Hello everyone and welcome to July. Happy Canada Day!
The challenge with driving our Triumphs in Canada is that it’s such a short season which means we have to cram our events into a narrow window. This June was no exception with two major events on the calendar.
Georgian Bay Adventure – 11th to 14th June
Back in July 2011 Maggie and I enjoyed our first driving trip with the club when we circumnavigated Georgian Bay in our newly acquired TR250. It was a brilliant trip so I was looking forward to doing it again 12 years on, this time in a clockwise direction. For our drive up to Collingwood on Sunday it was fairly dry but Monday was VERY wet. Great for suppressing wild fires but not so good for leaky convertibles with less-than-stellar windshield wipers. Thank goodness for Rainex!
But a little drop of rain was not going to dampen our spirits and all 27 participants had a fun time. Clive and Jacquelynne did a fantastic job of making it happen; well done you two! Successfully completing the trip were 25 Triumphs including 9 TR6s, 4 Spitfires, 3 TR3As, 3 Stags, 2 TR4As, 2 TR8s, 1 TR5PI and 1 TR250 as well as a Jaguar XK8 and a Ford Mustang. There were some issues and all will be revealed in the summer Ragtop which Terence is aiming to mail in mid-July.
Club BBQ – 24th June
After a three-year absence it was really good to get together with friends at the club BBQ last Saturday 24th June at Terence’s farm. Derek led a bunch of cars from Etibicoke to Rockwood and I led a small contingent from Burlington, using side roads wherever possible. It was wet when we set-off and threw it down on the way home but from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. the rain stayed away. There were about 60 participants driving 20 Triumphs and another 10 non-Triumphs. Not bad considering the iffy weather. I had a great time talking to lots of friends and enjoying the bounty of food on offer. Thanks to Derek and John for organising and Terence and Svea for letting us use their lovely farm.
There are a number of events planned for this month which are detailed in our TTC Events Calendar but in summary:
- Cars & Coffee Etobicoke – 9th July. Derek will be hosting Cars and Coffee at Montesanto Bakery 5 Lavington Dr, Etobicoke, ON. at 9 a.m. on Sunday the 9th and he looks forward to seeing you there. An invite to register was sent out yesterday.
- Brits-in-the-Park, Lindsay, ON. – 16th July. This year’s showcase is the iconic Classic Mini. There will be draw prizes and over 40 awards, including Car of the Year and Best in Show. There will also be a beer tent and a delicious food menu, along with an array of vendors offering an assortment of British goods.
- Brits-on-the-Lake, Port Perry, Ontario – 30th July. Making a comeback after a three-year absence the show attracts thousands of onlookers and British car fans who come out to see the gleaming paintwork and chrome of the assembled cars. Downtown Port Perry is lined with historic brickwork buildings and filled with boutique-style stores and popular eateries.
You may have seen the British Car Day e-blast I sent out the other day, but if not, FASTLANE, our BCD pre-registration, is now available at BCD Fastlane and will be open until Friday 8th September. Pre-registration is a great way to save money ($20 versus $25 at the gate). In addition, you will save time by driving through the FASTLANE where you will pick-up an excellent programme together with a voting card and dash plaque. Those paying cash at the gate will have to sign-in at our registration desk which is where you will collect your programme etc. Once you have successfully completed the FASTLANE process you will immediately receive an auto receipt in your e-mail which is proof that your registration has been received. We will send you a PDF of your window card via e-mail which you will need to print out and display when entering the park. NOTE: We prepare the window cards in batches of 50 so you won’t necessarily receive it immediately, but please be patient – your card WILL arrive in plenty of time for the show!
Maggie and I are shortly heading over to the UK to visit with family and as a bonus I will be going to Silverstone for the upcoming British GP. Look for me on TV – I’ll be the one waving a Canadian flag! As always, if you have any questions or comments on our club, please drop me a line and I’ll get back to after we return home.
Cheers; Dave
Dave Sims
President, Toronto Triumph Club