Safety Fast July 2003

V8 Column for July 2003
published in Safety Fast!, the award winning monthly magazine of the MG Car Club

This month we have a report of the V8 Gathering at Hazeley Heath in May and reminders of another Sunday lunchtime meeting at the Shoulder of Mutton on 17th August and the V8 Cornish Tour over the long weekend 3rd to 6th October.

The V8 Gathering at Hazeley Heath on Sunday 18th May saw a mix of over twenty MGV8s, equally spilt between MGBGTV8s and RV8s. Tim Hipwell (Oxford Blue 1133) was up from Devon visiting his mother near Hook and he fell into a discussion with Peter Wallis (Nightfire Red 2178) from Basingstoke and Gavin Bailey (BRG 0766) over spare wheels. Brian Moyse (BRG 1714) from Guildford was describing how he had changed a front wheel bearing on Friday using one of Clive Wheatley's money saving repair kits. Brian has promised a workshop note on this. Stephen Beale (Le Mans Green 0786) from Cippenham in Berkshire was a welcome member as he is a longstanding V8 enthusiast and a regular marshall at MG Car Club race meetings. David Shattock (Glacier White 0294) from Lewes in Sussex with the ex Leslie Coombes V8 and Geoff Robe (Harvest Gold 1768) from Tadley near Reading are regulars at these V8 Gatherings. Bill Ratcliffe (Carribean Blue 0437) from Storriington in West Sussex had just returned from a touring holiday in the South of France in the RV8 where they had the hood down for most of the time with the fine weather. Clive Wheatley (Flame Red 0294) from Wolverhampton called in on his way back from the spares fair at Beaulieu and found the beer at the Shoulder of Mutton in good form. Bryan Ditchman (Caribbean Blue 0265, Bracken 1012 and Blaze 1059) organised the event at his "local" where the landlord is Steve Thorning, a former V8 enthusiast.

See also the report and photos of the V8 Gathering at Hazeley Heath on the V8 Website.

Oxford Blue 1552 the low mileageJapan spec RV8 Greg Musgrave posted for sale on the RV8s for Sale webpage in May. (Photo: Greg Musgrave)

The V8 Online Sales webpages which went live at the end of April, have proved a convenient way of purchasing the V8 and RV8 Workshop Notes CDs and tickets for V8 25th Anniversary events. The system uses the secure PayPal payment mechanism which enables you to transfer funds using your chargecard or credit card. PayPal is part of Ebay who run the the online auction website. The V8 Online Sales webpage should be particularly convenient for our overseas members.

The next Sunday lunchtime V8 Gathering at the Shoulder of Mutton is on 17th August. Hazeley Heath is just north of Hook in Hampshire and south of Reading. Full details and a map locating the pub are on the V8 Website.

The V8 Cornish Tour over the long weekend from Friday 3rd to Monday 6th October 2003 is proving popular. The base hotel is in Falmouth by the sea from where the event organiser Gordon Hesketh-Jones has arranged an interesting programme of visits and tours. Full details of the programme of events, information on the hotel, costs and booking forms are on the V8 Website. Members without internet facilities can contact Gordon for an information pack on 01736 763053. His email address is at manningford@btinternet.com for any queries.