Norfolk & Norwich Rover Owners Club

NEWS

Latest Club News and Activities

On Sunday 22nd April club members joined those from the North Norfolk Classic Vehicle Club to take part in the Drive-it-Day run from Sheringham to Hunstanton. Unlike previous years, the weather was rather cool and damp but despite this all attending had a good time.

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The start of the new season was marked on Sunday 25th March by a club visit to the Langley School Daffodil, Craft and Country Fayre. Always a good and well attended event, by 9.30 there were some 100 cars parked up in front of the school and by lunch time the sun was shining for all to enjoy. All the usual attractions were there including, craft stalls, dance groups, dog agility, birds of prey, marching bands plus steam engines both large and small.

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New meeting place - From March 2012, monthly club meetings will be held at the Anglian Windows Social Club, Holt Road, Norwich, NR10 3AQ. This is on the opposite side of the road to the airport, and is to the north of the outer ring road. On leaving Norwich on the A140, continue through the built up area until you leave the last of the housing on the left, continue past the runway approach lights on the right and the entry drive to the Social Club is immediately on the left. If you reach the roundabout where the Cromer and Holt roads divide you have gone too far and need to turn back. Guests are always welcome so why not come along and say hello. As previously, meetings start at 8pm and are held on the last Tuesday of the month.

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The end of the season for the club was marked by the AGM on 29th November where 25 members attended. This was the highest for many years, helped, no doubt, by the unseasonaly mild weather and very good to see. The Chairman reported that the club had again had a very active year and was in a very health position, both financially and in terms of membership numbers. The chair and deputy chair positions were up for election on rotation this year and the current holders were re-elected unopposed. A few days later, 30 member enjoyed an excellent Christmas meal at the Oaklands Hotel where we were fortunate to have one of the suites to ourselves. A good time was had by all and we now look forward to March 2012 and the new season. Watch the events page in the New Year for details.

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Seven members made their way to the last event of the season at the Forncett Steam Museum on Sunday 2 October. The fascinating thing about Forncett is that it is a working museum where all the various Beam, Pump and other engines can be seen 'in steam' The fact that it was also a Model Engineering day meant that we had the opportunity to see everything from the very large industrial engines right down to the working model boats, locomotives, traction engines and much more. Hot pork rolls, together with yet more cakes, were available from the eating area overlooking the exhibits. Courtesy of the owner, we were allowed to park our classics in the gardens behind the museum which gave member an excellent to socialite in the sunshine.

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The club meeting on 27 September saw the return of Martin Phillpott, to talk this time about his cycling expedition from Norwich to Moscow. The journey took 35 days, travelling approximately 2500 miles, through Holland, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Russia. Martin cycles on his own and travels light, carrying all he needs for the journey on two side panniers. He camps wherever he can and occasionally stays in hostels in order to get a good night’s sleep. Martin is an excellent speaker and had many amusing stories to tell of his journey.

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On Sunday 25 September twelve club cars were displayed in front of the classic aircraft at the Flixton Aviation Museum. There was plenty to see in the two hangers and separate buildings including exhibitions on civil and military aviation in East Anglia and the new Ken Wallis collection. After an excellent lunch at the nearby Buck Inn there was time to sit and listen to a fantastic swing band and watch the dancers in typical 40s costume. Despite the filling lunch, the home made cakes in the NAFFI proved irresistible to most if not all club members. All in all a very good day and well worth another visit next year.

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Henham Country Show is always a good event with more than enough exhibits to fill the day, and this year was no exception with wonderful displays in the main arena including a very entertaining motor bike stunt team. Henham is close to Southwold and is quite a distance for members in the East of the Region. However a number of the more local members attended on Sunday 18th September.

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Club member Dave Baston attended this fantastic event this year, on 17 September, and enjoyed the sights and sounds that only the Revival can create. A full programme of events during the day as well as the racing making for a wonderful experience. This is definitely one to attend again next year.

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Eight members attended the Charity Air Day at Seeting airfield on Sunday 11th September. The flying was good but the weather was blustery so several of the air displays were cancelled and there was not that much to do. A display in the old control tower showing the history of the airfield was quite interesting.

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The chairman represented the club at the Skylark Steam & Country Fare, near March, on 3rd September. All the usual stalls and exhibits were there in addition to the garden centre. Classic cars, trucks, tractors and steam engines all took their turn in the arena with owners having the opportunity to say something about their vehicles and their histories 'on the mic' to the crowd. Always a good day out, this years show included a flypast by the ubiquitous WW2 Dakota.

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Seven cars were on display on the club's stand at the Lavenham show on 29th August and, in addition, several members had cars on display in other parts of the showground. The weather could have been kinder to us but this did not detract from the superb selection of classics on display. Lavenham is one of the few places where you can see such a wide range of cars including some very rare examples. This year I spotted a 1901 Locomotion light steam car, a Jowett Jupiter a Lee Francis and a Gordon Keeble, one of only 100 ever produced. In addition there were enough Rolls, Daimlers and Aston Martins to keep a fleet operator happy.

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On Sunday 14th August the Chairman and his P4 100 were guests of the SD1 National rally at Wicksteed Park in Kettering. In addition to a fine turn out of SD1s, of every model, the Kettering Area Motor Club also brought along a P2 open tourer a number of P4s and a P6 which all helped to provide variety to the display. The weather was fine and the park, with its wide range of facilities, made an excellent venue.

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Sunday 7th August and the club made a return visit to the Mechanical Music Museum at Cotton near Stowmarket. Following a picnic in the gardens we were treated to a short concert by professional musician, David Ivory, on the Wurlitzer theatre pipe organ. David also took the time to demonstrate all the different music boxes and other music making machines in the museum's collection. The museum also has a fascinating collection of bygones which many members enjoyed browsing before having a well earned cup of tea.

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Seven members of the club visited the preserved Whitwell and Reepham Railway on 31st July to join in the 2nd Steam Rally. An industrial steam loco and a diesel shunter gave rides up and down the small length of line all day. There was plenty to see, including a display of steam road vehicles, working traction engines and stationary engines together with a selection of classic cars. As well as various craft stalls to wander around there was a very fine collection of real ales to sample at the Beer Festival, which was much appreciated on such a hot day.

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A new venue for the club this year was Oxborough Hall in Norfolk where, on Sunday 17 July, we put on a display of seven cars for the visitors to enjoy. We had special permission from the Nation Trust to park up directly in front of the main entrance to the hall, across the moat, giving us all a very good photo opportunity. After a picnic in the grounds, we took the opportunity to shelter from a heavy shower by taking a tour of the hall. One or two of our members even explored the 'very compact' priest hole. Unlike some of the NT propertied, which are large and probably very draughty, Oxborough is quite cosy and you can imagine a family living there in comfort. One to visit again no doubt.

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On Sunday 10 July several members made the long trek from Norwich to East Kirkby in Lincolnshire for their annual Rover Rally. As always the large field was packed and in addition to the taxiing of the resident Lancaster, the Battle of Britain Flight's Lancaster made 4 passes over the old airbase during the afternoon. It was quite a successful day for the club, not least because Club member Fred Gunning won best modern rover with his 75, Tony Barnett won best P4 with his 110 and Nigel Randall picked up the runners up cup in the P4 class with his 95. The only downside of the day was a thunderstorm on the way home. Other members attended the Steam & Country Fair at Walpole St Andrew.

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The annual Historic Transport Day at the North Norfolk Railway was held this year on 3 July. The club put on a good display with 12 cars, and many members also enjoyed the complementary rides on the Steam Trains and Classic Buses from Holt to Sheringham & back. Many other clubs were present and, together with individual entrants, some 350 cars were assembled for us all to view. The weather was good to us and we all picnicked around the cars in the sunshine.

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On Sunday 12 June a number of members made the annual trip (for our club) to Euston Park. Despite being cool and breezy there were the usual things to see and do at what is a large and well established country fair.

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Some 60 members and guests from other car clubs gathered together at Wyton House on 5 June for a rally, hogroast lunch and a dazzling theatre organ concert given by Paul Turner. In addition to a range of Rovers we also had a 1928 Austin Clifton Tourer, a 1938 Austin Cambridge, 2 E Types and many other classics on show. The weather was fine and we all enjoyed eating our lunch on the patio in front of the concert hall.
In addition to giving concerts at Wyton, Paul is also chairman of the Peterborough Theatre Organ Preservation Society who have a Wurlitzer installed at the Regional College where concerts are also held.

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This year's Bressingham Rally was held on Sunday May 29th 2011 and was again well supported with around 100 cars joining us for the day from as far afield as London to Leeds and the East Coast to the West Midlands. A full report on the day can be accessed from the 'HOME' page.

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With Bressingham looming there were no other club organised outings during May but many members attended shows on an individual basis. These included:- The Shuttleworth Vintage Vehicle Day, Sherringham Crab & Lobster Day, Skeyton Goat and The Norfolk Rally.

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Techno Classica Essen, Germany 1 – 6 April – Club member Dave Baston organised a trip to Germany to visit the largest classic car show you could imagine, with 1600 cars, 20 halls and 4 outside displays. Along with 3 other cars a total of 1100 miles were completed, although not in his Rover but a classic Mini. A fantastic few days with far too many stories to tell.

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Sunday 17th April Drive it Day - Sheringham to Strumpshaw Steam Museum Run - 4 members joined the organised event by the North Norfolk Classic Vehicle Club. A very enjoyable day made all the better by the glorious weather. Well over 100 cars left Sheringham at staggered intervals for a 50 mile drive to Strumpshaw Steam Museum. The route followed the coast road towards Bacton and then through lovely countryside and on towards Strumpshaw. The Museum has over 300 exhibits including steam engines and lorries, tractors, huge 100 ton working beam engine, art deco 1930's cinema organ and lots of memorabilia. Outside you could either enjoy a countryside walk or take a trip on the narrow gauge railway, certainly something for everyone

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On Sunday 3rd April 4 members attended the Langley School Centenary Special Daffodil Craft and Country Fayre where at least 75 classic cars of all marques were on display for one of the first events of the year. The school celebrates its centenary this year and had arranged many extra attractions, including craft stalls, traditional fete games, music, dog show, archery and many more. The weather was kind and everyone enjoyed the wonderful Hall and grounds and of course the Daffodil and walk.

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The end of the season for the club was marked by the AGM on 30th November which, despite the snow and sub-zero temperatures, attracted a good turnout. The chairman reported that the club had again had a very active year and was in a very health position, both financially and in terms of membership numbers. Significant this year was the decision to open up the club to the newer models of Rover cars, including the 800 which comes of age as a classic in 2011. A few days later, 30 member enjoyed an excellent Christmas meal at a local restaurant where we were fortunate to have one of the suites to ourselves. A good time was had by all and we now look forward to March 2011 and the new season. Watch the events page in the New Year for details.

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Several members attended the Classic Car Show at the NEC on Sunday 14th November. Arriving when the doors opened at 9.30am, we had all pre booked our tickets and we were straight in. The Classic Motor Show is all about people who share a passion for classic cars. Many car clubs were in attendance, whose members had obviously spent a lot of time and effort to show their cars. Our Club members Nigel and Marie had pride of place on the P4 Guild stand with their outstanding P4, 7 DNG, which has previously won many trophies and attracted a lot of interest all weekend. Every year this traditional 'season grand finale' for the classic car scene attracts tens of thousands of enthusiasts from all over the UK and further afield. The show celebrates all ages, marquees and models. The veteran, the vintage, the classic and the future classic, with a huge and diverse display of cars ranging from the most accessible popular classics through to the thoroughly outrageous and rare exotica. Along with the huge car displays, the show hosts the biggest single gathering of UK companies and traders offering every conceivable product and service to the classic car owner and enthusiast plus some superb and unique show features. The NEC becomes the UK's largest classic car ‘showroom’ during the show, with many well trusted and respected classic car dealers and top replica manufacturers bringing cars to suit all tastes and budgets. The Restoration Theatre, Dream Rides and the Live Stage are all superb features and offer everything from hands on expert practical demonstrations and advice, 10 mile rides in amazing cars, seminars and celebrities.

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At our meeting on 28 September we had a very enjoyable presentation by Martin Phillpott, who gave an extremely interesting slide show of one of his many long distance cycle rides. This particular journey was Coast to Coast across America, which took 54 days travelling through 10 different states. Martin cycles on his own, camps wherever he can and averaged well over 80 miles a day. He was welcomed wherever he went, stayed in (and photographed) many unusual places and met lots of fellow cyclists on the way.

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On 19th September two members, along with thousands of visitors, enjoyed the sights and sounds at the Goodwood Revival, the world's largest historic motor race meeting. A full programme of racing included GT, Saloon and Grand Prix cars from the 1940's to the 1960's. Legendary drivers included John Surtess, Stirling Moss, Richard Attwood, Martin Brundle and Tom Kristensen to name but a few. A whole range of classic cars were on display in the tax exempt car parking area, including a handful of Rover's. Away from the racing visitors could wander through the Earls Court Motor Show, shop at the Revival Market or visit the period fairground. During the lunchtime break a special service was held to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain finishing with a flypast by a Lancaster Bomber and two Spitfires.

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The annual Norfolk Showground event was held on 5 September this year and, as in previous years, we organised a the club stand. Thirteen of our cars were on display, including several very smart P2s, a P3, a number of P4s (one being an early low wing) and several P5s. All the usual trade stands and exhibits were there for us to browse and the weather was again kind to us, which all made for an excellent day out.

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On Monday 30 August, 9 cars made the annual trip to the classic car day in the lovely Suffolk village of Lavenham. Whilst there was a touch of autumn in the air, we all enjoyed the diverse range of classics on display. The club were again asked to provide cars for the arena parade and this year we selected a 3.5S P6 and a low wing P4. Many people stopped to look and ask about our cars but we were particularly pleased to to see David & Glenys Williamson who are keen Rover owners in Australia and were over in the UK on a 5 week holiday. They also came along to our monthly club meeting the following day, as special guests, which made for a very interesting evening.

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Two club members made the long trip to the P5 National Rally, which took place this year at Rockingham Castle, in Northamptonshire, on 22 August. This is a compact castle, similar in size to a large Manor House or Hall, with very attractive gardens & grounds and spectacular views over the surrounding countryside. Well over 100 cars were parked up on the manicured lawn, including P5s a selection of other Rovers and around 12 non-rovers, all sparkling in the sunshine. Winner of the 'Other Rover' class was a vary rare 1939 20 Tickford convertible with our Chairman's P4 100 being awarded the runners up trophy.

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The Hunstanton Kite festival was also on 22 August and several club members joined the display of classic cars and took a leisurely stroll along the prom.

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Sunday 15 August saw the club back at Rougham Air Show and classic car day. There were some 200 vehicles to view, ranging from the iconic Austin 7 to the Rover P5, including a 1928 Rover, in addition to bikes, commercials and military vehicles. The flying display included fast jets, a B17, Spitfire, Autogyro, dare-devil wing walkers performing amazing stunts, and many more, all performing exciting low level passes. There were also a good range of trade stands to browse, but the highlight of the day was club member Fred Gunning deservedly winning the best in class award for his excellent P3.

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Three P4s a P5 and a P6 travelled to the preserved Whitwell and Reepham station on 1st August to join in the steam gala festivities on the old M&GN line between Norwich City and Melton Constable. An industrial steam loco and a diesel shunter were giving rides up and down their small length of line all day in preserved coaches. There was also a display of steam road vehicles to view. This was another new venue for a club outing & it was good to see how much the railway preservation group had achieved in just 2 years. A walk along Marriott's way, the old track route, rounded off the day.

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Also on 1 August the Chairman attended the BMC Gala & Autojumble at Nene Park Peterborough. In addition to a large number of trade stalls there were near to 500 cars present from all the models of the former BMC grouping. The Rover 200/400 club & the New 75 club both had excellent displays and the SD1 club used the venue for their annual National Rally.

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At our meeting on 27 July, club member Nigel Randall announced that his splendid P4 95 had been selected to be on the P4 stand at the classic car show at the NEC later in the year. Quite a coup for both Nigel and our club. However project cars are just as welcome or no car at all, just an interest in our club and the cars.

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Four members attended the Silverstone Classics event over the weekend of 24/25 July and were able to get up close to the action, to all the classic cars on display and even walk around the garages and pits of those that were taking part in the many races. A long day but a very worthwhile visit and great atmosphere. Definitely one to attend again next year.

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Sunday 25 July had the club returning to Helmingham Hall for the annual rally of classic and performance cars. As always, the area in front of the Hall was full to the brim with almost every classic car imaginable and probably one or two you couldn’t. All were very well turned out and there were more prestige models than I have seen in one place in a very long time. In addition to the cars and browsing the trade stalls we were able to enjoy the gardens, performances by Suffolk Phoenix Brass and various arena events. The highlight of the day was seeing a selection of cars taking part in a ‘spirited’ run down the long front drive.

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Sunday 18th July was the day of the Mid Lincs. Rover club rally at the Aviation Centre, East Kirkby. 4 cars made the lengthy trip from Norwich to join the fun and see the resident WW2 Lancaster run up its four Merlin engines on the taxiway. Is there any sound like it?. Unfortunately the flypast by the Battle of Britain flight had to be cancelled as the high winds had the aircraft grounded at the Filton show. However I’m sure they will have better luck next year.

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Sunday 11th July saw us at Reymerston Hall listening to fascinating tales from Wing Commander Ken Wallis, looking at his collection of Autogyros/aviation curios, etc and enjoying a spirited flying demonstration from his airstrip next to the Hall. Not bad for an aviator in his 94th year. Ken then joined us for an excellent lunch, and more tales, at the local country club. As many will know, Ken has had an incredible career in aviation and in addition to all the filming work, holds many height, speed and distance records in his Autogyros. An unassuming gentleman who all agreed it was an honour to meet.

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