Social Scene Report - TR Action Issue 317
TR Action 317
Publication Date: 21st Oct 2019
Derbyshire Dales Group Social Scene Contribution
Alan Ford reports:
Although you’ll be reading these notes in late October, I’m writing them in early September in the atrocious Derbyshire autumn weather of mist, rain and sub 13 temperatures. The beginning of September may be the start of the meteorological autumn but we normally expect a glorious September and an Indian summer in October before the beginning of the mists and change of season. Last week I arrived home in the TR having been caught in a cloudburst whilst stuck in stationary traffic. Consequently I suffered wet pants all the way home. Such is the joy of TR motoring in Derbyshire!
The August Club Night was also something of a wash-out. The persistent rain caused our open-air ‘Bring&Buy’ event to be cancelled, although this didn’t affect the turnout as our room in The Amber Hotel was pretty much full. However, there were, as far as I am aware, no TRs in the car park, such was the extent of the foul weather. Amongst those attending, we were able to welcome a few new faces in the room, these being Dave Argyle who has a long-term TR6 restoration project which he has been working on for 30 years+ accompanied by a prospective recruit in Michael, and Roger & Chris Topley who have a saffron yellow TR6. Roger and Chris are from Chapel-en-le-Frith, about as far away from The Amber Hotel as its possible to get and to still be within the Derbyshire Dales Group catchment area. Harping on further about the atrocious Derbyshire weather, August was the month when exceptionally heavy rain led to the Toddbrook Dam scare which resulted in the evacuation of most of Whaley Bridge. Chapel-en-le-Frith lies just downstream of this so were hoping that Roger & Chris were able to move their TR to higher ground!
Alan Wilkinson recently brought his BMW-engined TR6 for us to look under the bonnet (see photograph). An incredibly neat (and complex) installation, almost made for the job. What’s next Alan? A fuel cell system?
Otherwise, the summer season in the Peak District and the nearby regions is a season of village fêtes and classic car shows. Certainly one of the largest hereabouts is the Hope Valley Show with 500 classic cars and bikes, but also worthy of mention are the dozens of village well-dressings and pageants which often feature much smaller classic car shows. By now many of you will have seen the article in the October issue of ‘Classic Cars’ featuring Barry Cockayne’s red TR3A which won a prize for best convertible at one of these car shows. Very impressive.
Early September saw John Browett and Peter Callender’s Sunday run to the Oil Can Café/Carding Shed in Holmfirth. One of our heavy rain showers caught the first stage of the run, but then the day brightened up to a tops-down drive through Derbyshire into West Yorkshire. The venue combined a museum, café, vintage shop and classic car workshop, hence offering something for everyone, with a guided tour of the workshops and classic car storage facility as an added attraction for those of us so inclined. Somehow the 40-minute tour extended to over two hours, but the tour, conducted by the proprietor Ian Kellett, was never short of interest.
The September Club Night at The Amber, by contrast, was a very pleasant evening with half-a-dozen TRs, a Morgan and a Citroen Dyane in the car park, and a very healthy attendance of some 33 attendees, including very welcome repeat visits from our new and prospective members.
Alan Jones has updated our Webpages with more photographs showing progress of the various projects running through our Group, three of which are very near to completion.
On a final note regarding the weather, in the time it has taken me to type this the mists, cold and rain of the morning have now dissolved into baking sunshine. British weather.…you’ve got to love it!
Forthcoming Events.
Wednesday 13th November: Pie and Pea Supper Night at the Amber starting at 7:30pm.
Wednesday 11th December: Club Night at the Amber starting at 7:30pm.
Sunday 15th December: Pre-Christmas Lunch organised by Alan Jones & Val Bardsley-Jones at Santos.
2020 Events
Saturday 8th February: Post-Christmas Bash at the Peak Edge Hotel. Please book any rooms directly with the hotel, mentioning the TR Register who have a reserved allocation of rooms.
Sunday 8th March: Pre-Season Lunch at Alison House
Sunday 15th March: Photo Shoot in conjunction with the Leicester Group
As always, please keep up to date with our ever-growing calendar of events through the Derbyshire Dales Webpages.