Page 48 - MM_Sep Oct 2021

Branch News
North Wales Chris Williams
June and July were busy for the club with branch meetings. Some of us went to the National picnic, Cov & Warks rally in Gaydon, Capesthorne Hall and Bodrhyddan Hall among others. By the time you read this we will have also had our branch rally, South Cheshire branch rally and the Oulton Park Gold Cup so the calendar looks almost normal. Our branch rally ran as normal again with 40 entrants, branch stall with tombola and prize giving.
All through Lockdown our club has been gaining interest and it’s great to be able to see everyone again, members old and new. We’re also looking to make meetings more of an event by heading somewhere after the meeting. So
far we’ve been to the beach and a ‘50s meeting with more venues being searched for for the rest of the year or at least leading into winter. This
is just to keep members keen and interested instead of going to ‘just another meeting’. New members or people interested in the branch do get in touch and you’d be made very welcome. Branch Contact: Chris Williams
0778 8376977 northwalesmorrisminor@gmail.com
Manchester Richard Perry
We held our first post Covid-19 meeting at the Vine, Dunham Massey on Tuesday June 22. It was held outside on a fine summer evening and 12 members and friends from South Cheshire were able to attend. There was a lot of catching up on what members had been doing to keep safe and also to spend time working on their cars. We held a social meeting on July 14 at the Egerton Arms in Chelford. Again we had a good meeting outside moving around to keep in the shade.
On Sunday July 18 we held our first branch rally at Capesthorne Hall, Cheshire. We had been selected to present our cars in front of
the main house and met with members from South Cheshire and also some members new to Morris Minors. We were able to present a range of Minor variants in the showground and were awarded the Club of the Show award. The
day was a very good reintroduction to the rally circuit for members.
Branch Contact: Richard Perry
01625 827805, r.perry345@btinternet.com manchester@mmoc.org.uk www.manchester.mmoc.org.uk
Sefton Nigel Harrison
Things don’t always go to plan. Unfortunately the branch’s rally that was going to be held at the Lydiate Classic Car and Bike show on July
4 was cancelled at short notice due to Covid-19 restrictions. The EGM that was going to be part of the July meeting, to elect an additional committee member, due to the passing of Keith Sartain, did not take place because there was not a quorum. Thinking a long way ahead, Sue Jones has volunteered to organise the branch’s Christmas meal, seeing Christmas will soon be here.
The branches monthly meetings will continue to take place at 8pm at Briars Hall, Latham, L40 5TH, with the next two meetings
being on Weds September 15 and then Weds October 20. All are welcome to attend, be it just for the meeting or for a meal beforehand at 6.30pm.
Branch Contact: Nigel Harrison 01244 341767 seftonbranchmmoc@hotmail.co.uk
Around Sheffield Alan Smith
The so-called ‘Freedom Day’ came a bit too late to organise our own branch rally for this year but we had our first club members’ get-together inked in for Wednesday July 8 at The Waverley, Brinsworth, near Rotherham. Then, hopefully, our regular monthly meets resumed after
that. The pandemic has not stopped us getting together completely and doing the main thing, driving our cars.
At the end of June, a few of us went to one of the region’s premier classic car shows at Renishaw Hall that attracted cars from far and wide. The magnificent grounds were barely large enough to accommodate all the entrants.
Around Sheffield attending the Eckington Classic Car Show, Renishaw Hall
On July 8 we organised our own ‘jolly’ with a picnic run to Hardwick Ponds, part of the NT Hardwick estate, near Chesterfield. Seven cars took part and, en route, by arrangement, we dropped in at Spinning Wheel Classic Cars at Unstone.
We had a planned run in completely the other direction, up north, to the ‘Last of the Summer Wine’ country of Holmfirth on August 5. None of us intended to be sliding down a grassy knoll in a tin bath, trying to escape the clutches of Nora Batty but hopefully we will have had afternoon tea at The Carding Shed, a ‘retro, vintage themed experience, based in a magnificent former mill’ that includes a small classic car museum. What’s not to like?
Branch Contact: Sandra Rodgers seg197g@talktalk.net www.aroundsheffieldmmoc.weebly.com
Manchester Branch rally at Capesthorne Hall
48 | MINOR MATTERS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021