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lefttop00 The West Midlander Newsletter for the West Midlands Area Group April/May 2019Better late than never, a new name & new look to (hopefully) attract your attention, PLUS some actual news to report as we rush headlong into our Spring/Summer Ferrari season. As I sit here poised in front of my trusty iMac, I sense the prospect of a bumper edition of your Area Group tome, as our calendar of events, local & national, swells to bursting point. The glorious Easter weekend weather will have surely coaxed your Ferrari from its long winter slumber and despite a variable forecast for the end of the month, let us hope for another summer to rival 2018. We are worth it!Importantly, a reminder of some upcoming diary items is first on the agenda.Thursday May 2nd: Monthly MeetingFox & Hounds, Shawbury, SY4 4JG, 7pm for 7.30A welcome return to our 'Northern' Meeting venue, near Shrewsbury. Safe, level parking, great, good value food and an opportunity to enjoy a spring evening of Ferrari-related chat as we look forward to our summer events. Please do your best to support the Meeting & let me know if you are attending.48628305067300Sunday May 5th: Bibury Classic Motor Hub visit & lunchat Wyck Hill HouseFinal call for those attending this visit, which is a joint endeavour with our Cotswold Area Group friends, thus swelling the number of Ferraris, decent weather permitting. The Bibury bit will finish around 12.30 - 1pm which gives us time to get to our lunch venue, the splendid Wyck Hill House near Stow, a 20-30 min drive away. If you've not already paid for Bibury, PLEASE REMEMBER TO DO SO ON THE DAY, via our West Mids event organiser Phil Roberts. Contact Phil on proberts34@hotmail.co.uk.Arrival at Bibury by 10am, please (no convoy arranged on this occasion). Postcode: GL7 5NX. Wyck Hill House: GL54 1HY. Sunday May 26th: Oulton Park Fun Day, including West Mids' Members Track TimeAnother worthwhile day out at the famous Cheshire race circuit. Allocated Ferrari & 'supercar' display area PLUS an opportunity to drive the track in your car, probably following the Course Pace Car, but a bit more than just a track parade - or so I'm reliably/unofficially advised! FREE ENTRY TOO!For ALL INFORMATION on this event, please contact organiser & FOC Member David Morris on 07773 537564 or email: djmfastforward@hotmail.co.uk.381003314700 THURSDAY May 30th: RAF Shawbury Families' Day (note: weekday event)We have supported this event in both August 2017 & '18, but this year a much earlier date has been scheduled, so a somewhat urgent call for those who can make a weekday attendance at this active Shropshire air base, home of the Defence Helicopter Flying School. Various car clubs are participating, whilst there are a number of trade stalls, children's activities, static aircraft & with luck, some flying participation. Just a fun day out amongst our Service friends.lefttop00Last year we managed an impressive 13 Ferraris displayed in an imposing 'arrowhead' display layout, so a tough act to follow.A Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Spitfire is scheduled to perform, together with, I assume, base helicopter presentation, weather permitting (isn't it always!!). Arrival time tbc, but likely to be around 09.30 -10.00, as we are obliged to assemble in a holding area prior to being escorted onto the base. The event normally ends early afternoon. I suggest we meet up, as last year, on the Fox & Hounds Car Park - but I'll see if the proprietor can provide coffee or tea before we move on to the base, (which is just a few hundred yards away). CONTACT ME if you want to attend - at time of writing I have just 4 cars promised, but including a rare 275 GTS. Ideally need 10 cars or more, so your support is welcomed.When applying, I'll need your Ferrari tipo details & registration number, plus names of attendees. There is no entrance fee. Email me ASAP, please: westmidsferrari@.Looking ahead to some JUNE events:-3846830348678500Sunday June 2nd: Classics on the Hill,Church Farm, The Green, Orton-on the Hill, Leics. CV9 3NGFOC Member Kent Thompson has invited the West Midlands Group to this rural charitable event. Orton is located between Tamworth & Hinckley. Enjoy a great 'family' day out, with a definite emphasis on motor vehicles. Entrance donations support various charities, so it's all in a good cause. Would be nice to see a positive West Mids presence, so add it to your diary & contact Kent or Rachel if you wish to attend, on 07774 965879 or kent.thompson@pertemps.co.ukThursday, June 6th: Monthly Meeting, Ewe & Lamb, Stoke PriorSummer Meeting sees a return to our traditional haunt. Usual time: 7pm for 7.30. See you there!-254006832600Sunday June 9th: Italian Performance Machinesat The Wales Millenium Centre, Cardiff BayJointly organised by FOC Members David Morris & Paul Talbot, this Italian Passion For Speed event is now in its fourth year & is just getting bigger and better! Takes place in a superb setting overlooking Cardiff Bay, simply ideal for showcasing your Ferrari or other Italian classic on a midsummer's day. All in all, fabulous atmosphere & a great event not to be missed. Entrance fee per car is just ?10.To reserve your place contact David Morris on 07773 537564 or 01743 232651 or djmfastforward@hotmail.co.uk, or Paul Talbot on 07753 683930 or paultalbot90@.If you can't make it to Cardiff, maybe join our West Mids Members planning to attending the Northern Ferrari Day, organised by North West Area Group annually, which also takes place on June 9th. More details can be found on the Club website. Although I'm unable to attend (clashes with Cosford Air Show - planes win on this occasion!), if anyone is planning to go & wants to 'convoy' to the venue - Vale Royal Abbey, near Northwich, Cheshire - let me know & I'll see what response materialises.Also upcoming is the Italian Supercar Display at Donington Park circuit , Sat/Sun, June 22nd/23rd. Further details will be emailed to you in due course, but register your interest via David Morris (again!); contact info as above.Sunday, June 23rd: Coventry Freemen's Guild Garden Party.Long-standing West Mids Member Brian Jackson has received an invitation for our Group to provide up to 10 Ferraris to join other classics at this event. Attractions include a miniature steam railway running through the extensive grounds & around a lake, which also features a steam-powered boat. Train & boat rides are free! Vintage steam cars & other machinery are also on display. The Guild are providing light snacks/burgers, etc & cakes/ice cream are available to buy. There will be a donation/charge of just ?5 per person to attend. The venue is at Pailton, nr Rugby; the full address will be given to those attending. Contact Brian asap if you would like to participate, including your car details.email: brian.jackson308@Phew, hope you're keeping up with all this! I'll spare you the July Calendar till next time, but looking further ahead, remember to book early for the main FOC Summer Garden Party/Concours at Danesfield House, Marlow, on Saturday, August 3rd. (Details on main Club website). Prior to that, don't forget the Silverstone Classic, Friday to Sunday, July 26th-28th, plus, at the end of May, La Vita Rossa & La Vie en Bleu at Prescott, Sat/Sun. May 25th/26th. (For this latter event, contact Pete Michaluk, Cotswold AGO on cotswoldfoc@). Fair warning given.Whats App in the West Midlands?Member Giles Palfreyman is keen to set-up a 'Whats App' arrangement for our Area Group, specifically to arrange 'last-minute' drive-outs from around our area. Quite often, if fine weather is forecast & there's nothing else in your diary (yes, some of us have nowt to do at times!), an impromptu summer evening drive-out or pub visit might prove attractive, even if only a handful of cars participate.Giles has asked me to include his contact details, so if you are interested in forming such a group, please get in touch with him: 07881 260192 or gilespalfreyman@(Editor's note: sadly I'm excluded by virtue of still resisting the acquisition of a smartphone!)Moving swiftly on, time to review a number of recent events involving West Midlands Area Group:The Spring Classic Car & Restoration Show is amongst the first exhibitions of the year. Handily, for us West Midlands residents, taking place at the NEC, Birmingham, it showcases not only some fantastic restoration skills but includes some interesting classic car clubs. On a smaller scale than the November Classic Car Show, it is, nevertheless, a worthwhile event. This year's event took place from the 22nd to the 24th of March. Member & former AGO Britt Rothman, over from Sweden again (he just can't keep away!) accompanied myself on the Friday & we met up with Stewart Clough for several hours of browsing, via the Autojumble & trade stands, as usual, with Britt's flight luggage allowance utilised to its max following various purchases of auto essentials which are either too expensive or unobtainable in Sweden. As might be expected, some interesting machinery was on show, although the only Ferraris to be espied (from afar) were tucked away in the Auction section; none of us were inclined to fork out the extra tenner for catalogue access to the auction display!I've included a few photos of some of the more esoteric motors on show, including the weird-looking Grocott Jaguar - must've seemed like a good idea at the time....very much an acquired taste, methinks! April Monthly Meeting. Despite some dreadful weather, hostile to most vehicles, let alone Ferraris, I was delighted & relieved in equal measure when 16 Members turned up at the Ewe & Lamb on April 4th. This included several not-so-recently-seen friends who appeared, which all added to the convivial atmosphere as we enjoyed our customary great value food at our regular 'Southern' haunt. We'll be returning to the Ewe & Lamb for our June Monthly Meeting on the 6th, as noted earlier, so make a note in your diary. Phil Roberts & myself attended the Area Group Organisers' Annual Meeting on March 23rd, held in the pleasant & convivial surroundings of the Bicester Golf Hotel & Spa. Most Area Groups were represented & it provided an opportunity to compare notes with AGOs from other parts of the country. Key members of the Club Committee were officiating & several pertinent issues were discussed, as might be expected. Whilst there are, as ever, a few contentious issues regarding Club activities, the Meeting was constructive. Coutesy of the Club, we enjoyed a splendid 3-course lunch afterwards & I would like to express my thanks to Gary, Nigel & the Team for their continued recognition & gratitude towards all the Area Group Organisers & the Membership in general. An interesting point regarding group Meeting attendances came up in discussion: based upon the size & area spread of our own Area Group, our Meeting attendances, averaging between 16-22, are quite respectable numbers, representing 10/15% of our total Area Group Membership. Of course, I would love to see more of you coming along each month! My thanks, however, as always, to those who do so.01143000Graypaul Solihull hosts Club AGMA bright sunny day brought out a goodly number of Members' cars to our 'local' Dealership on April 14th.Amongst the attendees at the AGM were around 15 West Midlands' Members - good show, folks!Nice to see a few 'old friends' on the day, together with a few new ones. The AGM formalities included cup presentations to various Club Members for their activities & sporting successes over the past year - doubtless these will be reported in the official Club mag in due course, but a special mention goes to adjacent East Mids AGO Darren Wilson, who received a trophy for best contributions to the Club magazine - well done, Darren. 42291003657600Some years back we had a close association with Graypaul, which, unfortunately, has lapsed in recent times. Once our regular Monthly Meeting venue, I am hoping to re-establish relations with the staff & now have a new contact at Soilhull, so with luck, Graypaul may reappear on our calendar radar soon. It's an ideal venue for a speaker evening, for example.After the AGM formalities, a buffet luncheon was served & we took the opportunity to inspect the cars on sale & to look around their immaculate workshops, with some interesting machinery being serviced. A few photos appear below. A 488 Pista & 458 Speciale in the service bay Other attractions seen during our visit West Midlands Area Group contingent at the AGM Packed-in tightly on the forecourt Scotland there I came.........Having recently acquired a tidy 360 Modena as a 'user' Ferrari, Giles Palfreyman sped off to the North in early April to participate in the North Coast 500 run in the Scottish Highlands.457200388620000Giles sent some nice piccies of his exploits & his brief report follows below:'Based from a fabulous Air BnB cottage in Bonar Bridge, we drove around Scotland taking in the wonderful Applecross Pass, Loch Ness, Loch Shin & the Cairngorms National Park. The 360 didn't miss a beat & still returned 24mpg. The homeward trip was a marathon from Bonar Bridge to Stratford, 520 miles in 10 hours, stopping only for fuel.' Easter Monday sunshine at Oulton ParkAn early arrival slot was strongly recommended as large crowds packed into the Easter Race Meet at this famous Cheshire circuit. Courtesy of David Morris, we were offered free entrance to the event in what should have been an exclusive large area for parking, not only our Ferraris, but other Italian marques. Sadly, an intruding band of interlopers in various non-Italian motors encroached on 'our' slot, spoiling the effect somewhat. Despite repeated requests from Track Officials, these kind souls refused to move. So much for respecting authority! Fortunately David was able to secure additional parking opposite, thus accommodating a sizeable turnout of Ferraris from West Mids, East Mids and, in particular, North West Area Groups. A large contingent of Abarth 500s also swelled the ranks, making an impressive sight.lefttop 285750045720004572000457200000457200674370022860048006002743200697230000 Notable appearances included a lovely FIAT 130, a marauding T.rex and Jonathan Palmer piloting his Agusta helicopter. All being well, our Group will be represented on a return to Oulton for the Fun Day at the end of May - see diary entry on page 1 of this Newsletter. Meantime, thanks go to David for encouraging all those to attend & show their cars on the day - no mean feat. And there's more.... David has just sent me a further 4 photos below, taken by Steve Ryal: Your AGO & 328 - oldest Ferrari there 'Harry' Harris & newly ceramic-coated 458 Mat & Rachel Commander with their 458 Mario Lanza & 430 SpiderStop Press: Bridgnorth Classic Motor Cars Saturday April 27th: reportAlthough the (forecast) heavy rain from storm Hannah prevented significant Ferrari presence, our visit to Classic Motor Cars at Bridgnorth was a resounding success. Around 15 Members (but alas only 2 Ferraris) made it on the day & were cordially treated to a 2-hour conducted tour of these surprisingly extensive workshops, storage facilities & showroom. CMC was founded in 1993 & is now considered to be one of the world's premier restoration companies. Although noted Jaguar specialists, many other marques, such as Aston Martin, Lancia, Ferrari & Bugatti pass through their hands. With over 36,000 sq.ft.of dedicated workshops & a staff of over 50, CMC have an enviable international reputation for craftsmanship of the highest standards. In addition is another 24,000 sq.ft. of bespoke storage space for classic cars, together with a facility with new & used classic car parts for sale, plus cars available to purchase on behalf of current owners. Definitely a most impressive & imposing establishment, thoroughly enjoyed by all. If you didn't come, you missed a treat, so if sufficient demand exists I think a return visit will be on the cards in the future. Some truly beautiful cars present, including several superb E-Types, plus others under rebuild; Mark IIs, including a stunning 'Callum' version; various XKs, a pair of Lancia Aurelias, Astons, including a DBS which featured in the Bond movie 'The Living Daylights'; even a pristine Volvo 144 - and others too numerous to mention. Sincere thanks go to MD Nigel Woodward for facilitating our visit and to Tim & Mark who gave up their valuable Saturday for our conducted tour. More photos below - and, by the way, it didn't rain after all!32004004914900 Supercars at Donington, 28th April. Short Report.Arranged by David Morris (again) at extremely short notice, a large number of Ferraris turned out for display as a sideshow for this major BTCC event. Several West Mids Members attended & a couple of photos appear here, including Richard Wheeler's new 488 Pista. More on this event next time. IMPORTANT LAST-MINUTE NEWS! F8 Tributo Launch Party, Thursday May 16thGraypaul, Solihull have kindly invited our Group to the launch of the F8 Tributo, successor to the 488.The evening will take the form of a cocktail party, with the new car as its centrepiece. These events are somewhat exclusive, so it's a privilege to be invited. If you (& your partner) wish to attend, please email me BY NOT LATER THAN THURSDAY MAY 9th, as I'm obliged to advise the dealership of the number of attendees in advance. This exciting event starts at 7pm. Orders for the F8 taken on the night........!Hope you've enjoyed the new look Newsletter (if you're still awake). Happy summer Ferrari-ing.Kevin Brown, Area Group OrganiserPhotos ? Kevin Brown; Giles Palfreyman; Steve Ryal; A & D Giovanazzo ................
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