Far North Focus
February 2020
Finally– the new bridge opened at Taipa 1
The Vintage Car Club of New Zealand
Far North Focus Who’s Who for 2019/20 Chairman
Murray Cormack
m.g.cormack@xtra.co.nz
09 4077255
Vice Chairman
Winston Matthews
win@matthewsvintage.com
09 406 0203
Secretary
Gloria Cormack
m.g.cormack@xtra.co.nz
09 4077255
Treasurer
Robyn Mackay
wmackay116@gmail .com
09 406 1955
Club Captain
Graeme Moore
graemarg32@gmail.com
09 4061413
Editor
Peg Hills
comstockdowns@gmail.com
09 406 1077
Communications Officer
Ruth Reid
r.t.reid@xtra.co.nz
09 4060 392
New Member Liaison
Murray Cormack
m.g.cormack@xtra.co.nz
09 4077255
Beaded Wheels Scribe
Dave Duirs
dave.duirs@xtra.co.nz
09 406 1288
Area Rep North
Ruth Reid
r.t.reid@xtra.co.nz
09 406 0392
Area Rep South
Warwick Woollams
w.woollams@gmail.com
09 407 7494
Committee
Murray Cormack, Robyn Mackay, Winston Matthews, Graeme Moore, Vince Mason, Mike Pooley, Gloria Cormack, Warwick Woollams, Warren Mackay
Building Officer
Peter Mason
09 406 1409
A full list of elected officers was circulated with the minutes of the 2019 Annual General Meeting
Club meetings on the second Tuesday of the month at the Aurere Clubrooms at 7.30pm.
CLUB CLEANING ROSTER 2019-2020 During the month, and preferably before the main calendar event, please give the clubrooms a thorough check over, as in: Clean the toilets and hand basins, check kitchen, window ledges etc, and sweep the floors. Window cleaning, washing walls etc will be done at working bees.
Note any required maintenance and pass on to the Building Officer- Peter Mason, ph 406 1409. If your date doesn’t suit you, please swap with someone else. For any other enquiries please contact the Club Captain.
February
Graeme and Margaret
July
C Brownlie
January
D & P Hills
August
D & D Duirs
February
Graeme & Margaret
September
Graeme Moore
March
TBA
October
Everyone– working bee
April
TBA
November
P & Z Mason
May
TBA
December
Graeme & Margaret
June
TBA
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Calendar of Events 2019 / 2020 February 15th
Hokianga/ Far North
Keith
February 16th
Taipa Bay Caffeine & Classics
Rosco
March 14th
Far North /Hokianga
Claude
March 15th
Taipa Bay Caffeine& Classics
Rosco
April 4th
Brian Parker
Rex & Sandra
April 19th
Taipa Bay Caffeine & Classics
Rosco
May 10th
Mothers Day
Terry & Sue (TBC)
May 12th
Club AGM
Everyone
May 17th
Taipa Bay Caffeine & Classics
Rosco
June 21st
Taipa Bay Caffeine & Classics
Rosco
June 27th
Molloy Trophy Rally
TBA
More from the bridge opening. Thanks for photos Mike.
Club meetings are on the second Tuesday of each month, at 7.30pm, at the Aurere Clubrooms, unless otherwise advised. The Far North Branch of the VCC does have a policy that pets are not brought to any Club events. We do ask that this policy is respected.
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The Vintage Car Club of New Zealand
From the Chair……. Greetings,
Matters Mechanical: Warwick and Penny have recently purchased We had a good turn-out for the Kerikeri Kick-Back, and an early Model T Ford. A truly iconic vehicle in the hissuper-hot weather. Hope everybody enjoyed the drive tory of the motorcar, and we look forward to seeing it. and picnic. We certainly enjoyed hosting the event. Brian Walker has enjoyed many vintage cars over the We all look forward to warm summer days, but it is years, and his latest is a 1937 Plymouth Coupe. We look forward to seeing this new addition as well. currently almost too hot for comfort.
At the time of writing this report (25Jan) we are a few Trust you all had a great Christmas and New Year break short for our Hokianga Cruise on 15 February, but with friends and family. hope this gets sorted by the end of the month. Enjoy your vehicles and the friendships associated with We have some great rallies lined up for 2020, and hope them. you can join us and support those members who organise such events. Murray th
FAR NORTH VISIT SATURDAY 14TH MARCH MEET 10.00 am AWANUI HALL CAR PARK (Toilets available there)
Approximately 31k drive; option of all seal or some metal roads. Bring your morning tea/seating for a half-way stop. At Houhora Heads, optional café lunch or bring a picnic. Enquiries: Phone Claude or Margaret 09 406 8525
or
The guy you hardly ever see a photo of – thanks Win.
027 479 1697
Or Graeme 09 406 1413 or
027 448 5633
Remember the Taipa Bay Caffeine & Classics 3rd Sunday every month 10 to 12.30 Next date Sunday 16th February 4
Club Captain’s ReportGreetings and a Happy New Year to all our members. I trust that you all had an enjoyable Festive Season with families and friends. Margaret and I have had some time away in the Bay of Islands and to Taupo, Papamoa and Whangamata. We were lucky in most of our travels that the traffic situation wasn’t too bad. I did notice that many of “the boys and girls were out in their toys” especially down through to Taupo and at Whangamata. (It has been suggested that Whangamata has per head of population, the greatest number of “Classic” cars in the world.
their Cruise Ship Market Days. Our Club Members are invited and would be very welcome to attend. Joan Hepburn will be giving me notice of these events which I will forward through Ruth.
January has started with the “KeriKeri Kickback”. Unfortunately I missed this event which I am told went off very well. I trust that Murray will have a brief report on that day’s event. Our main outing for February is the Hokianga Harbour Cruise on Saturday 15 . A full complement of bookings has been received. This should be a great day out and my thanks to Keith for putting this day together. If there is sufficient interest, another outing may be arranged at a later date. The “Taipa Caffeine and Classics” is the following day Sunday 16 . The BOI Classic and Sports Car Club are running “Breakfast with the Cars” on the Village Green at Paihia on a Sunday in each month. These days do fit in around
Vince and Naomi are smiling. They have the “Overland” warranted and running and are looking forward to be using it where possible on our rallies.
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March will see a run to the North. This is to be on Saturday 14 of March. Claude and Margaret have arranged for a speaker to tell us about the new Avocado Blocks. This should be an interesting and informative day including a visit to Houhora Heads. Please see the forward notice of the day in the Focus. th
My thanks to Robyn and Warren for covering for me during my absence. I look forward to hopefully seeing you all at the coming events. Margaret and I have a busy schedule of visitors and a trip to the South Island in the next couple of months. Safe Motoring,
Graeme.
Seen at the Classic Car Club’s show at Taipa 4th January. Thanks for photos Dave D.
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Christmas Gymkhana and Luncheon
Winston had his “Tractor Train” running and the rides The Saturday of the Gymkhana dawned rather over cast around the home and paddock were enjoyed by the chiland threatening. There was a very brief few drops of rain dren and adults alike. to greet the 24 adults and 5 grandchildren at Winston’s. At the Clubrooms, the ladies had supplied a wonderful An interesting course to test the driving skills and skills of range of Christmas Lunch dishes followed by the most amazing range of deserts. There was Fruit Punch to the co-driver of the nine competing vehicles had been quench the thirst. A Christmas quiz supplied by Peg was set up in the paddock alongside of the Museum. This involved dropping Ping Pong and Tennis balls into buck- attempted during the lunch which tested the memories of all taking part. The Quiz was won by Naomi and Vince. ets, throwing fan belts over road cones and scooping balls out of a trough while all on the move. There was also the test to stop on a rope, and then drive forward to Prizes were awarded to the Gymkhana and Quiz winners stop on the next rope. How about stopping in front of a of the day and a special prize for the vehicle with the gate leaving sufficient distance for the gate to open with- most competitors in it going to Vince and Naomi. out touching the car. All sounds easy but proved to be Graeme quite challenging. The Gymkhana section of the day was won by Winston and Glenis, with our prospective new Club members Margaret and Tom Deverall 2nd.
Naomi and Vince had some help with it
Some paid the quiz serious attention
Perhaps not the most flattering, but this is how we are– and at least we all turned up. 6
IDA Hello my name is Ida. I was built at the Austin Motor Works, Longbridge Birmingham, England, early in 1930 to a design conceived on a billiard table in 1922 at the home of Sir Herbert Austin (was he drunk, has been one comment to the story), and arrived in Christchurch New Zealand mid 1930. Originally painted maroon with black mudguards and black wheels being original factory colours. The Austin 7 hp engine although closer to10 hp was de rated to 7 hp by the Austin Motor Works to avoid tax on hp and designed to compete with the motor cycle and side car market which was becoming popular at that time. The Austin Seven also became popular with large estates in England as being small, was cheaper and easier to drive and maintain by a chauffeur than a larger vehicle. By mid 1931 I was still looking for a home, so my body colour was changed to blue and I was then purchased by a lady named Ida in Richmond near Nelson in the South Island where I lived until 1958 when I relocated to Christchurch. In 1962 I was sold and driven to Auckland where I resided in Glendowie. In 1967 I was purchased by the Lilley family and under went restoration from the wheels up including an engine recondition. My colour has been restored to original colour of maroon as modern paints would allow and my interior re upholstered to as near original as possible. My wheel colour has been changed from black to white which uplifts my appearance. I have a 4 speed gear box, 3 forward and 1 reverse, a top speed of 42 miles per hour (67.5 kilometers per hr) and travel everywhere at 42 mph except of course when going up hill. I consume 1 gallon of fuel every 45 miles or approximately 3.785 litres every 67.5 kilometers.
If you see me on the road some time please be patient, when convenient I will pull to the side of the road so you can pass. Many funny stories have evolved from my size and appearance. Cartoonists of the 1920s and 30s just loved me. I have even been depicted by a cartoonist sheltering from rain on a wet day under the cape of a policeman on points duty. After WWII when fuel was rationed a local man who shall remain nameless and a friend were traveling down the Kamo hill near Whangarei in an Austin 7 one night in complete darkness (no street lamps in those days) when they spotted a pair of head lamps set well apart coming toward them. Due to fuel rationing at that time and there being more motor bikes than motor cars on the road the pair believed the headlights (being set well apart) to be two motor bikes riding side by side and decided to drive between them and give the riders a fright. On impact it was discovered they were not motor bikes but a rather large Chevrolet. A family on holiday, Mum Dad in the front, two kids with baggage in the rear, a tent and suit case on the rear carrier and a sack of spuds across the front bumper (the later models had front bumpers) the Austin 7 boiled frequently. It was ascertained the sack and contents were disrupting air flow through the radiator. The driver stopped at a shop, acquired some paper bags, emptied the contents of the sack in front of the radiator (potatoes) into the paper bags then spread the bags around the passengers and proceeded on their merry way with no more boiling problems. It has been said there have been more laughs come out of an Austin Seven than all other makes put together. Rob Lilley 9th December 2019
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Christmas now seems a distant memory, but how would you have done in our quiz?
Christmas Quiz 1
What’s the last line of the first verse of these well known Christmas carols? Silent Night……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… The First Noel……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. While Shepherds Watched…………………………………………………………………………………………………… Once in Royal David’s City…………………………………………………………………………………………………… Deck the Halls………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Good King Wenceslaus………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 2
Name Santa’s reindeer ……………………………., ………………………………, ………………………………. ………………………………………, …………………………………. ………………………….., …………………………………… ……………………………………….
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What do Donner and Blitzen translate into English as?..........................................................
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What is the first name of Scrooge, of ‘A Christmas Carol’ fame?.........................................
5
What is the French name for Father Christmas?........................................................
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The first phase of man: he believes in Santa Claus, the second phase of man: he doesn’t believe in Santa Claus, the third phase of man: ……………………………………………………….
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There are three phrases that sum up Christmas: 1, Peace on earth, 2, Goodwill to Man, 3, B_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ N_ _ I_ _ _ _ _ _ _
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Name the Three Wise Men ………………………… ………………………………… ………………………………..
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Which Christmas song includes the line ‘Then one foggy Christmas Eve………….’ ……………………………………………………………………….
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Which song includes the line ‘Slip a sable under the tree for me’ ………………………………….. Who first made it famous? ………………………………………………….
CLUB SHIRTS AVAILABLE: Contact Ruth- see her at a meeting, call her on 09 406 0392, email her at r.t.reid@xtra.co.nz There will be samples at the Clubrooms to try on for size.
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surprising how high we got without realizing it and the views were amazing. Murray and Gloria did well to arrange it so that those of us who didn’t want to take cars on gravel roads could avoid those sections.
Kerikeri Kick-Back 18 January 2020 th
It was a hot sunny day for our picnic run but the Holden didn’t seem too happy to be out and about. However, we persevered and by the time we got to Waipapa We arrived at our destination and discovered that we the hiccups had disappeared. Proof that she had spent hadn’t done our job as tailend Charlie too well because at least 4 vehicles arrived after us. Luckily Murray and too long in the shed. Gloria have some lovely big trees which provided shade We had a great turn out of 15 cars both vintage and for our picnic lunch as the temperature heated up. modern. Nice to see Adrian Garrett with his Vauxhall, After lunch there were several activities which we Stephen Edwards brought along a friend with a jeep could partake in such as croquet, putting, chipping and and Keith arrived with his motorbike and sidecar so it petanque. However the heat proved too much for was an interesting mix. Max Allen’s friend Jackie had some who were quite happy to laze under the trees arrived that day from the UK so she would have defiand chat. nitely won the prize for the furthest travelled. It was a lovely relaxing day enjoyed by everyone. Thank The cars set off with us as tail end Charlie. Luckily we had a few members slow to leave as Adrian’s car need- you to Murray and Gloria for setting the run and providing an excellent venue. ed a little encouragement to start. Robyn and Warren
The run was a casual 65 km drive with a mix of sealed and gravel roads through picturesque farmland. It was
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Just a reminder to all members that the Club’s Bank, Kiwibank is going cheque free from 28 February. We no longer have a cheque book and are unable to accept cheques so all payments must be done on line. We are still able to accept cash. th
Quiz answers: 1: Sleep in heavenly peace, On a cold winter’s night that was so deep, And glory shone around, In a manger for His bed, Fa la la la la la la la la, Gathering winter fuel. 2: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen. 3: Thunder & Lightning 4: Ebenezer. 5: Pere Noel. 6: He is Santa Claus. 7: Batteries Not Included. 8:Caspar, Melchior, Balthazaar. 9: Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. 10: Santa Baby– Eartha Kitt.
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