Hi everyone and welcome to October. The nights are drawing in and the days are getting to feel decidedly fallish and I’ve just put the hardtop on the TR so we must be getting close to the end of the driving season … but not so fast. Here are some final drives that you may want to enjoy over the Thanksgiving weekend:
• Sunday 11th October – Derek McAllister is organising another drive to the north of Toronto. The drive will last approximately 2 hours starting and ending in Schomberg with a 10:00 start. Please contact Derek at derekmcallister@gmail.com if you would like to join the drive.
• Sunday 11th October – Terence McKillen has designed a west-end drive starting 10:00 a.m. at Tim’s on Trafalgar just south of Dundas in Oakville and ends at the Tim’s in the Esso station on Hwy 7 just north of Georgetown which we used as a stop off a couple of years ago. About 1½ hours long we are hoping for lots of fall colours. Please contact Dave at dave.sims@cogeco.ca if you would like to join the drive.
Please reply a.s.a.p. if you would like to join in one of the drives. We need to know which car you plan to bring plus the names of you and your passenger. We will send out the route and waivers for you to print out and bring with you. As with previous drives there will be Covid restrictions in place including:
• You MUST pre-register and a maximum of 10 cars will be allowed on the drives. If there are more than 10 registrants we’ll keep a waiting list and if there are any drop-outs we’ll let the next in line know.
• Social distancing, masks and hand sanitizer are mandatory.
• All participants must sign a waiver confirming each person is not at any risk of having been exposed to the Covid-19 virus.
• Bring lawn chairs with you so you can enjoy a relaxing sit and at the same time social distance.
This coming weekend there are 2 more events:
• Sunday 4th October – Alex McLeod and Clive Huizinga have designed a drive for Sunday morning which will last approximately 2 hours, starting and ending at Clive’s house just North of Peterborough. I was talking to Clive yesterday and he reckons that the fall colours will be at their very best. The drive is full-up with 10 cars signed-up, but if you want to be on standby in case someone drops out please contact Clive at clivehuizinga@yahoo.com .
• Sunday 4th October is also the date for the Classic and Iconic Vehicle Toy Drive – Country Heritage Park Milton starting at 9 a.m. Here’s Phil Miller’s message. Because of Covid-19 this will be a simplified version of our normal Toy Drive. Entry into the park is still free through the south gate. We ask that if you are out of your car you practice social distancing and wear a face covering. We feel that this year more than any, the Salvation Army will need our help. Therefore, we propose a “Drop and Drive” event.
• Drop. We ask that you bring a gift or a new unwrapped toy. Alternatively, a cash donation can be placed in the sealed “Kettle”. This will then be donated to the Georgetown Salvation Army.
• Drive. A handout to an optional 70 minute “self-guided” scenic drive, will be given to you when you arrive. This will cover local roads, in and around the Niagara Escarpment.
For more details please contact philandwendymiller@gmail.com
I popped round to our printer’s shop yesterday to check out the proof for our fall Ragtop. Another terrific issue brought to you by Terence and his editorial team; I don’t know how they do it when content has to be a huge challenge. Well done team and a big thank you to all of you that contributed articles! The front cover of Ragtop depicts our first “official” club drive … the same day as what would have been British Car Day so naturally it was a glorious sunny day. Inside this issue you will find a ton of great articles featuring the fall drive together with an eclectic mix of articles featuring cars, drivers and experts from across the world. There are also some great stories from club members on “How my Triumph helped me through COVID isolation”. You should receive your issue by the end of October.
Rob Ragsdale tells me that we are attracting quite a few new members to the club, so to you, thanks for joining TTC, I hope that you enjoy your first Ragtop when it arrives and that we see you at upcoming events. Don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Which bring us to our Annual General Meeting which is targeted for mid-November. We were hoping to hold the AGM at the Brampton Flying Club on a Saturday again this year but COVID-19 has got in the way and we’ll be holding it via Zoom. The effort taken to hold a full slate of events – including British Car Day – produce Ragtop, keep up with memberships (including planning for a new membership system), keep the web site fresh (including building a new one), write articles for Ragtop, monitor the Forum, keep the finances in order and many, many other things is huge and so I wanted to take the opportunity to thank you all for your contribution in 2020 and to ask you to seriously consider taking on a role to support our club in 2021. Stay tuned for more details.
In the meantime though stay safe, keep healthy and if any of you need assistance just pick up the phone or send me an e-mail.
Dave Sims
President, Toronto Triumph Club
dave.sims@cogeco.ca
905-331-1496