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Yorkshire Experience
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On Friday 1st May 25 Morgan’s made their way to the North Yorkshire Dales. Early arrivals at the CB Inn managed a dry drive all the way to the North Yorkshire Dales mostly in sunshine. Those that drove later and travelled on more scenic routes did find some inclement weather....not enough to get really wet though, even topless! English obsession with the weather becomes compulsive obsessive to Morgan travellers! The accommodation, arranged for us by Fred and Heidi Collins, was based at the CB Inn in Arkengarthdale, and their sister hotel, The Punch Bowl, situated just North of Reeth amongst beautiful countryside where some of the filming for ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ was carried out. The CB was named after Charles Bathhurst, Lord of the Manor in the 18th century. Those staying at the Punch Bowl joined the main party at the CB for dinner where everybody could relax and regale tales of the day. The CB gave us exclusive use of their function room for the weekend.
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Saturday dawned a beautiful sunny morning and many cars were washed and made ready before breakfast. Margaret and Maurice Keech had arranged a series of scenic routes split into sections with much care taken to provide us with detail of views, stopping points and above all, detail of z bends and blind rises, where additional care is needed for navigators to impart to ensure a safe a carefree Morgan day. We drove up to Moorland overlooking the Swale valley, and onwards to Askrigg (sight of the surgery for ‘All Creatures Great and Small’, which is actually a pub), then through Hawes. The second leg of our run took us to Ingleborough and via the Ribblehead viaduct, driving along the valley alongside the Settle Carlisle railway tracks to Malham. A lunch stop was arranged at Malham with the option of walking up to Malham Tarn and Cove. Haydn & Sarah Lightfoot did this armed with a picnic where they were lucky enough to see Peregrine Falcons.
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After Lunch it was back to Hawes via Kilnsey Crags and Kettlewell. Kettlewell is a tranquil village nestling in Wharfedale, and became famous as the fictional village of Knapely in the film ‘Calendar Girls’. Hawes is home of the Wensleydale Creamery and has an excellent tea room and a cheese shop where all the local flavours of Wensleydale can be sampled before purchasing. The final run of day took us out of Hawes over Appersett Bridge, past ‘The Buttertubs’, a peculiar limestone erosion feature high above the Swale valley, through Hardraw and Muker. Then on past ‘Crackpot’, no that is not a Cranmog Morgan driver, but apparently a Yorkshire settlement that caused early Sat.Nav. problems, and another steep climb and down the other side through a ford returning to The CB Inn. The bar at CB was of course well populated on returning. While enjoying some winding down refreshment, Philip Loring had a problem with his break lights, both failing at the same time on his Plus 4, pointing to a possible fuse problem. Fortunately Paul Leggett had a supply. So How many Morgan owners does it take to mend a brake light? Seven, (1 to provide the fuse, 2 to make the repair and 4 to make remarks!), Cranmog members could be seen congregating around Philips Morgan with beer in hand and amid much debate the fuse was fitted and problem solved! The evening concluded with good food, good wine and excellent company.
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After some very heavy overnight rain Sunday dawned dry and sunny but windier than Saturday, however, still a very good day for Morganeering. The scenic runs today were ‘The 4 castles’. We left the CB inn turning northwards up over the moors, across the County Durham border and dropping down to cross the A66, and on into Barnard Castle. The castle stands over the town, and the town is also home to the Bowes Museum which houses arts and exhibitions. The second run of the day took us on in to Richmond through less bleak countryside travelling over a single car suspension bridge over the River Tees. We drove on into Richmond and many parked up in the Cobbled Market place. Richmond Castle towers above the town and those who climbed the 132 steps up the Tower were rewarded with stunning views of the town and surrounding countryside.
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The afternoon run took us into Leyburn and onto the third castle of the day at Middleham. Just before entering Middleham we crossed an ancient suspension bridge across the River Ure. The castle at Middleham is reputed to be the favourite castle of Richard III. The final castle was just a short few miles away and was the very impressive Bolton Castle. This was built in 1399 by Richard le Scrope, 1st Lord Scrope of Bolton and Chancellor of England to Richard II. Links to the lineage can be found within Cranmog who can claim a Great Aunt to the heir apparent within the membership.
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During the weekend many Cranmog members found their way up to Tan Hill Inn, the highest pub in England, this was just 7 miles from the CB. Tan Hill has been used recently in the Everest Windows advertisement, but considering it is in the middle of the moors is always very well populated and not just with clientele as they often have livestock wandering around the bar!
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Prior to dinner on the last evening a very strange sight was seen... Jim Barham had a pint glass in his hand...not so strange you might think but the glass contained Coke! Apparently Vanessa took him to the Micro Brewery in Richmond where Jim found many samples to consume! At dinner thanks and a small presentation were made to the organisers of this very enjoyable weekend Margaret and Maurice Keech and Fred and Heidi Collins, and also to the staff at the CB Inn. And to conclude Hayden gave us the inevitable Cranmog Joke.
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Kimbolton Country Fayre
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The weather for this year's Kimbolton Country Fayre and Classic Car Show was, to say the least, not as good as in past years. For the early arrivals the weather was fine and they were treated to bacon rolls ably prepared my Malcolm Fountain and his assistant Michele Chapman
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Some Cranmog members dressed for the occasion, thanks go to our Secretary for encouraging the said members to dress up and for supplying the hats
It wasn't long before the rain descended upon the gathered Cranmog members. Umberellas were put to good use.
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The cars with hoods up (perhaps someone knew something) looked spended before the rain, but a bit sad once it rained
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Despite all the bad weather the day ended on a high note when the gathering of Morgans were elected the best Club Display this being the second time in three years
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Philip Bell the Cranmog President receives the award on behalf of the Club
MK Classic Car Tour "Last Of The Summer Tour"
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On Sunday 13th September, 9 Cranmog Morgans took part in the MK Classic Car Tour “ Last Of The Summer Tour”
We met up with other enthusiasts in their Frazer Nash, Jaguar, MG, Triumph, Austin, Morris and Porsche classics at Moore Place Hotel, Aspley Guise for unlimited Bacon Rolls and Coffee. After which we set off at regular intervals on the 88 mile gentle and enjoyable meander through the lanes of Beds, Bucks and Northants. The warning of the risk of grounding on certain roads at the start of the Route Information booklet should have given us an idea of the types of road we would be travelling on! We all did very well with our navigators help and only a few minor adjustments to the route were necessary.
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On of the many highlights on the route was a refreshment stop at the USAF Museum, Thurleigh Airfield, home of the 306th Bombardment Group. The Museum is superbly maintained by dedicated enthusiasts and well worth a visit. Some of the exhibits are startlingly realistic as experienced by one of our party.
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Suitably refreshed and entertained, we set off on the last stage of the route to return to Aspley Guise where a delicious cream tea awaited us during the afternoon.
The proceeds of this event will help support THE LITTLE LIVES APPEAL for the Neo-natal unit at Milton Keynes Hospital
Next years event will be on Sunday 25th April 2010 and culminate with a BBQ at the Porsche Driving Experience, Silverstone. Entry forms from Alison at mkclassictours@aol.com
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Cranmog CT 2009
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The Cranmog Car Trial is the third qualifying event for the Kieft Trophy, and Joyce Smith had been busy planning it for some time. The date and location had been agreed, event permit granted, Countryside Access Service advised, catering and facilities booked. Everything was going to plan, then a few weeks before the event Joyce had to go onto hospital for a major heart operation.
No worries said Haydn our Chairman, its all been organised, we just need a volunteer to help pull it together on the day. Sounds like an easy job then I said, stepping forward into the volunteer position.
A couple of weeks later I went to visit Joyce to get my orders and collect all the information. You will need to go and see the Farmer said Joyce as the new Luton to Harpenden cycle track has been built across the field. It should have been finished in May but it’s still in a bit of mess.
When I arrived at the site I was shocked to discover that not only was there a tarmac cycle track, but that in an attempt to ensure the track was not too steep, the contractors had removed one of our hills along with about half an acre of grass. The track also cut the trial sight in two, and as there had been no cattle grazing during the construction period, the remaining grass was tall enough to hide an elephant let alone a Morgan!
It was too late to consider changing the venue and so following a couple of meetings our friendly farmer set to work with tractor and a JCB to sculpture a site that we could use. The job was completed by the Friday prior to the weekend, a little too close for comfort. It looked more brown than green in many places but at least we could now set out the course. The new layout meant that we had to cross the cycle track after hill 4 to reach hills 5 & 6 and as there was no simple way to do this safely, we took the decision to run the event in two halves with competitors completing all the runs on Hills 1 to 4 before moving en bloc to the other field for hills 5 & 6. An unusual solution but it worked.
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Sunday the 27th was one of the warmest and sunniest September days for a very long time. Everything arrived as planned and by 8am Tug & Wendy’s catering wagon was producing some very welcome tea coffee and bacon sandwiches. We were very fortunate to have Tony & Mary Oliver helping us over the weekend and also we were delighted to have a surprise visit from Alan Foster
Despite the superb weather we had a disappointingly low number of entries and by 9am only 11 cars were ready for the start. This forced Sarah Lightfoot to hand in her marshals jacket and enter for the event. Unfortunately Sarah did not have a passenger and so in desperation she enlisted (kidnapped) the caterers daughter Daisy, bringing the number of entries to 12.
The very dry weather whilst a bonus for drivers, marshals and spectators had made it almost impossible to set a difficult course. There was also a distinct lack of grass in many areas due to the recent construction works. As ever Cranmoggers were undaunted and set a course so that even if competitors found traction easy, there was always a chance that they would lose their way in the clouds of dust!
The plan worked in the first round with some drivers unable to identify the correct route on hill 2 and going in the wrong direction at hill 4. However by the second and third round on hills 1 to 4 most had the route organised posting a very high number of clear scores.
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Hill 4 through the woods where most of the grass had gone, looked more like a speedway track than a CT event with everything including marshals covered in grey dust. Oh what a difference a little bit of rain would have made.
The cars then moved over to the other side of the course to complete hills 5 & 6. These proved more challenging and a few more penalty points were gained on hill 5 by the end of the morning session.
Three rounds had been completed by lunchtime and due to the number of people using the cycle track we had also collected a sizeable public gallery.
Alan & Tony had been watching progress during the morning and offered to alter the course during the lunch break following which the two afternoon rounds saw a few more penalty scores.
By the end of the day two 4/4’s driven by Dave Sapp and Leigh Sebba were neck & neck with zero penalties leading to a thrilling run off against the clock.
Dave Sapp went first and set a scorching clear run time of 26 seconds, Leigh Sebba put up a brave fight in his 40 year old 4/4 chasing the time but unfortunately clipped post 4 moving him into second place.
However all was not lost as Tamsin, Dave’s daughter and passenger had already prepared a trophy for him which was also presented on the day.
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Final results:
Overall winner of the Allon White Trophy - Dave Sapp
Techniques Trophy Ladies Award - Sarah Lightfoot
Class B (4/4) winner - Leigh Sebba
Class C (+4) winner - Peter Cain
Class D (+8 & Roadster) - Colin Mackay
Class G (non Morgan cars) - Andrew Mackay
As always a great day was had by all and many thanks to all those who helped and competed on the day. The Cranmnog CT has traditionally been an event designed to encourage new participants to the sport and we look forward to more people entering the competition next year.
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Cranmog in Limousin Sept 2009
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Conceived and organised by Ian and Sally Angus.
It was Monday 5th October when a disparate group of Morganeers began to arrive at the Hotel Arbor, Le Mans.
Dave & Lynn Morsley from Yorkshire in their Ivory +4
Vic & Julie Norman in their Silver Grey Aero
Jacqui & Michael Booth, Blue 4/4
Michele & Peter Chapman, Blue +4
Annette & Brian Lewis, Grey +8
We had converged at the hotel by differing routes, and this was to continue on Tuesday as we set off for the Limousin.
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Those arriving early called in on Ian & Sally (by kind invitation) for coffee and cake and to admire their home, which is in the course of restoration.
Onwards to our hotel, the magnificent Chateau Sallandrouze in Aubusson where we were joined by Terry & Janet Wilson in their Red +8 who were combining our trip with a visit to friends. Ian & Sally in their Ivory + 4 4 seater joined us for a very jolly evening meal before returning to their home overnight. During the evening we were able to congratulate Sally who had learned that day that she had been awarded her PhD.
Our tour of the region began with a meet-up with the local Mayor and French members of the local car club at a medieval church from where we enjoyed the sort of views that a tourist guide would describe as breathless. Cranmog gifts were made to the Mayor and President of the car club before we continued on our way stopping for lunch at a pretty restaurant, Les Milles Sources in St Marc a Loubaud where we had lunch of absolutely delicious spit roasted duck. Onwards to an island in a lake (Ile De Vassiviere) where we were guided by our French friends across the causeway to the island, ignoring the designated car park signs. On the island, there was a lighthouse, more spectacular views and a museum of modern art. On our way back to the hotel we made a comfort stop of a different kind as we pulled off into a wooded area where aperitifs and nibbles magically appeared from the back of Ian & Sally’s car (the joys of a four seater)
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The next day we visited the remarkable village of Oradour-sur-Glane. This village was the scene of a brutal massacre by the German SS in 1944. The population of 642, of which 193 were children, were rounded up, the men being taken to places of assembly where they were shot. The women and children were taken to the church. The church, bodies and the village itself were systematically destroyed by fire. The Village is now as the SS left it and is in it’s entirety a memorial. A sombre, unique experience.
A unique experience of a different nature was our visit to Chateau Ribagnac for lunch.
The chateau was featured on UK TV Channel 4 as ‘Chaos in the Castle’ some time ago and we were most impressed with Ian and Sally for arranging this as it was a one off. The owners usually only serve evening meals, and then only to staying guests
The meal might well be called lunch, but in fact it was what most people would regard as a sumptuous dinner. We were joined by a couple of Ian and Sally’s car club friends who were eager to take advantage of this unique opportunity.
We were requested by our hosts, Patrick and Colette, to parade the Morgans in front of their chateau for a photo shoot and of course we obliged.
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On our last full day we toured the local Creuse area with an early start to the Abbey at Moutier d’Ahun famous for it’s intricate carvings. Here we were met by yet another of Ian & Sally’s car club friends, who guided us to a small bar/ café where we had welsh cakes (lady wife was Welsh). On the way there we stopped at the very small but unique church at Sous-Parsat.The walls and ceilings are one complete mural painted by a local International artist Gabriel Chabrat, in very brilliant colours. The murals portray the story of the bible both Old and New Testament. The artist also has a studio quite near the church.
We then headed for lunch at Le Papillon Rouge a very French little restaurant. As you might have gathered there is quite a lot of eating going on in this part of France. Lunch on this occasion was at a cottage where the owners had a room furnished with a huge table where they served a home cooked meal of local produce. After lunch it was off to Chenerailles to meet local classic car club members and then on to Boussac Chateau. The Chateau is usually closed at this time of year but Ian and Sally had persuaded the powers that be to not only allow our enlarged group access, but also to provide a guide.
Arrangements had been made for us to have afternoon refreshments at a tea rooms/garden very close by. Whilst we were at the chateau the owner had photographed some of the cars in our group and prepared a Morgan Club Tea (see cake menu) this sustained us for our return run to Aubusson. Incidentally near the tea rooms and unknown to the owners at the time was a nudist camp nearby, popular with the Dutch. When the weather became inclement the campers would attire themselves and visit the tea rooms, an unexpected but welcomed source of trade.
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After evening dinner at “our” chateau where we joined by members of the local car club who presented us token gifts we were invited down to the cellars where Ian and Sally had arranged a surprise for us. A local acrobatic clog dance group (for want of a better description) were thrilled to be invited to perform at the chateau and they performed their acts with much gusto. Some of us were “invited” on to the floor and Vic was most impressive with his interpretation of the “stick dance”.
Due to work commitments, Dave and Lynn had departed for Yorkshire the day before, leaving eight of us returning to Le Mans, each crew travelling independently.
We had our rooms at the Arbor pre-booked and were aware that we would be returning to a hotel that was closed and unmanned for the night, however we had the hotel entry code and room keys were left for us and so had access to our bedrooms.
We arranged to eat at an auberge in Arnage, the meal was fantastic, six courses and very good value. The taxi’s that we had ordered to take us to Arnage were a rip-off but the manager at the auberge arranged for local taxi’s to take us back to the Arbor so at least we did not get ripped-off twice.
Breakfast at the Arbor and then we set off on our different routes home. A lovely trip, good company, well organised, giving us the experience of travelling to a part of France largely undiscovered.
The Morgans were well received by the locals with much tooting of horns and enthusiastic waving.
Well done Ian and Sally.
Cranmog Cheese & Wine Nov 22nd
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A good crowd enjoyed this annual gourmet spectacular held this year at Melvyn & Sindy Rutter's stunning new Pitstop complex. 75 cheeses complimented the wine and other tasty treats. Word is that some may have been swept up in the jovial atmosphere and misjudged their Cheese/wine balance causing a slightly delicate Monday morning. However a certain chairman's wife reported that her husband's condition may have been compounded by further refreshment at The White Lion in Sawbridgeworth, followed by a curry at the local Tandoori!!
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Many thanks to Melvyn & Sindy for hosting , Sarah Lightfoot for her magnificent efforts in organising, and loyal helpers that include John donovan, Philip & Judy Bell, Annette Lewis, Michele Chapman and Chris Brazier who provided the pretty flowerdecorations.
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