President’s Ramble – December 2021

Remember last month? – Procrastination.  It’s a big word isn’t it, 5 syllables and 15 letters and that is exactly what has got me here tonight, 12.15am writing this for you to read – only this time it’s 12.24! I am nine minutes behind last month’s schedule!

We in Auckland have just been released into the traffic light system – seems appropriate for a car club doesn’t it! But as yet we are not released upon the rest of the country.  This year has simply not gone to plan. With the committee having to cancel and postpone events, we are technically in breach of our constitution, which requires we meet at least once every two months – but it is that kind of year, we can’t do anything about it other than communicate by phone and email so we still have some activities lined up.

Firstly though I would like to acknowledge that we have recently had an interclub with Citroen, but even that didn’t go to plan for me. The Friday afternoon beforehand, the garage door stopped working properly, would only open and close to just below spoiler height of my 505.  Trapped! It meant that instead of a Peugeot, Mandy, Jessica and I as the back seat driver (2nd Navigator) represented Peugeot in Mandy’s Ford Falcon. At least the 308 was out at the time of garage door malfunction and so the 308 was available for Joshua and Lauren to take.  Fortunately the technician could come on the Monday, but -unfortunately the opener was an old model and parts for the electronics that let it down no longer exist, so a whole new opener was required.

Coming up we have quite a few events,

Feb 13 2022 the Ellerslie Concours – the club will be represented at this – we have a line up of three cars so far, but we are looking to double it. You might expect a shoulder tap if you have one of the more unique models but volunteers are more than welcome.

Feb 20 2022  The interclub club Gymkhana is to be held at the end of Cato-Peart Road, Karaka.  If you read the results page from the Navigation Trial you will see we need you to compete.  There is also a place for non-competing Marshalls, so come and earn points that way too. Hopefully we can retain the Tricoleur Trophy, but Citroen have a healthy points lead at the moment.

Mar 6 2022 The Auckland Brit & Euro Car Show. This is a very relaxed car show and cars of all stages of shininess are welcome; a very relaxed day and my favourite car show to be part of.  Unfortunately it doesn’t look like I can make it this coming year so Don will be looking for others to attend.

Mar 20 2022 the committee have decided to hold the rescheduled Show and Shine. We are still confirming the venue but we are likely to set up in a car park at Smales Farm, possibly near one of the coffee shops so you can enjoy a brew whilst marking each other’s vehicles….I might even wash mine this time…but no guarantees.

 Personally I am looking forward to what I hope is a resumption of something more like normal life next year, and although I have felt no great level of entrapment in Auckland so far, (though I acknowledge that some from north of ‘the border’ were locked out and couldn’t attend the Navigation Trial as they had intended to this year – and you were missed!) I am looking forward to spending a

handful of nights away in Raglan in January. It will be nice to see another part of the country, a part I haven’t been to since I was a school boy.

I hope that this Christmas you get the chance to travel or have family travel to you, get out to see the country and that disruptions to show your vaccination certificates or negative results are minimal at the borders.

Merry Christmas from me and all of the committee, please come and see us at some or even all of those events early next year.

Brent

(time now 12.37am, a 22 minute job to have these thoughts and type them down in case you wondered – this time it’s 12.48, a 24 minute job)

 

 
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President’s Ramble – November 2021