TOC Annual rally 2000
Astley Green Colliery Museum
 
 

 

On Friday 25 August Di and I set off for the annual TOC rally. This year it was organised by 'Barrie the Brick' and his wife Rose. The plan was to bring along our trailor and camping gear, camp for the first 2 nights and then spend the last night at the Greyhound Jarvis hotel near the campsite.

The Six had been starting to show a few anoying rattles and vibrations since I towed the Roadster up to Mick Peacock a few weeks earlier. An hour into our journey the vibrations became violent and the car became almost undrivable. At about 40 MPH we struggled into the Cambridge Park and Ride and I was prepared to get my money's worth from the RAC recovery insurance!

Lifting the bonnet the bonnet of the Six I detected a small movement in the starter ringconnected to the rear fly-wheel. It was almost like it was off centre. Re-starting the car must have pushed the wheel back centre again, because the movement disappeared and the car appeared to be running normal again.

The end effect was that we arrived late at the Colliery museaum and missed the bar-b-Que :-(
The onset of reain also made us move early in the B&B at the Jarvis Greyhound Hotel. A smart move that turned out to be!

The next day the guys spent a thoroughly enjoyable visit at the Manchester Science Museum admiring one of Englands greatests display of working steam engines from a bye gone industrial age. The ladies ( most of them anyway) spent the day shopping at Manchesters Trafford Centre shopping mall. Equally enjoyable I am sure !

The Sunday rally took us to the 'Last Drop Vilage' and some beatifull countryside. The Six started palying up again and at one point the starter engine wouldn't even engage! The ignomy of having to be pushed started by amusing onlookers :-0

The Sunday evening entertainment was as is not unusual largely provided by TOC members themselves, by letting their hair down and drinking copiously. A not very politically correct version of 'Andy Cap' made us roaring with laughter and explained the phenomenon of 'Aeroplane blondes'.

Monday was the usual display of Tractions at the rally site and a 'Concours d'elegance'. The price of the best new car was one by .......(email please) ...and the prizegiving ceremony van be viewed on one of the photo links below. Taking the starter wheel off the arms of the rear flywheel revealed that the silentblocks had totally disintegrated! How handy that one of the voluteers of the Colliery Museum knew how to operate a lathe! New ones were manufactured 'on the spot' out of alluminium and all noises and vibrations disappeared as by magic. The car ran perfectly for the rest of our hols. :-)
 

Click on the link to view the image.