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Chairman’s Report
Chairman’s Report - July 2021
by David Tomlinson
What a big month July was. We started off with an earlier than usual club night due to the Swap Meet, and celebrated our cover photo gentlemen’s 90th birthdays which fell in July. Well done to Bill and Ralph on not only reaching this milestone, but still taking part in our branch events in your well loved older cars. We also had a 1957 Chev Belair as our “car in the room”, and spoke about the upcoming Swap Meet, Sulphur City Rally and Spring Tour. The weekend before the Swap Meet had probably been the absolute best weather one could hope for, which made me nervous, but when the big day arrived, it was not as cold as it could have been. Other than a brief late morning shower it was dry and overcast. We had a very good turnout of vendors, and a full carpark with overflow parking needed with thousands of visitors. After a long day we had to sort out the rubbish and return the property to the condition it was the day before, and thankfully the good weather held. The show car prize of $100 was very gratefully accepted by the owner on a 1951 Mercury. I wish to thank all those involved in the planning and operating of this event, without you the branch would not continue to operate. Our surplus from the event will be very close to $10,000, which is much needed after no Swap Meet last year. We briefly discussed the proposed new VCC logo, and I will be heading down to Christchurch to the VCC AGM in the middle of August. The logo change has certainly created some polarising views on social media from long time members.
For August, our main branch activity is the Sulphur City Rally at the end of the month. This is another event unable to be held in 2020. We have a good number of entries to date, including cars from Northland and Hawkes Bay. If you wish to enter this event and have not done so by our August club night you really need to download an entry form from the branch website and get it in so we can sort out the catering numbers for the day. It is important all entries are in by 20th August. Please also read the itinerary for the October Spring Tour in this edition of Side Curtains, it is important to sort out your accommodation very soon and let the organisers know you intend to be on part or all of the tour. Also note that the Vero Festival of Motoring in January 2022 will cost you an extra $150 to enter if you have not done so by the end of this month.
Some of you may recall Michael Thorne displayed a lovely Alfa GTV6 as our car in the room two months ago. Michael has since replaced this with a Rover P5 V8 which he debuted on the July midweekers run. Michael will be displaying his 1988 Panther Kallista as our August car in the room. The “silly season” will be upon us soon for car shows and other car activities. Fleur and I belong to a number of single marque clubs as well as the VCC, and from 17 October to 31 October we could take part in 3 different tours, back to back with no breaks in between with 3 of those clubs. Work and family time prevents this, but we will be taking part in a 4 day tour based in Tauranga over Labour weekend. It is good that despite the pandemic activities are still being planned and held, a luxury not available everywhere these days. Many other events that did not take place last year or this year are back on the annual calendar, there is plenty to keep us all occupied over the coming months through to the end of summer.
