:: [ SVVS Lunchtime - The Black Horse, Hookwood  - May 2006 ] ::

The following text is based on the SVVS Magazine report by Chris Cuss and the photos are by Tony Oakes and Bozi Mohacek. Please click on any thumbnail picture below to see full size picture. To return to the thumbnails please click the Explorer "Back" arrow.


     

The M.G. owners were out in force for our Sunday lunchtime meeting at the Black Horse on the A23 at Hookwood. The earliest car was the fairly recently acquired TA owned by Tim Rolph whose well known ex London Transport GS bus suffered an attack on its front wing whilst parked earlier this month. The Aldertons, Thelma and Julian arrived in their 1947 Y type saloon. MGB's were represented by the Jubilee edition GT owned by Robert Hubbard and by the roadsters of John Mantripp and Alan Rothwell. Incidentally Alan had produced a three colour version of the SVVS badge to grace the windscreen of his car that co-ordinated with the paintwork. 

     

Tony Russell as ever was in his pre-war side valve Ford roadster, hood up as always. Other very familiar cars were the 1971 Morris 1000 belonging to Bob Drew and the Rover 110 of Derek Wright. As ever it was a delight to see the immaculate Jaguar XK140 of Don Westcott, the restoration about which Don spoke to us at a recent club night. Tony Oakes arrived in his large 1930 Humber Snipe and I exercised my Riley 9 tourer of similar vintage.

     
Our cars were all parked on a grass field adjacent to the car park and protected by a raised grass bank and a height barrier. Bozi took some time to ascertain whether or not his 1932 Rolls Royce 20/25 shooting brake, a.k.a the garden shed, would fit through it.  It did - just. 

     
Bozi was closely followed by David Smart in his 1904 Cadillac a car of similar height. In this case it was the roof mounted spare that might have caused a problem but it fitted under with some inches to spare. I have not seen this car before. The body work is described as a detachable limousine. The driver sat in the open whilst the passengers were in the fully enclosed tall rear compartment rather in the style of a brougham. The engine appeared to reside under the driver's seat and the fully exposed flywheel was clearly visible coming below the chassis line on the nearside. Quite magnificent.

     

(Missed by Chris because of early departure, was a technical challenge that occurred to Terry Mistry who on attempting to leave after lunch broke the clutch, needed pushing, remaining immobile until the breakdown truck arrived, - and gave us all much amusement ! <Webmaster>)

In our local paper this week there was a picture of Terry Mistry and his 1947 Triumph Roadster as they had been honoured to take part in a motoring cavalcade to celebrate the Queen's 80th birthday. They were escorted through the gates of Buckingham Palace by a police motor cyclist. Sadly Terry's next meeting with the constabulary was not so happy as two very young P.C.s were radar trapping on the A217 just past the Beehive pub. I was a few cars behind Terry in a steady stream of traffic all moving at the same speed. However they pulled the Triumph in and alleged that he had been travelling at over the speed limit. Thankfully they let him off with a warning although it seemed unfair that he was the only vehicle stopped, possibly because he was driving a proper car. Certainly he was doing no more than keeping up with the flow of traffic.

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