THAMES VALLEY REGION NEWSLETTER

JUNE -JULY 2020

Now that lockdown is starting to be eased, you may be able to enjoy your Minis a little more this summer.

ALL SOCIAL MEETINGS ARE CURRENTLY SUSPENDED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

A reminder that our meetings are on the last Wednesday of the month at The Crooked Billet, London Road, Hook, Hants, RG27 9EH from 8pm. All members are very welcome, you don’t have to own a Mini Cooper – any Mini will do! It doesn’t matter if you turn up without your Mini either….just come along for a drink and a chat with other members…..we’re quite a friendly bunch of people. If you have any technical queries about your Minis then there is bound to be somebody at the meeting who can help you. If you are a new member then please do come along.

NEXT MEETING –the next meeting at Hook would have been on Wednesday 24th June 2020.

Brooklands Mini Day was cancelled and should have been on the 22nd March 2020 and this has now been RE-SCHEDULED to 1st November 2020, fingers crossed!

All types of Mini (including the modern BMW) are invited to this annual event, so expect displays in all areas of the Museum site. From the oldest to the newest, this year’s event will see some of the earliest examples nestling among hundreds of Minis and their variations including vans and pickups. As always Test Hill will be in action in the morning and afternoon.
There will be a variety of trade stands offering mini parts, spares and memorabilia.

At the time of writing this, the Thames Valley Region will again have an MCR Club Stand at the Popham Classic Car Show. PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE OF DATE TO 15th AUGUST. This is a thoroughly enjoyable day out with trade stalls and an impressive aircraft display and fly-in. Contact Ken Hunter for further details.

Popham Airfield say “Please note we are following all government guidance regarding mass participation events. Currently we have not been given the go ahead for this event. We are making preparations for the event and we will keep this page and our social media pages up to date with the latest information.”
https://www.popham-airfield.co.uk/classic-car-rally

A decision has been made to cancel this year’s Thames Valley Tour which would have been on the 19th July. Looking forward to next year’s event!

June’s CooperWorld’s Technical Topics series by Thames Valley Region regular, Richard Pengelly, highlights in detail the issues and problems that the ethanol content in fuel can cause. For classic minis this is certainly not a good thing and is something we all need to bear in mind!

The MCR club shop is now back, after a temporary pause because of lockdown measures, fully functioning and more goodies are being added on a regular basis….if you can’t find what you’re looking for then please ask. Have a look at the website Mini Cooper Register and click on club shop.

DON’T FORGET that because of the lack of events and therefore event reports in CooperWorld magazine, the Editor is welcoming any interesting and/or noteworthy articles for inclusion in the magazine so don’t be shy … get writing (or typing).

DIARY DATES:

ALL EVENTS ARE LIKELY TO BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE OF DATE OR CANCELLATION SO PLEASE CHECK BY PHONING THE RELEVANT LOCATION OR BY CHECKING THEIR WEBSITE BEFORE ATTENDING

1st Sunday of each “summer” month: Bill Rawles Classic Cars Natter & Nibbles 10am-1pm Unit 2, Dukes Mill, Station Approach, Medstead, GU34 5EN First Sunday of every month in the summer between April to September, a coffee morning and consequently classic car show. This relaxed and informal event is open to any make and model, whether you are a customer or not, we don’t mind as we are just car enthusiasts too who enjoy the show. Bacon rolls, tea, coffee and cake is supplied (free for a charity donation).

1st Sunday of each “summer” month: Classic Car Sunday at the Departure Lounge, Alton All pre 1990 classic cars are welcome to the Classic Car Sunday meets that take place on the first Sunday of each month during the summer. The free meet starts from 2.00pm, where owners can take part in a chilled and relaxed Sunday afternoon classic car gathering. The site has ample free parking on a dedicated event field. The Cafe has full facilities.

CANCELLED 19th July Thames Valley Tour 2020. Entry form and event regulation are available from the entries secretary, Clive Brooks brooks.c2@sky.com 01189 868280

NEW DATE 15th August Popham Classic Car Show and Vintage Fly-in 10am-5pm. Contact Ken Hunter if you are interested.

CANCELLED Beaulieu National Mini Day
Chairman Robert Young has announced today that, in the light of continuing measures to combat Covid-19, the club’s flagship event, expected to attract 3,000 people, has been cancelled.
Plans will now be made to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Mini Cooper on Sunday 13th June 2021.

NEW DATE 11th October LSMOC London to Brighton Run At the time of writing, this is still scheduled to go ahead but a final decision will be made in August. Although tickets are sold out for this event, if you keep an eye on social media, you may be lucky to find some for sale. Even so, it’s still worth a visit to Brighton and is a great day out at the seaside!

NEW DATE 1st November 2020 Brooklands Mini Day 9am-5pm Depending on local members views we may be having our usual stand at this event. If you would like your name to be added to the reserve display list, please contact Lorraine or Ken or Clive.

That’s all for now. Stay safe everyone and keep your distance!

Lorraine: thames_valley@minicooper.org

Ken: thames_valley@minicooper.org

Reply to Lorraine Hampson | Jun 18,2020 |