The Hub Newsletter - June 2020

The JUNE 2020

HUB NEWSLETTER

On 20 May some club members took advantage of empty roads an glorious weather for a day run around Banks Peninsula via Diamond Harbour, Purau, Port Levy, Pigeon Bay, Little Akaloa, Chorlton Bay and Okains Bay. Photos: Jan Baker

CLUBROOMS

Cutler Park, McLeans Island CLUBNIGHT

7.30pm 1st Thursday of each month Phone 03 359 7004

POSTAL ADDRESS PO BOX 11-082, Sockburn, Christchurch 8443 EMAIL canterbury@vcc.org.nz vccthehub@gmail.com

Deadline for July Hub 24 June www.canterburybranchvintagecarclub.org.nz

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT Welcome to the beginning of June. I hope you have enjoyed a productive time over the past two months of lockdown getting on with all those things you normally don’t have time to do. Our wonderful autumn weather has been the one saving grace during this difficult time. I have heard many reports of projects progressing in garages, and seen an amazing small car project completed by Bill Woodhouse over the last six weeks for his grandson. I am always amazed by the talent and determination of so many of our members. While we are now in a more relaxed environment thanks to the very low number of covid-19 cases reported in the last few weeks, our branch is not able to operate normally yet, and will remain so for some time.

This has been a difficult time for your committee to plan ahead because the situation ahead is uncertain. This month we have the AGM scheduled, however, it will not proceed on Sunday 21 and I will notify you of the new date in plenty of time. It may be possible to hold this in July or August.

The good news is that Colin Hey’s Coffee and Old cars meeting is to resume at Cutler Park on Sunday 21 June. This is the opportunity to get your vehicle out, give it a run and meet up with friends, keeping a discrete distance of course. George Kear is also planning a Restoration of the Year limited event, but this will depend on entries. The 9-90’s group is also starting again this month but there may be limits initially on what activities take place. The motorcycle section is also planning a couple of runs soon, so this is a gradual step towards returning to our club activities. Club nights will not be possible until we move to a much higher number allowed for group assembly, and we will notify you of this in due course.

The Hub will continue to be produced in its current form until we can discuss the issues of cost, content and distribution at the AGM. No decision will be made on this year’s swap meet until later in June, and this has huge financial implications for our treasurer budgeting for the next year. Without this we will be running a large deficit, and need to be prudent with expenditure.

Please give some thought to offering your services to the branch committee this year. The future of our activities is going to be different, and this is your opportunity to have a say in what we do. As the AGM is postponed, there is plenty of time for you to approach the Secretary about joining

our committee. We have not had a nomination for Club Captain for the past two years, and we are grateful to Dave Inwood for stepping in to assist. As I indicated at the AGM last year, we will arrange a small group of experienced members to assist anyone who is prepared to take on this important role. Those who I have in mind for this already assist in this informal way and will continue to do so.

JOHN COOMBER Chairman ph 03 310 7056

Sadly, we have lost some members over the past couple of months. I want to highlight the loss of Mollie Anderson, one of our four Life Members, and wife of Andrew, Founder member, Life member and Past President of the Club. Mollie was the first Editor of our Beaded Wheels magazine starting in 1956. She and Andrew were hugely influential in the early establishment of our club and Mollie was responsible for the creation of the longest surviving motoring magazine in this country. Their home in Hackthorne Road was the headquarters of our club in the early years. Our thoughts and condolences go to Andrew and his family.

CONDOLENCES

MOLLIE ANDERSON Life Member of the VCC and wife of Andrew Anderson, our founding President, Mollie passed away at her home on 30 April 2020 in her 91st year. Mollie was a founding influence of the Vintage Car Club and among many roles was editor of our club history 50 Years. Mollie was listed in that publication among the entrants of the inaugural Dunedin Brighton Run with this anecdote. “Mollie journeyed from Christchurch to compete in her 1914 Humber, accompanied by Esme Blackburn, Esme’s dog, a large English setter, and Bill Luxton asleep in the backseat. The weather was inclement, and the journey, 225 miles, took an interminable 11 hours. A good deal of time was lost due to rain, no windscreen wipers and the large setter who spread across the front passenger seat with the licking end on the driver’s lap leaving little room for manoeuvring.”

Her contribution to the club has been substantial and she is fondly remembered by many members. Our deepest sympathy is extended to Mollie’s family and friends.

SECRETARY’S REPORT Well a few of us have been beavering away over the last month preparing for the AGM and the return to normal activities.

The form for the nominations for committee was published in last ROD THROWER month’s Newsletter and I would Secretary hope that you have all given ph 03 338 2320 serious thought as to whether you could give some of your time and enthusiasm in the running of this huge Branch.

If we all pull together and support the activities that are provided or make an offer to put your slant on what you think could be improvements from all the old ways that no longer seem to cut it.

Our New Coffee and Cars Mornings and Annual Rally being a superb example of modern thinking.

As our AGM will probably not take place in June you can still send me in your nomination to join our Committee of eight.

I had written a Poem for this month Hub but was censored by the editor, Maybe I’ll just put it on the Notice board, haha Rod

RESTORATION OF THE YEAR Proposed Date 7 June 2020

Entries Close 31 May

As we go to press this event is still on. Anybody interested in entering a vehicle for judging please advise George Kear of the details or find the link to the entry form on the branch website. If we are out of Level 2 or 3 we will still hold the judging at the branch at 2pm, 7 June 2020 with cars on display from midday.

If allowed members are invited to bring out their picnic lunch. There will not be a run and we can all keep our distance if you feel happy to partake. If we are still under a no-gathering situation entrants will be contacted individually and a judging team will call past and look over the vehicles in the owner’s driveway keeping within our safe distance rules.

George Kear, 40 Rossendale Road, RD5, Chch 7675 Ph 347 0315 george.kear@charton.co.nz

COLIN HEY Swap Meet Convenor

UPDA TE

A decision was to be made regarding the running of this year’s Swap Meet on Thursday 11 June, however unless the next COVID-19 settings review on 8 June brings positive news, we will delay the decision until after the announcement due on 22 June. Following that date (or earlier if possible) we will communicate the decision to all site holders, and a notice will be in the next Hub.

CLUB NIGHTS Club nights (our noggins) will not be possible until groups of over 100 are allowed to gather. We will notify you of this as soon as we can proceed. In the mean time keep those engines ticking over.

25, 35, 50 & 60 YEAR BADGES To be presented at the Branch Awards’ Dinner 12 Sept 2020 If you are eligible for these badges please contact Leigh Craythorne for the appropriate form.

Members must provide proof of having completed 25 years continuous membership themselves (there were only limited records at National level before the 1990s.) You may have a copy of your nomination form or early membership list; the branch has bound copies of The Hub held in the library that may help; ask the Branch Secretary’s permission to search the Branch Minutes; or I may be able to assist, as I have copies of some of the early membership lists.

Badges have to be approved by the branch committee and National Office and forwarded to us from Wellington.

A delay in providing your information may mean a wait until next year’s Awards’ Dinner for presentation. Members do not have to have been in the same branch for 25, 35, 50, 60 years – it is recognition for continuous membership of the Club.

Contact me please - do not contact National Office.

Leigh Craythorne, ph 342 9110, craythornes@actrix.co.nz

MOTORCYCLE REPORT

CHRIS LEITH Motorcycle Section

Well waddya know! We have a couple of events to report on!

21st May 2020 – Covid-19 Blow-out Bike Blast. Ten motorcycles and three cars met at Bunnings Airport carpark in cool (slight frost) but very sunny conditions for a leisurely amble via the back roads to Amberley’s Little Vintage and Expresso Café. This little café in Markham St, just off the SH1 is an absolute delight… Needless to say, great riding there to enjoy a leisurely lunch before retracing our route…. It was good to see Barry Townshend out for this run, hope you had a good day, Barry.

23rd May – Fish & Chip Run. About a dozen bikes and two cars made their way to Akaroa, in cool overcast but no moisture conditions. We lunched at Bully Hayes, after a stop at Little River. A good run, certainly we were not the only bikers in town! A couple of first- and second-time riders out, great to see you!

FUTURE EVENTS

Any or all of these events may have to be cancelled or postponed, depending on the Covid-19 Level 2 and 1 rule applicable at the time. We will advise the situation via the motorcycle database email. However, with the relaxing of groups to 100 from Friday 29 May, we are pretty sure these can proceed.

SUPPORT OUR

Thanks to the following for their continue Apex Auto Centre, Brake & Cable

Ph 0800 102 739

Ashley’s Tow Taxi

Ph 021 317 765

Auto Restorations

Ph 03 366 9988

Classic & Custom Auto Interiors

Ph 03 322 5272

Early Ford Parts

Ph 021 637 656

Enford Spares Ltd

Ph 03 379 3775

Gateway Car Systems

Ph 03 358 7580

Kaiapoi Auto Electric

Ph 027 435 0636

Louise Shaskey, Harcourts Grenadier

Ph 027 298 1880

10 June – Motorcycle Noggin Night and Section AGM. To be held in The Barn, Cutler Park, commencing at 7.30 pm. Please come along and show your support for the section, and also consider standing for the committee. The section is particularly keen on learning from the younger members as to what direction they would like to see the section going, and what better forum than expounding your views when part of the committee? Should you like a post AGM tipple it might pay to bring your own…

27 June – Fish & Chip Run. Meet at the BP petrol station, Cnr Moorhouse Ave & Antigua St, 10.15 am for a 10.30 am departure.

8 July – Motorcycle Noggin. At the moment this is planned to be at The Barn, commencing 7.30 pm as usual. There is to be a review of the Covid-19 level rules on 22nd June so it is most likely we will be able to have the bar open; we will advise in the next Hub on final arrangements.

11 – 12 July – Mid Winter Run. Usually an overnight run, but may be cancelled this year, will advise via the motorcycle database email, and in the July Hub. 25 July – Fish & Chip Run. Meet at the BP petrol station, Cnr Moorhouse Ave & Antigua St, 10.15 am for a 10.30 am departure. As usual, the riders will decide on the destination.

Cheers, CML.

UR SPONSORS

ed support of The Hub in its reduced form.

Metropolitan Valuation Services Neale Cook, Bayleys Real Estate Paterson Bros Tyre Services Rolleston Costume Hire Safe R Brakes Ltd, Brake & Clutch Vero CIS

Ph 03 342 9055 Ph 021 295 3628 Ph 03 365 0875 Ph 0274 843 040 Ph 03 379 6140 Ph 0800 658 411

Veteran Car Rims

Ph 03 338 4307

Vintage Auto Parts

Ph 03 359 8592

10 JUNE

We’re back!

VCC CANTERBURY

9-90s

Meet at Princess Margaret Hospital car park 9.55 (Please keep your social distancing).

We are going on a picnic and we will finish at Cutler Park for lunch.

The parts shed will be open.

Looking forward seeing you all and we will talk about the lockdown and the people who are not here.

FEELING HOUSE BOUND? COME JOIN US

Level 2-Compliance: Graeme Sword will take your name, phone number and email address for this Corona business.

COMING UP IN JULY The Hangi

BOOK AND PAY AT OUR JUNE GET TOGETHER

Our plan A is to hold this event in July, if Covid means we can’t hold it then we will post pone until later in the year. It will definitely be held this year. if you want to participate I have to give the numbers in plenty of time ....we will need the money up front. The Hangi will cost $25.00 per person and that includes two raffle tickets.

You must register and pay at our June event. Tony Becker will take your name and steal your money....cash only no change given. No cheques, coins, internet banking or IOUs. Limited to the first 100 people.

We will meet at 9.55 at the Belfast pub with either plan A or.

B. Graeme Sword is organising the run where ever we go.

We are looking forward seeing you all in June, to give and receive plenty of cheek and banter.

Regards

J.K and the team

PS We will email before July to let you know what is happening. Please pass this message on to those members who do not have access to computers.

Now ‘n Then A few days ago Tony Becker posted a photo of his 1928 Austin 7 “widedoor” discovered to now be in the same Rangiora classic car collection as his 30 years owned Morris Oxford MO. Recently he unearthed an old photo of the Austin taken about 1958 at Blenheim with then fiance Ngaire & niece Donna standing alongside! When owned in Blenheim it was original green with black guards and very good condition.

Tony paid £25 for her. Now restored with smart red paint and new interior, the Austin resides at Daniel Smith’s great collection of classic and vintage vehicles, Rangiora.

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE BEER? The kegs were full - the fridges stocked and then....the dreaded lockdown. I rang Gill Stevenson to get the lowdown about the state of the beer at Cutler Park. Gill admitted that due to a planned visit to hospital she hasn’t been in the bar since February and won’t know exactly what is going on until the first noggin night (yet to be announced). She did hint that there might be a few specials going so watch this space.

As we celebrate moving to Alert Level 2 Targa NZ are confirming that they are still very much on track for the Targa 2020 VCC Time Trial in October. We’ve also restarted promotion for this event. For more info Contact Rod Corbett, VCC Steward, Targa 2020 Time Trial. rod.corbett88@gmail.com Ph 64 27 433 8772.

RETURN OF THE COFFEE MORNING The monthly Old Cars, Bikes and Coffee mornings will get underway again for June - the same 3rd Sunday in the month making June’s get-together Sunday 21st June.

The theme for this month is going to be “Lockdown Vehicles”, so if you have any vehicle (car, bike, commercial vehicle) that you have worked on during the COVID lockdown period then please bring it out to show off. If you’ve been occupied by other projects or distractions, please just bring your club vehicle out and enjoy the chance to once again meet your fellow members and any visitors and enjoy a coffee and chat together. We will have the barn open if the weather isn’t good, but sign-in will be required and numbers inside will be strictly limited to no more than 100, in accordance with Level 2 restrictions unless they change before then.

Start time this month will be from 9.00am.

Hope to see you there.

Colin Hey

OCBC OLD CARS BIKES AND COFFEE Welcome back to our Sunday Morning Coffee Gathering at

CUTLER PARK

3rd Sunday of the month from the new (and incredibly civilised) time of 9.00am Enquiries to Colin Hey Ph 359 8738

MESSAGE FROM VCCNZ NATIONAL PRESIDENT

27 MAY 202

Easing of restrictions around gatherings of people With the Government announcing that as from Friday 29 May, gatherings can be held with up to 100 people, Branches can now start to hold meetings and club nights and begin to organise branch events which fall below the 100 person threshold. However, when doing so, Branches must play it safe and maintain hygiene standards, safe distancing and meet existing contact tracing record keeping requirements.

As your Branch begins to ease back into meetings and events, please make your members aware that you are operating under Covid-19 Alert Level 2 restrictions and things are not ‘back to normal’. As our Prime Minister has said, “It is still up to each and every one of us to behave reasonably and look after each other”.

The Management Committee has decided to go ahead and plan for the Executive Meeting and National AGM to be held in Wanganui on 14/15 August 2020. I acknowledge that there will be some unease amongst delegates and members about flying or travelling to this meeting or being in close proximity to a large group of people. There is also the cost of air flights to consider. We are therefore exploring the possibility of some delegates being able to attend the executive meeting

by Zoom. We are further looking at live-streaming the AGM so that, if they wish, members can watch the AGM in their own home. There could also be the facility for questions to be emailed during the meeting for a response by the relevant management representative.

The Management Committee has held its regular May meeting by Zoom and this worked extremely well and we intend to use this facility more often in the future.

Although we had to cancel our National Day in August due to the uncertainty around Covid-19, some Branches have signalled that they may hold an informal Daffodil Rally around that date to keep the momentum going.

Diane Quarrie National President PHYSICAL DISTANCING - GOVERNMENT GUIDELINES

Keep your distance when out and about: 2 metres in public and in retail stores, eg supermarkets and shops.

1 metre in most other environments like workplaces, cafes, restaurants, and gyms.

MARKETPLACE For Sale DECEASED ESTATE - MODERN CLASSICS? All these cars are located at Lake Tekapo, South Canterbury.

I’m open to the best offer of free removal. Model years are approx. if not known. 1963 Austin A40 Farina Grey AN7545 (under cash offer), 1968 approx. P6 Rover 2000 Grey, 1968 approx. P6 Rover 2000TC Orange. If anyone does have an interest in any of these cars, or would like more info including photos email blair@goforth.co.nz. Ph 027 627 7677.

These side covers found the in the garage roof when we purchased our house some 20 years ago. Possibly off an MG A, I am keen to sell them if any members have a need for them.

Phone Steve McConnochie 027 479 4001

From the Parts Shed WE ARE BACK IN BUSINESS AFTER LOCKDOWN. Open every Wednesday afternoon and Third and Fourth Sunday morning of each month from 9:00 a.m. Also open from 7pm on Thursday of Noggin Nights when they resume.

New additions to vehicles for sale are:Morris 8 Series E 2-door :- in pieces but all there Rover 90 around 1956, complete car been parked in shed for last 18 years. We hope to have this running shortly.

1953 Daimler Conquest in very good condition. Rego to midAugust and current W.o.F. Triumph Renowns (2) One basically complete and the other missing the steering column. Rare cars, Vanguard powered.

Morris Marina 1300 in going order.

Talk to us in the Parts Shed or contact: Ross Butler, 352-3160 or 021 314-221