Who's for a National Microcar Club?

[DaveMiller]

Which goes to prove what I was saying. Just the feeling of a threat, even by a compliment, has opposition immediately being put up to a change in the Status Quo. It confirms my belief there is no chance of a National Club by common agreement.

I'm not sure what the element is "which goes to prove ...", there, Al.  Your comment followed straight after my posting, so I'll just say that neither I, nor my posting, raise opposition to any new club.  My posting was merely to correct the inaccurate information you gave.

Slagging off some aspect of a club is not a "compliment" to anyone, and nor does it help your case (unless of course you hope to encourage no-one to join any other club, so that the central one will have a better chance  )

[Big Al]

If my information is inaccurate, then Bond Spares dominates most thinking moments of BOC activity. My compliment was, it does not seem so, as BOC does seem to do more events than most, even if they are happy to do so privately. Its up to them. The group works in its Bondish way, as proven by cars doing things.

I think a National Microcar Club that was to attempt to predate on existing clubs for members, and space to operate, would create a very unpleasant situation. I never want to be part of that. Any new organisation has to add something, extras are saleable. What it adds has to be beyond that which the existing groups offer. No one said it was easy, but there is no doubt there is scope for doing this. I cannot see who heads it up, though.

You claim not to oppose a National Microcar Club, but the demeanour of you posting is one of actively not supporting it either. As I said, I understand why many folk will feel this way. Its one reason it will not happen.

As for slagging, Do not tempt me, I do not buy the lapwing act.. I could seriously slag off the Bond Club if I choose, with undeniable proofs. What will that achieve? Not a lot, and certainly none of it positive. So there is no point in doing so. I only ever, and continue, to do the best for unwanted cars, Bonds without the support of BOC, who seem determined to caste me as chief ogre with utterly no factual reasoning. What happens to Bonds rescued when they are not mine is not down to me.  As the only Club for Bonds I still support sending cars and people to it for their best interests. I am pretty certain a reciprocal arrangement does not exist - not that it is needed nowadays. BOC have done very well out of me, if the truth be known, and are likely to continue to do so, whether they like it or not.

[DaveMiller]

Sorry that you see my "demeanour" that way, Al. I don't understand the logic of what you say, but OK.

I've only replied - and will continue to reply - with keen accuracy, when you say something silly about the Bond Owners Club.  As we know, you have much to say and sometimes that's great. (Your technical information is brilliant, and unmatched on this forum.)

Sometimes, though, you say things without thinking, or by recycling stuff that was perhaps once half true. You've recently discouraged people from joining the BOC by stating that the club "bans" people (when that was not true, and when you don't understand the idea of a club meet); that the club is having difficulty recruiting new members (when it's going through the most active period of new membership in many years); and that the spares arrangement is "divorced" from the club, when huge efforts have been made over recent years to bring the spares wholly within the club.

You can't be expected to know the details of the club and its running, of course.  What you can be expected to do, please, is to stop saying things about it that aren't true.

[Big Al]

Bold statements, I hope they are true today.

But I have met banned, or is it Bond owners who were refused membership. I have helped them get there cars restored. I can supply a list. Indeed I can supply the letter banning one owner out of my files, I think. He sent it to me in consternation. So that claim does not fly, historically. Given time I can prove it. Does banning members put people off joining a club? Since I have never advocated such a policy, I could not tell you. But its not an unusual policy.

As to other crimes I have committed, I can ask you to prove I said that. Or is it the way you chose to read it? This debate really achieves nothing constructive. I stated on more than one occasion support for the Bond Club, certainly more in number than any alleged slagging. I am likely to be in a position to do it a further favour for them soon. Perhaps I should not bother, if I am such a negative influence.

Please do not believe I belittle the work folk do in these clubs. I stand to be corrected if the spares are going in house, or some other arrangement that suits those investing in it to make a difference. It is to that body my offer was to be directed, when I was ready. It makes little difference to the point being made using the illustration, if it were correct or not, since the aftermath continues to prove why I think a National Microcar Club is not going to work.

I am sure we could keep this debate going with relation to the Bonds, but I fear we will become a bore to others. Its only fair to invite your thoughts, then probably drop it, as I suspect were not going to agree. You remain active in a club, I do not, which is a point to bare in mind, onlookers.

[DaveMiller]

... I hope they are true today ...  does not fly, historically.

I'm not interested in rehashing history, Al.  (Indeed, I don't know much of it.)  I object when you use the present tense.  There's an important difference!

[Big Al]

Then to the future, and to Bonds being cherished.

[plas man]

(one Bond in particular!!!)

[Big Al]

Well I still have a small hankering for a nice Equipe GT4. Why are they so incredibly cheap? Most period specials are going crazy, Most heraldy things are going up. The Equipe has moved a little, but it seems very unloved. Yet it ticks the theoretical boxes to be a collectable in several fields of interest - though not Microcars. A friend of my mother had one for years and loved it, only being conned out of it to buy a 'better' new car in a Fiat 126. That did not turn out well. Having said that I know little about them and I do not like the Triumph rear suspension.

[Jean]

Do you really think we have enough room, especially the camping side of things - no electric hook-ups, four toilets and one shower?
Who would volunteer to organise such a big event?   
May be we could have a lower key, long week-end (an expanded Open Day in other words).  Jean

[plas man]

it sounds great Jean , proper camping under canvas sleeping on the grass - no silly sheds on wheels and ALL cars to be driven from home to the rally field - sort the men from the part timers ...

[Big Al]

In fact a Kent version of Story. While Otto was a visitor here in his campervan we understood that his visit was part of a holiday, and despite the huge business the farm is, he was still out driving machinery, hands on, not a desk driver. A farmer first, as they nearly always are. Otto made it pretty obvious he much preferred cars driven to his weekends. He would encourage us to break them in the mountains, happily supplying his workshop so we could put them back together again. Loaning bits, even engines to see the cars drive home. It was the best series of events I ever went too.

I am not suggesting the slavish recreation of Story. It was what it was, and a sum of its time. However there is still a place for something along those lines. Your position near the ports must encourage cars to come over from the continent. Would there be room for the tented on site? Could we discount the fees for a foreign friends, as Otto used to for us? If folk must come in campers, is there a nearby site they could use and then transfer to your venue in there driving microcars? Just as Otto fell into, you could oversee the event, as he had the German Isetta Club helping out a lot. You could sponsor a trusted volunteer to organise, using the NMCR fund - goodness knows you should have access to it, to cover the ground for you. Just ideas. As ever they need a shake to see if they land in a state that it can happen.
Mmmm, where are the nearest Mountains to Kent.......

[Peel replica, Steve Fisk]

What a good idea ! Get the frisky boys at it ! I could help some how

[Big Al]

Of help. The real difficulty is the cordoning off before, and tidy up afterwards. I do not know how Otto did this, though most folk were well behaved, there was inevitable consequences, litter and the odd patch of oil. A key element of any event is the labour squad. An unknown, or little seen squad who do those tasks. In this case I think that might be more important, as it is private land, not a venue that has employees to pick up the slack.