Introduction

It’s that time of year once again when we say farewell to the past year and look back on what we have done over the past 12 months. Thanks goes to my son Mark who has taken on the task of compiling and uploading the 80+ photos you see below. We’ve had a great time throughout the year doing lots of things from static car shows to coastal runs with a great turn out of cars for all occasions and all types of weather conditions. There were a few events we personally couldn’t make ourselves, Wings and Wheels at Dunsfold in Surrey, the venue of the now defunct BBC Top Gear programme so I’m afraid there are no photos for that occasion although I heard everyone enjoyed the day. We missed the MR2 racing at Brands Hatch due to holiday commitments and the Herne Bay show was cancelled at the last minute due to a sewer under the high street collapsing and since the venue was intended to be held in the high street it obviously couldn’t go ahead. We have noticed this year that car shows are becoming very popular with classic car owners. There were a few shows that sold their allocation of car passes well in advance of the show date and that left some people disappointed because they left it late in applying. I’m not sure whether the show’s are restricting the number of cars or if classic car ownership is increasing but it’s going to be the same next year so if you’re thinking of coming to an event next year where you need to book tickets, don’t leave it too late.

Once again you will see that we combine all our events with the MR2 Drivers Club and I take this opportunity to thank them and their members for making these events possible and exciting. Without them none of what we do would be possible. Why you may ask? Well, The Mk1 club doesn’t have the support to sustain an active group anymore. Apart from myself (the LAO for the south east) we only met a handful of other Mk1 club members throughout the whole year, many of the events were not attended by any other member other than myself. This has now been the norm for the past few years and it isn’t showing any signs of improving so it has been a very frustrating time for me and the club. Hopefully these photos will encourage more of us in the south east to bring your cars out and attend our meetings and events next year. I’m aware that if the attendance from club members fails to increase next year there seems little point trying to organise events as it will be a waste of my time and effort when nobody is joining in. Here’s looking forward to 2016 and let’s hope it’s going to be a great year so we can keep things alive here in the south east.


5th & 6th April. Festival of Steam and Transport Chatham Dockyard

Chatham Dockyard was our first show of the year held over the Easter Weekend Sunday and Monday. As all displaying cars must be no younger than 1989 only MK1 MR2’s are eligible. On the day we had 3 Mk1’s plus an MR2 kit based Ferrari Dino. We had previously decided to do just one day, the Sunday and had arranged to meet just outside the Dockyard entrance by the public car park early so we could all enter together but unfortunately one of us (me) got delayed. As the show was filling up fast the others decided to go in without waiting which meant that when I arrived some half hour later I was unable to park next to the other MR2’s. That’s a lesson for next year, “must make sure everyone goes in together”! Despite a bright sunny day the air temperature was very cold so everyone was wearing winter coats. What a difference from the previous year when we were wearing tee shirts and sunglasses! The dockyard was very busy, lots of motors, Vintage, Classic, Military vehicles, buses etc. You name it and it was there. But of course the cars are only part of the show, the dockyard is the main attraction and it has been preserved since it closed as an operational naval dockyard in the early eighties. The history of the dockyard dates back to the 16th Century although little remains of that era. The main focus is perhaps obviously warships from the wooden sailing ships, steel hulled sail/steamers, WW2 ships and finally submarines of the cold war period which was the last type of marine vessel to be built at the dockyard. All the buildings that made the sails, ropes and metal work remain and have been converted into museums. It is so interesting and fascinating. Anyway, we all had a good day and enjoyed ourselves. As the festival is so popular, applications for spaces for the show in 2016 are well under way already plus they are now insisting on a donation (charge) of £5 per car so if you want to take part in this show next year apply now before it gets full. I’ve done my application already.



The lonesome MK1


Always busy at the Dockyard


Here are the others who went in earlier




That Dino is a kit car based on a MR2 Roadster


But this is the real thing