Club Matters and Kimber House News

Linda Cook, Hiroshi Tachika and Peter Cook at MG Day in Japan 2018

Adam Sloman has decided to leave the MG Car Club Ltd after more than six years. I would like to take this opportunity to thank him for his service to the Club, and wish him all the best for the future.

Our CRBs and team at Kimber House are busy organising events throughout the year, so with the government announcing the easing of lockdown measures, it is looking positive for attending MG events later this year.

As promised in last month’s chairman’s notes, we will be introducing each of the new Directors, who will give a little background to themselves, what they will be bringing to the Club and to the Board.

Our first Director is Peter Cook who is also Vice Chairman and looks after our overseas members amongst other things.

Hope to see you at an MG event soon!

Dave Tynan

PETER COOK – MG CAR CLUB VICE CHAIRMAN AND OVERSEAS DIRECTOR

After leaving school I had a variety of jobs, and not liking any of them attended evening classes in Oxford in order to enter university in my 20s. Having spent six years at Reading University as a student, I subsequently took a two-year temporary lectureship at Reading and then taught in a number of business schools until retiring in 2011. For about 20 years I taught research methods to postgraduate HR students, which is a skill-set of occasional usefulness to the MGCC. The other important skill developed was the ability to stay calm and behave with tact in an otherwise difficult situation, both within and outside the lecture room. I like to think I can still deploy those skills as a director. With regard to the MGCC, I have owned my factory V8 for just over 40 years and prior to being elected as Overseas Director in 2015 was Chairman of the Devon and Cornwall Centre. My main role since 2015 has been to strengthen the relationships between our overseas affiliated clubs and Kimber House. You may have noticed some of the overseas historical and technical articles which I have supplied to Safety Fast! and to some Registers for their newsletters. My predecessor Paul Plummer and I carried out research into the first MG sold in preparation for our marque centenary year running over 2023-4. Asked at a recent Devon & Cornwall Centre meeting my vision for the future, my off-the-cuff response was: “It’s about giving the Club back to its members”. I want to be part of a single, unified EC, to connect more strongly and openly with CRBs, and to reinforce the ethos of the Club. This will be greatly helped by the ‘Values’ Subcommittee’s proposals which I am a member of and led by Lorraine Noble-Thompson. I am also on the Ms and Arts sub-committee which is proposing to revise some of our rules in the light of recent trends and developments. I am also looking forward to collaborating with other MG clubs in celebrating the centenary of MG and coordinating similarly with our overseas affiliates.

KIMBER HOUSE NEWS

Located in our Clubhouse, our archive is a true MG treasure trove. You can find everything from press photos to brochures and memorabilia; each has a story to share.

This month, we’re going to take a look at some of the brochures for the MG Midget to celebrate 60 years since the Midget left the production line at Abingdon.

The Midget, produced from 1961 until 1979, provided enthusiasts with by far the most amount of enjoyment, for the least amount of money.

We have some gems of brochures for the Midget, showcasing the variety of changes for each version released during its lifetime. From the MKI with its sidescreens and stowaway hood to the MKII with wind up windows and the option of wire wheels. The MKIII benefited from a new design of folding hood and the 1500 with large, black plastic-covered bumpers.

Throughout its lifetime, the Midget was described by MG as ‘a great British sports car’, ‘the start of something big in your life’, ‘a powerful beast’ and ‘a car that is romantic, exciting, powerful’.

These brochures for the MG Midget and more can all be found in our archive. Hopefully, when restrictions allow, we can once again reopen our archive for you to step back in time in MG’s history.