President’s Message – November 2023

Looking at the weather outside it appears that our extended summer is over.  Perhaps we’ll be able to squeeze in a pop-up drive before the snow flies?

We recently got back from a nature-focussed vacation to Australia where it was spring and, in most places, a heck of a lot warmer than here.  Whether snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef, looking for (and finding) lots of mammals & over 200 species of birds or enjoying the delights of Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales, we had a brilliant trip.   While Maggie and I were down under life continued in our club with various happenings.

First of all I am delighted to report that Larry Llewellyn and Sam got married last weekend at the All Saints Kingsway Anglican Church on Bloor Street.  On behalf of all of our club members I would like to pass on our very best wishes for the future to Sam and Larry.  Congratulations you two!

Some of the events from October included:

  • Central and West club drives organised by Derek and Terence.  In early October Terence led a morning drive from Milton Heights to Glen Williams via 3rd Line, the Acton Quarries, Silver Springs valley and Terra Cotta. Lots of twists and turns, a few bumps and good colours in the foliage – no rain during the drive and no gravel!   There was a good turn-out of TR6s (6), TR250s (2), TR8s (2) and Stag (1).

• The All-British Auto Swap Meet at Rockton Fairgrounds.
• The Brass Monkey Run, organized by John Burrows of MGCTT was attended by Robin & Ria Searle and Rob Draper from our club. Robin tells me there were 25 British cars on the drive including MGs, Jaguars, Lotus Triumphs and a few everyday drivers. The route went through Norval, Caledon, Cheltenham, Mono Mills, Primrose, Terra Nova and New Lowell, all on twisty paved side roads enjoying beautiful autumn colours and views, ending up for a lunch stop in Wasaga Beach at The Iron Skillet. As Robin said “Our Stag, now with a further 225 miles on the clock, behaved superbly, which made the day much more enjoyable and my wife happier!”

This month we will be focussing on the Annual General Meeting which is planned for the afternoon of Saturday 18th November either in-person at the Brampton Flying Club or via Zoom.  If you haven’t already, please respond to the invitation indicating how you plan to join us.  Of course it’s never too late to sign-up to help our club as we prepare for a new year.  Just drop me a line and we can chat.  Thanks!

The British Car Council Inc (BCCI) Long Distance Award runs from Jan 1st to Dec 31st. To be awarded this you need to do 3000 miles or 5000 Km in the year in your British car. If you meet this threshold, please forward the following details to Clive Huizinga at clivehuizinga@yahoo.com.

  • Your name.
  • Car make, model and year.
  • Starting odometer reading 1 Jan 2023.
  • Final odometer reading 31 Dec 2023 or before if you put car away for winter.
  • Distance travelled 2023.

Please submit as soon as possible and no later than 8 Jan 2024.   Clive will then submit the claim on your behalf.

The fall Ragtop is nearing editorial completion in readiness for mailing out in mid-November.  It will contain a complete review of British Car Day and a special window decal celebrating 40 years of Toronto Triumph Club.

We look forward to seeing you at the AGM but in the meantime if you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact me.

Cheers; Dave

Dave Sims, President, Toronto Triumph Club