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Last updated:
01 June, 2023
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.
Bodmin & Wenford Steam Railway - Coronation Celebrations - 7May
A small group of CA7C members met at Waitrose in Truro for a run up to Bodmin to attend the Coronation celebrations at the heritage railway station, Bodmin General. In an effort to avoid the more major roads the route chosen was via Tresillian, Ladock, Fraddon and Indian Queens, on what was the 'old' A30. The dual lane A30 was used briefly before the small convoy turned off in the direction of Bodmin on the A389 through Lanivet.
Arriving at the railway station in good time the cars were decorated with bunting to compliment the decorations on the station and on the steam train itself. Several other CA7C members from the surrounding areas had made their way to the station and their cars were looking splendid in the spring sunshine.
Our Austin 7's attracted interest from those people arriving to take a trip on the train and by those who were arriving back at the station having had a ride in the lovely restored GWR carriages.
A Wednesday Wander - Between a rock ... and another rock!
Ok. Let me first say I know how this is going to look. Sometimes in life each little decision looks fine in isolation but when you turn around and look back to where you started from, you can’t quite believe you’ve ended up where you are. This occasion would be one of those…
The story begins with a phone call from a Seven owner coming from Leicestershire on holiday looking for a home for his trailer for the week, and that he might like to join us on a Wednesday Wander.
I gave him a call and agreed that we would meet at Waitrose in Truro and then head to the Roseland. Although this was a little way east from our usual runs it would save our guest coming quite so far. So far so good. I duly left home at 9.00 am for the long drive to Truro.
Unfortunately the road between Redruth and Chacewater was closed and no diversion was in place. A quick consultation with the sat-nav revealed a convoluted but acceptable route. Time was pressing on and I was anxious not to be late for our guest. The roads got smaller and smaller, then eventually turned into a footpath. So I was faced with either turning back or using a 100m farm track to access what I could see was a narrow but perfectly passable lane to the main road. At that point I heard the distant voice of what Rumpole referred to as “she who must be obeyed” saying “I don’t think that’s a good idea”. S adly she was absent from the car so my internal monologue of “it will be fine, just fine” won the day.
It was not fine.
Despite my best efforts to avoid the high centre ground, I slipped a bit and the brake adjuster (fortunately not the sump) got stuck on a rock and despite strenuous efforts, could not be lifted clear. To cut a long, and frankly inglorious, story short, a small rescue party arrived after what felt like a very long and frustrating, for us all, search of continuous calls, descriptions and screen-shots of maps. They finally found me, now some distance from the car, in an attempt to meet up. The first action of one rescuer was to start photographing the scene, thanks!, and we set about with the accompanying muscle to free the car.
Sadly, it was too late to join the others on the Roseland so we headed to Olde Penny’s, where cakes were purchased as a small thank you. As all Seven owners know, often out of catastrophe comes benefit. A full overhaul of the brakes revealed a few broken parts and should lead to significant improvements. Thanks to the rescue party for help received and yet to come!
Drive it Day - 23 April
The Club run supporting FBHVC Drive it Day 2023 visited the splendid Pencarrow House near Bodmin, once the home of the Molesworth-St Aubyn Family. One of the start points was the 'veggie lay-by' at Perranarworthal, our convoy followed a picturesque route up the Ladock valley, Lanivet and Nanstallon. Cornish weather threw its useful trick of starting off in bright sunshine and then throwing a downpour at us.
Altogether seventeen cars converged from the three different directions to gather for cake and a cuppa and a chance to explore the beautiful Spring gardens and the House. Other visitors to the house showed a lot of interest in the various Sevens displayed.
Hawkins Garage - 19 February
As Austineers, we are used to meeting others who are passionate and knowledgeable about classic machines. That was certainly true for this month’s club run to the motorbike collection of John Hawkins in St. Stephens. For those of us in the west, we met at the Waitrose car park in Truro and a quick visit to the cafe for coffee. We then had a run up to the Par garden centre to meet the others for coffee (again) a light lunch and a good natter.
We then set off to St. Stephen (mainly one long traffic jam) to meet John Hawkins. We received a very warm welcome from John and were offered coffee and cake (well we hadn’t had any for at least thirty minutes). I was expecting to find a collection of part restored bikes in a shed in a far flung corner of the site. What we actually found was a small museum at the back of the main building in the dealership.
Billy Hawkins started the interest in Motorcycles back in 1933 riding his Scott Squirrel to work from Truro. This bike was sold to help start the dealership in 1940, which first sold tractors, cars and cycles and motorcycles, and then from 1946 were agents for British brands like Rial, BSA, Norton, Vincent, Scott and AJS. Once cars became cheaper in the 1960s many bikes were part exchanged and stored at the dealership and restored to their former glory with the help of experienced restorer Les Willis. The museum opened in 2002 and is home to over forty motorbikes. It is open to the public, free of charge Monday to Thursday 9.00 - 3.00 pm with a cafe on site.
With thanks to John Hawkins for making us so welcome at this fantastic local site. For more information visit their website https://www.hawkins.co.uk/motorcycle-museum/