Meet last Monday of the month 8pm at Rawdon Conservative Club – 24 Leeds Rd, Leeds LS19 6NL
Contact: Ian Hoole, 51 Monks Ings, Birstall, Batley, WF17 9HU
Tel 07590 274598
Email Ian Hoole
August 2024 Report
August is the time for Chris Simpson’s famous Heather & Honey Run, which continues to be a highlight of our motoring year. For 2025 the venue moved to Tennants Auction House in Leyburn, where the scion of the dynasty, Rodney Tennant, has realised his dream of building for future generations, with the result being a superb venue for auctions and weddings, and of course car rallies. Not content with hosting the rally, Rodney accompanied Rudding Park’s owner, Simon Mackaness, up hill and down dale in Simon’s 1923 Alvis 12/50 TE, the oldest car of the day.
There was ample room for our 46 cars and the Garden Room provided a lovely spacious environment for us all to gather and chat before the run started, and to enjoy a really good lunch afterwards.
Park your Austin in Leyburn Market Place and setting off in any direction will result in a delightful drive through stunning Yorkshire scenery, so you’re spoilt for choice. Malcolm Parker had provided the outline of an interesting and quite challenging route, taking in Castle Bolton and Buttertubs Pass. Chris and Andrea fleshed this out and checked the route prior to the event. Everybody finished the 42 mile run without drama and we had only one non-starter, Peter Rowlands having to bale out and return to Lincolnshire due to illness. 18 Austins entered, including 12 Sevens, so the one Bugatti present was heavily outnumbered.
If ever you see an old codger making a mess of parking up in Sainsburys, it will definitely not be Russ Swift, who made a welcome return to the Heather & Honey Run this year in his SS100 Jaguar, which roared passed me after I’d held him up all the way down the north side of Buttertubs. He’d bought the car only that week, so was pleased with its performance on the day.
The prize for the car most people wanted to take home went again to Bob Davies in his Bristol 405 DHC. As this is the second year running Bob has taken the prize with the Bristol the organisers are hoping to persuade him to bring something else along next year – perhaps the Derby Bentley, Bob?
The prize for the longest drive to Leyburn went to John Chadwick in his Riley Big 4 touring saloon, which had travelled from Whitby via Grassington to pick up a passenger. If any Austineers from further afield fancy participating next year, that’s one prize that is up for grabs, but you’ll need to apply early as there was quite a long waiting list this year. Contact chris@pennington.co.uk
The most important bit I’ve left until last. We raised in excess of £2,000 for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, the sum including two very generous anonymous donations. So, a great day out with a wonderful selection of people and cars, and all in a very good cause.
By the time you read this it will not be long until our final club run of the year on Sunday 20th October. This starts and finishes at The White Hart, Pool in Wharfedale, Otley LS21 1LH. We will be meeting for coffee from around 10:00 am and you are most welcome to join us.
Colin Wilks
Disaster averted! Our organiser Chris Simpson’s chummy suffered an ignition failure en route, but the usual roadside huddle of experts soon had him going again.
Chris and “The Management”
Nick Turley’s magnificent Crossley 20/70
John Chadwick receives the award for the longest distance travelled to the start.
Invitation from the Austin 10 York Group
Following our display of cars at Elvington last weekend I have now been contacted by the Events coordinator at ‘Eden Camp’ wartime museum, Malton.
They too would like to discuss arranging a similar display/ car show event at their place.
The Event will be the last weekend in September so either 28th or 29th Sept.
Entry would be ‘Free’ for our cars etc they just need to confirm if they can go ahead with the event in next Committee meeting.
They would like as many cars /vehicles as we could muster
Anyone who is interested in going please email me jonathan.stewart04@btinternet.com
And I will send information as I receive it.
April 2024 Report
This month has involved preparations for two really great events, our grand Yorkshire Shoe Box Racing evening, scheduled for the 1st of May, and the truly unmissable Sevens to the Sea run, organised by the Lincolnshire PWA7C on Sunday, April 14th. As I write, we are relaxing in the Woodcocks Hotel on the front at Cleethorpes, having set off from Lincoln this morning for an amble through the Lincolnshire Wolds. Without wishing to inflate their egos beyond endurance, I must commend Peter Rowlands and Paddy Malone for another fantastic event. Paddy’s organisation was exceptional and Peter had used his influence to steal the day’s weather from the South of France. The parade of cars on King’s Parade saw some real enthusiasm from the locals, and hopefully recruited a few to the world of Austineering.