Count 'em - twenty-two members at the meeting tonight, as well as two guests - Linda Lee Atkinson-Pane and Ethan Allen Atkinson-Pane The Atkinson-Panes have 13 [yes-13] cars, they tell us, and have most recently acquired a 1949 Jaguar Mark V. We hope they will join or visit with us again! President Allen Calcote also announced the arrival of our newest member, Piper Renee Floyd, who has come to live with Carl and Robin Floyd. Our sincerest congratulations to Carl and Robin and to Herren and Ottilie Floyd the new grandparents.
Allen also discussed with those present the recent demise of our friend and member Joe Bowman, who had just recently assumed the role of newsletter editor. Gerald and Becky Mitchell were kind enough to represent the ABCS at Joe's funeral on very short notice and we all thank them for their attendance. We will miss Joe. Al Bradley has temporarily resumed the role of editor and we are searching for someone to take the job over.
Al Bradley wishes to thank Sam Chandler for his contribution in the last newsletter about the British car graveyard in Pike County, KY. Sam distributed photos of the cars in that graveyard and there is truly a remarkable collection of them. Sam's rushed-up contribution was very much appreciated.
The upcoming GT was discussed and there is more about this on page 1. Suffice it to say here that this year's GT was a great success.
Carl Floyd discussed his recent travels to Cleveland, Ohio for the MGV8 Register meeting. Carl drove his Father's MGB at 4,000 - 4,300 RPM averaging 26 miles per gallon for the trip! Not bad!
Richard Williams announced that the November meeting would feature a "show and tell" program. Members will bring something with them and explain to the group why it is of interest. This could be a rare, one-of-a-kind something or something common and ordinary that we may never have fully appreciated. Your choice!
The program tonight was a videotape that Herren Floyd brought concerning flying a restored P-38 aircraft. The pilot in this case was a man named Jeff Ethel who has so many diverse aircraft in his logbook that it is almost unbelievable - everything from a Stearman biplane to the B-1 bomber.
This was most intriguing to those of us who consider old aircraft an avocation almost as interesting as old cars.
Thanks, Herren for providing this most instructive look at the P-38. We will drive this month to look in on a real P-38 in Middlesboro, KY.
ABCS GT (Get Together) SUCCESSFUL
Once again for the ninth consecutive year the ABCS held its GT event at the Warrior's Path State Park near Kingsport.
Allen Calcote reported that planning for the GT envisioned 60 attendees and when the signup forms were counted, there were exactly 60 people in attendance! We were very gratified to have members of the English Auto Society of Knoxville and the Blount British Car Club in attendance with us.
As in past events, the club furnished the hamburgers, hot dogs and all the accoutrements for same. Attendees were encouraged to bring a dish with them and there were some very good ones, indeed!
No less that 25 British cars adorned the parking area at shelter #1 and there were some nice ones to see there. Photos of some of the cars in attendance are scattered through this issue.
Behind the Smile by Al Bradley GT Thoughts
Once again, the ABCS has successfully held its ninth annual Get Together picnic event.
While not entirely a financial success, the GT tends to be a high point of the club's social season - if, indeed, we have a social season.
There is more to this event than that, though.The GT marks the one time of the year when club members, their families and their cars can all combine in one place and discover that we all share some of the same interests; namely an affection for strange, quirky old cars produced in a foreign country that we seem to hang on to for reasons known only to us as individuals. It is somehow reassuring to be able to demonstrate to ourselves and our loved ones that we are not alone in these odd interests. There are actually others who behave in similar ways.
Add to our own interest in these cars that of other area car clubs and the universality of it all is demonstrable!
The presence of the English Auto Society members who came up from Knoxville was a real bonus to us all this year! Besides the fact that they proved to be high rollers at the auction, they are a fun bunch. They also brought some unusual cars that we hadn't seen - the Caterham, the Morgan, a Triumph and an XKE were very noticeable and exceptional cars to boot. The Blount British Car Club had a smaller elegation this year than last, but we were glad to see them all.
I do believe there was enough food to have fed twice as many as the sixty (new record) people who showed up. And were the dishes good, too!
Our events are especially gratifying to me when they involve other clubs from the general area. It affords us a chance to interact with those outside of our own circle and share commonalities, even if that only amounts to sharing some stale Joe Lucas jokes.
I have enjoyed all of the GTs that I have attended. It is more than an event to me. It is a chance to see lots of club members that we don't see at every meeting and also an opportunity to revisit the folks that we often see. Now, the addition of other clubs to the GT has opened up a new perspective. I think it has to be beneficial to us all.
ACB
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