Vellam/Hienkel/Harold Duffield

[Big Al]

  Had a really good run down to Plymouth and back, 3 hours either way - winter is the best time for empty roads in that direction. I was going to bring the Vellam Isetta back which I had bought once I dropped off a KR200 project and another set of panels for a second car in Devon. However on measuring it up I decided the chance of scratching the paintwork of this really nice car was to great as it needed to be lifted over the intruding wheel arches of the van. Not to be frustrated I therefore did a swap deal on a load of Heinkel and Fiat spares the Vellam fellow wanted rid of. These would not have fitted the car I planned to use for the second trip when I delivered a restored 'Schmitt Monocoque to the area joining the rest of that car. This deal then flushed out a rather sad Trojan which I am awaiting agreement on for a further swap of stuff. Hope so as it has a home to go to already for a swift half. So it looks like a full second load down and back as the Trojan will go in the van. All done without money changing hands, marvelous.
  After nearly two months of inactivity with Chrimbo and illness it is great to get out and doing stuff again. That said light duties today to allow the leg recovery while I await visitors. I still cannot turn a deal down though and have added to my Heinkel engine collection.  Still another two to collect from the South. Note to self, rebuild some of these engines and get rid of them!
  All I actually intended doing originally was get the Vellam back which is a very nice car in itself and still something of a rarity. Fortunately this one seems to be practically complete and given a free hand I can probably finish it off in about three weeks of work when it will be one of the best left bearing in mind it is restored rather than in original condition which counts for something to me but not to all. If you like shiny then I have it. It is amazing how many new original parts are with the car. Many the last known stock from ex dealers/suppliers, though stuff trickles out ever after singly. The car is complete and correct so the big question is what the engine is like. Looking forward to that game.
  So back to owning the big three. Messerschmitt, Heinkel and Isetta but with the advantage of them all being interesting and unusual ones. Also a happy day sorting out a van load of rubbish which I always enjoy. Plus we are out collecting more parts for Invalid Cars on Monday. Stuart has done the provisional clean up of two Type 70's and the workshop beckons for the first in line. This car does everything but run. So pretty simple with a possible engine change as I suspect low compression but it might be only a stuck valve after years of storage. Before that I have the KR200 to fault find and shove back on the road.
 Winter is the time those who work in the cold get ahead. Hope you are all doing so as next year promises so many events. Once I have confirmed with the MEC I hope we will announce  several supported events making it easier for Micronauts to attend and I think they will be ideal for RUMcar owners and not just Schmitts. This is the advantage of an MEC that is working well, it gives to the whole Microcar world. We seem to be sorting out the issues and getting things back together with a new look Take Off having just been released. The magazine Swap system requires updating as it has been let slip, another job to do.

Further news - Harald Duffield of Wolverhampton died at the weekend. Something of a controversial figure in the Microcar world but undoubtedly one of the best guys at nosing out cars over the years. He had owned just about everything at one time or another and I never found him to be anything other than a mischievous soul even when he and his wife's health started to fade. For those that listened he knew a lot more about cars and the industry than people gave credit for. You could not find two people of more differing backgrounds but it worked for us. For all his wheeling and dealing he always claimed poverty and I had many really good cars from him, lots of laughs and I will miss him as he was a real character.

[Bob Purton]

The new Takeoff magazine is good. Well done to all involved. Do you know if there be any micro meets at the Bubblecar Museum this year?

[Big Al]

In a word, no.
I have had no communication with them for a while despite needing to pop over to sort remaining MEC bizz. They are certainly doing a Scooter Rally with the Maico Owners Club. This is building on previous successful events whereas the attendance of microcars seemed to have been falling away. Perhaps every other year might prove a solution to that but it is not my business and for localised events it is outside my area.

What I can tell you is that the MEC is co-opting the FBHVS Bishopstone meeting as an official event. Thus I am just sorting out arrangements to firm up a 'parc ferme' for transportation/support vehicles so we can get some smaller vehicles along and make some physical presence in an organisation we appear as very much a bit player. The MEC is also backing the Gaydon/TOC Two Stroke Rally to which we want a mixed and varied collection of machinery at. Further the MEC are looking at two other events to support as well as our traditional stand at Popham. In most cases therefore we can aid your attendance at these interesting and worthwhile events in the central south area where no one else seems to offer any activity at all. We are avoiding the ones that seem to think they should charge the attractions entrance to entertain their paying public. We do not agree so none attendance at those. We pay enough in purchasing, restoring and transporting our cars without paying to put them at risk in a show field for someone else's profit. Sorry Kemble, Beaulieu and Andover scrapped on that score already.
Beyond this we have contact now with other active people in other parts of the country. Jon Hunt is doing an event around Loath. Malcolm Bull might come up with something around Coventry. All this on the back of a single good magazine and a bit of effort. Is there more to come?

[Bob Purton]

Thats a shame, I enjoyed the low key MEC events at the museum, especially the run out. Do any of the mentioned events feature a run out or are they just static? I agree about snubbing the ones that want to charge us for the privalige, I have done the same with some local to me. I always support and advertise the Battlesbridge events because the organisers have the right attitude on that score. Jeans open day at the farm is always a delight, we are hoping that there will be another this summer, maybe the MEC could afiliate its self with that?

[Big Al]

Here lies one of the problems with many clubs covering an area of activity common to all. The collation of dates of events. This is something I have done on my website for sometime but I never get to hear about some events, others appear advertised too late to ever gain a good following and local stuff gets mixed with national stuff creating errors of scale in the event. Very disappointing if you turn up to a non event, microwise. I sometimes wonder if some organisers/clubs really want attendance at their events as they just do not advertise. I notice no Microcar events have gone on the published lists from the two general media listings I receive. Really is not good enough. I am discussing this prob with Cousin It and I think we might produce an answer to it on one level.

Case in point I do not know when any RUMcar events are. The mag swap is in part to answer this problem when working but it seems most clubs are not proactive in advertising and rely on enthusiasts looking for the information. It is partly on this basis I have tended to restrict my activities to local events as I have to plan ahead and do want to combat boredom of the now traditional circling of campervans and the early night. For instance the National is about 60 miles from here. I am strongly tempted to commute as I get three days of three differing but intersting routes from the Golden Ridge across the Cotswolds and Severn Valley to a day's entertainment and back at roughly the same cost of staying on site. This milage is preferable to wondering about on my tod at 11.00 pm in a field of campervans with no nearby pub within walking distance that might offer a longer evening without driving. The BUMS all think the same and tend to not attend rallies now so even my mates will not be there unless I can wind them up. However if I drive home I get to go out Fri with chums and with the local BUMS on Sat night till at least 1.30 and the dogs are happy. However if we could obtain a many and varied calender of events we could all pick out the ones which we prefer and even groups of like minded can agree to meet up at specific ones. This might put a bit of life back into proceedings and prevent clashes.

The MEC event has always been a laid back affair with a gentle tour round where ever we are. The problem has been the committee members have been busy with there own problems and not attended due to distance/date clash with private stuff so the thing has not been really pushed for a few years other than by the Bubblecar Museum itself. I still have a mountain of work to get through this year which is why I am concentrating on the local stuff I can do simply. It seems to be ever true that the busy folks get stuff done and their are fewer of them to go round.

Drive it will be a drive out if wanted, the other is still to be finalised but probably will have a driving element. Gaydon can be a drive out, again with a 'parc ferme', approx round trip of 90 miles. Popham is a drive out in that we all drive there in old cars, passes available. No old car with a pass, no entry, you pay to walk in. Again a 'parc ferme' can be offered and about 80 miles round trip.