MG EVENTS

2004

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Welcome to Page FIVE of the 2004 Events Review pages

Here you'll find written reviews and photographs of many MG events throughout the year

Click on the small photos to get a larger version.

All reviews & Photographs by Tim Morris unless otherwise specified.

MGCC SOUTH EAST SUMMER GATHERING - HEVER CASTLE   -Sunday 4th July 2004

The latest MGCCSE summer gathering took place at Hever Castle in Kent. The former home of Ann Boleyn provided an attractive setting as the rows of MGs parked up on the gentlly undulating close mown field beside the lake. Indeed the morning was fine but soon became blighted by isolated showers which sadly turned into persistent drizzle as the day wore on. It was out with the kagouls and windcheaters as the skies darkened, the concours entrants busy with their chamois trying to fight the drizzle spots off the shiny paintwork. Nonetheless there were sufficient dry gaps for the autotests in the morning and the gymkhana in the afternoon with a good selection of different types of MG taking part from the young to the old.

Trident Garages from Ottershaw brought along their black SV whose deep rumble could often be heard as it fired up in the corner of the field.  In another corner there were a myriad of MGCs who were using the event to hold their annual MGC day with a seperate run in to the showground. It was an unusual sight to see so many MGCs together in one place and they held their own competitions and awards.

Elsewhere on the field about 20 MGFs lined up and were judged by the MGF register in a "working" class POO and they also voted for their "F of the Show". In the MGCCSE POO and concours there were many shining examples of MGdom on display including the immaculate recently purchased Iris Blue MGA of John Hegren (you may remember his previous car featured several time in these reviews  - the black TC Police Car). With hoods up the owners fought to keep the rain drops off the cars as they were vigorously judged and Richard Clark could be seen frantically blowing leaves out of the radiator of his TF at the last minute.

There was a good selection of V8 conversions on display along with a stall from Midland Sports and Classics selling various parts, The main MG Car Club were here as were the F Register and a seperate area for Epsom MGOC all providing extra interest during the day.

If you had enough of the cars of "the other half" was getting listless you could cross over to the castle itself - the child hood home of Ann Boleyn and much improved later by the Astor family who added an Elizabethan village behind the castle. You could get lost in the hedge maze or get even wetter in the Water Maze before strolling through the Italianate gardens and gazing out over the lake beside a fountain reminiscent of Rome - that is if you could see out from under your umbrella.

SURREY RUN

Epsom MGOC Sunday 18th July 2004

It rained....again....but luckily only first thing as the MGs headed towards a 10am start at Bocketts Farm at Fetcham in Surrey. The grey clouds slowly slid away as the cars were flagged off under the start banner.  Luckily the wide collection of farmyard animals were in seperate fields to the 100 plus cars but evidence of them could be found amongst the grazed grass. Treading carefully there was soon a long queue of people signing on and ready for the eighty five mile drive ahead of them. 

With rally plates firmly attached the cars set off under the Epsom MGOC banner and were soon bowling through the deep sided green lanes of Surrey heading for Painshill Park abutting the A3/M25 at Cobham. Now Painshill Park is less than Five miles as the crow flies from Bocketts farm but it took us all day and a distance of eighty five miles to get there ! The tulip diagrammed route took us through country lanes and pretty Surrey villages and on into Sussex where we looped around Wisborough Green  skirting the Hampshire borders and back up into Surrey again. At the halfway point MGs could be seen parked in roadside country pub car parks or tucked into farm tracks between high hedges with their owners enjoying the sunshine , which had by now appeared, and the contents of their wicker work picnic baskets. 

Hunger satisfied and thirst quenched the cars began to make their way back towards North Surrey climbing the North Downs and then dropping down towards Cobham and the destination of Painshill Park. Avoiding the main entrance the MGs pulled into a field to the back of the visitor centre under the Finish banner. 

Painshill Park is a fascinating ornamental garden which has been extensively renovated after lying derelict for many years. It was a lost gem of 18th century landscape gardening which the Painshill Turst are still i bringing back to it's original condition. Created by Charles Hamilton between 1738 and 1773 and inspired by Grand Tours and Renaissance artists it remained influential on English landscapes for generations. The garden contains many features such as the ornamental lake,  Amphitheatre, Gothic Temple, Ruined Abbey and a fantastic crystal grotto - now listed as a Grade One building. 

As a special treat several MGs were allowed to drive around the perimeter of the lake and view the follies from the comfort of the MG seats - including a couple of labradors squeezed in to the back of a yellow Midget !.

It was best though to take a stroll through the grounds and admire the shrubberies, feature trees and sculpted vineyard before a final cup of tea and heading for home.