| Reports on the MGLive! 2015 week of events and weekend | ||
| Successful
event before and over the MGLive! weekend MGLive! is the largest annual event held by the MG Car Club and one that has been at Silverstone for many years. The weather is always a factor and this year was no exception with drizzle on Saturday morning with heavier rain from around noon. By contrast Sunday morning was bright with a reasonably warm and dry wind but up on the Silverstone plateau a little chilly at times. As usual the V8 Register had a V8 Marquee with a warm welcome with refreshments and comfortable seating and in the Club's Main Marquee, a display of an RV8 provided by Nic Houslip who regularly uses it for track days. The theme for the Main Marquee this year was "MGs involved in competition". The Caledonian Centre won the competition for the best stand with a recreation of a snow covered rally scene and a "works look-alike MGB Roadster" with the VRN 7 DBL parked up with a light dusting of snow on the bonnet and wings. How they managed to stop their "snow" melting was a mystery. People and cars at MGLive! 2015 See our webpage with photos of V8 members and their cars seen at the events in the week running up to and over the MGLive! 2015 weekend. More V8 Register awards See the awards made over the weekend. More More photos welcome from fellow members We know Mario Kloostra from France has taken many photos which he is sending over on a disc but other photos will be most welcome for publication. For example any photos from the Hook Norton Brewery visit or the lunch nearby in the garden of the Pear Tree Inn or at Silverstone over the weekend will be most welcome. Email Updated: 150715 Posted: 150622 |  | Visit
to Nuffield Place - home of a remarkable man The visit to Nuffield Place, north of Henley-on-Thames, revealed the surprisingly down-to-earth lives of Lord Nuffield, founder of the Morris Motor Company, and his wife. Their home and personal possessions are just as they left them - the decor and furnishings intact from the comfortable sitting room with a small black and white TV to Lord Nuffield's humble bedroom with a secret built-in workshop. In an outbuilding is an iron lung he built and then generously supplied some 800 to hospitals. His donations over his lifetime expressed in today's money were enormous. The event was arranged by Ian Quarrington on Wednesday 17th June 2015. Report |
 | Visit
to Bletchley Park - home of the codebreakers Britain's best-kept secret, today it's a unique heritage site and a popular tourist attraction following the release of the film. Over recent years the buildings have been maintained well and the displays in each room are both atmospheric and informative. Our visit to included a one-hour guided tour around the park with its Victorian house, visiting many of the huts with their displays describing the work carried out there by the codebreaking team. The high point was seeing the new reconstructed Turing Bombe machine with a live running demonstration. The visit was arranged by Nic Houslip on Thursday 18th June 2015. Report | |
 | Tour
of the Hook Norton Brewery and lunch A tour of this seven storey brewery is a wonderful experience - it has the feel of a museum but one that is alive and productive making some of the finest real ales that V8 enthusiasts enjoy at their annual lunch in Hook Norton. What sets the Hook Norton Brewery apart is the way the beer is made. No automated systems leap into action here. Instead, someone will be there to climb the stairs in order to rouse the beer by hand, using a paddle, 365 days of the year. The tour followed the ten stage process as the brew rises and falls through the brewery building. The tour and the lunch on Friday 19th June 2015 were arranged by Debbie Brading. Report | |
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V8 Supper at the Three Conies Inn at Thorpe Mandeville This Hook Norton pub west of Sulgrave near Silverstone has become the venue for the popular Friday evening supper on the eve of the MGLive! weekend. The friendly landlord Richard and his team provide a warm welcome and a separate dining room for the supper. Many members of the Caledonian Centre attend and it's a lively evening. This year the Geoff Allen Cup (a pewter tankard) was awarded to Robert MacGillivray as one of the hardworking members of the Caledonian Centre team that arranged the very successful European Event of the Year at Aviemore in 2013. The V8 Supper on Friday 19th June 2015 was arranged by James Brooks Fisher. Geoff Allen Cup | |
 | President's
International Dinner at MGLive! 2015 This well attended event brought together members from home and abroad and included a Charity auction with Dani Ingold (Switzerland) which members found an extraordinary and entertaining session. Wearing a military uniform with flashing lights, he ran the auction in a way that could easily have been from a John Cleese sketch. Then V8 members had a surprise when the Club Chairman announced the presentation of the Club's Nuffield Cup to the V8 Register for providing support and services for V8 enthusiasts, recruiting new members and assisting other registers over the years. Debbie Brading and Victor Smith received the trophy, know as the "Gold Cup" - a very valuable item! Report | |
 | V8s
parked up at MGLive! 2015 This year the V8 parking area was a long way from the V8 Marquee, located at the northern end of the Copse runway close to Copse Corner and the paddock, but there was access to a raised bank with a parking area providing a good view of the track and the racing. | |
 | V8
stand in the Club's Main Marquee at MGLive! 2015 The V8 Register stand in the Club's Main Marquee at MGLive! 2015 featured Nic Houslip's RV8 in front of a large photo of the car on the circuit at an MGOT track day at Castle Combe earlier this year. The car was previously owned by the late Bill Wallis, a V8 enthusiast and former President of the Club. Bill was pleased his RV8 had gone to Nic as he knew the car would enjoy an active life! The initial owner was Phillips and when Nic bought the car he found they had installed a number of sound system items that he then removed, particularly from the door panels. More | |
 | Concours
at MGLive! 2015 Howard Guiney from Northumberland with his MGBGTV8 (Teal Blue 0528) in the concours on Sunday where he reports his car came 1st in class F. Howard says "apparently we were 8 points behind the MGC that won car of the show!" His car was built in August 1973 and formerly owned by TG Westcott in Surrey. It was originally despatched from the MG Factory on 14th August 1973 to Westover Motors in Bournemouth a matter of days before the launch of the V8 model. Roger Glover won second place with his RV8 in the Pride of Ownership competition. John Newy's SV-R with its 5.0 V8 engine won it's class in "Pride of Ownership" and also won the Roger Latham trophy for overall best in show too. More & SV-R | |
  | V8
AGM 2015 The AGM was held on Sunday 21st June to enable many members at the event to attend - the V8 Marquee was packed. Tony Lake was temporary chairman for the election of a new V8 Committee (details of the elected members via the report, link below) and then three V8 awards were made. They were the Chris Dodds Award to Howard Gosling for his work as Club Vice Chairman and race support, to Mike Breedon (alongside) for his hard work running the BCV8 Championship for many years and racing V8s and to Darren Allsworth (husband of our Club membership secretary Liz) for his very generous volunteer work over many years driving a lorry from Club Office to MGLive! to bring all the supplies needed by the Club and working throughout the weekend as part of the event team run by Lauran Gallacher. V8 AGM Report The Nuffield Cup was on display in the V8 Marquee. The Club Chairman, Bill Silcock, said on making the award it was for the good work of the V8 Register team in providing good services and support and recuiting new members. Cup | |
 | MGB
V8 Roadster built by Don Hayter at MGLive! 2015 Earlier this year Steve Kirby purchased what is likely the closets you will ever get to a Fcatory V8 Roadster - it's the conversion built by Don Hayter with an ex O Series MGB Roadster. Steve says "great to see you all at MG Live, we had a wonderful day and watched some great racing!". More | |
