2015 RSR National Rally

[apkok]

I don't like to moan, but I'm a bit disappointed by the location of next year's rally. I am aware that the majority of RSR members live in the Midlands and North, and that as a Southerner in Dorset I'm likely to have to travel a few miles to the National Rally.

I bought my Rover 16 almost three years ago and hoped to attend as many Club rallies as possible. In my first year of ownership the Rally was in Blackpool, which I felt was a bit too far in a car that was new to me. In 2013 I attended the Coughton Court Rally, and it was excellent. This year I had made the arrangements to make the journey to Bury St. Edmunds but illness in the family forced me to cancel my attendance. I was looking forward to the 2015 rally but on finding out it was only 50 miles away from the 2013 rally my enthusiasm waned somewhat.

When visiting the National Rally, I always plan to have a week away in order to break the journey and call at places of interest en route. Having next year's rally north of the 2013 rally would mean the majority of the journey would be the same, or similar to 2013.

I was hoping the rally might move either west, or ideally south-west. Obviously wherever the rally is held, someone will moan, but it does seem a bit odd to have it so close to a recent rally. As the treasurer of a local club that organises two rallies a year, I am aware of the hard work involve in organising such events.

Alan Kingston

[47p2]

Think you're getting the sharp end of the stick Alan, what about members living in Scotland, we've been told the rally will never venture north of the border

[apkok]

Fair comment 47P2. It was more the case that it was so close to the 2013 site.

[chris dancey]

I have always made an effort to attend the Nationals, but I have to agree with Alan. Not only do we have to contend with the distances involved from the South, and for me in particular the South East, but also we have to in the main negotiate the M25 ( largest carpark in europe ) which in a prewar classic is no mean feat...especially on a hot day !

We do have the benefit of Goodwood, Beaulieu and various all marque rallies, but not so much dedicated Rover ones, mainly the Rover South East Rally, we have a lot of ' restoration ' going on down here and a few of us have even formed our own ' forum ' with regular meet ups, outside of the RSR.

On a personal note, due in the main to lack of space its been expediant to sell our 10 Coupe and MGB, to be replaced by the ongoing restorations of Rover 10 ' Snowdrop ' and MGJ2 ' Poppet ' , this means no more Nationals for me for some time to come...and being that far north makes the journey less likely.



Chris ( now down to four classics )

[Chris C]

I too like Alan joined the RSR 4 years ago after purchasing a 1939 Rover 14 & a 1949 Rover 75 (now tidied up a sold), albeit I happen to
live near Silverstone on the Oxon / Bucks / Northants borders, I can understand his frustrations as to the locations of the National Rally.

The answer to the choice of locations around the country for the National Rally is that traditionally over the years, the Rally has moved
from a Midland base one year to a more Regional base the next and then back to a Midland location. Over more recent times, the locations
have been: Burton Upon Trent - Midland (2015)
Bury St Edmunds - East Anglia
Alcester - Midland
Blackpool - North West
Grantham - Lincs & Wolds
Warwick - Midland
Chard - South West
Litchfield - Midland
Royston - East Anglia
Crich - Midlands
Barnard Castle - North East
Alcester - Midlands
Blenheim Palace, Cotswolds
Swindon - South

As can be seen, over a 10+ year period, the National Rallies have been shared around the country reasonably well. That together with the fact
that there is the RSR Day @ Whitewebbs Museum, Scottish All Rover Rally, Bressingham (Norfolk) Rover Rally, RSR Stand @ Enfield Pageant,
Rover Retro @ Aberystwyth, Yorkshire Rover Club Classic Rally, RSR Stand @ Bristol Classic Car Show, South East Rover Rally, Mid Lincs Rover
Club Rally, RSR Stand @ Manchester Classic Car Show, which RSR Members can attend, plus various other Joint Rover Clubs (JRC) events.

All in all, it is difficult to please everyone, as wherever the the National Rally is located, someone, somewhere has a long way to go if they want
to attend and display their pride and joy.

Having recently been appointed RSR Regional Rep Co-ordinator, I have been tasked by the Committee to re-establish a closer link between the
Regional Reps and Members alike and identify exactly what is happening around the whole country (numbers attending monthly Natter & Noggin,
make-up of those people attending RSR, P4 Guild, P5 Club, P6 Club, etc., any locally organised events, general ideas, comments and feedback).
Shortly I will be contacting the existing list of Regional Reps, in order to initiate this process. Once this information has been received and digested,
I intend to submit an article to "Freewheel" on the current state of the nation, as it were and possible ideas on a way forward.

If there is not a local RSR Meeting (Natter & Noggin) in your immediate area, why not contact a few local Rover owners and start one. If you
do manage to get enough support to start a new group, then let me know and we will publicise it for you in Freewheel and on the RSR Website.

Going back to Alan's original comments, National Rally venues are something which the RSR Committee are aware of and as can be seen from the
above list, we do try and move it around the country. I am sure that Alan's comments will not be lost and it should soon be time for a more
southerly venue.

My contact details are listed in Freewheel ( ccartmell@sky.com ) and I would welcome any ideas and comments on any aspects of the RSR.

Rgds, Chris C.

Chris Cartmell - RSR Regional Rep Coordinator

1939 - Rover 14 Saloon

[apkok]

Thanks for that Chris. I'll give it some thought. Your list does demonstrate a pretty good coverage of the country.

[andrewmcg]

Having been a member of the RSR for some 30 odd years including a spell as the Pre 1950 Registrar I seem to recollect the 2 'Main Annual Rally's' in my early days were Belvoir, organised by Mike and Sue Couldry, and the Warwick Rally at Myton Fields organised by the West Midlands members of the RSR along with several other rally's organised by members in various locations, the RSR committee were not involved directly in any of these rally's.

In due course for various reasons and quite understandably the organisers of the Belvoir and Myton Fields wished to pull stumps.

I was on the committee at the time and was one of the prime movers in suggesting the RSR committee should organise the Main Annual Rally and that it should move around the country to give more members a chance of attending with their cars. The committee agreed and guess what!!! I was duly delegated as the committee member to find a suitable venue and if possible find a non committee member living near the venue to help me organise it. I think the year was circa 2000 and Duxford Air Museum was the venue and Ben French who lived in St Albans was my very able co-organiser.

It did take a lot of organising but with the support of the RSR committee and Ben French it was a very successful first for the RSR and as Chris says earlier the venue has successfully moved around the country ever since, and this annual rally has become known as The RSR National Rally.

Out of interest at the Duxford Rally a member came up to Ben and myself congratulated us on the event and then said 'why don't 'we' organise an RSR in Norfolk' , and when Ben commented 'great idea would you like to help organise it' the quick reply was 'no way I am much too busy', a comment I heard many times when asking for help, and I am sure is often heard many times to this day.

With best wishes to the committee for a successful National Rally in 2015

Andrew McGovern
Pre 1950 RSR Archivist

[lakesrally]

There is also the Lakes Rally which started in 1976 and is still going, although in a somewhat shrunken form. I ran it for eleven years before I had enough, these things take a lot more organising than some people realise. It does not matter where the 'National' goes it will always be a long way from some members. Tim Moore even took to arranging an event on Skye for a few years because it was so far for him to travel to RSR events in the south, I don't think he had too many people prepared to travel that far though, even the Lakes is 'down south' and a long way for him!

[TimMoore]

Yes indeed Stewart, and all those RSR members darn sarf......

I reckon since acquiring our 16hp in Antwerp in Belgium and rebuilding her over there between 1986-88 we've probably driven more miles in an "old" Rover than most.....we attended two of Mike Couldreys excellent Belvoir Rallies - in 1986 and 1988 and countless runs in Belgium France, Holland and Germany before.....

Moving To The Hebrides which meant from 1990 we were at least living in UK......but.....even further ferry crossings not withstanding from ALL RSR events.....

So the Scottish Rover Rally started in 1995 and is one we've attended 14 of its 20 events, ALL involve us in 3-4 days away from home... Even though they are in Scotland ,and....yet none have been closer to us than The Trossachs ( held at Doune from 1995-1998). Since when these "Scottish Events" are held almost down in Englandshire betwixt Glasgow and Edinburgh to enable a greater entry from Roverites "nearer"........and now for 2015 it is returning almost to the "border" well south of Edinburgh so involving us and an almost 60 year car in 7-9 hour drives each way just getting to the it.......

As for the "So called National RSR England Rallies" we did get to Blenheim Palace in 2003 for the RSR 50th and got a speeding ticket for doing 32.4 mph in Woodstock Village as we left Blenheim ti begin our long drive north as the event closed via a wretched Gatzo.....so no chance of any duscussion with a human being....thus a round trip of almost 1400 miles and three penalty points......Happy memories but quite a lesson learnt!

Yes ,we as Stewart will know, have attendefd many Lakes Rallies from Skye making a long weekend or week attending and enjoying things drspite sone horrendous weather in getting there in many Septembers between 1991 and our ladt 2010, however as motorways and roads get grid locked in England and we get older our desire to subject ourselves to these long wet windy horrid weather trips wains...

We live where we live, those of you darn sarf are indeed lucky even if you live as "far away" from a National as the South West....of England.

Our Skye Rally between 1995-2002 attracted only those prepared for the unexpected but those attending always were welcome and we had no complaints. Mountain to Mohammed Stuff of course.

Seasons Greetings to all.

Keep Rovering, those with pre P4's are brave indeed.......in modern traffic....

Happy memories......

[TimMoore]

Ooops can't count our car is ALMOST 70 not 60 as I just posted.

Carpe Diem.....

Tim