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MG Car Club marks 25 years back at Abingdon
After the MG Plant closed in 1980 and the Club had to find alternative offices, the organisation led "an itinerant existence in exile" with offices in many places including Boston in Lincolnshire and then at Studley in Warwickshire during which the MG Plant was finally closed and the factory buildings demolished and the site redeveloped. By 1985 the Club was housed in a Portacabin in the grounds of Studley Castle courtesy of British Motor Heritage. With Ron Gammons taking over as Club Chairman he felt that something had to be done to find a permanent home for the Club. As property in the Club's spiritual home of Abingdon was expensive it was certainly out of the reach of the Club with the slender resources it had at that time. A Building Appeal was launched with the objective of raising funds to enable the Club to purchase a property, preferably in Abingdon.
At this time Pavlova Leather, the owners of a house right
outside the gates of the former MG Plant, sought planning permission for its redevelopment as a block of flats to obtain best value for the site. This was secured by them after a protracted application process with much resistance from local residents. Ron Gammons, with a team of Club members including fellow member and architect Alan Paine, could see the potential of renovating the near derelict building as a permanent Club office and finally they were successful in negotiating the purchase of the property with Pavlova Leather in 1989. The Building Fund appeal led by Peter Best already stood in six figures after a hectic period of fund raising, but more was required to cover the purchase. With the generous £100,000 provided by the late Douglas Mickel and support from a substantial number of members, together with some funds from the Club's resources and its Centres and Registers, the required sum was successfully raised to cover the £185,000 needed for the purchase.
A further fund was then launched to achieve the substantial five figure amount required to refurbish the property! Ron and his team project managed the restoration of the building with a contractor and then with its specialist subcontractors. There were also valuable contributions from members with electrical and plumbing skills, garden renovation, not to mention sourcing and laying the office carpet and many other aspects as well.
The property was finally opened as "Kimber House" on 15th July 1990 by Lord Montagu when it became the new and permanent administrative offices of the Club's worldwide activities. It has since provided a focal point for the Club in Abingdon, close to the spiritual home of MG. To mark the anniversary - and the 85th anniversary of the formation of the Club - a "Driving Day" was held on Wednesday 15th July at Club Office (known as Kimber House) when classic car journalists were invited to drive a range of MGs including an MGZT260V8.