We are running two competitions and entries for both are open now.
Firstly the Pride of Ownership, a regular at all of our anniversary shows since 2005 – the aim is to find the best MGF and TF but they don’t have to be the most pristine – usage is taken into consideration but it does help to be a bit shiny!
Secondly the Glo-Cars are back! A feature of our anniversary shows and MGLive! since 2007 the night will once again be illuminated by the sights and sounds of the glowing Fs. The competition takes place at the evening birthday party on Saturday just as darkness falls and always provides a great spectacle.
To take part you just need to collect some glo sticks, torches, disco balls or any form of temporary light sources to enter the Impro-Glo. If you have gone the whole hog and fitted neons etc to your car then the Pro-Glo is for you!
MGFs & TFs are GO! 2021 sees the eagerly anticipated return of this Northern event.
This is the third event in the series and, after a visit to Yorkshire air Museum in 2019, we return to the highly-rated Eden Camp Modern History Theme Museum, Malton YO17 6RT and there will be a special discounted entry for MGF/TF owners (https://www.edencamp.co.uk/)
MGF/TFs at Eden Camp 2018
We hope to have a timeline of our cars with one example from the start right through to the end of production, covering all of the limited editions and variants. If you are unsure what was different between an Abingdon and a Cool Blue then this is the place to find out! If you would like to participate in this timeline please drop a line to johnprewer@rocketmail.com and (first come first served) we will try and get you a place.
We are also inviting modified cars and Monogram colour cars to participate in special displays but, rest assured, that all MGFs & TFs (plus other MGS!) are welcome. If you have a monogram or modified car then please get in touch with John at the email address above.
We will also be inviting traders along and already have some interest. There will be trophies for the bet MGF & TFs on the day and there is parking for about 110 cars in all, so let’s try and fill it up!
Please register your car here if you would like to join us:
The MGF Register is looking for volunteers for the following two roles:
Regalia Officer
To run our on-line shop throughout the year and at events such as MGLive! and the Classic Car Show at the NEC. Some IT knowledge would be helpful as you will maintain and update the on-line shop. A willingness to develop our range of products to increase sales, as profits from regalia sales are our major source of income which is then used to fund events and support the Regions, as we receive no funding from the MGCC itself.
Show Coordinator
To organise our presence at shows including submitting application forms to event organisers. Putting together our display boards with relevant information for each show; arranging members to attend with their cars etc.
If you are interested, please contact the Chair for more information chair@mgfregister.org
Following the EGM of the MG Car Club on the 17th April a new board of directors was elected for the club.
This follows a disagreement over an HR matter at Kimber Houe which resulted initially in the resignation of three directors at that time. There then followed a vote of no confidence into the remaining named directors and chairman at a subsequent Council meeting called by seven CRBs.
The remaining directors later resigned following that vote and a new board (which included the three resigning directors over the original issue) was elected at the EGM.
The effect on the MGF Register is that the new chairman of the MGCC, Dave Tynan, is also the vice-chairman of the MGF register. Keith Wiliams, who was an MGCC director and briefly club chairman, was one of those who resigned following the no-confidence vote. Keith was also on the MGF Register committee and a former chairman of the Register. He has now resigned from his MGF Register committee too.
We wish Dave well in his new role and hope that the new board can move the club forward in a positive and progressive way. We also wish Keith well for the future and thank him for his valued contribution to the Club and the Register over many years.
Nigel & Jo May with Prince Philip at Windsor Castle
The MGF Register, along with the country, mourns the loss of HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
We remember, in particular the April 2009 event where Prince Philip saluted a line of MGs driving through the courtyard of Windsor Castle at the Royal Windsor MG Heritage Festival. As he looked a the cars he was no doubt recalling his younger days when he was an MG driver himself in his black TC courting a young Princess Elizabeth.
He was said to have driven his MG with some gusto and Princess Elizabeth said that he sometimes drives too fast! That would fit with his enthusiasm for cars, aircraft, ships and life.
That occasion in 2009 was attended by many MGF Register members who took part in the event itself and the associated drive-ins to the Long Walk at Windsor. Current Register Chairman Nigel May was one of those who drove through the castle to be greeted by Prince Philip.
It was a notable day for the Register as it was the location chosen to launch the MGTF 85th Anniversary and the standard MGTF135. Both cars were on prominent display in the show field along with the Queen Golden Jubilee MGTF. Prince Philip visited the stand and viewed the cars but was frustrated when the key to open the boot/engine bay of the 85th TF could not be found!
Prince Philip devoted his life to serving his Queen and country and it was good to know that the little MGTC played some part in those early days. RIP.
Stop Press: On the 7th April the remaining members of the Executive Committee and the Chairman all resigned their posts which left just one Director of the MGCC, Peter Cook. It remains unclear what the situation regarding the EGM called by the 7 CRBs on 17th April will be in light of this action.However, it seems likely the meeting will go ahead and all current MGCC Members can join as below.
Original Post
At a special Council meeting, recently held, a vote of no confidence in named members of the Executive committee and the Chairman of the Club was passed. This means that the motion must now go to an Extraordinary General Meeting.
The matter has arisen over staffing issues at Kimber House and consequent procedural and governance concerns by seven CRBs. The MGF Register was not one of those calling for the EGM and abstained at the Council vote.
The EGM has been called for Saturday 17th April at 11am and all paid-up members of the MGCC are invited to attend. It will be held via Zoom and you must pre-register. Details of how to do this are to be found on the links below. Please note that these are hosted on the V8 Register website and not that of the main MGCC and that individual members will not have a vote on the motions, this is only allowed from the nominated representative of each CRB, in our case the Register chairman, Nigel May. Questions or statements may be made by any member attending but must be submitted ahead of the meeting, details as found in the links below.
If any MGCC member has any views on the matter as it may concern the MGF Register then please contact the Chairman at chair@mgfregister.org. The decision regarding the vote at the EGM will be taken by the Chairman after consultation with the committee and taking into account any views and concerns of MGF Register members. This matter concerns the main MGCC club and is not specific to the MGF Register.
Mike Carter MGTF – Dee Walker Car of the Year Trophy winner
It was an exceptional year but we still managed to find some worthy winners for our 2020 awards. The awards were announced by Nigel May at the Zoom AGM on the 6th March. Congratulations to all the winners.
2020 MGF Register Award Wniners
Tanswell Trophy (Members of the Year)
Keith & Liz Cooper
For 25 years of support to the club
Priest’s Trophy (Significant Contribution)
Tim & Hazel Rowe
Keen members from Yorkshire who took on the Yorkshire Region as Reps and created a thriving group
Dee Walker Trophy (MGF/TF of the Year)
Mike Carter
For “Katy” – a 2004 TF which has undergone extensive restoration to create a beautiful original looking TF (read about it in the Summer 2021 edition of FasTForward)
Brian Griffin Competition Trophy
Brian Butler
For his success in racing his MGF and winning the Cockshoot Cup in 2020
FasTForward Trophy
Adrian Tucker-Peake
For his excellent and informative article on the 200HPD TF written from first-hand experience plus the follow up article n the Verve project.
Photographic Cup
Marc Pearson
Winner of the 2020 Photo Competition
ICHBABDA
Not Presented this year
Special Award
Neil Rushton
For his contribution as Rep for the Lancashire Region
The MGF Register’s AGM was held on Saturday 6th March and undoubtedly holds the record for being the shortest one in MGF Register history – coming in at under half an hour.
There were 21 guests in addition to the committee and reps which is also something of a record!
Reports were circulated to those attending beforehand and any questions invited. The committee was re-elected with some minor changes and we welcomed Dave Tynan to the committee in the role of Vice-Chair. Dave was previously on the committee as a co-opted member in the role of MGCC Board liaison.
Following the AGM the winners of the MGF register annual awards were announced – you can read a separate post on those.
The Spring edition of FasTForward is out today having been delayed due to heavy snow at our printers in Suffolk, they apologise for the delay but the staff couldn’t get into work!
This edition features Part 39 of Rob Bell’s Project Shed and his never-ending quest to add lightness to his sprint MGF; Part two of the MGF Party story which takes us to MGF10 and MGFest07 (10th and 12th birthdays) which feature some never seen before photos; Phil Rigby gets on track with his Rookie Racer Ramblings; MGF racer David Coulthard takes us through his 25 year relationship with the MGF and more.
Scotland was one of the first regions of the MGF Register and we are delighted to welcome it back under the Register umbrella once again. Glenn Neilson was around n those early days and helped run the MGFreedom group more recently. He has now re-activated the Region under the name of MGFun (which we all agree the cars are!). Glenn tells about the Scotland Region historically and looks to the future:
MGFun are not the first F and TF group in Scotland. Not long after the F was released a group called MGF Scotland was created and organised runs and events for Scottish owners and was very successful for several years before dropping off the events radar. Some owners in Scotland still had an appetite for events so some were organised on the MG Enthusiasts BBS forum (remember forums?) and event was organised for September 2002. The people who turned up became the next group and were called Central Scotland MGF (CSMGF) and run by David Cleland and Gerry Hoirns. Some of you who are long term F or TF owners may remember “Golden Wheels” owned by Gerry and David’s lovely red MGF Steptronic. CSMGF was very successful at holding monthly meetings and runs throughout the year and introduced the HIGHLANDER weekend which attracted F and TF owners from all corners of the UK including Ireland.
CSMGF successfully carried the F and TF flag in Scotland from 2002 until 2008. I attended my first MG run with CSMGF in June 2006 and was immediately hooked but unfortunately, in 2008 both David and Gerry pulled their handbrakes on, selected neutral and switched off their interest in CSMGF and the group events came to an end. Again, all was not lost because there was still a strong desire from Scottish F and TF owners to keep events going so 2008 saw the creation of MGFreedom, run by Alan Dunlop and myself. Alan attended the very first CSMGF run in 2002 so he can only be considered as a veteran of the MGF and TF scene in Scotland. To date, Alan remains true to the models and he has serious F and TF collection. MGFreedom was hugely successful in delivering runs and events in Scotland, nationally and in Europe until around 2016 when events started to dwindle. As at 2021, MGFreedom group still exists, but as an independent group and will focus on holding the famous annual HIGHLANDER event started by CSMGF in 2002.
With MGFreedom concentrating on the HIGHLANDER event each year, this leaves Scotland without a dedicated F and TF group to provide regular runs and evens for Scottish owners. The force of the F and TF in Scotland is strong and with Scotland’s amazing roads and wonderful scenery, we have the perfect basis for having MG “Fun”.
I need to mention Covid-19 as this is the deciding factor for the forceable future and will no doubt impact upon our plans going forward. As I type this in mid-January 2021, there are already cancelled events in Scotland during 2021 so, when allowed, we will start moving towards having pub meets and organising runs/events to allow our members to meet in person but until then MGFun will grow via Facebook.
So what’s the plan? The success of the previous groups cannot be ignored so I won’t be reinventing the wheel. Initially I aim to run MGFun in line with our forerunners and tweaking things as the group develops. This means;
Regular/monthly pub meets
Regular/monthly summer runs
Annual weekend event
Short winter runs
Attendance at car shows
Thanks again to Tim for welcoming Scotland back to the Register. Take care, keep safe, best wishes to our fellow regions and we hope some of you can venture north of the border to join us for some MGFun in the future.
