Centenary
Update 6th July 2004
The last magazine said that
reminiscences for the club history were starting to come in. The trickle has not
yet become a flood, but certainly many people are reviving memories. We now have
had some wonderful contributions. Graham Samuel staggered down to the club a few
weeks ago under the weight of five large volumes of photographs and press
cuttings showing the action in the early 1970s. Apart from the removal of a very
strange hairy caterpillar from his top lip, Graham has hardly changed since
those days.
Keith Chamberlin and Adrian
L’Estrange are exchanging Emails, which will definitely contribute to the club
history, and we are starting to scan press articles and other memorabilia.
Christine Poxon has loaned us copies of magazines from the late 1970s to the mid
1990s, which are proving a fascinating source of information. I keep being side
tracked- did you know that a car phone could be purchased in 1982 for the
“greatly reduced” price of £395 and production of your RAC licence? Given that
the magazine was offering whole cars for less than that, not everything has
increased in price since those days.
It looks as if we will have plenty
of information on the 1970s, and we can probably fill in most of the story from
then on from magazines and event regs and results. Strangely enough, although
they are short, the early minutes of the club are preserved in the RAC archives.
Where we have very little documentary or oral history is the middle period
between about 1925 and 1965. We are just as interested in recent events as past
glories, although these do help to add to the sense of the age and standing of
the club. We hope that the club will go on to greater things in its second
century, and we should not think, “no one will be interested in that”. They are,
and I just hope that anyone who has any information on the club, no matter how
slight, could get in touch and we will at least catalogue it so that it can help
whoever has the job of putting on the bi centenary celebrations.
I was delighted to receive a
telephone call after the last magazine from Miss Stephens from Yorkshire, a
member from before the “hostilities”. She has a complete set of Club spoons
(silver spoons that the club presented as prizes on events in the 1920s and
1930s). She has many happy memories of her times competing with the club and has
agreed that we can borrow the spoons for the exhibition we are mounting at the
RAC Club as part of the Centenary celebrations. Christine Poxon has also offered
some car badges, and the veterans of the RAC Rallies have memorabilia that is
bound to be of interest.
Do please dig around your attics and
hiding places and see what you can turn up for us. Keep an eye here if you have
access to it and try to help make the centenary celebrations something worthy of
a club with such a proud history.
Kathleen Dawson
***
Centenary Update 26th April 2004
2005
is a very significant year for MCAC. We will be celebrating 100 years of
motoring and motorsport. We are still putting together a comprehensive history
of the club, including the history of the various cups and trophies that are
awarded. We need much more detail, so please search your attics and
cupboards and drawers to see what you have, or just drop a note of your memories
to
Kathleen Dawson.
We promise to take care of anything you send in, and either scan it, if
possible, or copy it. If you do send anything in, try to add a few words about
it, including the date, and any memories you have of the event or activity. If
you feel that you would be happier talking to someone, it may be possible to
record memories so that they can be captured for the future.
The
Council has decided that the year will be celebrated in various ways, but the
major event will take place at the beginning of the year. Following a lively
discussion at the 2004 AGM, it has been agreed that the annual dinner and awards
presentation in 2005 will be held at the Royal Automobile Club, Pall Mall on 29th
January 2005. This will be a formal dinner, with guest speakers (Stuart Turner
has already confirmed acceptance, and others have been invited). It will be a
“black tie” do, in a magnificent setting which is particularly appropriate for
MCAC, who have many links with the Club. For more information about the Royal
Automobile Club, see
www.royalautomobileclub.co.uk/guestarea
Cost
Members have agreed that the event will be heavily subsidised. The cost will be
£40 for members and £60 for guests. Each member can bring up to two guests. The
ticket price will include a champagne reception.
To
qualify for the member rate, a person has to be a member at the time of booking
and have been a member before 21st April 2004. This is the date of the AGM and
is intended to stop anyone who has no connection with the club joining just to
enjoy the membership subsidy. At the same time, if someone has allowed their
membership to lapse, they can rejoin, enjoy the dinner and hopefully become an
active member of the club again.
The
“up to two guests” rule is designed to stop “corporate” entertainment at MCAC’s
expense.
The
actual cost of the event is not finalised, but the Council has set aside
sufficient funds to cover the subsidy without jeopardising the future of the
club in any way. The cost to the club will depend on numbers attending. The
venue can hold 80 to 200 people. With 400 members, there is likely to be
competition for places, and booking is on a “first come, first served” basis.
Contact
Tony Phillips
to secure your place. He has opened a “dinner club” so that anyone who wants to
pay in instalments can do so. A small deposit secures your place. So far, over
80 of
the places have gone.
Prizes
It would
not be an MCAC social event without a raffle of some kind, although we have not
yet decided how it is to be run. We have already secured some offers of very
good prizes (including, from HR Owen, a Land Rover experience
'off road day'
for two people). If anyone
wants to donate prizes, or knows someone who can, please let
Kathleen Dawson
know.
Accommodation and transport
We
have managed to reserve some rooms at the Royal Automobile Club but these are
being snapped up quickly. If you want a room, contact Kathleen Dawson who can
let you know what is still available, and the cost. Let
Tony Phillips
know when you book if you would be interested in coach or minibus transport on
the night.
Exhibition
The
Royal Automobile Club has agreed to mount a small exhibition of MCAC memorabilia
to coincide with the Centenary dinner. If you have anything that you think might
be suitable, especially if you have any of the pre-war spoons or pre- 1975 event
Regulations or Results, please get in touch with
Kathleen Dawson.
Anything used will be acknowledged, cared for and returned.
Other Events
The
Council intends to make 2005 a memorable year for the club. If anyone wants to
suggest particular activities, please contact any member of the
Council.
Help needed
We
will need a lot of help from members in organising the dinner and the other
centenary events. If you can help in any way, or have any suggestions, please do
not feel shy. Contact any member of the Council,
especially if you feel you could spare the time to serve on the Centenary
sub-committee, which is not restricted to members
of the council.
Kathleen Dawson
For any other
information, please contact the sub-committee or any member of
the
Council
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CENTENARY NEWS