Wearing The Rally Plaque (photo by John Barry)
The Scene at Waddesdon with 200 Morgans on Display (Photo - John Barry)
My day began at 6.30 am (early for me) at the Lion Hotel in the Village at Waddesdon where our Organising Team of myself, David, Philip, Peter and Chris were all staying with our ladies.
It was everyone up, 7.15 Breakfast, Check Out and get to the Manor, about 2 miles away up the long drive. We needed to get there before those enthusiastic Morgan Owners began to arrive.
It was everyone up, 7.15 Breakfast, Check Out and get to the Manor, about 2 miles away up the long drive. We needed to get there before those enthusiastic Morgan Owners began to arrive.
http://www.thelionwaddesdon.co.uk/
A Gaggle of Mucky Mogs in the car park at the Lion following a day of heavy rain while travelling from our various homes.
This year it was my task to organise the Exhibitors and as soon as they arrived we needed to get them into position and raise their Gazebos ready to present and trade.
Here I failed at the first hurdle. The planning visit the week before where I agreed locations and plan with the Events Coordinator seem to have been a mystery to her 2IC who was making life difficult by not allowing this and that, delaying proceedings somewhat.
But Hey, compromise was achieved and we were up and running by 9.30 as the majority of the Morgans began to arrive where they were met by the Parking Team of Philip, Peter and Chris. David's role was to Meet and Greet everyone on the Main Drive as they arrived.
The Allon White Sports Cars with The Morgan Motor Company Merchandise Trailer in the distance.
Car Artist Neil Martin and the Help for Heroes Merchandise Team.
Neil Sold one Painting Commission from a Morgan Owner and sold a few of his prints. David bought a painting of a Three Wheeler for his art collection.
The Help for Heroes Team sold over £200 of Merchandise and The Very Active and Happy Cadets Collected over £600 in their Buckets
Waiting for the rush and a few of the Footsore Cadets are taking a well earned sit down in the background.
The Teddies were the Best Sellers apparently.
Neil Sold one Painting Commission from a Morgan Owner and sold a few of his prints. David bought a painting of a Three Wheeler for his art collection.
The Help for Heroes Team sold over £200 of Merchandise and The Very Active and Happy Cadets Collected over £600 in their Buckets
The Teddies were the Best Sellers apparently.
Our Gazebo with the Ladies distributing Rally Plaques and where I was Selling my Grandads Lottery Tickets.
That is Peter & Michele Chapman's Flat Rad, 'Henrietta' in the background, after delivering the Gazebo, waiting to be parked in her prime position.
The First Line of Morgans begin Arriving up the North Avenue.
Behind the Aero Line Up is Gill Bevan, Membership Secretary of the Morgan Sorts Car Club with the Beautiful Blue Gazebo.
After a slow start the stand appeared to be busy and Gill tells me that she was able to Sign Up Two New Members and issue a number of Application Forms
After a slow start the stand appeared to be busy and Gill tells me that she was able to Sign Up Two New Members and issue a number of Application Forms
The Last, but definitely not least of our exhibitors, John Shaw, The Grandads Lottery Man. (Photo John Barry)
The Grandads Lottery Card.
John, who is a National Volunteer Fundraiser for Help for Heroes. His personal story is another H4H Legend having overcome muscle eating bacteria, bowel cancer, stroke and pneumonia he cycled the Canals of Britain and introduced the Grandads Lottery Fund Raising cards which have raised £Thousands.
John came along with his Vintage Trike, Morgan Mk 2 to promote his cards. During the event he distributed over 200 of them in the hope that their new owners will take them away and raise funds themselves for Help for Heroes.
Here is one of John's Registered Lottery Cards with its 100 squares which are sold for £1 a go. The £100 collected is split £50 for the Prize and £50 to Help for Heroes.
Our collection actually raised £98 as the participants over donated. - The Lady who won the £50 Prize immediately placed it in a Help for Heroes collecting bucket.
Himself, seen here handing over the Lottery Prize to our winning Lady in a Morgan Card kindly donated by The MMC Team. The winning number was drawn for us by Steve Morris.
Within a short while, most of the Morgans had arrived and Philip, Peter and Chris had organised their Fantastic Display
(Photos by John Barry )
Soon Cars were filling the 'D' , The North Avenue and the Side Road dedicated to the Three Wheelers.
With 215 bookings and a few No Shows for various Personal Reasons and Illness, we were still supported by almost 200 cars and the weather allowed the Hood to stay down all day.
Our Roadster 100 Register excelled once more this year with a Fabulous Turn Out of 19 cars on Display.
Even though the Base Model has the Identical Colour and fitted with the Top of the Range Accessory Pack, owners still find ways of Personalising their car with Spot Lamps, Badge Bars and Bonnet Straps etc.
I cannot imagine the topic of conversation between Peter and Ann, Linda and Sonja, but it could be Peter trying to negotiate just who is going to get the Coffees.
Among the Cars on Display there were some notable Specialities such as The Aero owned by a Visitor who lives in Thailand but also has an apartment and this car below in London for when he is in the UK.
Another Overseas visitor was Tom Fairthorn from Australia. Tom also keeps a Morgan in the UK. Tom has been to two of our three All Morgans' Days and took the time to find me to say hello again.
When our Niece was involved in the Brisbane Floods a few years ago he was kind enough to find out if they were safe which fortunately the were.
Another Overseas Visitor with a Morgan located here was Rob Evans who resides in Canada but we did not get introduced to Rob.
Then there is the Bat Roadster of Stephen Pellow. This car, a collaboration with MMC's Charles Morgan was designed using the Bat Tattoo Print which runs throughout the Designer Tailor Timothy Everest + Horiyoshi III Clothing.
The Owner of OBM 100 Paul Harris sent us a copy of the history of his beautiful 59 year old 4 Seater +4 which began its life as a 2 seater and underwent many changes before it was drivable in its current condition.
Newtown Motors of Cwmbran brought along their Dragon Mog to add even more colour to the event.
The Very Smart Air Cadets are doing a Grand Job in collecting over £600.00
M3 MOG Owner Arthur Mason sent me this photo where he met another Like Minded 'Orange' owner
John Barry did the rounds of all of these Very Interesting Cars and found the four Fantastic Flat Rads on show.
Above is 1947 Henrietta again with her 'Morgan Brick' in situ.
One of the Fabulous Achievements this year is the line up of Morgan Trikes in their own display area.
From 6 Last time we have 12 this year. But even more Important for our Team.
Over 5 years we have been trying to gain the attention of the Morgan Three Wheeler Club Member to come and join with us at Waddesdon to Celebrate the Morgan Cars
Team Member Chris giving directions to the Special Display Area (Photo John Barry)
(In a Caption Competition, I think that Chris could be saying " I believe that this car has no reverse? Don't think that I am am going to Push you Backwards" )
YIPEE
This year we were Blessed with Three Pre War Morgan Three Wheelers among the New M3W's of recent production. It does feel good and they look beautiful as ever.
During 2009, as The Morgan Motor Company was planning to Celebrate the Company's Centenary, a group of Dealers encouraged the reluctant MMC to launch a Limited Edition Car in recognition.
Roadster 100 No. 015
The Roadster 100 became that chosen model and the company set out to make and sell 100 of them (only 63 were completed).
When David Harris purchased No. 001 he suggested to me that we form the 'The Morgan Centenary Roadster 100 Register', which organises these Waddesdon Events, and now has over 50 members.
2014 heralds another important year for the Morgan Motor Company as it is One Hundred Years since Production was located at the current Pickersleigh Road, Malvern Link site after the original Factory was demolished for Housing.
This year coincided with me having to buy more New Car Badges for members than I needed so what a better time to present our Car Badge to the company for their archive.
David, who has previous experience of presentation plaques having sourced my Around Britain Plaque, undertook the task of having this Magnificent Oak Mounted Plaque made for us.
At 2.30pm, our Morgan Owners gathered to allow me, the chosen presenter, to explain our reasoning to MMC Managing Director Steve Morris and to Present the Plaque to him for inclusion in the Morgan Museum Archive.
Job Done, John Barry took the next range of Photos
Joined by Parking Team's Dr Peter Jackson on the left and our Leader, David Harris, on the Right.
Our other Parking Team member Chris Attwood helping Lady Owner Alison Holmes to smile for John Barry's photo.
By 3.30pm, our guests began to leave to make their often long way home.
For Our Team and our Exhibitors, the Taking Down at around 4.30pm seemed to be quicker then the Putting Up so it was not long before only a few Morgans were left as Closing Time approached.
We were the third last to leave with our perfect memories and Anns Photos.
We were the third last to leave with our perfect memories and Anns Photos.
Hopefully our team will be together in 2016 for All Morgans' Day Four.
Best Wishes
Frank
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