IhavetoadmitthatforthefirsttimeIcanremember,Ihavegotnothingto haveamoanorgrizzleabout,sothatshouldmeanthatIhavetoadmit that,alsoforthefirsttimethatIcanrecall,Ihavenothinglefttosay.Yes, Icanhearthecommentsnow,“Thatwouldbetheday that…………………freezesover”orstatementstothatend. Atthemomentthingsarerunningverywellwithintheclubandhavingthe newClubCaptainshassurelytakenabigloadoffmyshoulders,asIwas becomingveryconcernedastowhereweweregoingasaClub.Knowing thatwehaveapairwhoarealreadyshowingthattheyarepreparedto thinkoutsidethesquare,arepreparedtotrysomethingnewandthenspend thetimegettingtheteamtopartakewillbeagreatadvantagetousall. Let’sgetoutthereandgetbehindwhatevertheycomeupwithandmake themostofwhatevertimewehaveavailable.Keepinmindthereis alwaysthatsaying,“Youneverknowwhatisaroundthenextcorner”,not thatIwishanythingbadonortoanybody.AllIdoislookatmyown situation,crossmyfingersandconsiderthatsofarIhavehadagreatride inlifeandhopethatthereisstillalotmoreofitaroundthecorner. WhileinthatframeofmindIwouldliketothankColinforhisvery interestingtalkanddemolastclubnight.Therewasaclassickiwiattitude tothefore,“IalwayswantedtohaveagoatitandfinallyIdidsomething aboutit”,andtheproofthatitcanbedonewastheretobeseen.Tosay theleastColin,Iforonewasveryimpressedwiththeendresultandonly wishedthatmybodywouldhaveallowedmetobestillstrummingachord ortwothatIusedtoknowbeforethebodystartedpackingasadonme, witharthritisinthefingers. Wellthat’sitforthemonth. BillLaney
WhatagreatturnouttoourAugustClubnight.Thereiscertainlyalotof talentoutthere.ColinGeangeentertaineduswithaninterestingtalkon howtoconstructyourveryownwoodenguitarfromscratch.Alotof planning,mathematics,toolmakingandmanyhours,wentintoits constructionwhichresultedinaninstrumentofincrediblequality.Not satisfiedwithjusttheguitaronitsown,Colindecidedtobuildawooden stand,andacarrycasetostoreitin.
BythetimeyoureceivethisissueofSpark,theNationalVCCDaffodil Daywillbeuponus.Cancerisaterriblething,andaffectsusandour familiesinsomewayoranother.Someoneintheclubknowssomeone elsestrugglingwiththeeffectsofcancer.Whatbetterwaytogivealittle, thantocometoFeilding,andforadonation,showoffyourcarorbikeat theManawatuCarShow?Theshowrunsfrom10.30amto1.00pmon Sunday25thAugust.MeetatManfeildGates9.30amandwewilldrivein convoytotheshow.
LevinWarVeterans’Homehaveenquiredifweareinterestedinvisiting thehomealongwithourcarsorbikesonFather’sDay1stSeptember. Theresidentswouldlovetoviewthecarsandbikes,haveaphotosession withthemandpossiblygofordrive.Ihavealsoarrangedtovisit SummersetRetirementVillagedowntheroadandtheywouldlovetodo thesamething.BothVillagesarereallylookingforwardtoavisit,anditis goodpublicityfortheclub.
Pleasemeetattheclubroomsby12.30pm.WewillvisitSummerset arriving12.45pmparkupandphotoshoot,followedbyadriveifanyof theresidentsarewilling.Afterapproximatelyanhour,wewillproceedto TheWarVeterans’Homeandthesameprocedureforapproximately anotherhour.Wewillthenproceedtoacaféforafternoonteaat3.00pm. Ifyoucouldpleasebringalong$10eachwhichwillbecollectedpriorto headingofffromthestartattheclubrooms.Ifwetwewillpostponeuntil anotherdate.
ThenextKapitimid-weekrunwillbeonWednesday28thAugust.This willbeaninterestingtriptotheAmericanCarMuseumatTrentham. PleaseletPhilipPearceknowifyouwouldliketoattendforcatering purposes.
RichardSalthasgladlyacceptedthepositionleftvacantattheendofthe yearbyRodKinghorn.RodisretiringasHorowhenua’srepresentativeof theKapitimid-weekorganizingteamandnowwithRichardontheteam, theirrunswillbeassuredtocontinuewellintotheNewYear.
ColinGeangehaskindlyvolunteeredtoorganisearunforusonSunday 15thSeptember,wetorfine.Wewillbeleavingtheclubrooms9.30sharp andno,youwillnotneedtobringalongaguitarforthisrun.Weare visitingararegramophonecollectioninPalmerstonNorth,andamuseum inPohangina.Teaandcoffeewillbeprovidedbutpleasebringalongyour picniclunchand$6tovisitthemuseum.Youwillreceiveonesetof instructionsasyouleavetheclubrooms,andColinwillissuetheothers whenleavingthefirststop.
Thisyear’sChristmasFunctionisintheplanning.Thiswillincludea Christmastheme,poshpicnicandcarfieldtests,followedbyrestoration oftheyearaward.Thedatehasbeensetfor8thDecember.Iftheweather isunkindthatday,therewillbeawetweatheralternativeattheclub rooms.
OurClubeventscalendarhassuddenlybecomefull,andsoourSteam TrainExcursionhasbeendelayeduntilearlynextyear,andbythe indicationatlastmonth’sclubnighttherewasquiteaninterestinthistrip.
BreakingNews:TheVauxhallBedfordClubwillbeholdingtheir NationalRallyandCarShowinLevinonLabourWeekend,26thto28th October.Somethingtoreallylookforwardto.
Inthemeantime,keepthatoildripping.
GregOliver
SpeakerforAugust
MrTonyHaycock.Asyoumayknow,Tonyhasbeenalong-termVCCmember. HewasontheVCCNZManagementCommitteeandwasthespeedsteward formanyyears
TonyhasalsovisitedFrancemanytimestopurchasecars.
Atournextclubmeetinghewillbringoneofthesealongforustosee, andtalkabouthowhefounditandgotithome
NewClubMembers
AndrewSander,GraemeTullochandKeithAndrewhaverecentlyjoined us.Welookforwardtoseeingyouatsomeofourevents.
SadlyMissed
AltonHarrison
AltonHarrisonwasoneofthefoundingmembersofourclub,andheldthe positionsofChairmanandClubCaptainforseveralyears.Hewasalso instrumentalinorganisingtheSwapMeet,whichhasnowbecomeourmajor eventeachyear.HehadabusinessbuildingcaravansinLevin,andwithan interestinmotorcyclesestablishedacollectionofover150,whichwereon displayinamuseumhebuiltathispropertynearWaitarere.
Weextendourcondolencestohiswife,Leah,andtowiderfamilyandfriends.
Wayne(Ben)Millington
Wayne(Ben)Millingtonwasanotherlong-termclubmember.Askilledfitterand turner,heworkedatArlanEngineering.HehadtwoMaxwells:a1916Roadster anda1923truck,forbothofwhichhehand-mademanyparts.Anothercar,well knowntomanyofus,istheMercedes-BenzSSKracecarreplicawhichhemade entirely.Asifnotbusyenoughforhimself,hewasregularlyhelpingclub memberswithfabricatingpartsfortheircars.
Weextendourcondolencestohiswife,Dixie,andtofamilyandfriends.
CoverPicture
Theydon’tmake‘emlikethisanymore.
Onthetableoutsidethelibrarydoortherearefreebooksandmagazines. Pleasehelpyourselftothese(theyarealldoubleandtripleups).
Wenowhavewindowdisplaycardsforuseatmotorshows,rallies,etc. Thesecardsare$5.00each,complete.Thispriceincludesyourvehicle details,handprintedbymywifeDiane,whohasalotofexperiencein calligraphy.
SopleaseseemeorDianewithyourdetails,oryoucanphoneher on06-3646780. Itwilllookgreattoseethesecardsinthewindscreensatfuturemeetings.
JOKE:
Amansaid,”Wehadsomesparecashlastmonthbutcouldnotdecide whattospenditon.IwantedaFordEscortandmywifewantedafurcoat. Intheendwecompromised.Iboughtmywifethefurcoatandwenow keepitinthegarage.”
RobinandDianeStrachan
MIDWINTERLUNCH–180DEGREESRESTAURANT, PARAPARAUMUBEACH
DespiteacoldwintrydayonWednesday31July,thirtyfourclub membersandpartnersfromWellingtonandHorowhenuabranches, plusformerWellingtonmembersStanandKateGarmonsway,now membersofManawatubranch,satdowntoasumptuouslunchat 180DegreesrestaurantinParaparaumuBeach.
Thefavouritedishwasthebluecod–aspecialtyof180Degrees.
Hereareverysatisfiedclubmembersenjoyingtheirmid-winterlunch.
Followinglunchmemberssatandchattedforquitesometime. ThensomeoftheladiesdecidedthatBallentynes’DressShop(just aroundthecorner)wasdefinitelyworthavisit.Funnilyenough theirhusbandsdecidedtopayRossChurchatAutoClassics(just aroundtheoppositecorner)avisitandseehislatestinventoryof classiccarsforsale,whichIunderstandincludedarathersplendid E-typeJaguar.
Soallinall,despitethewintryweather,anexcellentdayout.
KevinandJoannaBuck
