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MG MG Y Type - SPRING RUN 2012

Dear All

Just a quick note to say how Jo and I enjoyed the Spring Weekend which went down really well with some great weather. Thanks to all those who made very kind comments not only about the event but also about the stewardship of the Spring Run and latterly Weekend over the last sixteen years. (The 2000 Run was cancelled due to Foot and Mouth Disease).

I thought that 15 was a handy number to stop at it was an entirely personal decision - even Jo was rather taken aback! Although I was asked, in a very nice way - as befits Y Type owners, to reconsider but declined.

My philosphy is that if you give up a post then it should be your duty to ensure that someone else will take it on. This I had not done, but over the weekend Chis and Annette Callaghan said that they are happy to do it. Great news and thanks to them both which is very much appreciated. I would add that they have had considerable experience in organising runs for the Abingdon Woeks Centre of the MGCC so it will be in good hands.

Many thanks to all those of you who have attended since 1997 and particular thanks to Richard Dick who was especially helpful on route selection in the early years.

I still have a few rally boards from some of the previous runs - so if anyone would like a copy then please let me haveyour address and I'll forward you one.

The dates I have are:2002 x 2; 2006 x 1; 2007 x 6; 2008 x 1; 2009 x 7; 2010 x 3; 2012 x 1.

I can also scan in all the rest (I hope!)and forward them.If they are not in the garage well that's it. The majority were prepared by Ian Hopkins and had a particular style. I did a cheapo version for 2011 and Peter Veilvoye's daughter did an excellent one for this year.

For information we had 20 Y's this year (9 YA's, 3 YT's and 8 YB's). We would have had more - but the owners who couldn't make it arrived in a period motor - Brian Mellem in his Anglia (a la Heartbeat* - even the same colour, Chris Oick in his splendid TD - he will be in what promises to be a stunning YA next year, whist Andrew Coulson, Keith Herkes and Ted Gardner were there in their moderns - all for very good reasons I would add!).

You will be able to see photos and videos on the MGCC Y Register site (www.mgccyregister.com).

When I first started this in 1997 with the Birth of the Y Run, which followed a request from Dennis Doubtfire, little did I realise that I would stiil be doing it in 2012. I never reached the magic 50, though nearly got there in 2007 with 47 at the Diamond Jubilee Event. It also was some while before we attracted a YT. The first of which was, from memory, around 2003 with Dave Ivins model which you see on Y's on Parade, though he no longer owns it.

My regret is that I didn't start the Saturday Evening Dinners earlier. with the first being in '07 for the Diamond Jubilee. Had I put two and two together and appreciated that many owners came to a run having travelled some distance and arranged a B and B the night before! A real opportunity missed - but now hopefully set in the format of the Spring Weekend.

Anyhow thanks to all of you who have made it over the years and there have been many regulars whom we have enjoyed seeing each year and in between. we have made some really strong friendships and lasting bonds.

All the best to Chris and Annette for 2013 and beyond.

Sincerely

Jerry
J P BIRKBECK

Apols for the typo's -especially Chris Pick - and not as printed. I did notice it but the editing time had gone after submitting the piece!

Sorry Chris!

Thanks Jerry
J P BIRKBECK

Jerry,
I'm sure I said this over the weekend but I'd like to say publicly how much I have enjoyed the Spring Run weekends and how grateful we are to you for you doing them. We have made some good friends through them and driven round parts of England we'd never been to before. If future events are even half as much fun as yours, they'll still be great.
Thanks and thanks also for your encouragement.
I attach a picture for you that this year's dinner guests will understand.
Regards,
Peter

P S Sharp

Again I missed the cut off time.

The sharp eyed amongst you will have noted an asterik against 'Heartbeat'. This was a UK TV Drama, well soap really, based on rural policing in Yorkshire.

The resident Sergeant - Blaikton - drove a blue and white Anglia (just like Brian's). It's repeated on telly each morning and afternoon on ITV4 and or Gold. There are some super 60's and earlier classics, with the original copper Nick Rowan 'restoring' a TA in the first series in the early 90's. I in fact bought the front wings off the car from one of the production team who acquired the model from Yorkshire Television after Rowan left the series for a life as a Mountie!
J P BIRKBECK

Thanks Peter

That's a great pic, love the comment and a great shot of the jacket that Alan was wearing. You cant tell this from the pic but he did look very stylish.

For those not present I gave Alan an award - 'Style guru of the weekend' - he looked great for a very young octogenarian!

Jerry
J P BIRKBECK

Jerry,

Wish to add my thanks for the superb runs I've been on and the reports on the ones missed as a Y Type in the sun with a good pub along the route is "Heaven" only matched by a win for Southampton Football Club lol.

Safe to say no other MG Event can match the Y Spring Run as no other event has so many Y Types in the same place at the same time.

Hope you get to see 50+ some day soon, perhaps the Scotland event next year may muster cars from further afield too, like Tony Slattery puts in another thread Y's are to be used what better excuse.

Best wishes for the future

Richard

R E Knight

Jerry and Jo

I too would like to add my very personal thanks to you and Jo for the very enjoyable Spring Runs that Sara and I were privilleged to have participated in up to our coming to the US in 2004. I have always enjoyed helping promote them on http://www.mgytypes.org for you and have also enjoyed receiving back and posting the reports on them.

Congratualtions to you both on a job well done. That you never got the 50 Ys is in no way a reflection on you guys nor the quality of what was without doubt, a premier event in the UK MG calendar, if not THE premier event.

Paul
Paul Barrow

http://vimeo.com/42163496

Looks good day had by all.
R E Knight

Update on last post. Sadly this video footage has been removed. Shame as was good footage and credit to the author...
Note a post on the www.mgccyregister.com quote "All recent video's on this website are temorarily unavailable until the host website is revised and they are ready for linking to articles on this site."

Curious may be linked?


R E Knight

Apols for the typo's Quote was direct lift.

R E Knight

Well Done Gerry & Jo plus all the other driving forces behind the Spring run, it was brilliant!!! the organisation was excellent and though there were route amendements they were explained very clearly and we got round comfortably. The scenery was fabulous, the company wonderful and the weather was organised to perfection.
This was our first spring run since the first in 1997! and to be able put faces to so many famous names including Gerry Birkbeck, Jack Murray and MY hero (plus probably many other Y owners) Neil Cairns.

Living in the far west of Wales where early English perpendicular M.G. have poor representataion, this is the first time we have seen a "proper" Y since 1997 and the first time since the mid '70's that we have been in company with another Y (on the Octagon Loire Valley runs) and the very first time that we have seen a YT let alone three.
So all in all a fantastic day which we thoroughly enjoyed. THANK YOU!!!
For the trip we covered over 500 miles including a 300 mile detour to see Hazel's father with only two minor glitches, a jammed starter, soon fixed and fuel vapourisation due to my incompetence at filling up with 97 octane. UMG 79 used just about 1 pint of oil and returned nearly 36 MPG for the trip and we touched 65 MPH.

So thanks again for a truly memorable day out and lets see some more Y types in west Wales!! the Pendine Dash (Sunday 12th August) is a good run, see http://www.pembsmg.co.uk

Regards
David & Hazel UMG 79
D P Jones

Thanks for you kind comments David and Hazel very much appreciated. And of course I arranged the weather - 'just like that' as one T.Cooper used to say!

We were remarkably lucky that we enjoyed such good fortune.

It was fascinating to note the lack of perpendicular MG's in western Wales and that it was your first sighting of a Y in 16 years and also seeing a YT for the the very first time.

I have to say that until Dave Ivins brought his YT to the 2003 run, the only one that I had ever seen 'live' was when I lived in London in 1972. I think that was owned by the Bone Brothers - well known purveyors of early MG's - and still continued by Terry Bone in deepest Sussex.

I did see an advert for a running YT in Exchange and Mart in 1973 for £105 - but as it was just two days before my wedding I was persuaded by my dearly beloved that it would most certainly not be a good idea. It was in Colchester about 30 miles away from my wife to be's home - could have easily just popped down on the Thursday evening. But common sense won the day!

We now see YT's quite regularly at events (there are around 35 in the UK).

Anyhow really pleased to meet you both and thank you for making the effort,

Sincerely

Jerry
J P BIRKBECK

This thread was discussed between 14/05/2012 and 18/05/2012

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