Regional Meet - 19th June - Wings Museum, W. Sussex

[stevemac]

[FLYING BANANA]

Many thanks Steve for posting my pictures. And I forgot to say Thankyou for my fridge magnet

[Allegroboi]

Originally Posted by Villa Villan

I may be wrong (probably) Ian but what you say could be a P3 is I think a Rover 14.

Cheers
Tony

Happily corrected there, although the I think (and I could be wrong) that it is still a P3 even though it wears the number 14 a bit like some P4s wear a 75 monika

Originally Posted by Villa Villan

Neat picture there of the four of us Ian, both varients of both 75's and ZT's placed in a good way and we did not park up for the pic as it was just the order in which we arrived.

Cheers
Tony

Agree with you their Tony, but Bob's are very good.

[Villa Villan]

Great pictures Bob and thanks for posting them up Steve, oh yes, thanks also for the fridge magnet, nice gesture... I think you could be right Ian.

Cheers
Tony

[stevemac]

Here is the report being published in their club magazine of the SERR meet we attended in June. Photo's to follow.

The South East Rover Rally 2011
A report by Ray Pickett
Photos by Roy Fellingham

The 2011 SERR took place at the Wings Museum, W/Sussex on Sunday 19th June 2011. Approximately 60 cars attended with Rovers from 1920’s P2’s to 2000’s Rover 25’s. It was particularly pleasing to have the Rover 75 & MG ZT club attend with a number of cars. Although we did not have sufficient pre-booked to enable us to buy a trophy, I did bring an extra bottle of wine which we awarded to the best of these later cars.

Setting up this year’s rally was a challenge as I was let down by two venues before settling on the Wings Museum. This museum is a totally voluntary organization run by enthusiast’s volunteers and is very much dedicated to remembering and recording the history of Redhill Aerodrome. It is now set-up on a farm, following the loss of the accommodation at the old airfield site. We always strive to find different interest along with the cars at the rally and this year’s final venue certainly ‘fitted the bill’.

We had been hoping to use a large field close to the museum but due to the unusual weather conditions in 2011, the hay that this field produces had not been cut. The farmer John Givons made special arrangements to have his whole yard cleared of machinery to allow the rally to proceed. Whilst the back-drop for the photos is not as good as some locations the rally proved a success and I am very grateful to John for his efforts on our behalf. I’m also glad to say that John and his son did find the time to visit the cars on the day.

I arrived with the Rally Team at 9am. We surveyed the area and arranged the parking plan. We set out our new Gazebo and flags, signs etc., soon Rovers were arriving and we organized them into appropriate parking. We themed it to allow the Rovers to park around the area in date order. This allowed us to have both Early Rovers and the Rover 75’s & MG ZT’s parked by the entrance; I must offer my thanks here to Steve MacDonald for getting the 75’s & MG ZT cars to the rally. It was a good show of later Rovers and Steve has said he will try to get more for next year. At this point I’ll raise my plea for SD1’s, Eric Randal always brings his very fine example but he has at times been alone. I owned one for a short period and it was a stunningly good car, we did manage 3 this year (thanks guys). If you have an SD1 and are reading this, please try to bring it to the 2012 SERR.

Also I was pleased that we got a Rover 25 to enter; Georgina Nairne arrived at the entrance and headed for the public car park, I understand that she had come with another older Rover. I managed to persuade her to bring the car in and park it as part of the event (this wasn’t just to get £3-00 from her!) This event is about the enjoyment and celebration of the Rover product. It is as important to me to have the latest product as it is to have the early products. That brings me nicely to “Snow Drop”, most of you will have seen the early Rover Chassis parked outside the museum. Chris Dancy made arrangements with his restorer to have the part restored chassis brought to the rally on a trailer. I know there was much discussion and interest in this exhibit. The restoration is being completed to a stunning standard and this is not being hurried, it has already taken two years. Chris did not win the trophy for best early Rover (…yet?) but I’m please to say he did take a trophy for the best Non-Rover with what I understand to be his wife’s (Linda’s) MGB roadster.

As continues to happen, the standard of cars increases each year. I have had my P5b re-painted and about 5+ years ago it would have stood a chance of a trophy but not against the general standard today. That doesn’t bother me as I just like to use my car but the general condition of the club cars is increasing and that is pleasing to see. I must stress again however that that should not keep any un-restored car away. A delightful P6 arrived and also headed for the public car-park. This belonged to a gentleman who had recently purchased the car from his brother who is in the car trade; he had heard about the rally and as he was near-by he came to see others. He said he did not think “it was good enough” to bring in. The car was in a non-standard “primrose” yellow, which actually sat very well on the P6 shape. This is what the SERR is all about. This was a very interesting car to see and again a celebration of the Rover product. I hope he keeps the car and brings it to the next SERR.

As always we also had a number of other classics and some modern cars which brought friends and family. All this makes the event and I hope all who attended had an enjoyable day. I know we did not have a good grass area for picnics but this year a number of circumstances overtook us. We hope this will be rectified for next year.


For the record the judging provided the following results:-

Class A, B & C Rovers Pre 1949 1st Mr R.Dix JN 7888
2nd Mr J Bourne VM 4271

Class D Rover P4 1st Mr.P.Nairne CHC 12

Class E Rover P5 1st Mr S.Fontain PAT 279F
Class E Rover P5 2nd Mr M John JLB 747K

Class F Rover P6 1st Mr.J.Tomlin KKP 336P
Class F Rover P6 2nd Mr.D.Vassie VGU 230M

Class G Rover SD1 1st Mr E Randall B 705 WPU

Class I Rover 75 & MG ZT 1st Mr.Cole MGH 19Y

Class J Visitors (MGB Roadster) 1st Mr.C.Dancy EFW 626C

The 2012 SERR event is shaping up to be at the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum near Chichester. Look out for the adverts next year or your personal invitation letter, which I hope will be sent out around February 2012.

My thanks go to Roy Fellingham our photographer and Mary my wife (who is the one who really knows what is happening!) also a big thanks to the local members who help us run the event and of course all the Rover and other car owners who bring their lovely cars.

Kind regards to you all and I hope we’ll all meet again in June 2012.

Ray Pickett
P5 O/C & RSR
Event Organiser

[Villa Villan]

Many thanks for posting up the report Steve.

Cheers
Tony

[windrush]

Another great meet that I have missed through other commitments Like the one at the tank museum coming up I have one of my grandsons birthday party on that day and funnily enough I am taking the caravan down to West Sussex at the end of September and the beginning of October to very close to where this meet was held