Gallery Index

2008

New Years Walk

Bath at Work Museum

Forest Frolics

2007

Wheelnuts Car Show

Chris Bates

Most Glavon cars turned up early at 10.00 for this popular classic car show at St Rose's school in Stroud. However, it was so popular that there was a horrendous traffic jam in the roads about the event and some cars were very warm when we eventually made our way into the school grounds. We had the worst pitch crammed into an odd space at the bottom of a side field which made it difficult to display our cars properly. This was unfortunate as we had TS2 to display, see cover picture. Perhaps we should follow Geoff Tebby's example who managed to negotiate an excellent display area for his other car club.

As implied earlier there was no parking places left very early on with cars crammed in at all angles with lots of interesting vehicles on display. My favourite was a very original 1961 Jaguar E type convertible that was the 19th off the production line. I had an interesting chat with its owner/restorer who said that although he had used lead loading during the original restoration he would not do so again as the flux used was so aggressive it initiated future corrosion problems.

The MG car Club won the Best Club Display Award. However as you can see from the photo they couldn't fly their flag correctly.

Thanks to everyone for coming and Andy Smith for organising the Glavon display.

MG FLAG BULLY FIXING TS2

1961 E TYPE AND PROUD OWNER

DON'T DRNK AND DRIVE !

TRYING OUT A TRACTOR

IS THAT A WEED GROWING IN YOU CAR?

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The best bit for us was when it all finished……

By Bully

As many of you know I am TR less at the moment, with Esme, my TR4A, undergoing a major rebuild.   However, this didn’t stop Sam and I attending the Wheelnuts Car Show on Sunday 29th April in Stroud.   The show was good, with over 500 cars attending.   The highlight of the show for the TR fans, was the attendance of TS2, which had come to the Glavon area for 4 days as part of it’s round the UK tour.   The show was extra special for me, as after the show had finished, I would be the custodian for TS2 for 2 days, and as the title suggests, the best bit (of the show) for us was when it all finished.
            TS2 as many of you will know, was the second TR to be produced, and the first ever right hand drive.   TS2 refers to the chassis number, produced in Jul 1953, she was donated by Keith Read to the TR Register in 1997, and underwent a rebuild during 1998 to 2001.   As part of the farewell celebrations to Ian Evens, the TR Register chairman, she is doing a tour of the country, visiting every group (50 in total) for 3 or 4 days, finishing at Malvern in July.
            When I received Mad Dog’s e-mail asking who would like to have TS2 for a day, being without a TR and in possession of a new double garage, I was quick to offer my services - I was surprised to learn that I was the only one to reply.   The only problem was my garage needed a door !
            My time with TS2 started with leaving Wheelnuts, this was fantastic and set the theme for the next 2 days; the sun was shining, with everybody smiling and waving as we cruised out.   Rather than head straight home, we took the back roads through Stroud and Stonehouse, taking the opportunity to visit friends.   Pulling up outside, we gave what I thought would be a little toot on the horn – wrong, this horn sounded more like the QE2 coming alongside, and immediately became Sam’s best bit of the whole car.
This is also where I became more aware of other subtle changes between this TR2 and my TR4A.   I had always thought Esme was low to the ground, but TS2 seems a lot lower, particularly with it’s long doors.   I had always assumed “long doors” meant they were longer horizontally on earlier cars.   I was wrong – they are longer vertically going all the way to the bottom of the sill or about 2 inches off the ground.   This means if you park within 2ft of a curb, you cannot open the door to get out.   Why do you need to open the door to get out of a soft top car you ask, well as the steering wheel is about 2ft in diameter, you need to open the door to slide in and out underneath it.
Leaving Stonehouse, we worked our way through Cam, Dursley, Stinchcombe, North Nibley, to Wooton Under Edge.   Unfortunately Steve Redway was out, so we continued on through Kingswood to Wickwar.   Here Sam insisted we visit his best friend and family.   And the reactions were all the same, smiles, coos and happy waves.
Leaving Wickwar, we picked up the A46 towards Bath.   This was now the first faster piece of road we had been on, and again I was surprised how well TS2 kept up with modern traffic.   I believe the engine is later than original, and had obviously been “upgraded” during its rebuild at TR Enterprises.   In addition she had been fitted with a Kenlow Fan and overdrive gearbox, making modern traffic (read traffic jams) a breeze.   Acceleration is very good, and with it’s “skinny” wheels, is very easy to get sideways round roundabouts.   Top speed is also impressive, but the “skinny” wheels and huge bus drivers steering wheel make you think twice about anything too quick!
Back in Bath, we had to stop to chat to several new neighbours, before finally being allowed to put her to bed for the night in my empty new garage.
The next day, I awoke with a nice bruise above my thumb of my left hand.   This is another peculiarity to the TR2 and 3’s, where the special short gear lever is actually mounted under the dash.   Should you actually place your hand on top of the lever, as most people would to change gear, you will catch the uppermost part of your hand on the lower edge of the dash.   I must have done this countless times on the first day, but fortunately I now had a painful reminder not to do it again.   How do TR2 and 3 owners overcome this, do they simply learn to do something different, or have their hands mutated to miss the obstruction? – I must have a look at Kevin Jones’s left hand more closely!
Having the day off, I had carefully planned my day to get maximum enjoyment, whilst showing off TS2 to as many people as possible.   After running Sam to school, it was round the Bristol ring road to work.   I had placed an advert on our notice board to say I would be there at 11.00 for an hour, should anybody be interested.   Several people came out, and I chatted about TS2’s history.   It is surprising the level of interest shown by people mostly born after when this car was made.
At midday I then took Frances, my 22 year old commercial officer out to lunch.   What more could you want on a day off, an expensive soft top car, a sunny day, a good pub for lunch, and a young attractive woman by your side?   Life doesn’t get much better than this.   I’m not sure Frances, however, would agree.   In her ideal world, TS2 would have had a heater, and a radio!
After lunch, and dropping Frances back to work, I headed up the M5 to Dursley.   It was here I had decided to take my former 76 year old neighbour Terry out for a spin.   Now Terry had been around when TS2 was built, and remembers them first being sold, not that he had the money to buy one.   I think TS2 brought back many memories for him, not that he had been in a TR2 before, but simply the style and technology of cars of this era.
It was now almost time to return TS2 back to Mad Dog, with one final cruise through Dursley, past Hunters Hall and over to Tetbury.   On the way we pass Steve Redway with a wave in his Mk II Jaguar.   This is where TS2 comes into it’s own on twisty A and B roads.
I finally hand over the keys with a tear in my eye, whilst still having a big silly grin on my face.   What a fantastic 2 days!