WEST COAST BRANCH – VINTAGE CAR CLUB JUNE 2020 NEWSLETTER
DOWN TO LEVEL 1 - READY TO TAKE TO THE ROADS AGAIN ………………….
COMMITTEE
PATRON
Tom Griffin
7627830
Daphne
CHAIRMAN
Allan Giles
7686047 Hm
Maria
7685771 Wk IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN
Kevin Tucker
7684847
Lynda
VICE CHAIRMAN
Ted Beer
7625868
Jill
SECRETARY
June Campbell
7684226
Dave
TREASURER
Tom Griffin
7627830
Daphne
CO-TREASURER
Lynda Tucker
7684847
Kevin
CLUB CAPTAIN Ytb8a1@gmail.com
Colin & Elaine Peacock
7686934
DELEGATE
Roger Devlin
7685382
Irene
MEMBERSHIP
David Campbell
7684226
June
PR & MARKETING
Allan Giles
7686047
Maria
NEWSLETTER & BEADED WHEELS
June Campbell
davenjune@ts.co.nz
VIC FORMS
Tom Griffin
7627830
Daphne
John Fowler
7626538
Trina
ROSCO TRIALS
Nick Harrison
Annette
SCENICLAND RALLY CONVENOR
The Giles
AND SUB COMMITTEE
Dave Houston
7687305
Allison
COMMITTEE
Lance Braid
7557427
Colleen
John Fensom
7686797
Janis
Jill Cowan
7625868
Ted
Elspie Mitchell
7684253
UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN … 1st Thursday month – Committee meeting at Clubrooms at Shantytown 7.30pm 3rd Tuesday month – Morning tea at Shantytown at 10.00am 4th Sunday month – Club Run
LOCAL CALENDAR OF EVENTS AT A GLANCE ALL TO BE RESCHEDULED 16th June
10.00am Shantytown
4th July
Meet 9.15am opp Repco to leave 10.40ish 1.00pm Union Hotel Copper Room 2.00pm Karoro Cemetery Daffodil Day Run
19th July 21st August 22nd August
Resume morning tea meetings – note meet at the saloon American Display Day at top of the town Camping Ground, Reefton AGM followed by afternoon tea at 2.000pm Spray the Graves - Fundraiser – further details next month TBA Greymouth & Hokitika displays
As you can see we are planning to be up and running again over the next few weeks. Our monthly morning teas will kick things off with our first get-together on the 16th June which is next week. We have been directed to the saloon and asked not to move the furniture due to the new flooring. I’m sure we will manage, we are good at mingling. Note – that there will be a change to the original price structure. This was actually mentioned last year and will now be implemented, a good time to do that. New prices will be – Scone with condiments - $5.00 Coffee - $5.00 Tea - $3.00 Instant coffee – $3.00 Which is still great value for a pleasant Club get together. Looking forward to a catch-up. Guy Stewart and Vanessa from Reefton are organising a car display on the 4th July and we are invited. You will have received Colin’s email. Details for those on the email list – it is a combined car and motorcycle display at the top of the town camping ground from 11.00am to 2.00pm, maybe a gold coin donation and bring your own lunch or support one of the businesses in town. The Straycats and Hotrodders will be there so should be a good day to get back on the road. The AGM has been set down for the 19th July at the Union Hotel. This is timed for 1.00pm and will be followed by refreshments at 2.00pm. Hope to see a good few of you there. DAFFODIL DAY – We are still intending to have a run on 22nd August, will probably follow the previous format of meet and display at Greymouth followed by a run to Hokitika for a display in the town area. Details will be more exact next month. Also, a suggestion has been received from a Committee member that we look into the possibility of offering to spray graves at the Karoro Cemetery with ‘wet n forget’ for people who are unable to do this themselves for their family members and donate the $$ to the Cancer Society at the same time. It was decided
to do this the day before the Daffodil Run [21st August] and by seeing how the response is, take it from there. Maybe Hokitika, Westport and Reefton members would like to do the same in their area. This idea should be more streamlined next month. Suggestions welcome. ROSCO TRIALS – As we are always the first trial for the season it is now too late to plan for the usual date in June. It has been considered that our meet be held at the end of the series, maybe in October to stay in the points table, so watch this space. SCENICLAND RALLY – The annual Scenicland Rally will now be held on 20th March 2021. This has altered from a postponement to a rescheduling as the Committee feels that the end of the year will be quite busy with events throughout the country being held over from during the year. Those who decided to leave their entry fees in our Rally account, please contact me if you wish to have your money refunded. I have received the Bluebridge Cook Strait Ferry price schedule for the coming year. Please contact me for details. There is a Winter Roadie competition running as follows – Be in to win your money back and 04300 fuel If you book and travel from now until the end of August you will automatically be in to win the cost of your ferry fares back plus $300 Z fuel. There will be four lucky winners – one per month from May to August. You just need to sail by the end of August. Each monthly draw will include everyone who has booked during that month. Terms and conditions apply. This is to thank Kiwis for supporting them as they rebuild.
AND NOW, something from Zoe & Bruce [Reefton] - A MODEL T THAT FLEW THE ‘COOP’ The following event occurred in the early 1970s. Every whitebait season my father and I took ourselves off to the Collingwood /Mangarakau area, trailer loaded with camping gear, dinghy, nets and any other equipment required (or not.) This particular year, 1973 I think, we were doing no good whereupon Dad suggested we try a small creek he knew of near Onekaka. And so with desperation fuelled by hunger perhaps we reloaded the trailer behind the trusty ‘56 Bel Air I owned for some years and proceeded to the spot where I was assured it was a mere 300 or so yards to this “whitebaiters haven” which only Dad knew about. Yeah right!! Anyway there we were pushing our way through manuka and other second growth in soft wet ground when we stumbled upon a car shed totally overgrown but still standing and miraculously the roof still intact, although the house a few feet away was all but collapsed. Unable to obtain access via the double doors we forced open the rear door. Inside it was almost totally dark but Dads voice (he had beaten me through the doorway) exclaimed “ there’s an old car in here”. I could see it was a model T though which model I couldn’t tell not being a Ford fan (hence the Bel Air of course!!) When he emerged minutes later almost unrecogniseable under a layer of cobwebs and dust my excited parent exclaimed “its a Model T Doctors Coupe about 1926 and seems in good order. Let’s forget the whitebait and get home, I need to see Public Trust. Always wanted one of these”!! On the trip back to Nelson I was sworn to secrecy and while I returned to work Dad spent the next few days in and out of the Public Trust office. It was fortunate he knew Onekaka well and was able to pinpoint the location, and after it was revealed the single tenant
of the old Ironworks company house had died leaving no will we were given permission to salvage and claim the car. So the following Saturday, armed with chain saw, slasher, shovel etc and a W6 McCormick tractor on a lowloader behind the Chevrolet we returned to Onekaka. But as the old Conway Twitty song goes “ things weren’t like they were before”. A track had been cleared by a small bulldozer, double doors forced and the T had flown the”coop”. To say Father felt gutted would be an understatement. He had recently retired and wanted and needed a project and was planning to join the VCC and have my brother and me rebuild the car and tour the country in it. Not to be and he never forgot that car. Point is I said nothing to anyone except wifey of course, Dad told nobody, so who slipped the word and who got the prize. Dad is long gone now but I still wonder.
USEFUL INFO…PLEASE NOTE – If it is not suitable to you to use your Club eligible vehicle on the Branch runs, you are more than welcome to come along in your modern as we welcome your company. You can go online to www.vcc.org.nz to read the current Branch magazines. On the home page you will see News from the Branches on the left. Click on that and you have access to magazines from other regions. The Vintage Car Club of NZ is now on Facebook for those who are interested. For those who already have a facebook account: Go to the VCC facebook page and LIKE IT. Posts will then appear in YOUR facebook stream and you can share them with your friends. For those who don’t have a facebook page or don’t want to set up an account: type in the link below and then save it in bookmarks in your internet browser. You will then have easy access to the page whenever you want to see the latest posts. To access the Club facebook page, go to https://www.facebook.com/vintagecarclubof newzealand/ Or type Vintage Car Club of New Zealand into facebook search.
VCC DISCOUNTS OF COOK STRAIGHT FERRIES – QUOTE… BLUEBRIDGE – Discount Code “ANTIQUECAR” Valid until 30 June 2021 THE INTERISLANDER – Booking Reference “WH5465 Valid to 15 December 2020. Special link is - https//:www.greatjourneysofnz/members-fares 10% discount on Tranz Rail available to 15th December 2020 – Booking reference WH5465 Special link is – https//:www.greatjourneysofnz.co.nz For details and conditions refer to the VCC of NZ Website or your local Secretary SERVICE BADGES – To those members who are nearing 25, 35 or 50 years membership, please contact Membership officer David Campbell. You are entitled to a service badge for your continued membership. Check out the date you joined the Vintage Car Club. NAME BADGES – Also, please contact David Campbell if you would like a name badge. The Branch supplies your first one. VIC FORMS - A reminder to all members who have VIC cards that are due to expire, you will receive a personalised RENEWAL FORM from the National Office at least three months before the due date. You cannot download a form off the internet. They are personalised for each individual vehicle. Please fill in and hand to
Branch Secretary. Please note that new applications can be downloaded from the website or contact the Branch Secretary. If you wish to participate in any National VCC Event, you need to have a Vehicle Identification Certificate, don’t leave it until the last minute as it takes some time for the processing of paperwork. If you sell your vintage vehicle and it has VIC Certification please notify NZVCC, POBox 2546, Christchurch. Ph 03 366 4461 or email: admin@vcc.org.nz
VERO INSURANCE - If you take your Insurance out with VERO they will then pay the Branch a small Commission which helps with Branch finances. Please note that when applying for Insurance cover with VERO you must quote the Branch number which is 36 plus your membership number. Also you are reminded that this scheme is set up for financial members only.