   | |||||
   | |||||
| |||||
| Home Our Club The Morris Minor Magazine Events Technical Advertising Minor Trader Contact Us | |||||
 | |||||
MINOR HEADLINES JUNE 2008 NEW POSTAL ADDRESS Sorry folks, but the address has changed again and we hope for the last time in a while. Unfortunately, this happens when we get new Committee members. Kindly note that it is now: THE MORRIS MINOR OWNERS’ CLUB (Johannesburg) PO Box 9149 Elsburg 1407 (This address is that of our Membership Manager, Harry Meintjes) NEW MEMBERS A very hearty welcome to our new members: Jozua and Sharon Cloete of Moregloed in Pretoria are new members of the Club. They have a white ‘58 Traveller and joined us at the National Rally. Samantha Barnfather has become a member. She comes from Eastleigh and has a cream ’59 Traveller, which she bought from Gordon Law. Francois and Fenna Coetsee of Sasolburg have an old English white ’61 Traveller. Gerrie and Elizabeth Conradie of Larrendale in Brakpan are on the look out for a suitable Minor to buy. Have a look at “Minor Trader” below. Sandra Dennis of Witkoppies has a ’57 British racing green 4 door Minor. Petrus and Charlene Erasmus of Triomf in Johannesburg have joined us in a dove grey ’57 4 door Minor. Mohammed and Gulmeena Hazarvi of Laudium have a maroon ’54 2 door saloon. Hendrik and Cecilia Jordaan of Lyttleton Manor in Centurion are the owners of a red ’55 2 door saloon. Chris and Biddy Lacy of Linden have joined us in a cream ’58 2 door saloon. Jack and Stephanie Lewthwaite of Parkdene in Boksburg own a light green Traveller. The year of manufacture is unknown at this time. Manie and Annelie Matthee come from Riversdale and their Minor is a green ’51 2 door. Arnand and Dese Naidoo of Modderfontein are searching for a Minor to buy. You should find something under “Minor Trader” below. Johan and Alma Snyman of Potchefstroom have a ’55 4 door British racing green Minor. Bruce and Ruth Tomlinson have joined us from Vereeniging. The details of their Minor is unknown at this time. Leon and Cheryl van der Walt of Elardus Park in Pretoria have a green 2 door saloon. Ewan and Wynona Watt are new members from Bedfordview. They are trying to find a Minor. Have a look at “Minor Trader” below. Carl and Beatrix Wiggell hail from van der Bijl Park and they have a blue ’57 4 door Minor. Aldo Marcon of Montroux in Johannesburg has bought Craig Stacey’s British racing green ’57 4 door. Ben Nel of Hoopstad in the Free State has a ’62 Minor which requires refurbishment. Richard Booth has become a paid up member. Unfortunately his documents were mislaid and we don’t know how to contact him, If he reads this, or if anyone knows him, please get in touch with Harry Meintjes so that we can record his details again. Unfortunately, the same misfortune applies to Don Walker. He is also a paid up member and we do not have his details. Please make contact with Harry. It is excellent news to record that we have 21 new members! We hope your membership brings you and your families a wonderful and rewarding experience with us. Wouldn’t it be a wonderful sight to see all of them at our outings, particularly in their Minors? Please remember that you are not obliged to arrive in your Minor. If it is being repaired, please join us in modern tin and enjoy the friendship of our Club members. FAREWELL It is with regret that we have said our goodbyes to Neville, Laura and Stacey Josman, who have served the Club since July 2001. They have joined the ever increasing flow of people emigrating to Australia and intend settling in Brisbane with their Minor. They will be joining the local club there. Neville and Laura served on the Committee for quite some time. Neville looked after technical matters and Laura was the secretary. We owe them a great deal of gratitude for their contribution to the Club over the last few years and they will be missed at our outings and national rally events. May you be blessed with many happy motoring miles on new roads, waiting to be discovered. Their speed limits will suit the Minor! Just keep away from the sheep. Fare thee well and don’t forget us. We will remember you all with fondness and our Club will be much poorer without you. Good luck "Down Under" and Bon Voyage. SICK LIST Sadly, we report the passing of Trevor Goudie, a former chairman of the Durban Branch. Our condolences go to Jenny and family on their sad loss. John Webb has had major surgery to his knee and will be recuperating at his brother's house in Benoni for a while. His other knee will be attended to when this one is strong enough to cope. We wish him well for a speedy recovery. Yours truly will have had an eye operation by the time the magazine is in print. He also has a broken toe from a sports injury. Let’s keep the comments to yourself, Rusty! ANNUAL RENEWAL OF SUBSCRIPTIONS! This is a final reminder for those who have not paid your annual subscription. The Club subs have remained at R 120.00 for the year (May 2008 to April 2009) and were due to be paid by the end of April 2008. Please ease our administrative pressures by immediately forwarding or handing in your forms to your Committee member or to Harry Meintjes and fax or email confirmation of your deposit to Harry. Please note that if your subs have not been paid, then a re-joining fee becomes payable, so please pay for the new year before the end of August 2008. BANK ACCOUNT The bank account for the Club is: Standard Bank, Greenstone. A/C No.42-792-856-7, Branch Code 016342. Please put your name as a reference! Please note that the FNB account has been closed. OWNERS ON THE MOVE! (i.e. MEMBERS GETTING AROUND) If you move from your present address, or change your contact details in any way, PLEASE contact Harry Meintjes on (011) 827 5168 (h) or (082) 420 5950 or email him on hsm@imaginet.co.za to advise your new details. Albert and Lorna van Heerden have gone off to Switzerland to visit their daughter for 2 weeks. We wish both of you a pleasant and enjoyable holiday. MINORS ON THE MOVE! The following Minors are at Mike Del Frate’s workshop in Benoni, being given love and attention. Karol & Pauline Jarozynski’s 4-dr. “1000” is nearly completed. The same applies to William Kelly’s Traveller, which is in for a total restoration. Steve Ely’s ’69 “1098” Pick Up is nearing the end of being totally refurbished. Charles Gardiner’s 1930 Morris Minor is in for a refurb. Mike Del Frate’s 1940 2 dr Morris 8 is in for bodywork. Morgan Pillay’s ’61 “1000” 2 dr is due to be collected. Tielman Karovsky’s ’58 “1000” 2 dr is in for restoration. The refurb has not yet started. Charles Gardiner has collected his ’59 4 dr “1000”. Charles has bought another two cars. He bought a 1936 Morris 8 Sports Car Special from Craig Stacey which had been totally stripped down. The other one is a dark grey 2 dr ’58 Morris Minor which he acquired from Caroline Deysel. John Bedford’s Traveller has been 90% completed and has gone back to its owner. A Minor from Cape Town has been bought by Ben, a Johannesburg resident. He will hopefully be joining our Club. His “1000” will go in for minor repairs soon. Janet Mathews’ split screen model has gone to Charles Gardiner, following the arrival of the electrical spares from the UK. Lawson Flint’s white ’61 2 dr saloon is being seen to by Tommy Smith and George Bowen’s grey ’62 4 dr is with Tommy for an engine overall. Harry Meintjes recently bought Fanie’s Morris Cowley. MOTORING QUIZ Question 1: What new feature was incorporated into the August ’61 (’62 model) Minors? Question 2: What was removed from the ’62 models? Question 3: What change was made to the windscreen wipers of the ’62 model? (Sorry no prizes, but for answers please see last page of our magazine – Ed.) MINOR OUTINGS “You meet the nicest people in a Morris Minor!” DUCK DERBY – 2 MARCH 2008 17 Minors pitched up for this fun event. We all met on the slip road off van Riebeeck Avenue in Edenvale, before proceeding through the streets of Edenvale on our way to Modderfontein. It was a pleasant day for an outing and we arrived at the venue to be met by Bev Frieslich of the Edenvale Rotary Club. She organised a special parking place for our Minors so that they could be admired by the public. The Duck Derby is an annual event which forms part of the Edenvale Rotary Club’s drive to raise funds. It is held in the Modderfontein grounds next to the small shopping centre, with the stream nearby. The idea of the Duck Derby is for visitors/supporters to buy/sponsor a numbered plastic duck. These ducks are then tossed into the stream and they float their way down to a point where they cross the finish line. Cash prizes are awarded to the winners, but obviously most of the money goes to the charity of their choice. On the day, the Harley-Davidson RIG was set up on the side of the lawned area to provide music and announcements. The area was also covered with flea market stalls of all types for the public to enjoy, as well as a tea garden and beer stall. The event was a fun day, particularly for kids, as there were numerous competitions for them. Hanna the Duck was there and a treasure hunt was also organised for the kids. There were two categories of ducks to be raced, being tiny ducklings for kids and larger ones for adults. All 541 ducklings were sold and 1 200 of the Ducks. This was the best result that the Rotary Club has had so far and they extend their gratitude to the Morris Minor Owners’ Club for participating on the day. There were 22 prizes for the ducklings and 14 prizes for the larger ducks. Their categories included the first upside down duck and last duck in! Those who attended were Terence and Noeleen Redmond, Shaun and Danica Steyn, Glenys and Audrey with their family, Albert and Lorna van Heerden, John and Sharon Bedford, Tommy, Sharon, Ashley and Adrian Smith, Gary, Katrina, Kyle and Meghan Dodds, Frederick Wilson, John and Colleen Bowes, Laura and Stacey Josman, Clive, Denny and family, Dave Smith, Rusty and Dawn Clover, Chris and Rieke Mostert on their first outing with the Club, Harry and Michael Meintjes, Denise and Dave Stewart, John Webb, Mike and Norma Del Frate and yours truly. The event takes place each year and is sure to be on our calendar next year. It was very pleasing to see that the Rotary Club members reciprocated by attending our Cullinan Minor Steam Run at the end of March, which is one of our charity type events. THE CULLINAN MINOR STEAM RUN – 30 MARCH 2008 Well, there is so much to say about another outstanding performance from Rusty Clover and his team. The Cullinan Minor Steam Run was once again held in conjunction with Friends of the Rail and the Cullinan business community. Through Rusty’s efforts, those of Radio 702, the Pretoria Record and a few motoring clubs, they put this nostalgic event into the limelight and turned it into a stunning success. Rusty Clover and his team were instrumental in organising this event for the second year in a row. It involves the co-ordination of a ride in an old steam to Cullinan, along with a number of Morris Minors and other pre 1971 vintage cars and motorbikes. For those driving to Cullinan, each car and motorbike was photographed next to the train. The photos were then either printed onto a mug or wall plate as a memento for each driver. The steam trains belong to ‘Friends of the Rail’, who under very difficult conditions, lovingly restore these powerful steam locos and rolling stock of yesteryear to their former glory. The residents of Gauteng can be proud and should feel very privileged to have a club of this nature and stature in our back yard. It is one of only a few in the whole world and we should all support them when we get the opportunity. Our thanks go to them for making the day such a memorable one. We arrived at the Capital Park station in Pretoria in pleasant weather conditions to find a magnificently restored and well cared for puffing giant. The steam train normally caters for 350 people, but so effective was the coverage that they had to fetch additional coaches to accommodate the more than 400 passengers. The cost of a return trip ticket was R 150.00 per seat and half price for kids. Pretoria / Tshwane certainly lived up to its reputation as the arbour city and it was a treat to cruise through its tree lined streets, with beautiful gardens as a backdrop. We drove behind an open topped 1915 model T Ford Speedster, surprisingly not leaking a drop of oil. It had chugged all the way from Benoni to participate in the event and even reached speeds of 90 kms per hour. Then, to add to our pleasure, the road between Rayton and Cullinan was lined with thousands of flowering Cosmos. After a short trip, we arrived at the old diamond village of Cullinan, which definitely has its own very special mystique and ambiance and it was so pleasant to visit this area again. The Club cannot thank Rusty’s team enough for their efforts, which helped to raise a substantial amount of money for a charity. A number of businesses in Cullinan donated prizes for the competitions and they went out of their way to accommodate everyone. The dress code for the day was “the Great Gatsby” and there were a number of folk who came dressed for the occasion. There were prizes for the best dressed couples, the best Morris Minors and prizes for cars and motorbikes from other clubs. They organised a Stake Your Claim competition for those who rode in the train and for the drivers as well. Our gratitude goes to the Premier Diamond Mine for graciously donating diamonds again as prizes to the winners of the various categories. Cullinan is renowned for its Premier Diamond Mine, which is famous for the Cullinan Diamond. The quaint town has a number of restaurants to choose from and some visitors took the opportunity to enjoy a picnic. There are numerous shops for those who like to browse and located nearby, one can find game lodges, nature reserves, guest houses, golf courses, spas and the Roodeplaat dam. Those who arrived in their Minors with their families and friends were John Webb, Terence Redmond, Neville Josman, Marius van Biljon, Tommy Smith, Koos Snyman and Karlien Erasmus who both rejoined the Club on the day, Rusty Clover, Albert van Heerden and yours truly. Others, like Harry Meintjes and his family chose to enjoy the trip on the train. By chance, a section of the Porsche 356 Club was in town and they joined us for a short while. Hopefully they will join us next year. For those of you who have access to the internet, go to www.cullinanmeander.co.za and www.friendsoftherail.co.za to get a view of what we experienced. Don’t miss this event next year! Diarise it now for Sunday 29 March 2009. It will be well worth your while to come along for a most enjoyable day. Rusty, what a fantastic performance! The Club is deeply indebted and grateful to you and your team for your efforts. (Thanks to Rusty for his contribution - Editor) 2008 NATIONAL RALLY – EMERALD CASINO RESORT Even though I am part of the Committee, I never imagined that I would enjoy the National Rally as much as I did. What a fantastic show it was and those who didn’t make it, you missed something exceptional. If the next National Rally is going to be anything nearly as good as this one was, then start saving now. It will be held in Worcester in the Western Cape in 2010. (Editor) The 12th National Rally took place at the Emerald Casino Resort on the Vaal River near van der Bijl Park from Sunday 27 April to Thursday 1 May. A total of 61 Morris Minors attended the Rally for the 5 days, with members coming from as far as Durban (4), Port Elizabeth (5), the Western Cape (7) and Bloemfontein (7). The Johannesburg Branch (38) sincerely appreciates the efforts of those who made the long haul to get here. “I was simply amazed at what the new Morris looked like. I said to my mom that when I grow up I want one of those”. Those were the words of Chris Spinks as he described his experience of attending the 1949 launch of the Morris Minor at Earls Court. Chris’ informative and entertaining discourse during the car display on the Monday was just one of the many highlights of this year’s National Rally. The Rally began with the customary registration and dishing out of goodies bags. The comments made as the members from all over the country opened the bags and discovered goodie after goodie proved just how successfully the bags were filled by the efforts of the Johannesburg team. The ladies were especially appreciative for the scarves, hair-towels and ingenious flower arrangements that were provided for them, though the Minors were certainly just as appreciative of the goodies that were provided for their owners to pamper them with. After a chance to freshen up in the chalets and a game of musical chairs with the limited parking bays, members attended the delightful and delicious ‘getting to know you ox braai’. Large warming lamps were provided to keep the chill from the nearby river at bay. Old friends reunited and slipped comfortably into conversation as if they had never been parted. The air was abuzz with talk of Minor problems and their solutions, with anecdotes of humorous break-downs and the swopping of restoration tips. Even the speech-making was light and jovial as new and old were welcomed to the Rally and a preview of the forthcoming attractions was given. With a good party behind us and the rest of the Rally still to come, everyone was eager for the 60th anniversary celebrations the following morning. Despite a slightly chaotic scene as the Minors were lined up in age order (a never before attempted feat) the rows were soon neatly arrayed for the viewing public to admire. Then the entertainment began. Irish pipers stirred the hearts of the crowd as the skirling pipes played British and Irish tunes; their strains no doubt tugging at the dipsticks of the Minors too, since they are British at heart. Then, as part of the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Morris Minor, Chris Spinks gave the historical presentation, which included his own personal memories of the launch of the little car we have all grown to love. A formidable total of 75 Minors were displayed, apart from the ‘gemorses’. Other vintage vehicles that joined the Minors in the display were MGs, Chevs, Triumph motorbikes, an Austin Somerset, Porsches, a DKW Junior, a Royal Daimler and a mini. A real highlight for many Morris enthusiasts was the guest appearance of Vernon Morton’s Morris Oxford Pick-up with a full display. All in all, there were nearly 100 vintage vehicles for everyone’s viewing pleasure. The public was also encouraged to choose their favourite car for the people’s choice competition. Sadly a Morris wasn’t the winner, but a beautifully maintained MG was a deserving winner of the award. After the celebrations came the chance for some hi-jinks at the event which is always much anticipated, the driving skills. Drivers had to display their knowledge of their car by parking with their bumper and front wheels as close to the markings as possible. After that came the chance to show whether their hands were steady, whether they could throw a ball into a bucket and how good their parking skills are in a pinch. The winner was Katrina Dodds for the second year in a row, which shows that women do make better drivers at times. An afternoon of rest and preparation for the Concours judging was followed by a delicious dinner and a serving of some serious brain teasing. While some found the questions a tad difficult at times, a few excelled and everyone seems to have learned a thing or two. After a bit of music, most retired to get some rest, before the big day of judging and the first half of the Amazing Fun Run. (Our thanks is extended to the Lendrum family for their interesting and enjoyable quiz evening). In a judging session that most agree ran even smoother than in years past, and which is indicative of the steady improvement in the judging process, the entered Minors underwent the usual intense scrutiny. Whist this was taking place, the ladies of the Club were treated to an informative and entertaining talk on plants by Judd Kirkel and our thanks go to him for that. After a boerewors roll on the lawn, it was time to be off on the Amazing Fun Run. The first session of the run included a visit to the Animal World. Besides having the chance to view some very unusual animals, participants were required to complete a word search. The words to be searched were the names of the different animals in the enclosures. Some very cryptic clues were given to assist with the search and lists of the answers were strategically placed to help participants along. Once it was discovered that the missing letters spelled out the phrase ‘I am a Pueblan Milk Snake’ the participants were able to move on to their next location, which was the Aquadome. In true Amazing Race style, they then faced some detours before being allowed to move on to the next leg of the Fun Run. The first detour was the challenge to knock down as many bowling pins as possible. For some of the participants, this was their first taste of Ten Pin Bowling, while for others, it was their first bowl in decades and it showed! Then came the chance to ‘Shoot the Breeze’ or ‘Feed the Sphinx’ on the putt putt course. The participants’ eager willingness to tackle the detours made the first leg of the Fun Run a resounding success. The second leg of the run the following morning was closer to the traditional National Rally Fun Run, though it still had a few twists. Participants were given cryptic clues in envelopes and had to be on the look out for signs along the way to find the answers to the questions. Stops along the way included the Sharpeville Memorial, the Teknorama Museum, an unforgettable model shop and the historical site where the treaty ending the Anglo-Boer War was signed. The Rally ended back at the Casino, where packed lunches awaited the tired participants. In between the two legs of the Fun Run was one of the most memorable fancy dress parties the Nationals have ever known, complete with a visit from the King of Rock ‘n Roll himself. Rusty Clover had fooled the Committee into believing that the King was not available on that night and he surprised everyone when Elvis appeared through the smoke. What a performance it was! The audience was delighted and they thoroughly enjoyed the show. Now just one night remained and what a night it was! On the last afternoon, a few members from each Club took up the challenge to tackle each other in the Ten Pin Bowling Alley. Much fun was had there. All good things have to come to an end, and so the night of the prize-giving dinner arrived. Not only were the prizes being handed out of a value never seen before, but a number of surprises and unexpected delights were in store for everyone. Firstly, to add to the ambiance, the youngest and oldest Minors were parked inside the dining room. Secondly there was the recognition of the contribution made by the female members of the Club. Though they are always thanked for their hard work, all must agree that everyone in the Club recognised the great heights the women the applause and remarks of appreciation for the flower arrangements and other prizes set aside specifically for them. Representatives of our major sponsors were present and speeches were made by representatives of both Cotlands, who thanked us for our donation and the Premier Diamond Mine. The mine was one of our sponsors for the National Rally and the Cullinan Minor Steam Run. Our sincere thanks and appreciation go to all of our sponsors. The following were the winners of the various categories and they are congratulated on their achievements. Concours D' Etat John Lawton Concours Prix D' Honneur Gary Dodds Top Car Sara Harper Modified Jacques Le Roux People’s Choice Gary Dodds Driving Skills Katrina Dodds Fun Run Gary & Katrina Dodds Overall Trophy Gary Dodds Well done to the Dodds family. Nearly a clean sweep! The prize-giving dinner is always a time for a vote of thanks, and this time the list was a long one. Certainly, the most precious gift the hard-working organisers received was the applause and heartfelt thanks from our fellow members. Our thanks and appreciation has to be extended to so many people. It is not expedient to mention them all, lest some names be omitted in error. Fortunately, this was done at the final dinner, so they know who they are, plus many unsung members who quietly went about their business. However, a special vote of thanks must go to Albert van Heerden, who despite his illness leading up to the Nationals, put in a sterling effort to manage and drive an excellent 5 days. The Lendrum family were amazing and they were ably assisted by John Lawton. The amount of time, effort and detail put into your contribution to the Rally was phenomenal. For the others who so willingly gave up their time, a wonderful performance of which we can all be proud. Thank you so much for a stunning time! (Thanks to Douglas Lendrum) ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 24 MAY 2008 There was a fair turnout for the 2008 AGM, which was followed by a bring and braai. This was the last duty of our outgoing Chairman, Albert van Heerden, who presented his speech to the Meeting. He spoke of the achievements during his term of office, which included: · the introduction of the cell system, whereby Committee Members look after and communicate with a group of members; · the establishment of the website, with the assistance of Rusty Clover’s son-in-law, Adrian Barnes; · securing “The Piston Ring Club” as our home and for this he thanked Brian Hinckley & Eric Milne; · sorting out the policy on the sale of spares; · arranging membership of SAVVA with all of its benefits; · the preparation for and the execution of a successful National Rally and he thanked every member who participated; · maintenance of the National Register by Chris Spinks, for which he was thanked; · securing sponsorship for the gifts and all the niceties we were able to offer to participants at the National Rally. He thanked the sponsors for their contribution and asked for the support of those companies. He paid tribute to the Emerald Casino Resort, which should receive all our praise for going the extra mile to ensure a successful and enjoyable Rally; and · his thanks to the Committee and the members for their contributions to the Rally. Albert gave the financial details of the income and expenditure of the Club for the past year. He also thanked the outgoing Committee for their support and advised which new Committee members were being nominated for secondment to the new Committee, under the chairmanship of Tommy Smith. The changes are listed under “2008/2009 COMMITTEE” further on. He also paid tribute to Gary Dodds for his support and motivation. Finally, he asked the new Committee to pursue the objective of having no less than 35 cars at the next National Rally. BOWLS DAY IN PRETORIA – SUNDAY 22 JUNE 2008 What a great outing this turned out to be. Most of the members met at the Ultra City on the N1 North. About 7 Kms outside Pretoria, we ran into a road block, which led to a few heart stopping moments, considering some of the “criminals” in our convoy. We thought that we would be spending the day on the highway, but with a little smile and a few words from the good looking ladies present, we escaped. Thanks Ladies. When we arrived around 9h15, the Bowling Club members were all present and advised us that the Boeing had already flown over. Paul, of the little finger etiquette fame was standing there with an SAB product to welcome us. We also had the pleasure of meeting and sympathising with Paul’s dad Ian. Hard to believe, but a fine gentleman. The Ladies of the Bowling Club were already waiting at the door to register us and make sure everyone had lunch tickets. After a great spread of coffee, tea and cakes donated by the Bowling Club members, Paul gave a welcoming speech and explained the rules and method required to play lawn bowls (definitely not as simple as marbles). We were given a practical demonstration before being put into teams mixed between bowlers and MMOC members, where we formed our friendships around this unique ball that turns corners when and in the direction you least want them to go. Katrina seemed the most adept at mastering this strange action. P.S. I can now see why when you are watching bowlers, they seem to be staring into the distance and walking at funny angles, in so doing trying to influence this ball with its own mind. The experts can say what they like, but we were all winners on a fantastic sunny winter’s day. The Bowling Club had a huge jumping castle to keep the younger MMOC members busy and Sara had the teenagers playing bowls on a spare green. Sharon and Jozua Cloete, of the last minute entrants to the Nationals fame, who are quietly creeping into the social part of the club, brought along a couple of little red hearts that Sharon had sewn and made with “I love my 1959/58/57etc Morris” printed on them. They were sold for R10.00 each and she donated R5.00 for each one sold to the Club and handed over R20.00 before she left. Another positive was that Lauren Edgar volunteered to join the MMOC Committee as Rusty’s Vice Events Co-ordinator. A great positive to have a young lady’s contribution to our events programme. She will definitely make a big improvement by giving a different perspective to the outings. After the bowls, we had a fantastic meal prepared by Gasperino Rosselli, who can be contacted on (012 331 2646), if ever you need a reasonably priced and excellent caterer. The refreshments were also reasonably priced, so we managed to keep the joints well lubricated, some better than others. After the prize giving and the closing speeches by Paul and Tommy, a select group of bowlers were chosen and small bets could be taken on who would win. This rounded off the outing on an exciting note. Due to the success of the outing, both clubs decided that this must become an annual event. MMOC attendees: Gary and Katrina Dodds, Jozua and Sharon Cloete, Sara, Paul Harper and their boys, Terence and Noeleen Redmond, Alex, Cheryl, Brian and Elaine Berry, Tommy and Sharon Smith and their boys, Dave Smith, Dennis and Colleen Edgar, Lauren, Cheylin and Gabriel Edgar, Albert and Lorna van Heerden, Lawson Flint, Rose Dippenaar, Neville, Laura and Stacy Josman, John and Sharon Bedford, Rusty and Dawn Clover. A total of 11 Morris’ were there and they looked very cute in the special parking provided at the side of the bowling green. The nostalgic part of the day was that this was the Josman’s final outing with the Club. It was great to have them there, but lousy to know we have lost them to the Aussies. We all wish them well and hope to see them soon. Our special thanks go to Sara and Paul Harper for kindly organising this fun outing. (Thanks to Rusty) FORTHCOMING EVENTS IMPORTANT STATEMENT Our MMOC Committee extends to all members and their families and friends, a cordial invitation to attend all our outings, especially driving your Morris Minor! Only by regular use can an investment be properly preserved. It is a recognised fact that a car sitting around, unused, deteriorates alarmingly quickly! Many members have their cars restored from time to time. Please join us for our outings in “modern tin” instead of staying at home. We would love to see you there. Dates have been provisionally set aside for our Club outings, but inevitably some last minute changes might have to be made. If this happens, our Events Co-ordinator, Rusty Clover, will try his best to contact members. Please contact Rusty on (012) 347 8291 (h) or 083 264 6240, or Lauren Edgar on 083 647 0569, or one of our Committee members before the outings, to make 100% sure of the details. Our Committee would welcome suggestions for future outings. Our Planned MMOC Outings for the next few months are as follows: Sun 31 Aug – Ngwenya Glass for lunch Sun 28 Sep – Rietvlei Dam for a picnic lunch Fri 31 Oct to Sun 2 Nov – Weekend away to the Drakensville Resort in the Berg Sat 6 Dec – End of Year Function OTHER EVENTS OF INTEREST: Sun 3 Aug – Cars in the Park, Zwartkops Pretoria Sat 23 Aug – The Wanderers Club 120th Anniversary Sun 24 Aug – 25th Anniversary of Durban MMOC Sat 6 Sep to Sun 7 Sep – Wheels at the Vaal Fri 12 Sep to Sat 13 Sep – Golden Gate Rendezvous (OFS VCC) Sat. 20 Sep – SAVVA AGM at VVC Sun. 28 Sep – Blairgowrie Toy Collector’s Fair Sun. 30 Nov – Blairgowrie Toy Collector’s Fair SCHEDULED EVENTS AT THE PISTON RING CLUB: Sun. 17 Aug – AGM Sun. 21 Sep – Parts in the Park - Swop Meeting Sun. 19 Oct - Johannesburg Cars in the Park SCHEDULED MMOC COMMITTEE MEETINGS AT THE PISTON RING CLUB: Sat. 16 Aug Sun.19 Oct DISCLAIMER Any opinions and suggestions presented in our MMOC magazine “Minor Headlines” do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editor or the MMOC Committee. Each reader is requested to weigh up for themselves the pros and cons of the material presented and to make their own educated decisions thereafter. We cannot hold ourselves responsible in any way for the consequences of these suggestions. NATIONAL EXECUTIVE MEETING – 30 APRIL 2008 A few points were raised at the National Executive Committee Meeting which may be of interest to members. Vehicles with 803 cc and 918 cc engines can be towed on a trailer both ways to future Nationals. Vehicles with 1000 cc and 1098 cc engines have to drive the full distance to the rally if the owner wishes to enter it into any of the categories for judging. The reigns of the National president were formally handed over by Gary Dodds to Tony Harrison, who is also chairman of the next hosting branch. Our thanks go to Gary for all his hard work and commitment and for what he has done for the MMOC Club in South Africa. MORRIS MINOR VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS BOOK Piet Pretorius of the Western Cape branch has produced a number of books called “The Morris Minor 1000 South African Specifications Manual”. These are comprised of one for 948 cc 2 door and 4 door saloons, another for the Traveller and the third for the Pick Up and Panel Vans. He has kindly donated one of each of his books to each of the branches in the country and if any Club Member wants to buy one, he will have them delivered at R 50.00 per book. The purpose of the books is to enlighten new and existing members of the details pertaining to their vehicles. You can contact Tommy Smith, our Chairman, should you require a copy and he will collate the orders. Any comments about the manuals should be formally sent to him and he will pass them on to Piet. MORRIS MINOR OWNERS’ CLUB OF JOHANNESBURG’S WEBSITE Our own website is available on www.morrisminor.co.za. 2008 NATIONAL RALLY PLEDGES The 2008 National Rally Committee extends its heartfelt gratitude to the following companies, clubs or individuals for committing themselves to our cause. Members are encouraged to use the services of these companies. Programme Advertising Pledges: MANY THANKS TO: Hi-Q, Glasfit, Gabriel, Willard batteries, Exec Q-Tyre, Airmaster Brake Systems, Mr Pin & Bush, Sheffield Electro Plating, Dozer Parts, Edenvale Steel & Tube, Mike’s Auto Panel & Paint, Excadoze Services, Standler Farms, Berkol, Smith Mining, MM & G Engineering, Algrey Engineering, JKC Airmaster, for taking advertising space in the Programme. AND MANY THANKS TO: Cullinan Diamonds, Sonax, Moly-Liquid, Stirling Glass, Avroy Shlain, Honey, Shaun & Joanne Steyn of Barefoot Days, Sheila Manning, Lucy and Trevor Phillips, Rorke Clover, Gudrun Stark, Wynns Oil, Fuchs Lubricants, Makro, Gary Dodds, Marius van Biljon, Richard Duncan, Sharon Smith, Top Crop fruiterers, John Webb, Flint Chemicals, Sartor Brothers (Powercote), Medi-Clinic Private Hospital Group, Rob Clausen, Jan Robbertze, John Bedford, Avis, Don Ravenscroft, Abe’s Technoseal, Erindale Industrial Supplies, Sportique Collectable Models, Solemate Hiking Club, Ed Austin, Total Mining, Dennis Edgar, Charlene Sutter and Hans Schneider, who gave other types of pledges. 2008 NATIONAL RALLY WEBSITE To view our 2008 National Rally website, which is updated after each issue of the magazine, find the link which appears at the bottom of the Club’s Home Page. COTLANDS BABY SANCTUARY As reported above, Cotlands expressed their gratitude at the prize giving dinner at the Nationals to the Club members for their unselfish donations to their cause. In addition, they have sent a letter of thanks to the Club. You can view their website on www.cotlands.org. DATABASE Please will you ensure that the information provided on your renewal of membership form CLEARLY indicates what Minors you own, WITH ALL THEIR DETAILS and those sold and to whom. Harry Meintjes can then forward copies thereof to Chris Spinks for his significant database of Morris Minors, which can be found in South Africa. It has risen by a further 15 cars since the last report to 620 Morris Minors. For those reading this message, if you are not a member for any reason, kindly advise the details of your Minor for the national database. If you do not have Chris Spinks’ e-mail address, please forward the info to Harry Meintjes, the Membership Manager on hsm@imaginet.com and this will be passed on to Chris. ANSWERS TO QUIZ Question 1: They all had built in seat belt anchorage points. Question 2: The glove boxes lost their lids for the second time. Question 3: They were modified to clear a slightly bigger area of glass. Sorry this edition is late, but is due to extreme work pressure. Until we meet again in our Spring ‘08 magazine, due out in September, please drive with great care and we look forward to seeing you at the weekend away to the Drakensville Resort in the Berg. So far, 75 people have booked and it looks as if we will have a bumper turnout. Yours in a Morris, Clive Surtees (Editor) DUCK DERBY – 2 MARCH 2008 17 Minors pitched up for this fun event. We all met on the slip road off van Riebeeck Avenue in Edenvale, before proceeding through the streets of Edenvale on our way to Modderfontein. It was a pleasant day for an outing and we arrived at the venue to be met by Bev Frieslich of the Edenvale Rotary Club. She organised a special parking place for our Minors so that they could be admired by the public. The Duck Derby is an annual event which forms part of the Edenvale Rotary Club’s drive to raise funds. It is held in the Modderfontein grounds next to the small shopping centre, with the stream nearby. The idea of the Duck Derby is for visitors/supporters to buy/sponsor a numbered plastic duck. These ducks are then tossed into the stream and they float their way down to a point where they cross the finish line. Cash prizes are awarded to the winners, but obviously most of the money goes to the charity of their choice. On the day, the Harley-Davidson RIG was set up on the side of the lawned area to provide music and announcements. The area was also covered with flea market stalls of all types for the public to enjoy, as well as a tea garden and beer stall. The event was a fun day, particularly for kids, as there were numerous competitions for them. Hanna the Duck was also there. A treasure hunt was also organised for the kids. There were two categories of ducks to be raced, being tiny ducklings for kids and larger ones for adults. All 541 ducklings were sold and 1 200 of the Ducks. This was the best result that the Rotary Club has had so far and they extend their gratitude to the Morris Minor Owners’ Club for participating on the day. There were 22 prizes for the ducklings and 14 prizes for the larger ducks. Their categories included the first upside down duck and last duck in! Those who attended were Terence and Noeleen Redmond, Shaun and Danica Steyn, Glenys and Audrey with their family, Albert and Lorna van Heerden, John and Sharon Bedford, Tommy, Sharon, Ashley and Adrian Smith, Gary, Katrina, Kyle and Meghan Dodds, Frederick Wilson, John and Colleen Bowes, Laura and Stacey Josman, Clive, Denny and family, Dave Smith, Rusty and Dawn Clover, Chris and Rieke Mostert on their first outing with the Club, Harry and Michael Meintjes, Denise and Dave Stewart, John Webb, Mike and Norma Del Frate and yours truly. The event takes place each year and is sure to be on our calendar next year. It was very pleasing to see that the Rotary Club members reciprocated by attending our Cullinan Minor Steam Run at the end of March, which is one of our charity type events. THE CULLINAN MINOR STEAM RUN – 30 MARCH 2008 Well, there is so much to say about another outstanding performance from Rusty Clover and his team. The Cullinan Minor Steam Run was once again held in conjunction with Friends of the Rail and the Cullinan business community. Through Rusty’s efforts, those of Radio 702, the Pretoria Record and a few motoring clubs, they put this nostalgic event into the limelight and turned it into a stunning success. Rusty Clover and his team were instrumental in organising this event for the second year in a row. It involves the co-ordination of a ride in an old steam to Cullinan, along with a number of Morris Minors and other pre 1971 vintage cars and motorbikes. For those driving to Cullinan, each car and motorbike was photographed next to the train. The photos were then either printed onto a mug or wall plate as a memento for each driver. The steam trains belong to ‘Friends of the Rail’, who under very difficult conditions, lovingly restore these powerful steam locos and rolling stock of yesteryear to their former glory. The residents of Gauteng can be proud and should feel very privileged to have a club of this nature and stature in our back yard. It is one of only a few in the whole world and we should all support them when we get the opportunity. Our thanks go to them for making the day such a memorable one. We arrived at the Capital Park station in Pretoria in pleasant weather conditions to find a magnificently restored and well cared for puffing giant. The steam train normally caters for 350 people, but so effective was the coverage that they had to fetch additional coaches to accommodate the more than 400 passengers. The cost of a return trip ticket was R 150.00 per seat and half price for kids. Pretoria/ Tshwane certainly lived up to its reputation as the arbour city and it was a treat to cruise through its tree lined streets, with beautiful gardens as a backdrop. We drove behind an open topped 1915 model T Ford Speedster, surprisingly not leaking a drop of oil. It had chugged all the way from Benoni to participate in the event and even reached speeds of 90 km per hour. Then, to add to our pleasure, the road between Rayton and Cullinan was lined with thousands of flowering Cosmos. After a short trip, we arrived at the old diamond village of Cullinan, which definitely has its own very special mystique and ambiance and it was so pleasant to visit this area again. The Club cannot thank Rusty’s team enough for their efforts, which helped to raise a substantial amount of money for a charity. A number of businesses in Cullinan donated prizes for the Stake Your Claim competition and they went out of their way to accommodate everyone. The dress code for the day was “the Great Gatsby” and there were a number of folk who came dressed for the occasion. There were prizes for the best dressed couples, the best Morris Minors and prizes for cars and motorbikes from other clubs. They also organised a Stake Your Claim competition for those who rode in the train and for the drivers as well. Our gratitude goes to the Premier Diamond Mine for graciously donating diamonds again as prizes to the winners of the various categories. Cullinan is renowned for its Premier Diamond Mine, which is famous for the Cullinan Diamond. The quaint town has a number of restaurants to choose from and some visitors took the opportunity to enjoy a picnic. There are numerous shops for those who like to browse and located nearby, one can find game lodges, nature reserves, guest houses, golf courses, spas and the Roodeplaat dam. Those who arrived in their Minors with their families and friends were John Webb, Terence Redmond, Neville Josman, Marius van Biljon, Tommy Smith, Koos Snyman and Karlien Erasmus who both rejoined the Club on the day, Rusty Clover, Albert van Heerden and yours truly. Others, like Harry Meintjes and his family chose to enjoy the trip on the train. By chance, a section of the Porsche 356 Club was in town and they joined us for a short while. Hopefully they will join us next year. For those of you who have access to the internet, go to www.cullinanmeander.co.za and www.friendsoftherail.co.za to get a view of what we experienced. Don’t miss this event next year! Diarise it now for Sunday 29 March 2009. It will be well worth your while to come along for a most enjoyable day. Rusty, what a fantastic performance! The Club is deeply indebted and grateful to you and your team for your efforts. (Thanks to Rusty for his contribution - Editor) 2008 NATIONAL RALLY – EMERALD CASINO RESORT Even though I am part of the Committee, I never imagined that I would enjoy the National Rally as much as I did. What a fantastic show it was and those who didn’t make it, you missed something exceptional. If the next National Rally is going to be anything nearly as good as this one was, then start saving now. It will be held in Worcester in the Western Cape in 2010. (Editor) The 12th National Rally took place at the Emerald Casino Resort on the Vaal River near van der Bijl Park from Sunday 27 April to Thursday 1 May. A total of 61 Morris Minors attended the Rally for the 5 days, with members coming from as far as Durban (4), Port Elizabeth (5), the Western Cape (7) and Bloemfontein (7). The Johannesburg Branch (38) sincerely appreciates the efforts of those who made the long haul to get here. “I was simply amazed at what the new Morris looked like. I said to my mom that when I grow up I want one of those”. Those were the words of Chris Spinks as he described his experience of attending the 1949 launch of the Morris Minor at Earlscourt. Chris’ informative and entertaining discourse during the car display on the Monday was just one of the many highlights of this year’s National Rally. The Rally began with the customary registration and dishing out of goodies bags. The comments made as the members from all over the country opened the bags and discovered goodie after goodie proved just how successfully the bags were filled by the efforts of the Johannesburg team. The ladies were especially appreciative for the scarves, hair-towels and ingenious flower arrangements that were provided for them, though the Minors were certainly just as appreciative of the goodies that were provided for their owners to pamper them with. After a chance to freshen up in the chalets and a game of musical chairs with the limited parking bays, members attended the delightful and delicious ‘getting to know you ox braai’. Large warming lamps were provided to keep the chill from the nearby river at bay. Old friends reunited and slipped comfortably into conversation as if they had never been parted. The air was abuzz with talk of Minor problems and their solutions, with anecdotes of humorous break-downs and the swopping of restoration tips. Even the speech-making was light and jovial as new and old were welcomed to the Rally and a preview of the forthcoming attractions was given. With a good party behind us and the rest of the Rally still to come, everyone was eager for the 60th anniversary celebrations the following morning. Despite a slightly chaotic scene as the Minors were lined up in age order (a never before attempted feat) the rows were soon neatly arrayed for the viewing public to admire. Then the entertainment began. Irish pipers stirred the hearts of the crowd as the skirling pipes played British and Irish tunes; their strains no doubt tugging at the dipsticks of the Minors too, since they are British at heart. Then, as part of the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Morris Minor, Chris Spinks gave the historical presentation, which included his own personal memories of the launch of the little car we have all grown to love. A formidable total of 75 Minors were displayed, apart from the ‘gemorses’. Other vintage vehicles that joined the Minors in the display were MGs, Chevs, Triumph motorbikes, an Austin Somerset, Porsches, a DKW Junior, a Royal Daimler and a mini. A real highlight for many Morris enthusiasts was the guest appearance of Vernon Morton’s Morris Oxford Pick-up with a full display. All in all, there were nearly 100 vintage vehicles for everyone’s viewing pleasure. The public was also encouraged to choose their favourite car for the people’s choice competition. Sadly a Morris wasn’t the winner, but a beautifully maintained MG was a deserving winner of the award. After the celebrations came the chance for some hi-jinks at the event which is always much anticipated, the driving skills. Drivers had to display their knowledge of their car by parking with their bumper and front wheels as close to the markings as possible. After that came the chance to show whether their hands were steady, whether they could throw a ball into a bucket and how good their parking skills are in a pinch. The winner was Katrina Dodds for the second year in a row, which shows that women do make better drivers at times. An afternoon of rest and preparation for the Concours judging was followed by a delicious dinner and a serving of some serious brain teasing. While some found the questions a tad difficult at times, a few excelled and everyone seems to have learned a thing or two. After a bit of music, most retired to get some rest, before the big day of judging and the first half of the Amazing Fun Run. (Our appreciation is extended to the Lendrum family for their interesting and enjoyable quiz evening). In a judging session that most agree ran even smoother than in years past, and which is indicative of the steady improvement in the judging process, the entered Minors underwent the usual intense scrutiny. Whist this was taking place, the ladies of the Club were treated to an informative and entertaining talk on plants by Judd Kirkel and our thanks go to him for that. After a boerewors roll on the lawn, it was time to be off on the Amazing Fun Run. The first session of the run included a visit to the Animal World. Besides having the chance to view some very unusual animals, participants were required to complete a word search. The words to be searched were the names of the different animals in the enclosures. Some very cryptic clues were given to assist with the search and lists of the answers were strategically placed to help participants along. Once it was discovered that the missing letters spelled out the phrase ‘I am a Pueblan Milk Snake’ the participants were able to move on to their next location, which was the Aquadome. In true Amazing Race style, they then faced some detours before being allowed to move on to the next leg of the Fun Run. The first detour was the challenge to knock down as many bowling pins as possible. For some of the participants, this was their first taste of Ten Pin Bowling, while for others, it was their first bowl in decades and it showed! Then came the chance to ‘Shoot the Breeze’ or ‘Feed the Sphinx’ on the putt putt course. The participants’ eager willingness to tackle the detours made the first leg of the Fun Run a resounding success. The second leg of the run the following morning was closer to the traditional National Rally Fun Run, though it still had a few twists. Participants were given cryptic clues in envelopes and had to be on the look out for signs along the way to find the answers to the questions. Stops along the way included the Sharpeville Memorial, the Teknorama Museum, an unforgettable model shop and the historical site where the treaty ending the Anglo-Boer War was signed. The Rally ended back at the Casino, where packed lunches awaited the tired participants. In between the two legs of the Fun Run, was one of the most memorable fancy dress parties the Nationals have ever known, complete with a visit from the King of Rock ‘n Roll himself. Rusty Clover had fooled the Committee into believing that the King was not available on that night and he surprised everyone when Elvis appeared through the smoke. What a performance it was! The audience was delighted and they thoroughly enjoyed the show. Now just one night remained and what a night it was! On the last afternoon, a few members from each Club took up the challenge to tackle each other in the Ten Pin Bowling Alley. Much fun was had there. All good things have to come to an end, and so the night of the prize-giving dinner arrived. Not only were the prizes being handed out of a value never seen before, but a number of surprises and unexpected delights were in store for everyone. Firstly, to add to the ambiance, the youngest and oldest Minors were parked inside the dining room. Secondly there was the recognition of the contribution made by the female members of the Club. Though they are always thanked for their hard work, all must agree that everyone in the Club recognised the great heights the women of the Johannesburg Branch reached in their contributions to the organisation of the event. This was seen by the applause and remarks of appreciation for the flower arrangements and other prizes set aside specifically for them. Representatives of our major sponsors were present and speeches were made by representatives of both Cotlands, who thanked us for our donation and the Premier Diamond Mine. The mine was one of our sponsors for the National Rally and the Cullinan Minor Steam Run. Our sincere thanks and appreciation go to all of our sponsors. The following were the winners of the various categories and they are congratulated on their achievements. Concours D' Etat John Lawton Concours Prix D' Honneur Gary Dodds Top Car Sara Harper Modified Jacques Le Roux People’s Choice Gary Dodds Driving Skills Katrina Dodds Fun Run Gary & Katrina Dodds Overall Trophy Gary Dodds Well done to the Dodds family. Nearly a clean sweep! The prize-giving dinner is always a time for a vote of thanks, and this time the list was a long one. Certainly, the most precious gift the hard-working organisers received was the applause and heartfelt thanks from our fellow members. Our thanks and appreciation has to be extended to so many people. It is not expedient to mention them all, lest some names be omitted in error. Fortunately, this was done at the final dinner, so they know who they are, plus many unsung members who quietly went about their business. However, a special vote of thanks must go to Albert van Heerden, who despite his illness leading up to the Nationals, put in a sterling effort to manage and drive an excellent 5 days. The Lendrum family were amazing and they were ably assisted by John Lawton. The amount of time, effort and detail put into your contribution to the Rally was phenomenal. For the others who so willingly gave up their time, a wonderful performance of which we can all be proud. Thank you so much for a stunning time! (Thanks to Douglas Lendrum) ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 24 MAY 2008 There was a fair turnout for the 2008 AGM, which was followed by a bring and braai. This was the last duty of our outgoing Chairman, Albert van Heerden, who presented his speech to the Meeting. He spoke of the achievements during his term of office, which included: · the introduction of the cell system, whereby Committee Members look after and communicate with a group of members; · the establishment of the website, with the assistance of Rusty Clover’s son-in-law, Adrian Barnes; · securing “The Piston Ring Club” as our home and for this he thanked Brian Hinckley & Eric Milne; · sorting out the policy on the sale of spares; · arranging membership of SAVVA with all of its benefits; · the preparation for and the execution of a successful National Rally and he thanked every member who participated; · maintenance of the National Register by Chris Spinks, for which he was thanked; · securing sponsorship for the gifts and all the niceties we were able to offer to participants at the National Rally. He thanked the sponsors for their contribution and asked for the support of those companies. He paid tribute to the Emerald Casino Resort, which should receive all our praise for going the extra mile to ensure a successful and enjoyable Rally. · Also thank you to the Committee and the members for their contributions to the Rally. Albert gave the financial details of the income and expenditure of the Club for the past year. He also thanked the outgoing Committee for their support and advised which new Committee members were being nominated for secondment to the new Committee, under the chairmanship of Tommy Smith. The changes are listed under “2008/2009 COMMITTEE” further on. He also paid tribute to Gary Dodds for his support and motivation. Finally, he asked the new Committee to pursue the objective of having no less than 35 cars at the next National Rally. BOWLS DAY IN PRETORIA – SUNDAY 22 JUNE 2008 What a great outing this turned out to be. Most of the members met at the Ultra City on the N1 North. About 7 Kms outside Pretoria, we ran into a road block, which led to a few heart stopping moments, considering some of the “criminals” in our convoy. We thought that we would be spending the day on the highway, but with a little smile and a few words from the good looking ladies present, we escaped. Thanks Ladies. When we arrived around 9h15, the Bowling Club members were all present and advised us that the Boeing had already flown over. Paul, of the little finger etiquette fame was standing there with an SAB product to welcome us. We also had the pleasure of meeting and sympathising with Paul’s dad Ian. Hard to believe, but a fine gentleman. The Ladies of the Bowling Club were already waiting at the door to register us and make sure everyone had lunch tickets. After a great spread of coffee, tea and cakes donated by the Bowling Club members, Paul gave a welcoming speech and explained the rules and method required to play lawn bowls (definitely not as simple as marbles). We were given a practical demonstration before being put into teams mixed between bowlers and MMOC members, where we formed our friendships around this unique ball that turns corners when and in the direction you least want them to go. Katrina seemed the most adept at mastering this strange action. P.S. I can now see why when you are watching bowlers, they seem to be staring into the distance and walking at funny angles, in so doing trying to influence this ball with its own mind. The experts can say what they like, but we were all winners on a fantastic sunny winter’s day. The Bowling Club had a huge jumping castle to keep the younger MMOC members busy and Sara had the teenagers playing bowls on a spare green. Sharon and Jozua Cloete, of the last minute entrants to the Nationals fame, who are quietly creeping into the social part of the club, brought along a couple of little red hearts that Sharon had sewn and made with “I love my 1959/58/57etc Morris” printed on them. They were sold for R10.00 each and she donated R5.00 for each one sold to the Club and handed over R20.00 before she left. Another positive was that Lauren Edgar volunteered to join the MMOC Committee as Rusty’s Vice Events Co-ordinator. A great positive to have a young lady’s contribution to our events programme. She will definitely make a big improvement by giving a different perspective to the outings. After the bowls, we had a fantastic meal prepared by Gasperino Rosselli, who can be contacted on (012 331 2646), if ever you need a reasonably priced and excellent caterer. The refreshments were also reasonably priced, so we managed to keep the joints well lubricated, some better than others. After the prize giving and the closing speeches by Paul and Tommy, a select group of bowlers were chosen and small bets could be taken on who would win. This rounded off the outing on an exciting note. Due to the success of the outing, both clubs decided that this must become an annual event. MMOC attendees: Gary and Katrina Dodds, Jozua and Sharon Cloete, Sara, Paul Harper and their boys, Terence and Noeleen Redmond, Alex, Cheryl, Brian and Elaine Berry, Tommy and Sharon Smith and their boys, Dave Smith, Dennis and Colleen Edgar, Lauren, Cheylin and Gabriel Edgar, Albert and Lorna van Heerden, Lawson Flint, Rose Dippenaar, Neville, Laura and Stacy Josman, John and Sharon Bedford, Rusty and Dawn Clover. A total of 11 Morris’ were there and they looked very cute in the special parking provided at the side of the bowling green. The nostalgic part of the day was that this was the Josman’s final outing with the Club. It was great to have them there, but lousy to know we have lost them to the Aussies. We all wish them well and hope to see them soon. Our special thanks go to Sara and Paul Harper for kindly organising this fun outing. (Thanks to Rusty) | |||||
 |
