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.

Gez Parton and 'Josie' the Red Pearl - 26 July
In early March this year, we first heard of Gez Parton’s declared intention of travelling around the UK raising money for the R.N.L.I., in his 1935 Pearl Cabriolet. Not only was it a marathon journey in aid of a good cause, but the route involved travelling the length of Cornwall from the North Devon border to Lands End, having started off that morning from Lynton on day twenty-four of his marathon (26th July).   Some time previously a group of us had decided to shepherd Gez and Josie down the county, from the border north of Bude, to a convenient handover location in Mid-Cornwall.



Having ascertained from Gez his route was to be down the A39 from Bideford, a call to our Events Secretary resulted in the plan to meet him in a convenient layby just inside Devon, and escort him and Josie as far as the service area at Carland Cross. From there, both would come under the care of the ‘Western Territory Members’ of CA7C to take him on, hopefully as far as Land’s End and beyond to his accommodation later that day.   With major delays on the A30 due to the road imoprovements the change-over venue was changed.





Four members in their various Sevens met Gez, but three cars met with problems so only one was able to escort Gez and Josie to Goonhavern Garden Centre.  Five Sevens from the west Cornwall members were waiting at the garden centre to meet up.  So after Gez had a swift coffee stop, we were on our way.  Through Perranporth, St Agnes, Porthtowan, Portreath, then on down the north coast road to Hayle. By this time the rain had set in.

After a comfort stop at Asda it was on to the outskirts of St Ives and on down the coast to Pendeen via Zennor. Following the twisting road through St Just and on to a very wet and dismal Land’s End. Gez got a photograph of Josie in front of the sign post for proof. Then we all set off again for Gez to stop overnight with friends in Nancegollen. The rest of us to our own, warm and dry homes.   By the time you read this Gez should have completed his quest to visit many of the lifeboat stations around the coast and hopefully raised a bob or two to help in their good work.



Wednesday Wander

A recent Wednesday Wander saw the group visit a past Chairman/Events Secretary who is suffering from poor health and is no longer active.  After sharing many memories the group departed for a run and picnic on North Cliffs.






Annual Rally -  25 June

Some thirty 'Sevens' gathered at HPF with the cars parked around the edge of the field below the house.  Here is where the day looks up, as all of us who were there know how well the gathering went.  Looking out over Stithians Reservoir, occasionally sheltering under the gazebos for a brief shower in between the June sunshine, a good time was had by all as we enjoyed a few games with our cars and then a BBQ and picnic lunches were downed before a fun quiz. Although maybe questions such as “What was the diameter of the brake drums prior to Sep 1926?” were perhaps a little over egged.





An autojumble enabled a few members to pick up a much needed part.  A Cornish cream tea was provided mid-afternoon.





A few of the Club awards had been resurrected after many years and awarded to “Driver of the Year”;  “Breakdown of the Year”:  and a special “Lack of Petrol” award for running out of fuel several times!  Finally the Secretary thanked everyone who had helped with the running of ther event and to the hosts - a really great day.



Frogpool Fete - 24 June
. . . . . or to give it its proper title: Gwennap Parish Community Fete, was on the Saturday immediately before the Club Rally. Having been asked by the fete organisers to bring my Austin and try to find some more to ‘pop in’, it was good to turn out five in total. 




During the day the excellent Double Bounce provided a soundtrack of pop covers, although the volume was a little too high for real enjoyment. There were a variety of stalls and the WI working hard making teas and coffees and serving cakes. After six o’clock, the stalls shut down and many people departed. The evening entertainment was by Ritzy Belles who sang a collection of war-time melodies and then progressed through to an encore at 8.30 pm (half an hour past the official finish!) of Abba numbers. The Belles were initially dressed in American-style wartime uniform and then swapped to fifties-style frocks in the interval. A good little local event.




Sevens at the Lake - 11 June
A few years ago, our Events Secretary was asked by the proprietor of the Lakeside Cafe in Helston, if he could arrange for a gathering of Sevens by the lake as a public attraction.   Several members agreed to go along with their cars to display them and be available to talk to anyone who showed an interest.  




This year eight Sevens made their way to the boating lake and lined up facing the cafe with 'drip mats/trays' placed accordingly. It was a very pleasant few hours, slightly hazy, so not too hot to sit about in.  A steady stream of people came to look at our cars and talk about them. The value of a written potted history of a car was obvious by the number of people who stopped by to read them.  




The icing on the cake, if that's the correct expression for a cream tea, came when a couple of the café staff came over with trays of scones, cream and jam, plus cups of tea for all of us. A very kind gesture, much appreciated by everyone.  











Lifton D-Day Weekend - 6 June  
The invitation by the landlord of “The Fox and Grapes” of Lifton, a Club member, saw nine Austin Sevens, mostly CA7C members, turn up for the 1940s weekend: a two - day extravaganza.  Five members turned up early in the week and stayed on a camp site very close to the village.

On Friday a run was arranged to drive through the lanes to Okehampton Castle where a picnic was enjoyed by the river. After that there was a ‘back lane’ drive to North Tawton for ice cream and then a run back to the pub in Lifton for tea.



The Saturday started at 10am when the Austins had the pride of place parking on the pub garden. During the day various displays of military equipment and vehicles were on display. The landlord wanted to honour those that served on that epic day eighty years ago. Bagpipes played in the afternoon on the lawn to honour the late Bill Millin, known as “Piper Bill”, the lone piper who played while under fire during the landings in Normandy, June 1944.  









In the evening the 'Hummingbirds' played various 1940s numbers in the Coronation Hall beside the pub, which was decorated as a NAAFI Canteen, where many were dressed in period costumes.  





 
Sunday started a little later, and was a run out to Lydford Gorge for coffee, through the lanes and then back to “The Fox and Grapes”. A bugler played the last post at 3pm followed by the Lords Prayer and a two-minute silence. The afternoon finished by one of the exhibitors firing blanks from various guns from that period and then there was music on the lawn. 

 

 

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