Starting on Friday 23rd May we were to go to Priors
Marsden in a convoy of six cars. The four Frogs and the two Midgets of Chris
and Mike. We had already planned the route, so meeting Mike just south of Wantage was going to
be no problem. Well, Chris needed a new bit of exhaust pipe before we left Alf
and Lynn's, Big John didn't have Vic with him due to her being ill, and then an
hour out, Alf and Lynn had to return for forgotten items! No problem! The icing
on the cake was Mike having an electrical malady and us all sitting on the side
of the road while as many people as possible stuck their heads under the bonnet
generally sucking in air and trying to fix it!
L to R. Mike,
Barry, Big John and Terry
Whilst we were
sitting there a gentleman (John Gardner?) who used to work in the drawing
office at Healeys stopped. Most interesting man, who later found us in the pub
and brought Mike an electronic ignition module that he thought might help.
Eventually after the rescue service had called for a flat bed truck we
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trooped off to the pub we were staying in.
needless to say we were much later than we anticipated, but "hey that's classic
motoring".
Alf had, by this time,
caught up with us, and went on ahead, unfortunately going AWOL. We got back to
the pub for a well-earned pint of Hooky, and eventually got the word on Alf. He
had a broken half shaft, and was situated in a pub car park in Fenny Compton.
Chris and Barry went back to help, and the rest of us made plans to get Mike to
Spridget 50, and also talk to John. Little John and Ellen turned up - no Frog -
in the MGF
The long and the
short of Friday evening, was that Alf, Lynn and the Frog went home (the second
flatbed of the day) to get it fixed and then come back and rejoin us on
Saturday afternoon.
The long and the
short of Friday evening, was that Alf, Lynn and the Frog went home (the second flatbed of the day) to get it
fixed and then come back and rejoin us on Saturday afternoon.
Priors Marsden, the
pub car park! Four Frogs and two Midgets
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Mike was towed to Gaydon on Saturday morning while the
rest of us donned yellow jackets and hats marshalling the Spridgets in to their
places.
L to R. Terry, Chris
and Barry
Spridget 50 - Wow what an event!
We all had a ball, seeing so many similar but different
cars. If you were wondering whether your car would look good in another colour,
you could check it out, trying to fit a different engine/gearbox/pair of seats?
Yes, you could probably find someone who had done it too! There were marauding
French Frogs coming over the hill, as well as cars from all over. In the middle
of it was Mike, who after much persuading, had his car converted back to
ordinary electrics rather than the set up that had gone phut! Alf turned up at
about 3:30, which was fantastic. And what a lot of nice people were there too.
We got together for pictures, then left to go back to the pub via Burton
Dassett, so that Mike could visit the place where his sister's Midget was
photographed in the late 70's. Great fun and beautiful views, but windy!
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