CHAIRMAN - STUART KYNOCH - COMMITTEE MEMBER

Attempted to be educated at Ashby Boys' Grammar School. Released after 'O' levels and entered Accountancy profession as an Articled Clerk. Did not like the majority of the work involved - checking the results of other people's hard work.

Left and attended Leicester College where I obtained 'A' levels and went up to St Andrews for three years. Started teaching Mathematics in an all girls school which I enjoyed but after a year applied and was accepted into Loughborough University, initially to look after all the new Building, furniture and equipment grants. Eventually I became the University Furnishing Officer and during this time of large expansion the amount of work was enormous but very satisfying. I then decided to branch out as a consultant and this led to five years work in the Middle East furnishing or Project Managing large Contracts.

Arrived home and then worked for an International Furnishing Company in London. Due to personal circumstances had to resign and obtained a position with a local Company specialising in interiors and refurbishment.

Am at present single and have two super daughters, one son and two little grandchildren.

Enjoy golf, skiing, computing and of course motoring and car maintenance.

SECRETARY, TREASURER AND CLUB CO-FOUNDER - KEN SALMON - COMMITTEE MEMBER

Following school pursued a career in surveying but soon became disillusioned and joined the Prudential for extra cash to fund an early interest in sporting machinery. Owned several motorcycles culminating in a Triumph Bonneville and visited the Isle of Man four times to see the TT races. Those were the days when Mike Halewood was king, and seeing him driving along the prom in his white 3.4 Jaguar, I decided that that was the car for me. So my first car was a 2.4 Jaguar – one of the perks of working for an insurance company was cheap insurance!

Marriage, three lovely children and a mortgage changed the lifestyle a bit and I decided it was time to get professional qualifications and some letters after my name, I specialized in reinsurance. This was the time when practicality took over and transport became a succession of family saloons.

Left the Pru ten years ago and, together with a colleague set up our own insurance broking service.

Shortly afterwards met an old friend who owned a Fiat X1/9 sports car who encouraged me to develop an insurance scheme for his car club. I then struck up a friendship with David Harris, the clubs technical officer who owned a heavily modified X1/9 with a turbo.

David Harris is always one for something a little bit different and couldn’t believe his luck when he came across an MR2 Supercharger in 1993 when they were almost unheard of in the UK. Soon afterwards we joined forces to form the MR2 MK1 Register with myself as secretary and editing the early newsletters while arranging the clubs insurance scheme. David was the club's chairman and technical advisor.

His enthusiasm rubbed off on me and I obtained my own supercharger.

The club has come along way since those early days and is firmly established and run on a professional basis by a dedicated committee of unpaid volunteers.

EX TECHNICAL ADVISOR - ALAN JONES

Semi retired engineer, currently full time university student (born again NUS layabout!*?) courtesy of the EC (another reason to mistrust Europe - ed) MK1 owner for only 2 years, bit lifelong interest in owning interesting cars. Started with a beloved tuned Mini Cooper 1275S in the late 60's. Currently owner of 2 MR2's, a D reg n/a as a restoration project - 110,000 miles, mechanicals sorted and bodywork progressing. E reg Supercharger imported through the club, 52,000 miles excellent throughout. Performance testing project, suspension mods done, boost uprate in progress, water injection to follow.

Aspirations:- To either find more time for MK1 work or work quicker! To develop universally jointed limbs to reach those parts of the MR2 that even Heineken cannot reach!

EX EVENTS ORGANISER - FRED SANDERSON

Let me introduce myself. I am Fred Sanderson, born in Pudsey Yorkshire - no relation to Pudsey Bear - in October 1935 along time ago.

Initially I served my time as a stone mason at the same time studying for LIOB (London Institute of Builders). Then taking up employment with Brush Electrical Machines in Loughborough, within the building and plant drawing office, working on various building and engineering plant projects. I worked for this Com­pany for 40 years, spending the last 10 years as a personnel officer.

In my other life, in 1958 I met Doris, my mainstay, we married in 1959.

We have two children and five grandchildren to keep us in place.

One of our main hobbies and interests is the MK1, which started in 1992 when I bought FLITZER for Doris. We have had some very happy trouble-free hours of motoring, the speedo now showing 100,145 miles.

In October 2004 as my birthday approached, Doris repaid my generosity by presenting me with my own MKI, so we now have his and hers on the drive.

We have been active members of the dub for some time arranging club runs and distributing the club magazine each quarter, and will carry on as long as we are able, plus the new task I have taken on.

EX EVENTS ORGANISER AND CLUB RACING DRIVER - LAUREN BLIGHTON

I know it’s customary to start with age, but I have decided to skip that part! I live and work in Nottingham and have been here for three years. My background is in psychology and I work providing Eye-tracking and behavioural analysis solutions primarily to academia. My main hobbies are probably obvious to a lot of the membership by now, but having the moniker of ‘Trackday Queen’ means I have something of a reputation to live up to! I spend as much time as possible on the track though that’s proving a little difficult at the moment due to the odd lampost getting in the way and spoiling things. When I am not on track I am normally in the midst of thinking up new ways to develop my car. I just can’t stop playing with it! Other interests not car related? Well, I love my music and am a big Smiths fan and love nothing better than crying my eyes out to Morrissey in concert! I got the ‘MR2 bug’ after my Astra GTE 16v got stolen within 6 weeks of buying it! At the time, I fancied a car that was a little different and no, it wasn’t anything to do with looks, all I could think about was the chance to own a mid-engined car for a little over two grand. It just seemed so exotic and already being a bit of a rear drive convert, I just thought go for it. The rest is of course history.

Since joining the club at Billing in 2001 I have become more and more involved with events as I have literally been to every event I could get to. Over time I have got to know the many of the club regulars as well as the IMOC-UK and have also established good links with the various trackday companies. My recent mission has been to get to know the main organisers from other similar clubs (MGF, GT4OC, MX5, Honda R and SELOC, ROC, IMOC) in an effort to unite our efforts so that we can organise our own trackdays and pool our resources.

Mike has already laid some very strong foundations to build upon with some brilliant events like the annual pilgrimage to Le Mans. I would love to see the club exploring Europe with trips like the Nurburgring being a must for any car enthusiast. Over this year I am going to attend events in every region where possible so I hope to meet you all soon!

MAGAZINE EDITOR - RICHARD MORGAN - COMMITTEE MEMBER

Aged 53 and not very pleased about it, one son Thomas the De Lorean fan, wife Rachael who puts up with 4 MR2s in the drive. ( now 5 as Thomas bought one in November 2002 ) After school worked for a stamp dealer (who promptly buggered of to live in South Africa) Then spent several years at a building society, became a fireman, one time milkman, opened a stamp shop then turned it into a HiFi shop.

Cars owned :- Morris 1000, Austin A40, MG Midget, Mini van, Ford Capri, Rover SD1 (2) and Citroen BX19 GT.

Rachael and Thomas discovered MR2 MK1 Club at a car show in Leicester 1997, left the cream bun club, went to first meeting at Castle Combe and joined up, foolishly volunteered to help club and got lumbered with some jobs and poked my nose into most of the others.

Likes – exotic travel, classical music on vinyl, pubs, smoking and talking.

Dislikes - football, motorbikes, MR2 MK2s, compact discs and the European Union.

NORTH EAST AREA ORGANISER and EX NATIONAL EVENTS ORGANISER - COMMITTEE MEMBER MICHAEL SHEAVILLS

30 years old living in Durham, one large garage. Professional MR2 enthusiast, hobbies include managing a restaurant, or should that be the other way round!!

I bought my first MR2 in October 1999 after giving in to a life-long itch for owning a classic sports car and the MK1 MR2 was the obvious choice. And there she was siting on the forecourt looking at me, wanting me to buy her. So after a small negotiation and a 25% discount I drove her away unaware of the pleasures and new life she would bring, not to mention the financial burden!! I now own 4 MR2’s and am seeking medical advice from my GP for a condition known as ‘Bigoverdraft.’

I joined the club in December 1999 after reading an article in Classics magazine about Stuart Kynoch’s car and was immediately impressed with the enthusiasm and commitment of the people who were involved in the running and organising of the club, this was the club for me.

After reading a plea in the March 2000 issue of the magazine for volunteer area organisers, I decided to offer my services as the North East representative and indeed held my first event in July 2000 known as the Northumberland Coast Run. I was very honoured and grateful that the chairman Stuart Kynoch took the effort to make the long trip up from Loughborough to attend the event. Later that month I attended my first organised meeting at Billing where everyone had a fantastic time.

Throughout the summer of 2000 I attended as many events as possible travelling up and down the country meeting lots of people in the club and fellow enthusiasts alike.

I was delighted when approached by the club in May 2001 to be the Clubs National Events organiser. After seeing what a fantastic job former events organiser Alan Russell had done I took this opportunity as a challenge and immediately set about the task of organising the clubs first trip out of the UK, LE MANS. This proved quite a challenge but with the help and support of committee members Alan Jones and Stuart Kynoch we turned it into reality, and what a trip we had. So that’s it really a little insight into the life of your events organiser, please come and say hello if you see me at any events in the future. I have also inserted an event’s questionnaire in this issue and would really appreciate if you could answer the questions and return them to me with the aim of making the club better for you, the members.

STEVE KINGSNORTH – SOUTH EAST AREA CO-ORGANISER

I’ve had a varied career, first of all as a butcher, then I went into electronics for many years working mainly on aircraft wiring, the BBC and finally wiring up robotic machinery for a massive fish finger machine for Fidus frozen foods! I then went for a complete career change and became involved in care work, which I am do. I currently work for Havering Social Services. In between this I studied for my City and Guilds in upholstery and worked for 5 years as an upholsterer.

The first car I owned was a Hillman Imp Californian – very sporty! I suppose you could say that the first time I came upon a type of sports car was when I bought a Reliant Scimitar. Due to the unreliability of the early Scimitar I decided to have quite a few years of more standard cars such as Cortina, Austin Maxi, Granada and Volvos. I also owned two Opel Manta GTE’s and them an Isuzu Piazza Turbo. The Isuzu took me to my first experience of the Billing Japanese Auto Extravaganza back in 1998.

I then saw my first bright red MK1 MR2 at a dealers in Suffolk in 2001 and knew it was the car for me. I now have two MK1’s, the same red one and now a very rare Super Edition Supercharger.

Maybe one day I might get a third but at the moment I have no room, and as Mike Sheavills has said before, next time I go to the GP I might have the well known complaint for members caled “Big Overdraft”

I have now introduced my Dad to the delights of the MK1 and last year at Billing he won Best in Show with his red n/a. Maybe one day he will continue following in my footsteps and buy a supercharger!

ALAN CAYZER - SOUTH EAST AREA CO-ORGANISER

I am forty something years old and live in Orpington in North Kent. I have been married to Linda for 22 years and have a 15-year-old son Mark. I work in Central London as a Public Health engineer. That means I design drainage and water systems mainly for commercial buildings throughout the UK. I bought my MR2 in March 2000 as a second car for occasional weekend use as Linda thought it would help me through my forthcoming mid life crisis. I have never regretted my purchase and I realise now I should have done it a long time ago. I’m not sure who is the biggest fan of the car, Mark or myself, he just loves it to bits and I’m pretty proud of it too. Fortunately it has given me no trouble so far. I enjoy being a member of this club because it has given me the opportunity to meet people and make new friends, everyone I have met so far are so very friendly. It also allows me to take the car to shows and best of all a track day! If it’s a long distance to travel I like nothing better than to arrive the day before and stay over night at a travel Inn or similar and make a weekend of it. I am very happy and proud to be a joint organiser for the region where I live. It makes life a little easier to share the role and of course there’s always someone else to blame if things go wrong! My motto is:- Anything goes.

DAVE PRICE EX SOUTH EAST AREA CO-ORGANISER

21 years old living in Middlesex. South East Area co-organiser. After leaving school with 9 GCSE's went to college to learn engineering. Studied it for a year then woke up to the fact I would rather earn some money and work with cars. Got a job in August 98 as a car interior trimmer. I am still there now. Got my first MR2 at 18, after falling in love with one when I was still pushing toy cars along the floor. That MR2 was then written off on 31 December 99 after being hit head on by a speeding driver. Got my insurance money and bought the MR2 T-Bar I have now. It won Best car at Billing 2001. I decided to become an area organizer in an effort to raise awareness of the club and bring owners into personal contact with one another.

PETE MASON EX SOUTH EAST AREA CO-ORGANISER - COMMITTEE MEMBER

Well first off if you had not guessed my name is Pete Mason, I am 21 and live down south in the Romney Marsh area (near Ashford, where I work as an electrical engineer). I live with my partner who most of you know, Kelly Gosbee. Just as mad as anyone about cars (her dream is an Evo 6).

Before my first MR2 I had about 12 cars, (touch wood never crashed one, just like changing a lot). One of my favourites was the one that got me hooked on Toyotas; this was the imported Toyota Starlet GT Turbo (heavily modified to 198BHP on a auto revving to 9000rpm) all the mods for it were done in Japan.

Then I got my first MK1, a white E-reg that plenty of people got to know (including the roundabout I wrecked the rear suspension on). After repairing that and getting new rear arches and changing the interior to black leather from blue velour, I got onto the Bromley show stand. As the year passed I got another dog (Molly a Alsatian – I already had Cassie the border collie). The MK1 became too impractical and I sold it (a sad day that was). I got an Escort Si, it lasted 2 weeks before I had enough and was on the search for an MR2 again.

I got a MK2 import G-Limited, it was nice but I just did not enjoy it as much as my old MK1, which I highly regretted getting rid of. After a lot of effort from Steve Kingsnorth (co-area organizer) he convinced me to sell the MK2 and get a MK1 Supercharger.

I could not find a good SC in the colour I wanted, so I decided sod it, do it properly and with a lot of help from Kelly, we eventually found one through Julian at MR2 Direct Imports. It is a white MK1 SC registered in 1988. I was lucky and found out it is actually a rare SC as it is a complete hard top with manual windows (I only know of one other in the UK- please correct me if I am wrong)

The car is now due to dock on the 25th June and I should get it just over a week later ready for me to do the engine mods and new alloys (already have).

From now on you will be hearing more from us, as I am trying to organize events in the south of Kent a bit more as most are towards London. Also I will be at Billing and the Christmas party and any other events I can humanly get to.

PETE KYTE - SOUTH EAST CO-AREA ORGANISER

I live in Maidstone, Kent with my wife Clare and my two kids, Alex (14) and Lauren(10). I have been a printer since I left school many years ago. I teach spin cycling at my local gym and I enjoy running. I have run The London Marathon in under 4hrs for the last two years. When I'm not running I'm washing and polishing my pride and joy, my MK1B mica blue t-bar na (Burt). I have been a very active member within the club over the last 2 years attending many South East and National events. Highlights for me so far have been being presented with an award for the Best Toyota at the 2004 Stoneleigh GTI and Performance show, closely followed by being asked to show my car on the club stand at the NEC show at the end of 2004.

This is the second MK1 I have owned, my first was a mica blue coupe which was brought back from the dead (severe mot failure) by my great club friends Pete Mason and Kelly Gosbee. I have owned Burt for a year now and recently treated him to a top end rebuild including valve stem oil seals, valve guides and injector replacements. My car has just clocked up 138,000 miles and is still going strong although I do invisage that the bottom end will have to be dealt with eventually.

One of the biggest things I promote to the public when I am at shows is that the MK1 is a car you can use everyday, it doesn't have to just come out at weekends like a lot of classics! I clock up over 9,000 miles a year in my car using it most days for work.

I look forward to meeting you all soon at up and coming events.

RYAN KEVAN - EX NORTH WEST AREA CO-ORGANISER

I was first interested in the MK1 back in 1986 when a friend bought one, but at the time I was doing a cadetship in the Merchant Navy, so finances and time at home were decisive factors in not being able fulfill my desire.

Shortly after completing my cadetship I bought my first car, a P reg BMW 316 but after a year at sea as a fully qualified deck officer I decided to fulfill an earlier boyhood dream and purchased a Lotus Excel SE in Glacier Blue and so began my love of fast and/or slightly different cars.

8 months later and after a disagreement with a tree at 60mph the Lotus was no more so I moved onto an Audi Quattro before finally remembering the MK1.

I bought it on the 16th of June 1992 for the princely sum of £9995. It was a T-Bar in the light metallic blue, Reg G 405 CPD (anyone know its whereabouts?). I kept this car until August 1993 when I decided to have a VW Beetle (Roadster) built for me so the MK1 had to go.

December 1993 I was married and 1995 saw the arrival of my first daughter so a sensible car was the order of the day; ...and so began the dark years of car ownership....

A Rover 216 was followed by a Ford Ka and finally my present family car, a J reg Audi 80 2.0E

Over the years at sea I have moved gradually up the ladder, as you do in any job, but in 2001 I was offered my first Captaincy. I started to work for SeaCat Irish sea working week on/week off but had to travel to Belfast twice a month. I quickly got fed up with flying there and back so decided to look for a second car. There was only one I had in mind and after finding a Black D reg T-Bar with leather interior down in Gloucester for £1200 a new era of fun driving began.

The car had a complete re-spray a few months later (although not a brilliant one), had Koni adjustables and Black Diamond discs fitted all round, the interior has been re-leathered in Yellow/Black and has had a few modifications by way of an air induction kit and a Supercharger spoiler with brake light.

After joining the club in June 2002 I soon found out that the NW was lacking co-ordination so I offered my services. We have grown quite quickly and are anticipating some interesting times ahead, in particular the emergence of the NW Trackcar.

After an unfortunate mishap in a car park when some ijit backed into my offside, I decided to spend the insurance money on a complete body restoration which included replacing the rear arches with JDG panels and a proper re-spray, the result was, and still is, fantastic.

I have since had the spare wheel replaced with speakers as I gradually beef up the stereo system and done an engine swap inserting a light-weight flywheel during the process.

JOHN REDMOND NORTH WEST AREA ORGANISER

Hello I’m John Redmond, and I’m the (new) North West Area Organiser.

I live in Widnes in Cheshire and I’m married to Julie, and I’ve gone past my fortieth birthday!

I work in the aviation industry for an undercarriage systems manufacturer. At the moment the bits I do are fitted to aircraft usually seen in the summer painted red - and pumping red, white and blue smoke from the jet pipe.
I’m the one of the fellows who fixes the hydraulics and undercarriage when they go wrong, and the rebuilds them when they get worn out.

Back in the very late eighties a good friend of mine pulled up out side my house in a brand new Mica blue T-Bar, he threw me the keys and said enjoy!
Well that struck with me, but due to circumstances I was stuck with a Rover 800, which was used to tow a caravan. But a later purchase of a house with a big drive and empty garage changed that!

I’m now on my second Mk1. The first bit the dust after finding previous accident damage which had been repaired, well, not to Toyota spec shall we say! I found this out when I was having new wheel arches fitted (quarter panels) and the body shop found the inner wings not actually joined to anything and the chassis was looking like Swiss cheese.
The second is a 1988 Helios Blue coupe. I’m the first to admit that it does not get used to its full extent, being a second car/project. I do get daily use drivers having a go at me! I’m humbled to say it has won awards at the JAE and Tatton Park shows.
I try to do any work that requires doing, however bodywork is given to people who know about this dark art! I believe that if you can take it apart you can also fix it and put it back together again. I feel I have a good knowledge of the workings of a MK1 and will be glad to help anyone who needs it.

PETER SCATCHARD - UPPER THAMES AREA AND CASTLE COMBE TRACKDAY ORGANISER, EX MR2 CHALLENGE CO-ORDINATOR AND CLUB RACING DRIVER

I'm Peter Scatchard, some 56 years old now. I've been involved with the dreaded infernal combustion engine since before I was 16, ripping apart and rebuilding a Royal Enfield 125cc 2-Stroke motorcycle in time for the day of my 16th birthday. I've ridden motorcycles ever since, including touring Europe with my dear wife Val on the back of my 750 Norton Commando for 6 months as Britain entered the EC. I wrote a 12 month long epistle on this trip for the late lamented Motor Cycle Illustrated magazine, returning from our jaunt to a period on the staff of the mag, as editorial assistant, features writer and road-tester - one of the famed "You Lend 'Em, We Bend 'Em" brigade of motorcycle journalists.

My association with Norton was very strong. As Public Relations Officer for the then rapidly-growing Norton Owners Club, I got to know most of the factory personnel, from the boss Dennis Poore down to many of the assembly-line workers, and including Pete Williams, the works racer. My first ever track-session was at Thruxton, where Norton did all their final bike testing, and the race-shop was located, including a few laps on Willie's works Commando racer - you can imagine the thrill that provided! I also managed to blag a few laps on a friend's Commando production racer round the Indy circuit at Brands, but I have to confess to not really having the bottle for bike racing. Too worried about falling off and hurting myself and / or the bike to really crank it over and fight it out with people I was convinced had half-a-brain missing, the self-preservation half!! However, I've continued my association with Nortons to this day, and I'm now one of the Elder Statesmen (B.o.Fs?) of the NOC as one of its Vice-Presidents, with a Dominator 600cc bought in 1966 before starting university still in my garage.

Family life intervened come the mid 70s, but with our first-born only 3 months old, we bunged him in the back of our 2 ltr Triumph Vitesse convertible for a 3 week touring holiday round France and Spain, stopping off at Barcelona for the infamous Montjuich Park 24 Hour bike-race, where I'd offered to pit-crew for Peter Darville's Honda 750/4 team, and I caught the first stirrings of the endurance-racing bug.

Later, as Retail Products Manager of Hermetite, the gasket-goo people, and then Solvolene Lubricants, the Solvol Autosol chrome and aluminium polish folks, I became involved with sponsorship and race support, including running a service from the Isle of Man paddock during the 1977 and 78 TT Races, and the British GPs at Silverstone.

We also sponsored such people at Martin Hines and co. at Zip Karts, and Les Blackburn campaigning a 3 ltr Capri in touring car racing. Attendance at the Spa 24 Hour race in 77 added further fuel to the fire, and I started switching some of my attention to car racing.

Family life precluded any really active involvement until the 1980s, when corporate entertainment started getting me involved in both participating and organising track-experience days. My first essay in actually driving a race-car was once more at Thruxton, with the Ian Taylor race school, including single-seater Formula Fords. Days at Brands, Bruntingthorpe etc. followed, then some bike track-days at Cadwell, plus lots of enjoyable spectating at bike and car meets, including Le Mans, but was I somehow never motivated enough to take things further.

Until my neighbour acquired a Citroen 2CV, the dreaded Deux Chevaux. It was whilst taking the mick out of his bizarre choice of "safe" cars to entrust his daughter to that his response, "They race these things, you know!! And over 24 hours!" finally lit my fire.

Enquiries followed, and the lure of actually being able to do a 24 hour race myself proved too great. I entered the British 2CV Championship in 1997 to gain some race-experience, and in 98 got a team of 4 drivers plus assorted wrench-monkeys together to have a crack at the Big One. We finished a creditable 14th out of around 40 starters on our first attempt, and have since then competed twice more with a steadily improving car, running as high as 4th after 6 hours one year, but never improving on that position - something about tortoise and hare?

Purchase of my red T-bar in 2000 lead to membership of the MR2 MK1 Club, and with it came access to the Castle Combe track-days, a pleasant 45 minute canter from my home near the famous running White Horse on the Lambourn Downs. With Andy O'Brien standing down from the Club's co-ordination role with Combe, I've poked my head above the parapet to take over the job for 2004.

The Club's appeal for members with race-licences to pedal the Club's race-car in the opening season of the new "unmodified" championship is, of course, too good to resist, so I'm now busy renewing my National "A" licence, and looking forward to getting my hands on the beast for some shake-down time before the season kicks off on Sunday 11th April at Snetterton.

VYKKI HOULT - EAST ANGLIA AREA ORGANISER

I am 27 and live in Norfolk although I was born in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. I drive a white MK1a (called Sakura) and live with my partner Phil who drives a Mica Blue Mk1b. I have always driven cars that have a 'subculture' attached to them - I have owned 7 Minis and a Smart Car and have been members of clubs involving these cars. My other hobbies are photography, motorsport, jewellery and card making and poi - which is sort of juggling on string (has to be seen to be explained!!!). I am also a plane spotter and can often be seen hanging around air bases, notebook in hand! I am an accountant by day and jewellery designer by night, and most of the rest of my free time is spent on my car!

Back to main page

mailto:rmorgan.park301@ntlworld.com