Cornwall Austin Seven Club 

Event Reports
Short reports of events, holidays and shows enjoyed
by our members in the past four months.

Our members are always out and about with their 'Sevens'

The main aim of CA7C is to encourage members to drive their 'Sevens' whenever possible, even throughout the winter months when, surprisingly, quite a few members do enjoy being out and about on the colder winter-time runs.  However, we do draw the line on the very wettest of days as there is no point driving in bad weather with the non-optional water entry around the ill-fitting windows and doors!   Mostly we are able to enjoy warm, sunny days with Cornwall's splendid inland and coastal scenery at its best whatever the season of the year.

These edited reports were written by members and are taken from our monthly magazine, Seven Focus.

The suggested routes for some of our past runs are available on our Run Archive at www.dropbox.com  
When asked for sign in information use the following details: Username : ca7c.archive@gmail.com  and Password : runarchive.  Then click on the introduction or a route of your choice, and it will download and open automatically.

NB: You do NOT need to sign up; you do NOT need to download anything, just click 'Sign In' using these details.

More photos of each event may be found on our Facebook link.

 

Christmas Party - 8 December

This year the Christmas Party was back at Mabe Community Hall.   We had a fantastic turn out and the outside catering was excellent.  After we all had a nice fill of the delights on the table we were entertained by some party games. 

 

 

 

 

 

The fun started with the children having a go at putting together a large jigsaw using sticks to pick up the pieces from a box of jumbled bits of a Ruby and a Box Saloon followed by the adults.  The next  game was passing nuts, bolts, and ball along a line of people with obscured vision and different length poles.  Again the children showed the adults how it was done by going first.  We finished off the afternoon by playing our home made Austin parts instruments with a sing song.   

 

 

 

Coffee Morning and run from Loggans Moor, Hayle -  10 November

A broad cross section of cars turned up at the Brewers Fair restaurant for the November coffee morning.  There were four Austin 7's containing six members and four 'moderns' with seven members. It was good to see that four of the ten folk there were new members, two from Illogan who came in their recently acquired Seven and two who drove all the way down from Bodmin in their 'modern'.

 

 

It was good to have the opportunity to meet them and welcome them to 'the Club'.  After various refreshments and a considerable amount of chat the four Sevens set off in the direction of Angarrack, (means 'the rock' in the Cornish language!).  Eventually passing over the level crossing (level not a word that springs to mind driving over it!) of the Paddington to Penzance rail lines, the route continued on to Praze an Beeble (meaning 'meadow on the river Beeble') then on in the direction of Bolenowe (derived from Boslenow, 'dwelling of strip fields' in the Cornish language).

 

 

The route took the little convoy through Brea village, then soon crossing over the bridge of the Penzance to Paddington railway then left and abruptly right into the Tesco car park where we said our farewells and headed homeward.  A very pleasant little run for a late Autumn day that remained fine for us.

 

 

 

 

Kilkhampton weekend - 19/21 October

There is an annual tradition of a club holiday at the end of the season. It is a great chance to get away for a weekend and enjoy the company of fellow Austineers before the clocks change. The priorities are somewhere for everyone to stay, somewhere close by to eat together and hopefully some good weather. This year took us to Tamar Lakes Farm Campsite near Kilkhampton, and we were blessed with all three elements. 

 

 

A bright sunny morning showed that 12 cars had made the journey up to Kilkhampton and we were joined by another 6 cars from the eastern side of the county – we made a splendid sight taking to the Atlantic Highway towards Poundstock and Bangors. 

 

The Saturday itinerary was a run along the coast road down to Widemouth Bay for coffee, then continuing further along the coast to Duckpool for lunch. The weather did us proud and it felt like a spring run as we gathered on the beach at lunch time for a picnic before strolling down to the cove.  After idling by the sea we reloaded to make our way to Morwenstow for the compulsory ice cream before heading back towards the campsite for afternoon tea.  You may be getting the picture that although we cover a fair distance during the day, plenty of time is spent in good company with a mug or glass in hand.

The Sunday route took us across county to the award winning Lizzy’s Larder at Milton Damerel, and then out to the Merry Harrier’s Garden Centre at Bideford for lunch.  A number of us missed the odd turning here and there; knowing we were supposed to be heading inland, we knew something was wrong when we saw the sea!   But we all caught up in time to share a carvery at lunch time and were able to discuss the various routes we had taken to get there!

After lunch we said our farewells as the group separated to make our various ways home.   A great few days in good company.

 

 

 

‘Not going to Widecombe’ run - 8 September

A small group met at Goonhavern Garden Centre for coffee and chat, with the usual interest in our Sevens from the public.  Leaving in a small convoy taking the first left turn, we headed in the direction of Fiddler’s Green and St Newlyn East and from there on into Mitchell where the convoy became eight when it was joined by another member in an ARQ.

 

 

Leaving Mitchell the route took us towards Ladock and after several crossroads in the direction of Tresillian where we emerged, briefly, on to the very busy A390 for a couple of hundred yards before taking a right, in front of the gate house, and headed away towards St Michael Penkivel, Lamorran and Ruan Lanihorne to eventually and briefly join the A3078 towards St Mawes, shortly turning left in the direction of Portloe then soon left again into the car park of Melinsey Mill for a pre-arranged lunch break. The food on offer was excellent and enjoyed by everyone sitting at various tables beside the lake in the sunshine.

 

 

All too soon it was time to set off again but unfortunately, shortly after passing through the little village of Portloe, a 1933 RP began experiencing problems, missing and lacking power.  Several remedies were tried but with no improvement so it was decided it would be wise to head directly for Veryan and homeward as the plucky little motor kept valiantly going, albeit in first gear when a rise presented itself.

 

 

 

It was a very enjoyable and well planned outing.  There being so many ‘Ruan's’, especially on the Roseland, Iapparently the most probable explanation for the word is, yes, you've guessed it, a Cornish Saint: Saint Ruan In Roseland in the fourteenth century. Ruan also has an Irish connection so could this be another Irish Saint, who came to sort out the Cornish!

 

 

 

Remembering and commemorating  - 15 August and 2 September
On the 15/16 August 1952, the night of the Lynton/Lynmouth disaster, I travelled with my parents on the overnight Cornish Riviera Express from Paddington to Cornwall. On the Saturday morning we alighted from the mainline at Gwinnear Road and crossed the small platform to board the ‘Helston Flyer’ for the slow, winding journey into Helston station. From there we continued our journey on the Western National bus destined for The Lizard, but leaving it in Ruan Minor to walk the last mile from Treleague cross-roads up to Kugger.  Hence, my interest in two local events.

 

That bus service to ‘extend the railway’ into the Lizard area commenced on 17 August 1903 and for many years the CVVS has commemorated the event with a run from Helston to Lizard on August bank-holiday Sunday. In past years several CA7C members have been amongst the 100 or more cars, with several tractors, commercial vehicles, buses and up to twenty m/cs, and the event had afternoon entertainment by the St Keverne Junior Band. In recent years the entry has gradually fallen with no entertainment and now just the CVVS and RNLI stalls. This year, for the 40th event on 26 August, the entry was very small and with the poor weather forecast only 29 cars, 3 coaches and 2 m/cs made the run, there being no tractors or commercials and only the one CA7C entry. There was some interest from visitors but the showery weather came in after lunch and several cars departed.

 

The following weekend the Helston Railway Preservation Society held a Heritage Transport Day on Sunday 2nd September. CVVS members had a run from Helston to visit most of the points of the original railway line accessible on the local lanes before arriving at Trevarno Farm, Prospidnick. Others went there direct including three memebrs with a Box Saloon, a 1937 ex-London Taxi and a ‘Forlite’ amongst some 40 cars displayed for the few visitors who appeared. We were each given a token for free tea or coffee and so we wandered down to sample the café in an old diesel electric coach, view the gift shop and take a quick look at the single coach and small engine operating on the

 

 

 

 

 

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