ight, you 'oribble shower, the outcome of the Autumn Extravaganza, by the numbers... wait for it, wait for it...

Day One

Arrived at the Vermuyden (microcar carrier currently on patrol in the Fens as part of an ongoing projection of Albanian naval power in the region) at just before 10am and Martin cranked himself over on the chain ferry. David K was already present having camped over after arriving late the previous night in Mostyn the Austin, and Martin's other pal David McKee had driven his own accommodation. Vermuyden: The Albanian Navy's Finest... At various points during the next couple of hours we were joined by Juliet (Control) and Jim (via motorbike, obviously), and Martin's recent new acquaintances Jeff and Sheila in their yellow Bond Mk F, and Arthur (another of Martin's local friends) and his adult son. After a bit of breakfast and nattering we had a nose round Martin's vehicle collection with a view to choosing the day's toys ("no, that one's not working, nor's that. That one is, that one should be alright, it was last time I used it...") followed by fuelling and general fiddling.  read more »

eanwhile down at Faringdon there's a couple of likely lads...

AlBum has put a fresh dose of two stroke mix in his scanner (and you thought all HP Scanjet 3000 models used rotary engines) and managed to get these two surveillance shots of a couple of rum looking characters that he spotted loitering outside his house one day.

"Can Alan come out to play please?"

Not having supplied any date information on these two all my guesses have been based on Eccles' hair length. So I'll take a punt at '98. Any offers?  read more »

The discussion continues on several ideas around the National Rally, this pending interested parties locally to organise it of course.

here has been a light investigation of the original Cotswold Wildlife Park as a venue for a general Microcar Rally, possibly a National Rally. The CWP remains much as it was when we held the early events. It offers a field for a fee, free entry to agreed driven classics, which enter that field under the control of the organiser. Ordinary and modern vehicles pay normally at the gate although a deal might be agreed for a parc fermé for support vehicles. The site has plenty to entertain non-Micro folks and a restaurant and snack area. It lacks immediately placed toilet facilities and an all weather area, the latter striking me as a more worthwhile investment. The big issue with the CWP is that because it has animals it cannot allow camping within the grounds.  read more »

ith the last two summers having been a total washout it's easy to forget what microcar rallies are like when held in the sun, and as the clocks have just changed and the evenings are even more dark and dank we have to turn to boxes of photos for a fix of nostalgia. Ah yes, the good old days when the sun shone, the cars ran, and interesting venues attracted interesting cars.  read more »

summer of dodging rain and malfunctions for me. As usual I failed to get to a lot of events I would have wished to as priority tasks kept me in Oxfordshire. That said those I did attend were very enjoyable as was getting back in the driving seat of a 'schmiit. As you read this the bulk of the year's events have passed but much still remains to be involved in, not least our AGM where we hope to tidy up the last few rough edges and consolidate on what has been achieved over the last few years.

I managed to pop down to the Bath Rally where there was a reasonable showing of 'schmitts, mainly from the south coast under their own power. This was part of the group that also drove to Regensburg and few problems were reported from these regularly used cars. Just confirms that the more you use your 'schmitt the better it goesJust confirms that the more you use your 'schmitt the better it goes - something I proved to myself attending the MOC Lynham Rally. I commute to this along a favourite drive offering a cross section of the most beautiful country in central England dropping down from the Golden Ridge I live on, across the Thames at Lechlade to climb gently up to Burford, across the sharp Windrush valley and over the wolds to Shipton and Lynham beyond.

Interestingly the MOC run out chose a similar route in the opposite direction. The latest 'schmitt had clearly seen little use and the trip was delayed by fault correction before starting and slow pace. The details of this should appear as a separate technical report. Lynham attracted about 50 'schmitts and I am pleased to say that the welcome for the person most likely to be booed off the plot was good. Indeed it was suggested that the MOC and MEC swap magazines, a good idea.  read more »

The memoires of Wing Commander "The Famous" Muriel Eccles (DSO and bar, bar crawler, and barred from the Bath micro car campsite for disruptive behaviour), looks back on a life of bubbling adventure.

ome people say that bubble cars are dangerous and unstable, but as we all know this is not the case... you've got to put in some real effort to roll one of these cars. Now I have a little red Trojan called Bumbly. He's a right hand drive and therefore male (?huh? --- ed), he's 33 years old and very stubborn.  read more »