British Car Club Midlands Centre
Activities
Mike and Marcie Speer hosted this year's Christmas party at their home in Spring Valley. We had
a big turnout and the club presented Mike and Marcie with a lovely objet d'art in appreciation of their efforts. The party brought together some members we haven't seen for a while and even Santa was there!
We held our AGM at the Flight Deck in Lexington again this year. Walt Brown was chosen as our new
president and Tina Beckman now fills the secretary's role. They replace Fred and Betty Deshong who have faithfully served the club for six years! The club present the Deshong's with plaques and a beautiful wall clock. Dennis Lambries and Edith Hylton continue as vice president and treasurer.
On Friday the fourth of November, Dave got home from work just after 3:30 pm, changed clothes and we were off within eight minutes with Dave drinking his English tea from his travel mug and me driving our Tahiti Blue coloured Mini Cooper S. Our destination was the Fairfield Inn and Suites in Wilmington, NC, a distance of 203 miles taking 3 hours and 22 minutes, for the Brits at the Plantation car show being put on by the British Motor Club of the Cape Fear.
After a while, there was a slight drizzle of rain. Then it got heavier as we got into the journey. We were glad to get to the Fairfield where we unloaded our cases and parked the car. Luckily we had brought with us a couple of microwave meals which we heated up in the microwave in the breakfast eating area. It was raining pretty hard by then and so didn’t fancy going to a restaurant to get something to eat.
The Fairfield In is a really lovely modern motel and is not yet three years old. The decor inside makes one feel so welcome. We settled down for an early night getting up jest before seven o’clock the next morning. We got ready then headed down for a breakfast of cereal, toast and a bagel with cream cheese and orange juice to drink.
We met up with Mike and Marcie and Steve and Madell from our club, the BCCMC. Then we caravanned to the Poplar Grove Plantation. Built in 1850, the plantation is on the register of historic places. It was just a ten minute drive from the Fairfield. It was a lovely venue to hold the car show there and it was the first time as it is usually held at the battleship. This is their 13th annual car show and the British Motor Club of the Cape Fear will make a significant contribution to the Poplar Grove Plantation preservation fund.
We parked our car, gave it a quick clean then went and got our reservation packet which included a free t-shirt and dash plaque. It was cold but luckily there was coffee and donuts to warm the cockles of your heart. We chatted with many friends from other clubs and at 11:30 went and voted on the cars in the different classes. There was a British section, British automobiles, German automobiles, and Japanese automobiles, 33 classes in all. Altogether there were 134 registered cars. As always, there were some real beauties, including a Rolls Royce.
There was good music, played by the resident band, the Rusty Bumbers. Once the sun got warmer it didn’t feel so cold. But by then we were both wrapped up in our warm clothes. We bought some raffle tickets and winners were called throughout the show day. Dave won a lovely wicker basket filled with doggie goodies which included a dog bowl, dog blanket, dog toy and dog treats. It was a lovely gift for our Cocker Spaniel Brandon.
Then I was a winner of a water colour painting of a beach scene in Wilmington done by a local artist Getchen Murchen. She donated the painting and I got to meet her. Awards were given out about 2:30 pm and Mike won third place on his Austin Healey and Dave and I won third place on our Mini Cooper S. Also at the show were Bonne and Eric but they didn’t show a car and Fred with his MGB. We left to go home about 3:30 pm arriving home about seven o’clock. It was another great show to add to our list.
Jocelyn Davis.
PS – Fred blew a freeze plug in his MGB on his way home. After trying to repair it, he called Walt who kindly drove all the way to Conway, SC, where Fred was staying with his in-laws and towed Fred and his MG back to Columbia on his trailer. Fred said you couldn’t ask for a nicer friend than that.
Our monthly breakfast meeting was Saturday, Nov. 5, at Ryan’s on Bower Parkway on a beautifully sunny but cool day. The hit of the parking lot was Steve DeGroat’s 1969 MGB GT RoadMaster. This car was built by the British American Deviant Association Sportscar Society (BADASS) to eventually be auctioned for charity. The car, the engine, the suspension parts, the body work and the paint were all donated for the projected. The impetus for the project was a challenge to put something other than the more commonly transplanted Buick aluminum block 215 cubic inch motor into an MG. This
car has a 455 cubic inch Buick V8 from a 1971 Buick Roadmaster, Jaguar independent rear suspension, airbag front suspension and a T-5 five speed transmission. The completed project is beautifully finished and, according to Steve, completely drivable. For more information, check out www.britishV8.org.Dennis Lambries, who was filling in for Fred, reminded us of the annual dinner meeting and board elections next Saturday, Nov. 12 , at the Flight Deck in Lexington as well as the Christmas dinner Saturday Dec. 3 at the Speers house at 6 pm.
The 27th Annual British Car Day Charleston was held Saturday Oct. 22 at the Mount Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park, hosted by the British Car Club of Charleston. We caravanned down and stayed at the Red Roof Inn in Mount Pleasant.
MG’s on the Green – September 24, 2011 - From Jocelyn Davis
Dave and I left Columbia, SC, about 7:45 a.m. on Saturday, September 24, driving our British Racing Green MGB roadster. Destination the Harrisburg Lion’s Club on Patricia Avenue in Harrisburg, NC, for the 23rd annual event of the MG’s on the Green. It was founded in 1989 and brings together the cars and owners of MGs and other classic British marques. It’s a relaxed gathering to enjoy the cars on display and fellowship. The location was a journey of 100 miles taking 1 hour and 38 minutes. It was raining when we left and rained all the way there. We stopped just before we got to the Lion’s Club to pick up a cappuccino from the garage. This is a no fee event and all participants were given a Hagerty’s bag filled with bits and bobs including a specially designed MG’s on the Green dash plaque. In all there were about 28 cars, mostly MGs. We met u- with old friends and met some new ones including an English guy who had been over here 11 years and an English lady who had been over here 52 years. It rained off and on through the day but it wasn’t so bad as there was the Lion’s Clubhouse to go into. We had a couple of MG tech sessions and there was an auction and raffles. Dave and I bought $10 worth but weren’t lucky like last year. To eat later on in the afternoon, Dave and I got a barbeque pork sandwich with fries. Participants in the show voted a MG TD for best in show. It was red and a beauty, owned by a lady. Then the president voted for his favorite, which was a Morris Minor Traveler and very cute, too. We then left to go home just before 3 o’clock and it was dry all the way going home.
Jocelyn Davis
We travelled to Asheville, NC, for some sightseeing. Click on the photo below to follow us up the Blue Ridge Parkway to Mt. Mitchell.
Photos by Irene Neumann
A few members made it to the Euros at the Fair car show at the Charlotte Motor Speedway on August 28. Eddie Pierce entered his MGB and won First in Class. The picture shows how happy Eddie was. Pam and Jeff Jones went without their car but had a great time helping Eddie celebrate his win. Pam said there were hundreds of cars and vendors, and the car show setting on the track and in the pits was really cool. Next year we will try for a bigger BCCMC turnout!
A misty, muggy morning turned hot and clear while we enjoyed breakfast at The Golden Coral on Saturday August 6. Two new faces joined us - Dennis Cassillo, who is a New York transplant and drives a recently acquired TR7 Spider, and Bob Faulkner, who drives a TR6 but is restoring an MGB he bought in pieces. Our president, Fred Deshong, shared some of the thank you notes he has received from the charities we sponsored with the proceeds from CBC-V. Mike Speer gave us a few hints about the upcoming mountain trip and said that all the details would be known soon. Ron Jarosz reminded us that we need to have at least 8 registered members of the NAMGBR in order to maintain the insurance coverage they provide for our car shows and other events. Sonya Stewart was glad to be wearing matching shoes.
Thirty-five members arrived for breakfast at the Golden Corral on a beautifully sunny and warm July 2nd morning. Cecil and Connie Myers, who celebrated their 67th anniversary last month, came in their lovely 1956 Jaguar XK140 FHC which they have owned since 1958. After we ate, Fred Deshong announced that the club had donated $500 to four charities from money made on the CBC-V car show – the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the American Cancer 
Society, the National Alliance for Mental Illness (S.C. Chapter) and the Alzheimer's Association. Dave Headrick told us that the board had decided that the 2012 CBC-VI will again be at Saluda Shoals Park on the same weekend as this year. Phil Wicks invited us to Nashville for the 7th Annual Minnie Challenge on September 9 and 10. This event includes opportunities to attend a Phil Wicks Driving Academy, a vintage race, a solo 1 autocross and a safe driving academy for young drivers. Proceeds from this event benefit the Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation.
To see a flyer for the event, click here or visit www.minidriving.com for details.
Quarterly Dinner – June 18, 2011
In spite of bad weather, 23 members enjoyed dinner at the Harbor Inn on Two Notch, including new members Bill and Tina Beckman. A few brave souls even drove their LBCs, including Tony and Pat Stakis who arrived with the top down on their Austin-Healey. We were well served and the seafood was very good.
British Car Day South- June 12, 2011 – From Jocelyn Davis
Dave and I left home, Columbia SC, about 7:15 in the morning driving our British racing green right hand drive chrome bumper MGB roadster. Destination Concord, North Carolina, a journey of 103 miles taking 1 hour and 40 minutes. The Carolinas Austin Healey Club was putting on their 31st annual British Car Day South show which was being held at the Frank Liske Park.
Just past Rock Hill, we saw another member of our club, Jay, driving his classic Mini. The featured marquee was Mini classic and modern.
Before entering the park, we stopped at a garage for a cappuccino. We then drove on to the park and parked our car with 14 other chrome bumper MGs. Dave cleaned the outside of the car as I had cleaned the inside the day before. We did our usual staging and for the first time put up a canopy. It was needed too as the day was already hot and humid. We met up as usual with old friend from previous shows and made as usual new ones. For ourselves we had a lemon loaf cookie each and shared the cappuccino.
We then walked around voting on the different cars in the different classes. There were two lovely Rolls Royces and also about 5 motorcycles, one with a side car. Registration for the show was about 130. We bought $10 worth of raffle tickets. The Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte was a recipient of a portion of the event proceeds.
Once again I tried my hand at wrench racing, using a small model Camaro with a small wrench attached to it. I won two out of three in the first event but only one out of three in the second event. There was music, vendors, food and beverages. Dave bought a cup of home made peach ice cream.
The drawing for the raffles was at 1:30 and we won a year’s subscription to the American MGB Association, a value of $35. Awards were given out just before 2 o’clock and we left the park hot to long after 2:30 to make our way home.
Jocelyn Davis
Breakfast – June 2, 2011
Breakfast this month was at The British Bulldog Pub. By all accounts the food and the service were terrific. We had 42 members attending and 4 guests, including Eddie and Frances Pearce’s son Charles. Three new members signed up - Bill and Tina Beckman, who drive a 1975 MGB, and Dave Mahrer, who has a 1962 Jaguar E-Type. Welcome!
The next several breakfasts will be at the Golden Corral on Forrest Drive but we plan to return to The British Bulldog Pub for breakfast later this year.
Greenville Scottish Games Car Show - May 28, 2011
What started out as a humid, foggy, cool drive to Furman University turned into a beautiful sunny day with low humidity by the time Jocelyn & Dave Davis, Cliff Berry, and Steve Ratcliffe arrived in Greenville for the annual 
Scottish Games Car Show. The show was held on a beautiful, tree-lined park near the arena and was very well organized. Once parked, we met up with Denise and Todd Smith, who were with the well-represented Sunbeam group. There were some very rare cars there, such as a 1936 Rialto and a 1934 Riley. Austin Healeys, Triumphs, MGs, Sunbeams, and even 'Midgets' from MG and Austin were there in volume.
It was a good day for BCCMC as the Smith's took 1st Place in Class for Sunbeams, the Davis's took 2nd Place in Class for 'chrome bumper' MGBs, and Steve Ratcliffe received 1st Place in Class for 'rubber bumper' MGBs.
We had a great turnout at The British Bulldog Pub for the Quarterly Dinner. The pub provided us with a separate room and two servers to handle the drinks and menu items. Generally, service was well done and the food, as always, received great praise.
The pub allowed us to park along the curb in front of the building and we were able to accommodate most of the LBCs. Unfortunately, the police didn't agree with our selection of 'special' parking and the party broke up a bit early, as we had to move our cars. Fortunately, the police were kind enough to supervise the movement of vehicles, rather than ticketing first and notifying us after.
KUDOs to the officers involved for their great judgement!
We had a light showing (31 people) at the Ryan's on Bower Pkwy for breakfast. The weather was a bit wet and chilly, so many non-LBCs were in the parking lot. Fred talked about the media event he and Steve Ratcliffe went to for the Tartan Fest South, to be held at the Historic Carolina Speedway in Cayce on April 2nd, after our breakfast. We hope to have at least 15 cars and we get to do a lap of the speedway before lining up in a special parking area to watch the Highland Games.
Although attendance at breakfast didn't meet the norm, it was a great group who lingered and socialized. We had one guest, Cliff Berry, who has signed up for membership in BCCMC. Cliff & Donna have a blue 1974 MGB.
