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n Northern New England, we don’t experience “Spring” so much as “Mud Season.” This year, a Vermont newspaper headline read, “It’s of Biblical proportions: Vermonters contend with mud season unlike any in recent memory.” In Aroostook County, Maine, a local post office suspended mail delivery when rural mail carriers’ vehicles sank in the muddy roads. As the region dries out (a bit), we consider whether to wash the Land Rover or open up the hundreds of emails and snail mail letters that arrive at the Sightings desk. It’s always helpful for veteran and novice Sighters alike to review the rules that govern when we award a Coveted Mug:
SIGHTINGS ROVERS MAGAZINE / SPRING 2022
For Sightings rules & submissions, visit www.roversnorth.com/sightings ovie and television producers still know the draw of a classic Land Rover in their films. Daniel Dentry [see Rule #6] spotted the Defender in the Nicolas Cage film, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, as did Stephen Lister, Utica, OH. Buried deep in a viewing of an old Christ-
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Rule #1 — All Sightings receive recognition and our appreciation, but not necessarily a mug. We reward only those Sightings that capture the unique qualities of Land Rovers as well as their owners, and display them in a distinctive way. Rule #2 — If your Sighting doesn’t really surprise you, it won't surprise us, either — thus, we can’t award you a mug. We're delighted, but not surprised, that Land Rovers appear in British television programmes, British publications, films with British themes and shows about African safaris. These Sightings are appreciated, but not mug-worthy. Rule #3 — At an ever-changing date before publication, we close off the Sightings; for this issue it was April 30, 2022. If we've mentioned the Sighting in an earlier issue, we might not mention it again. If you're new to the family of Land Rover enthusiasts, you may not have seen your Sighting in an earlier issue. Rule #4 — If you qualify, one mug per Sighting per issue. No more than two Coveted Mugs will be awarded to the same person per year. Rule #5 — Sightings that are Land Rover references in books go to our Literary Land Rover Editor for mention, but only when space permits. Rule #6 — Psst... email submissions — remember we can't send a mug by email. To be considered for a Coveted Mug, send us your real name and shipping address too. Rule #7 — Snail mail sightings must be sent to: Editor, Rovers Magazine, P.O. Box 90, Vinalhaven, ME 04863 Rule #8 — Grudgingly, very grudgingly, the Editor admits he might have made an error. Let us know if you think you've been jobbed. 94
roversmagazine.com
Spring 2022
mas special, Eric Brumwell, Bainbridge Island, WA, spotted a toy Land Rover. Eric also liked seeing the Series III pickup in the British and Australian film Eternals. Steven Lister, Utica, OH, was delighted to see a Defender 90 as a lead character in the Netflix kid’s film, Back in the Outback. Brent Lane, Saco, ME, watched an episode of “The Lost Kitchen,” and was fairly certain he saw a Discovery II. Dave Whaling [See Rule #6] watched a Hallmark Channel movie, The Presence of Love, which included a RHD Defender. P T Schram, Churubusco, IN, spotted a threedoor Freelander in Trailer Park Boys. Catalogues, print or online, know that Land Rovers are click bait, as Sterling Card, Olathe, KS, noted with the latest Rhode Island-based Kiel James Patrick catalogue. David Russell, Lawrence-
ville, GA, found a Defender 90 SW on the cover of the Bluegrass Fairway Leather Goods catalogue. Paul Kennington, LaGrande, OR; Scott Brannon, Atlanta, GA; and Ray Romano, San Antonio, TX, spotted the tub of a soft top Defender 110 on the cover of the Birdwell Beach catalogue, as well as the odd placement of a RoW Defender 90 with their “racing jackets.” Bill and Greyson Schimikowski, Westborough, MA, noted that HiHo, a clothing company based in Tortola, BVI, nonetheless featured a Series IIA with Rhode Island plates in their latest sweater promotion. Rob Wollschlager, Colchester, CT, and Brian Lang, Pasadena, CA, watched an ad for Lightbar headlamps that featured a Defender 90. Brian also saw a Range Rover Classic in an ad for Sussy surfboards. Our own Thompson Smith, Rovers North’s Creative Director, spotted multiple Land Rovers, including a Series IIA, Defender 110 and Defender 90 RHD in Kühl online feeds. Magazines also have an affection for Land Rovers. It’s hard not to love the cover of the latest Yankee Magazine, noted Cindy Theodore, Wolfboro, NH. Shooting Sportsman ran a feature on “Elizabeth,” a ’95 Defender 110 customized by Helderburg LLC, in Sharon Springs, NY. James Hutchinson [See Rule #6] spotted an article on the UK’s Everatti conversion of a Series IIA to electric power, and one in Hemmings that linked to a video on the long history of the Land Rover. Consumer
