JANUARY 2022
Saturday 1st NEW YEARS DAY RUN Meeting at Writtle Church and finishing the run at the Chequers Pub Writtle. Park within the church grounds from 9.30 onwards to depart 11am. Refreshments including mulled wine and mince pies provided by Writtle church volunteers in return for a donation. Orders for dinner, limited to 40 people to be made in advance with Hazel Clements. NB Dinner fully booked.
Wednesday 5th Suffolk Club Night at the Greyhound, Ixworth
Thursday 20th Essex Club Night at Tufnell Hall, Little Waltham. Noggin and Natter.
Thursday 27th Committee meeting.
FEBRUARY 2022
Wednesday 2nd Suffolk Club Night at theGreyhound, Ixworth
Friday 4th Invitation to the Felsted pantomime ‘Cinderfella’. (No, it’s not spelt wrong – you can imagine the leading lady!) Contact Richard Bohannan.
Sunday 13th Roger’s Bangers and Mash Run. (The bangers are not your Austin 7s but may apply to other models!) Meet at Tiptree Tea rooms in Writtle, then a run to Little Waltham for a bangers and mash lunch.
Thursday 17th Essex Club Night at Tufnell Hall, Little Waltham. Competition night – Which Baby Drives Which Baby. We first ran this fun competition 5 years ago. With several new members in the club we felt it was time to run it again. Bring along a photo of your Baby Austin and a photo of yourself as a baby or toddler, in an envelope and hand to Peter or Marion for display. Members must try and match them correctly.
Saturday 19th Workshop Day. Health check and breakdown diagnosis. Don’t know where to start looking if your car breaks down? Come and learn what to look for. Plus a check on the brakes of Roger’s own car and whatever else might turn up on the day. If time allows we will also demonstrate fitting a new tyre. Usual time and place. Contact Peter Lawson for further information.
MARCH 2022
Wednesday 2nd Suffolk Club Night at the Greyhound, Ixworth
Thursday 3rd Mid-week run. The Belchamps Explorer. About 35 miles, starting at Blake House Craft Centre, Rayne, and finishing at Wickham St Paul near Sudbury for lunch. For further details contact Peter Lawson.
Thursday 17th Essex Club Night at Tufnell Hall, Little Waltham. AGM and election of committee members and chairman. We are also looking for a new treasurer. But to lighten the mood after, we will play Bingo for the rest of the evening with prizes to be won.
Thursday 24th Committee Meeting.
Saturday 26th Workshop Day Due to unforeseen circumstances, our master mechanic Roger is unable to come along this time but we will still gather and work on some task or other. Bring along anything that’s causing you problems and we’ll put our heads together. Usual time and place. Contact Peter Lawson for further information.
APRIL 2022
Sunday 3rd Lodges Coaches Car Meet, High Easter.
Sunday 3rd Club Pub Lunch Run from Galleywood to Cock Clarkes, very kindly organised by Bill Preston. (More volunteers wanted to plan a run!) Meet 10am for 11am departure at Abercorn Nursery, Beehive Lane, Chelmsford. Contact Bill or Peter Lawson to book a place. Lunch will be at The Fox and Hounds
Wednesday 6th Suffolk Club Night at the Greyhound, Ixworth
Sunday 17th Museum of Power Transport Fest. Langford near Maldon.
Thursday 21st Essex Club Night at Tufnell Hall, Little Waltham. Speaker Peter Jones who previously gave us the talk on the Night Mail Train, has been invited once again. The subject this evening will be The Story of Colchester’s Tramway.
Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th Saffron Walden Crank Up.
Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th Bicester Heritage Scramble People
Sunday 24th April, Drive It Day Kersey Mill. Suffolk.
Sunday 24th “Quest for Pearl”. The starting day for Trevor’s journey, to Cornwall and back in his Big 7. As you all know, Trevor and Terry are embarking on the Quest for Pearl on 24thApril ( also Drive it Day) from Farleigh Hospice en route to Cornwall to raise funds for Farleigh Hospice.
Sunday 24th Drive it Day. The national event to encourage historical vehicles to take to the roads.
MAY 2022
Sunday 1st Ipswich to Felixstowe Classic Vehicle Rally.
Wednesday 4th Suffolk Club Night at the Greyhound, Ixworth
Thursday 5th Committee meeting 7pm
Saturday 7th Workshop Day Roger will be back for another of his Masterclasses. Roger is bringing along a clutch that is needing new fingers and springs replacing and showing how he’s repaired the indentations in the slots. My Pearl engine is half complete so you can look inside that before the head and sump go back on. Still bring anything along that needs looking at and we’ll see what can be done. Usual time and place. Contact Peter Lawson for further information.
Thursday 19th Essex Club Night at Tufnell Hall, Little Waltham. Film Night: ‘Down Memory Lane’ 100 Years of Preston’s Garage. A fascinating illustrated talk by our member Bill Preston on the history of his family garage, Preston’s, in Writtle. Plus, if there’s time, other “Essex in the Past” films.
Saturday/Sunday 28th/ 29th May, Transport Extravaganza. East Anglian Railway Museum, Chapel Railway Station – Free entry to all exhibitors and their passengers arriving before 10.00 and includes unlimited free rides on preserved railway and vintage bus trips between Chapel and Bures. Free entry for exhibitors and passengers to railway museum. Further details on the website. Free Entry
Sunday 29th May Little Totham Classic Vehicle Show on the Common , The Street, Lt. Totham, CM9 8LB. 11am to 4.30 pm. Pre-booking required direct with the organisers. Contact the organisers for an entry form on – 01621 788688 / 07580 071788 (before 9pm please).
Tuesday 24th May to Wednesday 8th June – Austin Seven Centenary Tour – Eurotour 2022. France, Germany and Belgium.
Sunday 29th Wings and Wheels at Stow Maries. Car entries to be through a group club application and received by the organisers before 30th April. Entry for drivers is free but passengers must purchase a ticket in advance costing £20. No tickets on the door. All proceeds go directly towards the renovation of the aerodrome. Vehicles must be on site by 9am and stay until at least 3pm. Contact Peter Lawson if you would like to enter and I’ll add your name to the booking form.
JUNE 2022
Wednesday 1st Suffolk Club Night at the Greyhound, Ixworth
Saturday 4 June at 2pm Layer de-la-Haye, Fete for the Queen’s Jubilee. Layer Recreation Ground, CO2 0EG. Organisers would love it if there could be a display of vintage and classic cars at this 1950’s style village fete.
Saturday 4th Car Meet at Lodges Coaches – Special Platinum Jubilee Show.
Thursday 9th Committee Meeting.
Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th “Aldham” Old Time Rally, now at a new venue – Marks Tey Race Course CO5 98EZ. Entries must be made in advance – no entry permitted on the day. Visit http://www.neetec.co.uk or aldhamrally.co.uk for entry forms.
Sunday 12th Bromley Pageant of Motoring
Thursday 16th Essex Club Night at Tufnell Hall, Little Waltham. Noggin and Natter and with the long summer evenings a chance to bring your Austin 7 along for members to either gloat over or laugh at!
Saturday 18th. Workshop Day. Change of plan from engine swop previously listed here. We will be looking at Roy’s ‘C’ Type Van’s braking system which despite having new linings fitted is seriously under-performing and it needs sorting out before the Centenary. Usual time and place. Contact Peter Lawson for further information.
Sunday 19th Blackwater Country Show. 10am to 5pm. Always a good show with plenty to see and do. We would like to invite you to join us by displaying your vehicle at the Blackwater Country Show.
Sunday 19th Classics at Braxted Park 2022. Witham CM8 3GA. 8am to 4pm. Free entry but pre-registration is necessary. Contact events@peterbest.emailserever101.co.uk
Sunday 26th Trev’s Sticky Bun Run. Come and support Trevor as he organises his very first club run. Starting at CressingTemple Barns, CM77 8PD at 10am for a pleasant drive through the countryside and ending at Olivers Nursery in Witham for lunch. Contact Trevor Fleuty or Peter Lawson to let him know you’re coming.
JULY 2022
Sunday 3rd Little Waltham Open Gardens and Classic Car Show. Contact Hazel Clements for further information.
Sunday 3rd National Austin 7 Rally at Beaulieu, Hampshire. Can’t make it to the Centenary? Join hundreds of Austin 7s for the 59th Rally, now under the umbrella of the PWA7C. Going to the Centenary? Then turn this into an opportunity for a test-drive !
Wednesday 6th Suffolk Club Night at the Greyhound, Ixworth
Saturday 9th Dunmow Flitch Trials.
Sunday 10th The Rotary Club of Epping is holding a Classic Car show on July 10th in the town park. Stonards Hill Recreation Ground, Epping, CM16 4QF
Sunday 10th Cressing Temple Barns Vintage Day Out in aid of Helen Rollason Cancer Care Charity.
Thursday 14th Classics on the Green, Friston, Saxmundham,Suffolk, IP171NP.
Thursday 14th Essex Club Night at Tufnell Hall, Little Waltham. Please note that this club night has been brought forward a week as it clashed with the Centenary week.
Sunday 17th July, Walton Car Show. Sports and Social Club field 10.00am to 5.00pm. Usually a mixture of Vintage, 1930 to 1970 cars. Walton Visitor website has further details. Free Entry
Tuesday 19th to Sunday 24th THE BIGGEST AUSTIN 7 EVENT OF THE YEAR CENTURY. Austin Seven Centenary Rally at Moreton in Marsh.
Sunday 24th Hyde Hall Classic Car Show, Rettendon. Display your car and also visit the beautiful gardens.
Thursday 28th Committee meeting 7pm.
AUGUST 2022
Wednesday 3rd Suffolk Club Night at the Greyhound, Ixworth
Saturday 13th Workshop day. Something a little different from normal. In preparation for our Centenary display at Lodges on Saturday 21st we intend to put together the club’s cutaway engine, gearbox and back axle so that we have a working model that people can turn over with a starting handle. We need an early prop shaft in any condition if anyone has one otherwise we might have to bolt the axle direct onto the gearbox. (Short wheelbase anyone?) Then we need to build a safe stand to mount it on. I have plenty of scrap box section and the welder so if you’d like to lend a hand please come along. Usual time 10am, (or earlier) at Pete’s garage.
Sunday 14th Picnic at Pelham. We are invited by Dave and Karen Witton to their annual picnic in Bardwell, Suffolk, with A7 members from Norfolk and Suffolk. Contact Peter Lawson for more information.
Thursday 18th Essex Club Night at Tufnell Hall, Little Waltham
Sunday 21st Essex and Suffolk Members Own Centenary Celebrations to be held at Lodges Coaches, High Easter CM1 4QR in conjunction with their Car Meet, which is open to visitors from 10am to 4pm. If you intend to display your Austin 7 in our line up, please arrive a little earlier. We want to put on a display worthy of our club’s stature celebrating 100 years of the Austin Seven. We’d like as many different models as possible to take part and as wide a range of ages too. We’ll have a large gazebo to display our cutaway engine, gearbox and back axle, vintage posters of the Seven, club photos and various artefacts of interest, plus yourselves to enthuse to the general public your admiration of our ‘Babies’. If you only go to one show or only go on one run this year, please make the extra effort to support the club in this unique event. It will be advertised in Classic Car Weekly to attract as many visitors as possible. Contact Peter Lawson or Hazel Clements for more information and particularly if you want to help in any way. Please note that Lodges will still charge every entrant, whether displaying their car or as a visitor, their normal fee of £5 per car. All their profits will go to their nominated charity which in this case is Farleigh Hospice.
Sunday 21st August, Castle Hedingham Car Show – Held at Hedingham Castle. Free entry into the Norman castle, grounds and beautiful gardens for all exhibitors. Also visit Castle Hedingham village? Further details and an entry form from the Castle Website is required.
Friday 26th to Sunday 28th July 2022The Austin Seven Clubs’ Association have been invited to The Classic to be held at Silverstone between Friday 26th and Sunday 28th August 2022.To find out more about this magnificent event visit the website at www.silverstone.co.uk/events/the-classic
Sunday and Monday 28th/29th. Countess of Warwick Show. Our club will exhibit on the Monday. There may be a restriction in numbers allowed this year of just 20 cars. Consequently you are advised to get your name on the entry list as soon as possible. After the 20 have been reached we’ll put your name on a reserve list in case of any late cancellations. Contact Brian Jenner or Peter Lawson.
SEPTEMBER 2022
Sunday 4th Braintree and Bocking Classic Car Show will be back in the beautiful Public Gardens. CM7 9AE.
Wednesday 7th Suffolk Club Night at the Greyhound, Ixworth
Wednesday 7th Mid-week Picnic Run. Start approx. 10 am from Tesco at Dunmow CM6 1SF to the Hertfordshire border and back. 40+miles with picnic on a village green halfway so bring your chairs and grub. Contact Peter Lawson if you’d like to come.
Thursday 8th Committee Meeting. Remember, if you have anything you want the committee to discuss, please get in touch with any committee member.
Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th Salute To The 40s at The Historic Chatham Dockyards. For more information and entries visit http://www.thedockyard.co.uk or email events@chdt.org.uk
Saturday 10th Workshop Day. 10am or earlier at Pete’s garage. We hope to be servicing Roger’s own car which should prove interesting as some parts haven’t been looked at for years! However still bring your own problems along to see if we can help. Contact Peter Lawson for more details.
Sunday 11th Adventure, Fun day & Car Show at Lambourne End Centre, Manor Rd, Lambourne End RM4 1NB. 11am – 4pm. Book in advance if you’d like to attend. http://www.lambourne-end.org.uk
Thursday 15th Essex Club Night at Tufnell Hall, Little Waltham. A talk by Roger Smith of the Herts and Essex Air Ambulance; from its humble beginnings to the formidable organisation it has since become. Roger will include details of the technical side to suit any engineering minds.
Friday 23rd Trev’s Fish and Chip Run. Another inspirational run from Trevor Fleuty. Meet 10-10.30am at ‘Tea On The Green’, Eves Corner, Danbury CM3 4QF for a run with beautiful views of the Blackwater Estuary to Burnham on Crouch. Fish and chips from the Jolly Fryer in the High Street, (10% discount if you say you’re on the EA7C club run). We can then park in the Marina to enjoy our food looking out over the River Crouch. Contact Trevor Fleuty or Peter Lawson if you’d like to come along.
Sunday 25th September, Colchester Castle Park. Classic Car Show. Visit historic Colchester Castle and town at the same time. For more information on booking, visit https://www.headwayessex.org.uk/headway-events/essex-classic-vehicle-show/.
OCTOBER 2022
Wednesday 5th Suffolk Club Night at the Greyhound, Ixworth
Wednesday 5th Mid-week Run. Meet Ongar Garden Centre, Kelvedon Hatch CN15 0LB approx 10am. for coffee, a drive through the countryside then returning for lunch. Please let me know in good time if you want to reserve a place for lunch. Contact Peter Lawson.
Saturday 8th Workshop Day 10am, or earlier if you wish, at Pete’s garage. No Peppa Pigs please as Roger will be teaching us about the “bacon slicer” starter motor. Bring along any other problems for investigation. Contact Peter Lawson for more details.
Saturday 15th An afternoon with Duncan Young and his collection of cars on the green at Belchamp St Paul. Join the display with your Austin Sevens and enjoy a pub lunch at the Half Moon Inn. Arrive about 11.30am. Post code is CO10 7DP. You can make your own way there or alternatively meet in Chatham Green first about 9.30 for 10.30 departure and follow me for a country lane route of 25 miles. Contact Peter Lawson for more information.
Thursday 20th Essex Club Night at Tufnell Hall, Little Waltham from 7pm Noggin and Natter, but no quiz. Due to unforeseen circumstances the organiser is not able to run a quiz this time so it is postponed until a future meeting. We’re sure there will be plenty to chat about instead.
NOVEMBER 2022
Wednesday 2nd Suffolk Club Night at the Greyhound, Ixworth
Thursday 17th Essex Club Night at Tufnell Hall Lt. Waltham. 7pm. Model race car night. Blow the cobwebs off and service last year’s model or make a brand new one. Rules and regulations in October’s Chassis magazine.
Saturday 19th Workshop Day. 10am (though we often get started by 9.30). We hope to be changing the rear radius arm bushes on a new member’s Austin 7 and checking over the rest of his steering system. Contact Peter Lawson for more details.
Thursday 24th Committee meeting. Please let any committee member know if there is anything you would like us to discuss.
DECEMBER 2022
Wednesday 7th, Suffolk club night at the Greyhound, Ixworth.
Thursday 8th German Christmas Market Run. Join us on short run of about 20 miles to the German Xmas Market at Meadowcroft Garden Centre in South Woodham Ferrers. Starting point is Buckhatch Garden Centre in Rettendon, CM3 8EW. Meet there about 10 am for a coffee first. Stop Press: Latest news says their cafe is closed due to a fire. If when we arrive it is still out of action we will drive the short distance to RHS Hyde Hall and use their cafe. Contact Peter Lawson for more details.
Friday 9th. Suffolk Club Christmas Meal at the Greyhound, Ixworth.
Thursday 15th Essex Club Christmas Party. This years fancy dress theme is Steampunk. Inspiration can be found by searching online for ideas to make your own outfits from just a hat to a full costume. Start rummaging in the charity shops, in the loft and in the shed now. Please note that we will be having a caterer provide a buffet which will cost £10 per head. Please give Roger Spearman your names if you would like to eat from the buffet. Important notice: From this date on we now have a new venue for our club meetings. The address is The Old Chelmsfordians Sports and Social Club, Roxwell Road, Chelmsford. CM1 2NS. Leaving Chelmsford on the A1060 towards Roxwell and The Rodings, it is just past the traffic lights with Chignall Rd, right next door to the BP Petrol station.
JANUARY 2023
Sunday 1st New Years Day run from Writtle Church. Please note that as it’s on a Sunday this year, there will be a service from 9am until 10am. Therefore you are requested not to enter the church until 10.15 to allow the congregation to leave first. You will still be able to park your cars in the churchyard beforehand. You are welcome to join the service but remember, to do so you will have to enter the church before 9am. As in previous years there will be refreshments provided by Writtle church volunteers in return for a donation. We will depart for a run about 11am and return to The Chequers pub for a meal. There will be a limit of 40 people for lunch so please get your name down early to avoid disappointment.
Essex and Suffolk Austin Seven Club 