With so many events happening in September and limited space I must be brief! 

The month started well with 7 Cars displaying at the Eccleshall show on the 2^nd.

For Club night at the Barns Keith and Christine Timmis had arranged an after dinner speaker. David Spencer, a jeweler and goldsmith gave us a fascinating glimpse of his skills. The ladies loved the diamonds and gold on show but the men looked worried! Makes a change from the usual carbs and camshafts.

The main event of the month was the long awaited Northumberland Explorer trip, meticulous planned by Des and Gill Barnard. The Riverdale Hall Hotel in Bellingham was the base for 4 nights for our group of 16 cars and 31 members. Daily tulip notes guided us to Hadrian’s Wall, Cragside House, Beamish Museum and the Northumberland coast, enjoying the beautiful scenery and fine driving roads. We drove around 750 miles on the trip with no breakdowns. Our evening dining was again enhanced (?) by Renton Ward`s fiendish quizzes.

Coffee and tea cakes were the order of the day at the Halfpenny Green Winery coffee morning on the 21^st. New members Colin and Louise Downs joined 22 members to enjoy the natter. Unfortunately they discovered that leaving their TF`s hood down when a cloudburst passed through leads to soggy bottoms!

It was canal boats not cars at the Huddlesford Canal Gathering. Arranged by narrow boat owners Des and Gill (where do they find the time) 17 cars entered the display of classic cars. The morning drizzle soon passed and the weather improved. Highlight of the day was the onstage performance of “No Direction” a boy band featuring Club member Glyn John who received wild applause from our group.

A Drive and Dine Run to the Oakley at Brewood completed a very full month.

August`s programme included events for all interests, great MG road runs, taking to the water on boat trips, displaying at car shows, enjoying coffee and cakes and of course fine dining, good food always being on the menu with  SMGEC members!

The Club night at the Barns was well attended and gave the opportunity to welcome new members Michael and Heather Steventon and Andy and Barbara Wright who bring an F, TF and MGC to the fleet. A review of recent activities was followed by a look forward to future events, especially our Northumberland trip in September.

The opportunity for enjoyable MG driving came on the 13^th when Phil and Cathy Wellstead led us on a trip to Rudyard Lake near Leek. Starting at Aston Marina, a great turnout of 23 cars set off on a challenging 30 mile run over the Staffordshire Moorlands to arrive at the lake. After parking up on the dam we sat down to enjoy a fine buffet lunch in the restaurant followed by trips round the lake in an all-electric boat, shades of an MG4 EV! A most enjoyable day out.

The 3^rd Thursday coffee morning saw 30 members meeting at the very welcoming Aston Marina to enjoy a leisurely morning’s natter over coffee. Organized by Brian and June Cooper these mornings are a very popular part of Club life.

For the Lupin Farm charity car show on the 20^th Charles Jarman led 13 SMGEC cars to join the hundreds of others on display. Sadly we learned that after 38 years this would be the last show organizer Edwin Tipper will be holding. This is disappointing news, as for many enthusiasts, Lupin farm has been the best car show in the Midlands and will be much missed. 

Happy MG motoring for the rest of the summer.

July was packed with events for SMGEC members with a Club night, coffee morning, car show, pub night drive and dine and finishing off with a motoring tour of the Derbyshire Dales.

Highlight of Barns Club night was the after dinner entertainment, a round of Play Your Cards Right again presented by Allan Wild assisted by June and Karen. Most amusing but sadly the star prize of a Caribbean cruise wasn`t won!

We displayed 8 cars at the Walsall Arboretum Car Show, held on the 9^th. A really enjoyable traditional show with a wide range of cars on display backed up with traders and refreshments. Our new pop up gazebos worked well protecting us from the sun as the threatened rain never appeared.  I`m sure we will revisit next year.

July`s coffee morning at Café Prego near Shenstone was, as usual, well attended with 37 members enjoying coffee and a natter including new Member Michael Steventon who has a MGF.

Fine dining was on the menu when Keith and Gill Johnson organized a Drive and Dine Evening run to the Whittington Arms near Lichfield with a party of 17. SMGEC members don`t need asking twice when food is on offer!

The month ended with a run to Tittesworth Reservoir in Derbyshire organized by Tony and Jan Clarke assisted by Phil and Cathy Wellstead. Starting off from Fairlawns Garden Centre all went well until Ashbourne Market square led a few of us astray. A combination of maps, Satnavs and local knowledge got us back on the route where we enjoyed the 55 mile run across the stunning Dales scenery including some challenging lanes before arriving at the reservoir for a picnic lunch. Yet again the threatened rain did not appear until on the run home. A fine day out to end the month.

With over half the year and the longest day passed, SMGEC made good use the fine weather to enjoy some miles driving our MG`s. Club night at the Barns was an opportunity to relive the very successful recent Welsh Trip with plenty of photos in the presentation. It certainly wetted the appetite for Des and Gill Barnard`s Northumberland trip in September, plans for which are well advanced with 19 cars now in the party.

We had two runs in June starting on the 11^th with our annual charity run organized by Roger and Sue Dudley, this year going to Charlecote Park. Early concerns for the weather soon evaporated and it was hoods down for a splendid 60 mile run. Thankfully the road closed demon took pity on Roger and Sue this time and had a day off!  Picnics and ice creams made the day which raised £335 for our charity, the Dougie Mac Hospice.

Coffee and tea cakes were on the menu at the Byrkley garden centre coffee morning on the 15^Th. With 17 cars and 33 members attending it shows how popular these mid-week meetings organized by Brian and June Cooper have become.

On the 25^th for the second run of the month Lyn and I took the Club to Stokesay Castle near Craven Arms, a welcome return to beautiful Shropshire.  Meeting up at Gailey, a 52 mile run took in the Ironbridge gorge before driving across the spectacular Long Mynd to reach the Castle, a venue well worth visiting. Picnics and a tour of the Castle were enjoyed in sunny weather, so another hood down day.  One breakdown was promptly dealt with by the RAC with a trip home on the wagon of shame for Phil and Cathy Wellstead after brake troubles. Happy MG motoring.

May got off to a royal start with a Coronation themed Club night at the Barns. With the room decked out in red, white and blue, crowns and tiaras added to the celebration.

The long awaited Mid Wales trip on the 14^th saw 19 cars and 36 members setting off on a planned route to arrive at our base for the tour, The Ty`n Y Cornel Hotel, in time for a well-earned drink before dinner. Our three night stay at the Hotel couldn’t be faulted, with its scenic location on the shores of Tal-y-Lyn Lake nestled under Cader Idris. Their full Welsh breakfast setting us up for the day with an excellent evening dinner to look forward to. Day 1 was a drive to visit Portmeirion Village, famous as the set of the 70`s TV series, The Prisoner, we even saw a Lotus Seven in the car park! The coast road through Harlech and Barmouth took us back to the Hotel. On day 2 we swopped cars for trains with a trip on the Talyllon narrow gauge railway including a buffet lunch. The return run to the Hotel was along the coast through Fairbourne. The run home on Wednesday included at visit to Powis Castle. Thanks go to Renton and Helen Ward for organizing a memorable trip and the sunny weather!

The Waterside Café at Aldridge was a new venue for our monthly coffee morning, most enjoyable, I`m sure we will visit again.

On the 23^rd Charles and Patsy Jarman took 25 members on a visit to Edwin Tippers Lupin Farm to view his vehicle collection followed by enjoying a meal at the Boar`s Head at Sudbury. The Lupin Farm car show in August is the best in the Midlands and raises £k`s for charity each year, don`t miss it.