T Register 2023 Event Reports
Reports on the T Register’s 2023 activities, ordered by latest activity first
T Register Autumn Tour to Kent
15-18 September 2023
Ian Palmer has written this personal report for this year’s Autumn Tour so here it is largely unedited.
There were 30 crews with their T Types for this year’s Autumn Tour based at Ashford, Kent. The Tour was organised by Carol & Mark Blomfield and Bill & Sally Silcock.
Friday evening was as ever, the first chance to catch up with old friends and to compare notes. The weather was with us and it dawned sunny on Saturday morning.
After breakfast we decided to head to Sissinghurst to enjoy the gardens in the sunshine. We climbed the tower to get a good view and were rewarded with distant countryside views. We were also lucky enough to get good views of the two Spitfires that had recently taken off from Headcorn Airfield nearby. Other T Typers had taken advantage of the arrangements made to view the Spitfires taking off from Headcorn. They must have had super views and photo opportunities.
After Sissinghurst we decided to press on, as we were only at the start of Saturdays tour. The route took us through lovely Kentish countryside, with lots of pretty villages, oast houses and a couple of windmills. Lunch was a sandwich taken while watching cricket on the green.
We wanted to spend time in Rye which we had not been to for ages and enjoyed walking through the unspoiled historic streets with ice creams.
Saturday night’s gala dinner was enjoyed in our private dining area, with a small bar opened for our convenience. The Monague Burton Cup for ‘Exploits in a T Type’ was awarded to Mike Lugg our president in recognition of his contribution to the T Register over many years. Mike has been unwell recently and unable to attend the tour and was much missed by all present.
Sunday’s weather was good to start with, so we made an early start to visit Scotney Castle. This was an impressive National Trust property with a large Victorian mansion built to replace the original Castle, which was then partially demolished to create a picturesque ruin. We managed to get around the grounds and see the castle before the weather broke, but not quite in time to get the hood up. A slight drenching as the hood deposited a gallon of water into my lap. Ho hum! We then headed back to the hotel where the sun reappeared, and we dried out again.
After breakfast on Monday, we made an early start as we had to get back to Devon as soon as we were able. This meant a trip along the M20 and M25 then down the A303 past Stonehenge which was thankfully not too busy. Not the picturesque routes of the previous 2 days, but fast and we were back in time for a late lunch.
Another enjoyable Autumn Tour, but as ever, all over too soon. We are already looking forward to next year, which will be based in Llandrindod Wells and is ideally positioned for exploring mid Wales.
All thanks to Ian Palmer for the report and photos
T Types and other MGs at Kop Hill Climb
17 September 2023
Richard Upton reports that on the Saturday, in addition to his TD to the paddock display there was one TF, the supercharged TDC of Brian Gregory and the TCs of John Mayhead and Anthony Rands. The TA Brooklands of Richard Harwood was performing on the hill on Sunday.
There were plenty of more modern MGs to see as well at the Kop Hill Climb and the Abingdon Works Centre did a great job of organising a show of them in the paddock, and in organising a parade of MGs going up the hill just before lunchtime.
The weather was just great on the Saturday, more cloudy on the Sunday morning, but unfortunately it poured down shortly after lunch.
As ever, there was a great selection of cars to see there including a Stanley Steam Car, and the Mercury estate car used by George Formby on his ENSA tour of North Africa entertaining the troops in the Second World War (read more).
Click the photos for a larger version and there’s a video below as well.
Many thanks to Richard Upton for his contribution to the report and photos.
The T Register’s T Party at the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre
6 August 2023
Pictures and a video of the T Register’s T Party at the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre, Quainton, on 6 July.
We had rain late morning and lunchtime but brightened up considerably in the afternoon. It was the first T Party we have had since the pandemic and 25 brave T Types rolled up to the event, so many thanks to all the attendees.
T Types at the Brooklands Easter Gathering
Alan Wakefield once again arranged with the Museum for T Register members and their T Types (or any T Type owners) to be able to park together on-site at the Museum for the Brooklands Easter Gathering on 8 April.
This arrangement had proved popular at the New Year’s Day Gathering and proved to be even more popular at this event as there were more than 20 T Types parked up at Brooklands – the largest group of single marque sports cars at the venue.
The weather proved to be fine and sunny as well.
You can click the photos below for a larger view and there is an album to view of more attendees.
Many thanks to Ian Ailes and Mike Gibbs for the photos
T Register Rebuild at the British Motor Museum
We had Paul Ireland on the myths and facts of the hot starting problem on our XPAG engines, and the real effects of ethanol in petrol – it’s water being dissolved into the ethanol in petrol which causes the real problems of corrosion in petrol tanks and float chambers.
This was followed by a very detailed analysis by Eric Worpe on the construction and replacement of the seal on the various water pumps fitted to our engines.
And finally we had a first hand account from Peter Edney of improving the performance and reliability of XPAG engines.
The T Register’s annual Rebuild seminar was held once again at the British Motor Museum on Saturday 1st April, and we had 49 attendees who listened to an eclectic range of speakers and topics.
We had Paul Ireland on the myths and facts of the hot starting problem on our XPAG engines, and the real effects of ethanol in petrol – it’s water being dissolved into the ethanol in petrol which causes the real problems of corrosion in petrol tanks and float chambers.
This was followed by a very detailed analysis by Eric Worpe on the construction and replacement of the seal on the various water pumps fitted to our engines.
And finally we had a first hand account from Peter Edney of improving the performance and reliability of XPAG engines.
We were fed and watered by our hosts the British Motor Museum and attendees remarked afterwards that the subjects were exactly what they wanted. All in all, a very successful event.
The video below features video clips from the event, so see if you can spot yourself there!
We will be putting Eric Worpe’s slides with their description used in his talk on the T Register website and they should be available in early May.
The T Register at the MG and Triumph Spares Day at Stoneleigh
After so many promises, moves to Telford and then Malvern with cancellations and of you-know-what, the MG and Triumph Spares Day finally went ahead at its old stomping ground of Stoneleigh. And the crowds returned as well.
It did feel a bit different though. Many of the larger traders/commercial operators were noticeable by their absence and there did appear to be a resurgence of traders selling what you might term as ‘rusty bits’ 😱.
Trade was a bit quiet on the T Register stand and members selling their spares were not as numerous as in previous occasions. Perhaps they had been spending the last two years putting them on their T Types …
There was no parking in the cowsheds as well, or even dedicated MG parking, but there was a new hall that had been added on to Hall 2 where the T Register has their stand, and it actually appeared as being a bit too warm – quite remarkable for Stoneleigh.
One notable person attending was John Twist from Michigan, USA, the owner and well known YouTube proponent of University Motors in Grand Rapids. He had attended a meeting of the MGCC South East Centre’s Fairmile Natter on the Friday evening accompanied by quite a few T Register members, and learning more about his TD from our Registrar Alan Wakefield 😊.
Here’s a video of the show, and a few photos below that.
