Having discovered that the Bala Light Railway was having a Steam Gala weekend, young Leon and I took the Seven for a trundle to the other end of the lake to have a look. The only other classic car there was the railway chairman's Bentley Mk6, but there was a rather pretty French built engine that was on loan and doing duty. We also looked round the Railway's museum, which is more of a display of work in progress. Unfortunately, I failed to check the Leica's battery before putting it in the car and, predictably, it went flat after half a dozen photos. However, herewith a selection of the ones that i managed to take.
I'm sorry that the Seven appears in such a travel-stained state. The spring that provides water to my home dried up in May, ( a sign of the times, alas) and we have been relying on carrying water from kind friends. And I refuse to use the local high pressure car wash on the car!
The little French engine
'Maid Marion', one of the regular engines
A general view of Llanuwchllyn Station platform
'Liassic', another of the regular engines having just taken on water.
With a small group at the Austin Seven's Club Association display at the Silverstone Classic since Friday.
We are certainly different to most of the cars at the event and that has probably created the interest we have had so far.
It look like we will have around 10 cars for the centenary lap around the circuit lunchtime tomorrow. A bit different from the the Frank Williams Memorial Trophy that follows the parade that features F1 cars of the 80s and 90s! As always, there has also been some great racing, including some historic pre-war cars and late today I watched a great race featuring Le Mans cars. Been a good weekend so far.
Today we visited the Magnolia garden of Glen and Jenny Dawson, the garden in in Jindivick, Victoria Australia and consists of at least 240 Magnolia’s with around 80 different varieties. The garden is set on 4 acres. 10 Austin 7’s enjoyed a warm and sunny winter day.
What some of us did yesterday was to continue the attempt by PWA7C to be the most successful motor sporting club in the history of the world. Slightly behind MGCC in the Inter-Reg Nav Rally Shield results, a well trained and eager team took to the lanes of North Shropshire, and were rewarded by 1st, 2nd and 4th places. Rather like Ian Grace's Cotswolds Rally, no MGs turned up at all. Have we frightened them off, or do they have better things to do at the weekend?
Yesterday was a run out with my liocal French Club, which caters for both bikes and cars. We were invited to the "Day of Solidarity" at the nearby village of Le Martinet which last year celebrated 100 years of non-stop Communism. Well, whatever your political affiliations it was a good do, and a nice meal provided by the Mayor and his team. We then had a 50km run around the area and finished up in nearby Bessèges to share a 75th anniversary of the local Fire Brigade.
Some nice cars, of a slightly different mix than the usual UK gathering. There's an Austin Seven in there somewhere...
Found these three Sevens at Croft Autodrome, near Darlington yesterday. Along with a lot of cars, many pre-war, Delahays, a flat nose Morris and lots of Jags.
Interesting to watch racing Anglias, A40, Mk 1 Cortina and Minis fighting it out round the track, just like I used to watch here in the sixties.