Club News, March 1981

ERA Club

This club for owners and supporters of the marque ERA are holding their Annual Dinner and get-together on March 9th at the Kensington Close Hotel in London. At least two ERA cars will be present among owners, drivers, ex-drivers and enthusiasts for the English Racing Automobile. The late Raymond Mays, CBE, the true “father” of the ERA has been made Patron in Perpetuity of the club, thus avoiding any nonsense of anyone purporting to take over his unique mantle. Membership for the ERA club is a mere £2 per annum. All enquiries to Guy Spollon, Arden Grange, Tanworth-in-Arden, Warks.

Jaguar Drivers Club

As a club grows, so does the sheer volume of paraphernalia which the secretary has to keep. The corner of a room in the secretary’s house which was once devoted to the membership records and a box of envelopes when the Club was but 100 strong is soon outgrown — two or three rooms are required as the 1,000 mark is approached. Some clubs solve the problem by dispersing various aspects of the secretarial duties to an ever increasing number of volunteers, while others, like the Jaguar Drivers Club, and many other famous clubs before them, take the decision to employ a permanent secretary and install him or her in a suitably converted building. It was in November last year that Jaguar House was opened in Luton, and by now, everything is functioning smoothly with General Secretary, Jackie Pope fully installed. 1981 is the club’s 25th Anniversary year, and a full calendar of events is planned, ranging from film shows to race meetings, with everything else in between.

The AC Owners Club

The AC Owners Club will be holding their annual dinner and dance at the Royal Garden Hotel in London on Saturday, March 21st, at which the prizes won in the 1980 season will be presented. The Club publishes an Annual Review, and that for 1980 contains some fascinating articles on AC cars through the ages, and also has a photographic resume of ACs in action in 1980.

Morgan Sports Car Club

Amongst other services offered by this well established Club is their monthly publication Miscellany. This 48 page magazine contains a wealth of information, both useful and amusing, for the Mog-mad enthusiast. Among a number of Club activities planned for this year is a weekend of Morgan motoring and socialising in Brittany, organised by the French Morgan Club — this takes place on June 13th and 14th, and is based on the historic town of Pontivy.

Maidstone & Mid-Kent MC

Motoring enthusiasts in the Maidstone area are well catered for by this small, but active and enthusiastic club, with activities ranging from the usual social events, through production car trials and autotests to their Farthingloe Hill-Climb, taking place this year on August 2nd, which will be a round of the BARC’s Speed Hill-Climb Championship.