VOLUME 13, NUMBER 4 JULY-AUGUST 2008

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

AGM 2008 Report .........................10 Austin A-90 Auction Report ...........5 Austin Powers … Title ...................5 Autojumble....................................10 BRBC 2008 Report..........................6 BRBC Song......................................9 Davy Jones’ Austin .........................3 Green Degreasers ...........................4 Iron Man in an Iron Car.................2 MG TF is Back (in the UK) ............3 Nigel Muggeridge Park Bench.....10

Trivia Quiz ....................................10 Tulip Rallye Report.........................2 Welcome to OECC.........................10 UPCOMING EVENTS

Sat., September 20: Whistler Run (join us on the optional overnight and Sunday tour back home—see page 10 for details)

Tue., October 7: Meeting, 7 pm. TBA Sunday, November 2: London to

Brighton Commemorative Run Tue., November 4: Meeting, 7 pm,

Teamsters Freight Transportation Museum and Archives, 1580A Kingsway, Port Coquitlam

Tue., December 2: Christmas dinner

EDITOR’S BIT

There are still four months of 2008 left, and fall is a beautiful time of year to enjoy our old English cars. Join us 9/20 on the Whistler Run (see p. 10) or ferry to the ECAIP the same week-end. Plan to join us on the London to Brighton Commemorative Run, 11/2!

For many, many years I have kept the faith of all things Thames. I have been almost unwavering in my devotion.

Almost. There was that casual fling with Alfreda the Austin. I was lured by her flashy 50s chromium and her tarty two-tone paint. I overlooked her tawdry flaws, her bondo-laden flanks and sagging suspension because she was fun.

Pinned to her headliner was proof of her redemption, a medal of St. Christopher, Patron Saint of Travelers. Surely it was a sign of righteousness, talisman against breakdown and protector from the wrath of Girling and Lucas.

But it was not to be. In my enthusiastic myopia I had mis-taken St. Jude for Christopher. St. Jude, Patron Saint of Lost Causes, was riding shotgun in the A-55!

After it was over I returned to the Ford faith with renewed zeal. I was a born-again, baptized in thermosyphon and ready to cast off my sinful ways. The Unholy Trinity of mechanical brakes, transverse springs and sidevalves was the path for me. I plunged in and became a fisher of men. I ministered to the needy Thames owners of the world. I righted wrongs and I spread the word.

And then it happened again. Oh, God, I am so weak! Why do I always fall for the voluptuous curves and the toothy smiles? Cannot I deny myself? Cannot I be satisfied with the honest labour of a real truck? Have I no standards?

I have strayed once more. She’s so modern, so fast, so comfortable. She promises everything. Once again I see as in a glass, darkly. When will my scales fall away? For I see not her gaping holes, nor her failed brakes nor her missing parts. St. Jude is with me, guiding my hand in another lost cause!

How will I triumph in the end? How will my roster entry stop looking like a Bucket List?

There is but one answer: I will form my own Church of Eng-lish Cars! Join me, the Right Reverend Leslie. Send me your donations! Be generous! Help save the little trucks!

St. Christopher or St. Jude - when those saints go marching in I just want to be in the vanguard!

When the Saints Go Marching In (recently the author became the owner of a 1950 Standard Vanguard pickup utility) Les Foster

PAGE 2 T H E R OUN DABOUT VO LUM E 13, NUMBER 4

MGCCNWC Tulip Rallye, Saturday, April 26 Steve Hutchens

Four OECC cars participated in the 2008 Tulip Rallye in Burlington (just north of Mt. Vernon), sponsored by the MG Car Club Northwest Centre of Seattle: Steve and Liz Blake, Win and Christine Muehling, David and Grant Austin, and, joining me in Celia's '66 Volvo 122-S, Don Voegele (an "old Volvo" friend of mine from Bellingham). It was a beautiful day and the tulips were out the best I've ever seen them. Although there were reports of well over 200 cars, MGCCNWC had several routes through the tulip fields to minimized traffic problems (Tulip Festival traffic can be quite heavy). We met cars coming and going, and had a nice lunch stop.

This was one great tour of the tulip fields, lots of other scenic roads, and lots of prizes and awards. There was a huge (HUGE!) group of Minis (I heard someone say 43), mostly new but quite a few vintage as well. There were more English cars than anything else, and the largest group of Alfas I’ve ever seen.

The Tulip Rallye attracts all kinds of cars and if you like to see lots of variety on the road, I highly rec-ommend that you put the Tulip Rallye on your calendar for next April. I’m sure that you will not be disappointed!

An Iron Man in an Iron Car Ken Miles, Chairman

Saturday July 26th saw some OECC members attend the annual ABFM in Belle-vue, Washington. Attending mem-bers were Win and Christine Mueh-ling, Ken and Pat Miles, Alan and Mary Lou Miles and Roy Wilkins. All attending

members won trophies: Win Muehling took 3rd place in the Morgan Plus 8 class, Pat and I took 1st place in the Morgan DHC class, Alan and Mary Lou took 3rd place in the Sunbeam class and Roy Wilkins took 2nd place in the prewar class.

In July Pat and I journeyed to California for annual Morgan event and I include this write up because that it shows one must be prepared for all difficulties if they are going to do long runs and that some of these events can be both a lot of fun and rewarding.

On Monday July 14th, Pat and I left Surrey for the annual MOGWEST event in Cambria, California. The car ran well for the first seven hours and then started to sputter and miss. Both the car and myself couldn’t make up our minds whether it had a fuel or an electrical problem. We were lucky in that we were able to sputter into our hotel for the night where I could work along with my first of the day to solve the problem. Turned out to be both. Two lessons to be learned here and they are: never use a cork gasket for the bowl in your mechanical fuel pump (they can shrink) and always carry a test light with you to solve your electrical problems (loose wire on the ignition side). Two days later we were in Pleasanton, California, with the Tollworthys to do final preparations for Cambria and to enjoy many firsts of the day.

Friday, both the Tollworthys and ourselves headed for Car-

mel to meet up with the rest of the members of the MSCCNC to drive down the coast road to Cambria. Although the drive is beautiful with many curves, etc. in the road and great views of the ocean, this year was slightly depressing in that the road had just reopened after the bush fires of the past few weeks. As we drove south, the views of the ocean and terrain were nor-mal but to the left nothing buts ashes and burnt bushes up to the road side.

Arriving in Cambria, we did one final cleanup of the car and then attended the Friday night party to register, meet old friends, enter the dart contest and enjoy a drink with some very good appies.

Saturday morning was the concours show and we were in tough competition being in Premier Class (All previous best of shows and the winners of all previous classes for the previous three years). Saturday afternoon saw us taking part in the car rally and for the first time we thought we were doing well until the end when we couldn’t find the rally master. Turned out that 28 of the 37 cars missed the trick position of the rally master and were eliminated. Oh well there is always another MOGWEST. At the end of the rally our generator was also making a really odd noise so we had to set to and strip it out and replace it with the spare that we carry. During the eve-ning there was a barbeque attended by over 70 people, which allowed us to continue to resume old friendships and make new ones.

Sunday morning arrived and the poker and trivia rally were on. The rally took us to several wineries where we were able to taste the local wines and have a tremendous lunch in an old restored home. That evening was the final windup with every-body attending the awards dinner with a dance afterwards. What a night, Pat and I went home considerably heavier with awards for Furthest in a Morgan, Second place in the women’s side of the dart contest, First place in the Trivia Rally and in Premier class.

The drive home was uneventful but cold. In Oregon, tem-peratures normally in the eighties and nineties were in the high fifties.

Over the next couple of months we have several upcoming events (see the calendar on page 1). I look forward to seeing you at some of these events and hopefully you will come out and support your club.

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Davy Jones' Austin Walter Reynolds

While watching a Nova video tape recently, Linda and I were blown away by the shots of an old Austin being lowered by the US Navy into the Atlantic, off the Newfoundland coast.

The video chronicled the US submarine, "USS Thresher". This was the US's first nuclear attack submarine and, shortly into its career was lost with all hands. Through interviews with Navy-types and naval historians, the program's produc-ers were able to piece together the "birth and end" of the sub-marine. Part of the Navy's research into possible resting places of the sub including the releasing of a car into the ocean and tracking its fall.

For some reason, probably its advanced aerodynamic de-sign, the Austin was chosen for the water experiment, or else it was the Admiral's wife’s old car that he wanted out of the driveway. Regardless, the viewer sees the car being dropped unceremoniously into the ocean and then plunging out of sight beneath the water. So sad!

Here are three photos that I took while the video played. Go-ing, going, almost gone. The details of the video are: Nova: Submarines, Secrets & Spies - USS Tracker attack subma-rine and other US and USSR nuclear submarines. 1999.

MG is Back! AutoweekOnline.com, August 1, 2008 (yet another chapter in the MG saga)

MG sports cars are again rolling off the production line in Great Britain.

The latest MG TF roadster looks much the same as it did 3½ years ago when MG Rover went bankrupt, but things have changed dramatically since.

Now the TF's body and powertrain are made in China and shipped to MG's Longbridge plant in central England for paint and final assembly.

After MG Rover closed, China's Nanjing Automotive Corp. bought the assets of the company and moved the TF's production equipment to China. Since then, the MG's 1.8-liter overhead-cam engine has been overhauled, and the car has been given a few minor cosmetic and structural improvements.

The MG TF, introduced in 1995, was one of Europe's best-selling budget sports cars before MG Rover folded.

The two-seat convertible will be available starting next month only in Great Britain. Plans to manufacture and sell a hardtop version in the United States never materialized.

Response to the reborn MG in England has been strong, according to The Birmingham Post, a newspaper in central England. The paper reported that 70 percent of the first batch of 500 special-edition cars have been sold.

MG, which kicked off the British sports car boom in the United States in the late 1940s, dates back to 1923. MGs were last offered in the United States in 1980, but the brand still has a large following here.

8/26 FLASH: MG's plans to return to

North America with the TF are dead.

Again. SAIC (Shanghai Automo-

tive) has acquired MG from NAC

(Nanjing Automotive). But pro-

duction of 500 MG TFs for the

UK market has actually started at

Longbridge! Good luck, MG!

PAGE 4 T H E R OUN DABOUT VO LUM E 13, NUMBER 4

So, you need to clean that oily, grease-encrusted transmission case before you start your rebuild. Do you empty half a gallon of your lawnmower gas into a pan and grab an old brush or “borrow” some paint thinner from the tool shed? Maybe you buy some degreasing spray or plunk the box into your solvent-filled parts washer. Or, do you thoughtfully decide to use a safe, non-toxic, non-carcinogenic, non-flammable, bio-degradable product and some good old water?

We’ve grown up with the familiar but quite deadly petroleum-derived cleaners. We know they work. If they take your skin off and burn your lungs they must be good, eh? The truth is that better products exist - better for your health, better for the environment, and better for your car.

Modern non-toxic solvents and de-greasers are every bit as effective as the nasty stuff and are more versatile. Many of the non-toxic degreasers will perform a multitude of tasks from removing the accumulated grease on your gearbox to flushing your radiator or even cleaning your carpet. It’s all a matter of dilution- matching the strength to the job by sim-ply adding water. One “green” product on your workshop shelf can fill in safely for a whole range of those dangerous ones. Non-toxic cleaning products are safer in all respects, very effective, and the disposal of the waste is friendlier and

easier. If allowed to stand for a time, the dissolved oil products from your degreas-ing job will float on top of the water-based degreasing solution. It can then be easily skimmed or poured off and dis-posed of with your other waste oil. The degreaser itself can be re-used multiple times and is safe for the environment once the oily waste is removed from it.

A trip to KMS Tools found me inquir-ing if their line of parts washers were safe to use with water-based degreasers. I was surprised to learn that all of their parts washers are sold as being intended for use with the non-toxic products, if only to save the retailer from any liabil-ity that might arise from use of the more dangerous and flammable solvents. Spe-cialty washers incorporating hot water are available from some companies now.

“Green” cleaners can friendlier to your car’s parts. Paint and plastics are far less likely to be harmed by them.

The prices are competitive, too. On a recent trip to Canadian Tire I noted that their 4-liter jugs of an environmentally-friendly engine and machinery degreaser was virtually the same price as their pe-troleum-based product and another well-known “green” cleaner was on sale for about half the cost. The point is that going green can actually be cheaper than laying waste to Mother Nature! Remem-ber, that by diluting these products, where applicable, they can be made to go even further than the petroleum sol-vents, further lowering their cost.

Health and safety are major motiva-tions for using safe, non-flammable and non-toxic cleaners. Bending over a tub of gasoline and inhaling its stupefying va-pours and getting the fuel with its car-cinogenic additives on your skin, is not

good for you. That’s not even mentioning the potential for catastrophic fire or ex-plosion!

Varsol, kerosene and other petroleum solvents are little safer. Use green de-greasing agents and you will not only feel better about being environmentally re-sponsible, you will actually feel better. Period!

I took a very unscientific survey of products on the shelves of local busi-nesses and I found that the good are still vastly out-numbered by the bad and the ugly. Most parts dealers will have a to-ken representation of “green” products, though one local outlet seemed to offer none at all! The bigger chains carry more selection. Don’t forget that these products have many applications in the home, too, so they can be found at hard-ware stores, building centres and big-box outlets as well as auto-oriented busi-nesses.

Much information can be had from the internet and a bit of research there will arm you with knowledge and names that will make your shopping for “green” de-greasers that much easier. Non-toxic brake cleaners are available, too.

We are just in the infancy of the switch-over to safer products of all kinds. As these movements are largely con-sumer-driven it’s really up to all of us to search out the products and make the dealers aware of what we want. If enough people ask about a product you can be sure that it will soon be on the shelf!

So, remember - use green stuff to get rid of the black stuff!

Green Degreasers Les Foster

An email from Les: I purchased some "Simple Green'' which I will test on my Vanguard. I noted that Gerry Parkinson used a spray bottle of it to degrease his son's Chevy engine block. We ARE evolving!

Editor’s Note: At least some of us are evolving. I feel like a stone age heathen, having just converted my parts washer from biodegradable cleaner to a petroleum-based solvent. Reading Les’s article, the failure of my experiment with earth-friendly cleaners may have been due to the product I selected. It was labeled “Bulldozer” brand, so I reasoned that it had to be tough. Recommendations on the bottle gave suggested dilution rates for various applications, and al-though I used a dilution rate a bit stronger than listed for my application the results were less than stellar. A word of caution if you use a detergent-based product in your parts washer: it can cause rust. When I drained my parts washer I found more than a little. Also be sure to dry parts cleaned with these products well, as they, too, can rust.

With Les’ encouragement, I went to simplegreen.com. An amazing variety of products is available. In addition to standard Simple Green, there are many special versions, including Extreme Simple Green Precision Equipment Degreaser which looks interesting. For details of this (or any other) product, download the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for comprehen-sive information. Specialized versions of Simple Green may be harder to find but could be worthwhile. I pledge to give Simple Green a chance! Thanks, Les, for the encouragement!

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Austin powers to Britian’s worst ever car’ title Alastair Dalton (submitted by Mike Smith from news.scotsman.com) Published Date: 17 July 2008

The car is so loathed that the Top Gear team use it for spoof stunts. But now the Austin Allegro has added to its cult anti-hero status by being voted Brit-ain's worst car.

The model – once Britain's fifth best-selling car – beat other ve-hicular horrors such as the Morris Ital and Austin Princess by taking nearly a quarter of the votes in a poll of 4,000 people. Despite 642,350 Allegros being sold, it was reviled for rust, poor build quality and the rear window's ten-dency to pop out.

Early Allegros even sported a "quartic" squared-off steering wheel, which was de-signed to make steering easier and providing extra room for the driver's legs, but this was quickly dropped.

The British Leyland car featured in a se-ries of hit 1970s TV shows, including The Professionals, Doctor Who, The New Aven-gers and The Sweeney. The police even bought 657 of them. More recently, it appeared in Little Brit-ain.

Despite the last Allegro rolling off the production line 25 years ago, there are more than 1,000 still registered in Britain.

The Morris Ital – described by critics as "gormless" – took sec-ond place with 23.4 per cent of votes, with the Talbot Sunbeam third with 11.5 per cent. The equally unlovely Austin Princess was next with 10.7 per cent of votes, just ahead of the Lin-

wood-built Hillman Imp, with 10.6 per cent. Mat Watson, editor of iMotormag.co.uk, the online motoring

magazine which commissioned the survey, said the Allegro marked the last gasp for Britain's once pre-eminent car manufacturers. He said: "In the face of superior alternatives from Europe and the Far East, cars like the Austin Al-

legro were the final nail in the coffin for the once-dominant British motor industry. The Allegro was full of promise and

expectations, but ultimately failed to de-liver." Mr Watson added that the "pug-faced" Hillman Imp proved little better as it was "built as a rival to the Austin Mini, but price, build quality and reliability let this over-engineered car down." However, they were successful racing cars, dominating the Brit-ish Saloon Car Championship – now the British Touring Car Championship – from

1970-72. Auctioneers said that well-preserved or low-mileage cars

from the 1970s attracted high levels of interest, despite their looks. Tim Naylor, a spokes-man for British Car Auctions, said: "Cars from the 1970s are much more fondly remembered than in previous years. Cars often unloved in their

day are getting a rose-tinted glow. Even the Allegro has a col-lectors' club. It shows ugly ducklings can turn into swans."

“In the face of superior alternatives from Europe and the Far East, cars like the Austin Allegro were the final nail in the coffin for the once-dominant British motor industry.”

The “Lack of Honour” Roll:

1. Austin Allegro (1973-1983) 24.9% 2. Morris Ital (1980-1984) 23.4% 3. Talbot Sunbeam (1977-1981) 11.5% 4. Austin Princess (1947-1968) 10.7% 5. Hillman Imp (1963-1976)

6. Rover 200 (1984-2005) 7. Triumph Acclaim (1981-1984) 8. Rover 800 (1986-1999) 9. Morris 1800 (1964-1975) 10. Triumph TR7 (1974-1981)

MARKET: 1949 Austin A-90 Atlantic Convertible By DAVE KINNEY Bonhams Greenwich Concours d'Elegance June 8, 2008 Left-hand drive. 2,660-cc, 88-hp, inline four-cylinder. Column-shift four-speed manual. White with burgundy leather and tan cloth top. Excellent paint and brightwork, there's no pitting to be found, including on the small bits. BF Goodrich "Long Miler" tires have some white rubber leaving the whitewalls, but still plenty of tread. The leather burgundy piped with white trim looks more like what you might find on a period Bentley than an Aus-tin. Excellent dash includes fully restored gauge faces. This has to be this planet's best Austin A-90, and now the most expensive as well. SOLD AT $55,575 This car was the subject of a 1995 AutoWeek Escape Roads. If cute could be packaged, it would look like this Austin. Its art deco/baroque/what-were-they-thinking styling looks more like a built-to-life-size scale toy model than a serious attempt at a car. After World War II, steel was scarce in the British Isles, and export-or-perish was the order of the day. The styling was in many ways Britain's interpretation of what North America wanted in a postwar car. With room for five and a power top and windows, it was not as well received as the British sports cars of its era, the MG TD or the Austin Healey 100/4. More than 10 years since its restoration, the car still presented fresh. If you want to know the maximum price in 2008 for an A-90 convertible, here it is.

PAGE 6 T H E R OUN DABOUT VO LUM E 13, NUMBER 4

The night before BRBC found Steve and I loading trip note-books and large bags of event shirts in our Morgan. Thank heavens for the newly installed luggage rack we got from Bob McDiarmid! We couldn’t have managed without it.

Victoria to Comox, Day 1

Day one of the tour began with Vancouver Branch partici-pants ferrying from Tsawasssen and gathering for a delightful garden party lunch hosted by the South Island Branch at the home of Pat and Derrick Sparks. The day was perfect and we enjoyed spectacular views of the islands and Mount Baker. It

was hard to pull ourselves away, but we had places to go. The responsibility of leadership navigation weighed on me when I directed Steve to make a quick, but wrong turn only to be fol-lowed by several others. We all regrouped at Bowser and all arrived at Comox where some stayed in the Anco Motel and others stayed with friends. Frank DeCarlo provided a sumptu-ous pig roast and unique entertainment.

Comox to Nanaimo, Day 2

We headed south to Nanaimo on 1A where we enjoyed sun dappled with shade, and picturesque coastal views. The Cen-tral Island Branch went all out to host the AGM. (See the

AGM article by Adele Hedges on page 10.) Steve and I enjoyed the AGM and also had the treat of catching up with our friends

Doug and Judy Unia who hosted us for the night.

Nanaimo to Lillooet, Day 3 Day three showed us the value of keeping one’s folding

chairs handy. The BRBC group was able to put out chairs to sit in the only spot of shade while waiting to load the ferry to Horseshoe Bay. The ferry was one of the new German-made models and was so quiet we could hardly notice engine noise. The park where we planned our picnic lunch, Porteau Cove, was filled with other sun seekers who had the same idea. Wal-ter Reynolds helped the initial BRBC arrivals find parking. Later BRBC arrivals found the park completely full and a quick “executive decision” was made to head up to the Britan-nia Beach where there was ample parking and a delightful little park in the style of an old fashioned town square.

After lunch we headed into the mountains; Whistler, Pemberton, and the Duffy Lake Road, on what turned out to be the hottest day of the run. Some said the temperature reached 44 degrees! Considering the age of our vehicles it was a testa-ment to both luck and preparation that only three experienced difficulties and that two of them completed the entire run any-way. In the late afternoon we gathered at the Mile 0 Motel in Lillooet and wandered down the street for great food at Dina’s

Greek Restaurant. We ended the evening with a parking lot party at the motel.

Brits ‘Round BC 2008 Celia Obrecht (Photos from http://www.oecc.ca/brbc-photos/Index.htm thanks to Pat Sparks)

John Chapman, Alan and Mary Lou Miles, and Pat Miles join Gail Cox and others for lunch in this fantastic setting

Lillooet to Williams Lake, Day 4 Day four continued almost as hot as the previous day, so

most chose to start through the rugged hills towards Clinton in the cool of the morning. Pat and Ken Miles regretfully re-turned to Vancouver. Two drivers unintentionally took the same turn towards Lytton as the Miles, but realized their mis-take and caught up with us later. Several stopped at the his-torical museum in Clinton and the group as a whole gathered at Chasm Provincial Park where many had picnic lunches. In Williams Lake our motel was conveniently located between the

Visitors’ Centre, which hosted a Show & Shine Car Show for us and the Laughing Loon Pub where we had dinner reservations.

Williams Lake to Prince George, Canada Day, Day 5 This was a perfect day for top-down touring. We wouldn’t

have minded if there had been more distance between Wil-liams Lake and Quesnel. Our first group stop was LeBourdais Park in Quesnel where we intended a lunch stop and a rendez-vous with cars from Prince George. We discovered that the park was the centre of Quesnel’s Canada Day festivities, filled with people and excitement. We enjoyed lunch on the perime-ter of the activities and proceeded north after a detour to the British Sweet Shop on the road to Barkerville.

In Prince George we had a barbeque at the Railway and For-estry Museum, generously hosted by the Northern Interior Branch of the club. After dinner there was a Show & Shine that included other Prince George car clubs as well, and then a drive when the mosquitoes became too earnest. Steve and I

heard later that there were fireworks visible from the motel parking lot and then lightening and rain, but this was while we caught up on our sleep, lulled by the hum of the air condi-tioning unit.

Prince George to where? Day 6

The day began smoothly. By now our group was in a com-fortable groove with touring. We knew and accommodated our variations in traveling style. Some of the styles represented were: 1) Leave early, drive steadily and arrive early; 2) Sleep late, drive fast and arrive whenever; 3) Drive with spirit in a radio-coordinated convoy; 4) Drive independently, periodically joining up with like minded folks at points of interest. The style that fit Steve and me best was to leave at a moderate time of morning and then stop at as many interesting spots as possible, finally arriving among the last cars.

On day 6, headed to Jasper, we followed our usual routine, and were surprised to find almost all the cars that had left ahead of us or passed us were stopped at the Chevron Station in McBride, the only town enroute. The road to Jasper had been closed by a landslide. All but the four earliest starting cars congregated for lunch at the McBride City Park providing an impromptu car show for the local citizens while Steve can-

celled reservations in Jasper and Norm Hall worked with the Travel Centre to find accommodations for our large group in the very small town.

Between rooms at a ski lodge (opened off-season for us), a small Sandman Hotel, and a group of cabins, we all found ac-commodation although we were unable to contact any of those who went on ahead due to lack of cell phone coverage. That evening some of us enjoyed a campfire, some a parking lot party, or both if we so chose. Some enjoyed our unexpected stop so much that there was talk of a planned rest day in a future BRBC.

McBride to Lake Louise Village via Jasper, Day 7

Today we regrouped with the cars that had been ahead when we stopped in McBride. These folks had detoured south to find rooms in Vailmount. The landslide, which we passed in a single lane, was impressive. We added kilometers to our day in order to rejoin our planned schedule for Lake Louse Village and our reservations at the Lake Louise Inn. The Ice Fields Parkway was a splendid drive and even with added distance there was time for at least a few tourist stops for those who were so inclined. Steve and I drove up a rough road to Mt. Edith Cavelle with Norm & Joyce Hall and Alan & Mary Lou Miles. The reward at the end was a most spectacular moun-tain practically our laps. The famous mountain parkway took

PAGE 8 T H E R OUN DABOUT VO LUM E 13, NUMBER 4

a toll on some of us: one car broke down temporarily, one car limped in with electrical problems, and one speeding ticket was dispensed. Pat Jones provided an ingenious fix to the broken down car, his second save on that particular vehicle.

Lake Louise Village to Revelstoke, Day 8

U.S. Independence Day was sunny but the weather was pre-dicted to turn. Cars went in small groups to explore the area. We joined forces with Pat & Derrick Sparks, Alan & Mary Lou Miles, Pat Jones & Elaine LaFountaine, Clayton Sach (from Edmonton), and Al & Irene Thompson to explore Moraine Lake and Lake Louise. We succeeded in our goal but also explored a lot more of the right bank of a road-side near Moraine Lake than we in-tended because our Morgan’s oil cap blew off. The cap was found by Al Thompson much forward of where we thought it had landed, and the occa-sion was promptly memorialized in verse by Irene Thompson who wrote verse throughout the trip (see page 9). The weather turned rainy be-tween Golden and Revelstoke, the only rain that occurred during driv-ing time on BRBC 2008.

By the time we reached Revelstoke our Morgan was making a grinding noise from the rear axle calling for some parking lot wrench

work led by Bill Grant who joined the tour at that evening. Norm Hall’s TR7 needed a new alternator, and Octagon Motors shipped one overnight deliv-ery from Vancou-ver. At dinner that evening,

Steve and I were honored by Robert Atkins and the other Brits who sang the U.S. National anthem, leaving off singing before “the unpleasantness” about “bombs bursting in air.” Some interesting looks were directed our way.

Revelstoke to Kamloops, Day 9

The new alternator arrived as promised and was installed gratefully. We had only a short distance of touring that day so Steve and I shopped in the farmers’ market with the Miles and walked through the historic homes area of Revelstoke where we met Bill and Susanna. We left town together and had a lazy lunch in a small park on the shore of Shuswap Lake. In Kam-loops we arrived at the Riverland Motel in the late afternoon and relaxed in the shade watching the river roll by us. The Thompson Valley Branch put on a yummy barbeque with steak, chicken and Lorraine Finnigan’s delicious homemade carrot cake.

After dinner we toured across the river and ended up at the location of an Austin ambulance that is being restored by the Kamloops Vintage Car Club. Since Kamloops was the official end of the BRBC 2008 Tour, we had festivities and presenta-tions. Wayne Peddie presented the OECC Montague award to

Ken and Lorraine Finnigan for their many contributions to restoring old English cars over the years. Wayne Peddie pre-sented a Winkworth bell from the OECC to the Kamloops Vin-tage Car Club to help in bringing the Austin ambulance back in truly original style. Linda Harris presented a BRBC friend-ship quilt to us, Celia and Steve. Linda sewed the quilt which has an English car theme and was signed by almost all of the BRBC participants. Then we were treated to the much antici-pated vocal performance of Irene and Al Thompson, backed by a the OECC Singers (see page 9). Soloists and back-ups per-formed Irene’s BRBC 2008 song, which recorded our trip in verse for posterity and filled the shop with wit, laughter and music. Afterwards some toured through Kamloops while oth-ers visited with friends old and new.

Kamloops to home (or Hope), Day 10

This was the day after the official end of the event, but no one seemed to be in a hurry to break up the group. However, some people had more pressing needs to get home than others. Our group stayed mostly intact past Quilchena on 5A and into Merritt where we lunched at the A&W. Then we separated into three smaller groups; one continuing on 5A to Princeton and on Hwy 3 through Manning Park, another heading for Spence’s Bridge and the TransCanada, and the third picking up the Coquihalla to the TransCanada. We were in the 5A to Princeton group and found that stretch of road to be among the most scenic of the trip.

Those who could linger regrouped at the Skagit Motor Inn in Hope. This is a favorite stop for BRBC; it and the Riverland Motel are the only two accommodations that have been booked for all three BRBC events. The Skagit Motor Inn sits quietly off the main route through Hope, shaded by tall Douglas Firs. The management provided us with a table, set in the grass behind some of the units, and several of us went to town to pick up food. Our picnic included fried chicken and fries (Celia and Steve), pizza (Norm and Joyce Hall), an ice cream cake (Dave Harris), and numerous snacks and appetizers that ap-peared “loaves and fishes" style from the depths of vehicles. All this came at the bargain price of $7.50 per couple.

After supper Robert Atkins took center stage and applied the skewer of his tongue to several of our tender spots. We lingered on until the darkness and chill forced us to retreat to our rooms.

The next day many of us breakfasted together, said our final good byes, and headed reluctantly for the real world. And we’re looking forward to BRBC 2010!

PAGE 9 T H E R OUN DABOUT VO LUM E 13, NUMBER 4

Brits 'Round BC Verses to OECC Song by Irene Thompson (CIB) (to the tune of There is a Tavern in

the Town) CHORUS: Oh, we are the OECC And we are so free and easy That we wave to total strangers, as we drive on by We love to drive our English car, English car We drive around both near and far, near and far, far, far We have a grand old time with lots of fun Whenever we go on a run, on a run Verse 1, Sunday the 29th of June The sun was really beating down As we drove from town to town We did a slow burn As it baked us to a turn Made us crispy crunchy brown Verse 2, Sunday (continued) The third day had its share of woe Kenny’s car, it would not go The tremendous heat Left his engine feeling beat And nobody could find a tow Verse 3, Sunday (continued) Laura had a big surprise In the jetted tub she lies She jumped up with a yell When Oscar rang the bell The water spurted to the skies CHORUS Verse 4, Monday The sun was climbing in the sky As we drove through hills that were so dry Then gradually the green Came back upon the scene And verdant forests filled the eye Verse 5, Monday (continued) Margie really felt the heat When we all sat down to eat It was time to go She stood up really slow Cause she got stuck to her seat Verse 6, Tuesday (Canada Day) A Boy Scout gave us pins and flags As we ate our lunch from bags It was Canada Day We proceeded on our way In little sports cars, what? No Jags?! CHORUS Verse 7, Tuesday (continued) No trip could ever be complete Without a little something sweet And so we made a stop At the British candy shop And bought ourselves a yummy treat

Verse 8, Tuesday (continued) Then that night, the Prince George crew Gave us all a Bar B Que Then the Mozzies came I guess they weren’t to blame They thought they’d been invited too Verse 9, Wednesday Now the driving was a breeze We gobbled up the miles with ease Then we were so shocked To hear the road was blocked And our tour was in a freeze CHORUS Verse 10, Wednesday (continued) Seems there was a big mudslide Our hopes of getting through now died We were in a plight And were forced to spend the night In the village of McBride Verse 11, Wednesday (continued) We were treated with such care Human kindness everywhere We had a slap-up meal That really was a deal A pen and pin came from the Mayor Verse 12, Everyday Every night he’s looking for A place that’s higher than before It’s Robert Atkins “Hat” It only matters that It’s put a long way from the floor CHORUS Verse 13, Thursday We were early starting off When Oscar’s car gave off a cough It died without a sound The guys all gathered round And sorted out, all of the rough

Verse 14, Thursday (continued) Suddenly we had been hurled In a picture postcard world It took our breath away When the grandest sight that day The great Mt. Robson was unfurled Verse 15, Thursday (continued) Through soaring mountains next we went Those Ice fields were the main event Robert went at the double Got a ticket for his trouble Then Oscar’s petrol was all spent CHORUS Verse 16, Thursday (continued) Ken, he had his troubles too But this time, knew what to do So we all came in Some even had a swim Then we sat and had a chat or two Verse 17, Friday Steve drove around in Lake Louise His oil cap flew off in the breeze A great big wild goose chase in the forest then took place But Al Thompson found it with great ease Verse 18, Friday (continued) Then the rain got settled in Tops went up and folks went in We didn’t like the stuff We found the weather rough But we took it on the chin Verse 19, Saturday Our thanks to Celia and to Steve I find it so hard to believe All the work they’ve done To give us this great run And now it’s time for us to leave

Irene Thompson leads the OECC Singers (Darla Millard, Candy Francis, Al Thompson, Marge Sabourin, Linda Harris, and Mary Lou Miles) as they sing and dance in Kamloops. The Austin ambulance being restored by VCCC (for which OECC donated a Winkworth bell) is in the background.

AT THE WHEEL Chairperson: Ken Miles

kengmiles@shaw.ca - 604-576-8036 Vice-Chairperson: Steve Hutchens

sphutchens@yahoo.com - 360-733-3568 Treasurer: Elaine Lafontaine

Wolseley@lightspeed.ca - 604-591-3332 Membership renewals: #73-8190 King George Highway, Surrey, BC V3W 5B7

Secretary: Dennis Nelson dnelson@dccnet.com - 604-599-9032 New memberships and correspondence: 10932 Scarborough Drive, Delta, BC V4C 7X1

Good & Welfare: David Ballantine dballantine@shaw.ca - 604-980-4120

ICBC/AirCare Liaison: Fred Bennett 604-939-1773 / Fax 604-939-1753

Meetings & Events Coordinator: Steve Diggins - 604-294-6031

Phone Committee Chief: Michael Smith mlsnbarbara@shaw.ca - 604-936-8674

Roundabout Editor: Steve Hutchens sphutchens@yahoo.com - 360-733-3568 Newsletter articles, photos, and other content: 2090 N Shore Road, Bellingham, WA 98226-7864

Roundabout Printing & Distribution: Richard Taylor mikmaq@telus.net - 604-298-9346

PAGE 10 T H E R OUN DABOUT VO LUM E 13, NUMBER 4

AUTOJUMBLE English Cars & Parts For Sale and Wanted

(more ads are at oecc.ca/vcb under the Autojumble menu)

1958 MG Magnette MK III. FREE collection of parts with registra-tion. Find a donor Austin or Morris Farina to make a car. Steve Dig-gins, 604-294-6031.

1962 Vauxhall FB Victor. FREE—for restoration. Call Rob Currington, 604-532-0035.

1970 Triumph Stag. RHD. Man-ual transmission with overdrive (rare in North America). Original V8 in pieces. Transmission and drive train out of car. Soft and hard tops. Great 2+2 dark blue body. Stored dry. Manuals. $4,500, offers considered, or trade for what have you. Jurgen, 604-737-8065 or jpeterat@hotmail.com.

1977 Jaguar XJ12L. Silver/blue, VGC, Aircared, low mileage. Should easily qualify for collector plates. Selling due to limited park-ing. All reasonable offers considered. David at 778-737-2941 or degruber@hotmail.com. (3/4)

WELCOME TO OECC

AGM 2008 Report Adèle Hedges (CIB)

Central Island Branch members returned home on Friday after Frank DeCarlo’s Pig Roast in Courtney and

met up with everyone at Northfield Road for the start of the Mini-Monte which was organized by Malcolm and Jan Hargrave. This gave our visitors a very good tour of Nanaimo, which ended up at the German Hall for the AGM.

Here Dennis & Darla had set up Garden Races which were enjoyed by many. Pictures of some of our cars mounted on sticks and shaking of dice determined the moves. I wonder how many people won with our Jaguar!

Larry and Virginia could be heard singing and playing some wonderful songs for our entertainment. I must now commend Doug Bainbridge, Martyn Green and Malcolm & Janet Hargrave and Dennis & Darla Millard for making this a most enjoyable AGM, as well as Larry & Virginia who have since rejoined CIOECC. Of course, our very own Wayne Peddie for making the actual AGM go so smoothly.

After the games everyone assembled for the actual AGM. Minutes and various reports were read and then election of new officers. Only two current officers were stepping down, myself as Treasurer and Gerry Parkinson as Secretary. Marie Cedar of CIB is now Treasurer and Pat Miles of VCB, Secretary. Awards were then announced. Francis Muggeridge accepted a post humus award of the OXO cup for Nigel, the winners of the Lord Montagu award was announced – Ken & Lorraine Finnigan of Thompson Valley Branch (later presented in Kamloops on BRBC tour). For those newer members, I would like to mention the Link Award is chosen by members of the branch sponsoring the AGM and Irene Thompson was the most deserving member for all her very entertaining verses of events throughout the year which are performed at our annual banquet and also Irene makes up verses at the drop of hat for other occasions also. Ken and myself were the recipients of the Dennis Smith Memorial Mini-Monte Trophy. Spice of Life caterers provided an excellent buffet and bar service was also good. South Island Branch will be hosts next year. Afterwards everyone assembled outside for a group photo.

Success! The CIB has fully funded the $2000 Nigel Muggeridge Park Bench

Memorial. Congratulations to the commit-tee and the CIB and thanks to all donors!

What British vehicle of the 1950s is this Lucas side lamp on?

Send responses to the Editor.

The answer will be in the next Roundabout!

Stephen & Sheila Morris’ 1998 XJ8

Trivia Quiz Les Foster

WHISTLER RUN OVERNIGHT

Join us Sept. 20 for the Whistler Run and an optional tour on to Lillooet for a night at the Mile 0 Motel ($65 / 1-888-766-4530 / ask for OECC rate) and dinner at Dina’s Greek Restaurant. Tour home Sunday via Lytton or Cache Creek. Questions? Contact Steve Hutchens, 360-733-3568 or sphutchens@yahoo.com.