driving skills in his Spittie to take third position on the
podium.
The post
driving test activities took the squadron of MG’s and Triumphs to the EPVCC
where the Morris Club was presenting a computerized slide show of the Morris’
navigating the perils of Africa to end up at the 60th World Morris
Celebrations of the sturdy little Morris Minor and the EPVCC members were
displaying the collection of vintages at their monthly Bonnets Up display.
This resulted in an impressive scene with a crowd of over 100 enthusiasts and
more than 50 cars assembled to socialise and karretjie talk over refreshments
and the preparation of comestibles.
It should be noted that some TSCC members, who did not want to have
that left out feeling, and although
they did not attend the driving test, they attended the grand finale at the
EPVCC.
All in all a
morning enjoyed by all pursuing their interests and socialising with like
minded enthusiasts. It is felt that this bodes well for the future and one can
only but hope that with diminishing support for individual club events that
organisers will in future take cognisance of the success of this day.
Its lekka when you don’t
have to hire a crowd to admire these magnificent machines of yesteryear and a
well supported event like this will perhaps just encourage someone out there
to aspire to preserve not only the penguins and whales in Madiba Bay but also
the vintages for prosperity.
Video
clips HERE
