A Year Ago Today...

[David Cochrane]

A year ago today, I was getting the Chummy ready to take to Moreton-in-Marsh. I spent some time getting the reconditioned front wheels to fit: I had to scrape off and rub down the excess powder-coating inside the wheel centres. We packed our suitcase, got various things ready, loaded all the luggage into the car and put in a fan at the last minute. We put the hood up to act as a sunshade. I put in some fresh petrol and it started OK, not bad after being neglected for over 6 years. We had a very hot drive to the Fire Service College, stopping at a garage on the Fosse Way to check there was enough oil in the gearbox (there was). On arrival we unloaded everything out of the car into our hotel room and got our goody bag. We went to Chipping Norton to borrow some sign boards from the VSCC which only just fitted in the back of the Chummy; we had lunch in a cafe - rather hot in there. We took a side roads route (partly) back to avoid a long hill on the main road, then set up the boards on the verges of the A44 (in the hottest part of the day). We had a look at the Archive display but it was like an oven up there so we didn't stay very long; all kudos to the team setting things up. We had an early supper in the Four Shires restaurant with the rest of the organising team which was very pleasant, then turned in early as we found that being so active in such hot weather was quite tiring!

[Mike Costigan]

Was it really a year ago? It seems like it was only last week!

Here's a view of Anne Griffith's art display taken exactly one year ago - the heat was so high that a number of exhibits fell down overnight resulting in feverish remedial work next day!

   

[Howard Wright]

Hi All

Wow! A whole year ago! Sometimes it seems like yesterday and at others years ago.

Blistering heat!  Here is a shot from our pitch on the camp site (under the trees).

Cheers

Howard

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[Stuart Giles]

A brilliant event, yet it seemed over only too quickly. We got stuck in a more than an hour long 'road closed' M25 traffic jam on the way up there, that was a bit of a trial as there is no shade to be had in an open top car on the hottest day of the year. Here we're about to return home to Kent displaying the car's (complete lack of) internal luggage capacity.

[Nick Salmon]

Yes, it really is a year! And yet, the fabulous memories of that amazing week feel as fresh as yesterday. I think we were privileged to be a part of it.

Afterwards we helped take items back to the Archive and Stanley Edge's coat came with us. It was kinda spooky but very marvellous to have 'him' in the house for a few days!

   

[Tony Griffiths]

I was so excited that, setting off, I neglected to push in the choke on the Chummy (yes, it needs chock, even in summer) and, as it spluttered and coughed thought, 'Oh, no. Not now. What on earth can be wrong?" For some, this was the culmination of more than one year's diligent work researching, collating, phoning, writing, emailing, calling, collecting and delivering stuff. But I know that everyone involved would not have missed a minute of it - what a great event it was. In 1972, for the 50th, we thought that it would be impossible to do more - how very wrong we were!

[Ian Wegg]

These memories have been coming up for me on Facebook.  20th July last year was Prescott. It's great to be reminded.

   

[Mike Costigan]

Two more from Prescott:

   

   

[David Cochrane]

    We stopped on the way back from Prescott to help Jon and Chris get Chris' Brooklands running better.

[Chris Garner]

Oh dear. I'm nearly always photographed with my head under a bonnet. This month's Chain Gang Gazette arrived today, again showing me in the same position, this time with a 'Nash.
My cars do usually run well...most of the time!