Robert (Rob) Keith Charles Edwards—by Clive Taylor

The Bay of Plenty Branch of the Vintage Car Club of New Zealand, and The Alvis Car Club of New Zealand (ACCNZ), has lost another long standing member in March this year, Rob Edwards. Rob was born in the Wiararapa, and met his future wife Jo through a workmate. They married in December 1959 and had four sons, Tony 1960, Gregory 1963, Paul in 1965 and Bruce in 1970. The family moved from Greytown to Upper Hutt and Rob joined a builder from England called. Fred Dickson. He also worked on a Milk round and eventually bought his own milk round. In 1974 they moved to Hamilton - Gordonton and then onto Tamahere and Jo worked part-time as a receptionist at Hamilton Teachers College. In 1981, Greg was killed in a motorbike accident and in 1985 they moved from Tamahere to Templeview on a 50 acre site. They moved again in 1990 to Hillcrest where Rob carried on his building projects. They moved to Tauranga in 1997, living in Maungatapu, then to Ohauiti, before illness and lack of mobility took them to Hillcrest Retirement Village.

During all this time Rob and Jo had both been busy owning various cars, including seven Alvis models. Rob had ‘saved’ several Post-War Alvis including the Crested Eagle Saloon, at one time owned by the National New Zealand MP Daniel Riddiford. Rob always maintained the cars to a very high standard. He also had a passion for Jaguar cars, (he had 2), and also six Valiant's, two Hillman's, one Chrysler, a superb Mitsubishi GTO, Morris Marina, Morris J2 van and a Toyota Crown.

Rob's main passion were the Alvis cars, especially his last model the Dark Blue TE 21 DHC. He inherited the manual index records of Alvis Cars in New Zealand after Bill Aitchesons death. This included when cars that were exported and also imported to NZ. With the arrival of computers and their capacity to record masses of car details, Rob felt that this information had to be transcribed onto a data base and he me to undertake the work involved. I maintained the NZ Alvis records for some years, eventually passing on the role to Mike Stuart in Napier. Rob and Jo were excellent hosts arranging impromptu meetings at their house in Maungatapu and later in Ohauiti. Rob also helped to set up the British Car Club NZ Club and became the President. He organised annual meetings at local reserve parks in Tauranga near the water. They were always relaxed events with various other marques competing for the best display award, judged by independent car enthusiasts. He will be missed, especially by his fellow Alvis enthusiasts.

I extend our condolences to Jo, their three surviving sons, Tony, Paul and Bruce and their large extended family.

46thAnnual “Rubber Duckie” Motor-Cycle Rally

16th September 2023

“BACK COUNTRY BLAT”

The Taranaki Branch invites you to enter their 46th Annual Motor-Cycle Rally. The rally routes will be over good surfaced roads with instructions in large print.

VENUE: NEW PLYMOUTH TOP TEN HOLIDAY PARK, 29 Princes Street, Fitzroy, New Plymouth will be Rally H.Q. for our Annual Motorcycle Rally. Dinner and Prize giving will be held at the Beach Street Hall, 80 metres north of Devon St East, approximately 800m from the Top Ten Holiday Park.

PROGRAMME:

Friday 15th 3.00 pm R.H.Q. opens

6.00 pm - Drinks, followed by evening meal and Noggin and Natter

Saturday 16th Rally Instructions available from 8.00 am.

8.30 am - Briefing

9.00 am - First bike away

Lunch Location TBA

6.00 pm - Pre dinner drinks (Beach Street Hall)

7.30 pm - Informal smorgasbord dinner (Ticket holders only)

Prize giving -

FACILITIES: Accommodation - motels, tourist flats, tourist cabins, standard cabins, camper sites, tent sites, swimming pool, linen hire. All meals are available on site to ticket holders only.

RALLY RULES

1 This event is open to financial members of the Vintage Car Club of NZ and invited guests. Invited guests are eligible to compete for prizes, but not VCC trophies.

2 Veteran, Vintage, Post Vintage, Post War, Post 60 and Post 80 machines are eligible.

3 The organisers reserve the right to disqualify any entrant whose conduct is in their opinion likely to bring discredit to the event or to the club and their ruling regarding any matters in respect of the running of the event will be final.

1 Veteran (pre 6 Combination

2 Vintage (Jan 1919 7 Morgan Trike

3 Post Vintage (Jan

4 Post War (Jan 1946 – Dec 1960)

5 Post 60 and Post 80 (Jan 1961 – Dec 1992)

8 Invited Guests (Non members with eligible machines up to 1992 at Rally Committee discretion)

CLASSES - Note: Start times may be allocated in order that entry is received within class.

ENTRIES CLOSE 8th September 2023 with Rally Secretary, Sue Street,

36 Essex Street, New Plymouth. Ph (06) 753 9100 email: sue.street@xtra.co.nz

Payments to: Vintage Car Club of NZ Taranaki Branch

BOP VCC Operational Information

The Club Rooms are 29 Cliff Road. P O Box 660, Tauranga, 3144.

Key contacts are:

Chairman– Bill Biehler 027 669 9619 Email: adhock@xtra.co.nz

Secretary– Michael Thorman 07 5444291 Email: bayofplenty@vcc.org.nz

Run

Co-Ordinator Kaaren Smylie 07 576 4180 Email: kaaren@smylie.co.nz

Monthly events

Club night (except January) - 2nd Monday, start time 7.30pm

Mid week run — Wednesday following the club night

End of the month run Held on the last Sunday of the month.

Committee Meeting Last Monday of the month

Noggin ‘n’ Natter — 4th Tuesday at 6pm

Location Sequence of Noggin ‘n’ Natter

1, Tauranga- Tauranga Citizens Club, Cameron Road.

Contact is Kaaren Smylie phone 021 664341 or 07 576 4180

2. TePuke– The Pap Tavern phone 020 4042 7624

Contact is - Lynn Howard.

3. Tauranga- Tauranga Citizens Club, Cameron Road.

4. Katikati- Forta Leza Café, SH 2, Katikati.

Contact is Owen Smith, phone 07 570 2000

If your birthday falls in this month please remember it is your turn to provide a plate for supper. Thanks to last months birthday people for their food.

Please remember to wear your name badges to all events. BADGES ARE FREE TO NEW MEMBERS.

LIBRARY HOURS— The library is open on club nights from 7pm. Also on most Monday mornings Yvonne & Paul work in the library until midday. Members are welcome to call in to search for or return books. If making a special trip please phone them at home on 07 572 0163 or 027 6098510 beforehand to ensure that they will be there. We are accepting good clean car service manuals or books that relate to automobile history or travel for our club library

PARTS SHED Clean out your sheds and bring those surplus parts down. They may be just what someone else needs Parts shed open most Monday morning. Contacts are Jack 07 5766346 or Colin 027 2629161