President's Report

I feel rather honoured writing this, my first President's Report.

Honoured because of the outstanding job done by the club's two previous residents, Garey and John.

Their achievements have contributed greatly towards the club/s success and progress over the last ten years. By the time you read this report we will have celebrated the tenth anniversary and, no doubt, had a great weekend.

It is interesting to note the progress in the numbers of members, cars and, probably most of all, the improvement in the standard of the members' cars over those ten years. There is always a lot happening in a club such as ours with cars being acquired, restored, and finished.

The new committee has some interesting challenges ahead of them - mostly in planning a programme of events that will give all members a chance for involvement in the club's activities. I would like to see a four to six month programme of events appearing in this magazine so that everyone has plenty of notice what's coming up.

If you have any suggestions for social events, visits, runs etc please let one of the committee know so that it can be considered early.

Regards

Barry Goddard

President

South Canterbury members Garey and Sue Hanifin, Bob and Anne Stevens, Phil Rooke and Mary-Jean Wood, Barry and Merilyn Goddard and Neville Stevens travelled across the Tasman at various times to meet up on Thursday 20 April at the Tourmaline Hotel, near Windsor, with Brisbane based members, Dave and Mary-Ann Harkness.

Windsor is about 60 km north west of Sydney's centre but it still took nearly an hour and a half to get there from the airport. On arrival we met up with some of the Australians who had travelled up to three days just to get there. On the first night we travelled to a nearby school to register and meet up with others attending the convention, including the Hazelton's from Hamilton, Grant Anderson from Auckland and four or five couples from the Central North Island Region.

Friday morning we travelled to Windsor wharf for the Hawkesbury River morning cruise. The captain gave us a running commentary as we travelled down the river for over one hour until we turned about and headed back. On the way we were served morning tea and heard of the intense use of the river which is still used by numerous water-skiers, some of whom were using the river that day. Upon our return we had lunch on the 'village green' and then assembled the cars a little further down the river for a cruise to Wiseman's Ferry where two river ferries continually transfer vehicles to the other bank.

We then headed back to the hotel via another ferry which we used to cross the river. Following dinner at the hotel there was a 'trivial pursuits/quiz' night which the South Canterbury crew tackled as a group - wrong move - we started off in front answering the questions really well, but towards the end the questions became 'more Australian' and we were passed by all the other teams. Still a very interesting night finished by some in the hotel's pokie room.

Saturday was another bright clear day which commenced early (from 8.00am for those who were early enough) with a swap meet/boot sale which produced some interesting and cheap items, some of which were packed into cases for return to New Zealand.

Just after 10am all cars left in convoy to the Penrith Olympic Rowing Complex where morning tea was served, after the generator powered urns were warmed up. The cars were parked on the side of a slope to best display them. Individual car photos were taken as the cars arrived and after a bar-b-que lunch group photos were taken. Some took advantage of a guided tour of the rowing and white water rafting Olympic venues, then we headed back to the hotel for the evening arrangements.

The organisers had arranged three separate tours for the Saturday night - some went to the Easter Show, some for a Sydney by night tour and just a few went to the Penrith Rugby League Club (The Panthers). By all accounts everyone really enjoyed the night, no matter where they went.

Sunday morning was another beautiful day as we headed back to Windsor, across the river to Macquarie Park for a public display. The ladies walked back across the bridge for a little shopping while the public and participants chose the best vehicles from a good range including all four Marks with the Mark II's best represented with utilities and station wagons as well as sedans, and two convertibles.

The total number of vehicles was close to fifty, which included a Mark II Zephyr ambulance that had been totally restored.

Sunday evening was a formal dinner at the Windsor RSL Club. The waiter service dinner was very well organised and only disrupted by some unnamed New Zealanders 'drinking' from a keg with a rather extended drinking straw which was then extended to more than three metres for the purpose of siphoning wine from neighbouring tables' wine glasses.

Prizes were awarded for various classes and each attendant was presented with a certificate of attendance and a photo of their car in a presentation folder.

Monday was another bright, sunny day - great weather for Sydney we were told. The vehicles assembled for a run through the Blue Mountains to lunch at Lithgow, where those travelling west to Adelaide left for their homeward journey. Some ventured to Katoomba then back through some slow traffic snarls along the Western Highway to the hotel.

Dave and Mary-Ann flew back to Brisbane on Monday afternoon, Barry and Merilyn flew to Adelaide the same afternoon, Garey, Sue, Phil and Mary-Jean hired a car a spent the next twelve days cruising to and staying at Noosa and Bob, Anne and Neville made their way home.

All in all a great weekend and a great break - the next Australian

International Convention is to be held in Brisbane, Easter 2002

28 May 2000

After being cancelled the previous Sunday due to a really wet, unpleasant day the Show and Shine was held on Sunday 28 May. A very good turnout of about 20 vehicles arrived for the judging process. Results were as follows -

Best Club Car - Gavin Ladbrook (Mark II Zodiac Convertible)

Best Mark I - Colin Chambers

Best Mark II - Bob Stevens

Best Mark III - Paul Morland

Best Mark IV - Donald Campbell

Most Improved Car - Bob Stevens

Following the conclusion of the judging a few drivers, and passengers, went for an interesting run. They left the carpark from just after 2.00pm, drove out through Hadlow, down the Taiko Zigzag, through Taiko and joined the main road to Fairlie. They then proceeded up the Clelands Hill Zigzag through Raincliff to Kakahu where everyone looked at the lime kiln. The convoy then headed back to Timaru via Earls Road and Temuka. An interesting run well organised by Gavin Ladbrook and Graham Smith - thanks.

by John Wroe

The Ford Model T's were first assembled from knocked down kits in South Africa in 1924. Arkell and Douglas of Port Elizabeth became the first Ford Agents when Mr. Paul Henwood of Henwoods Ltd. Durban turned down the Agency in 1905. By 1911 there were Ford motor Depots in Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Bloomfontein selling Ford Cars.

The assembly line in Port Elizabeth was the first in Africa but the sixteenth outside North America the others having been established in England, Europe, Scandinavia and South America. The assembly line could accommodate only ten vehicles but by the end of the first twelve months the plant had produced 1446 vehicles.

Ford cars were so popular in South Africa that by the end of 1925 the number of Ford Cars licensed was 18118 followed by Chevrolet with only 6798 vehicles. Up to this time we are talking of the �Tin Lizzie� available in any colour so long as it was �Black�. It wasn�t until the end of 1926 that other colours became available including �Deep Mole� and �Dark Green�.

By the time the model "A" made it�s debut the main source of knocked-down kits was Canada, as like South Africa, Canada drove on the left hand side of the road necessitating right hand drive vehicles. The other major factor was the �Imperial Preferential Tariff� allowing members of the British Commonwealth to undercut goods produced in non Commonwealth Nations.

As South Africa then exported to the rest of Africa, including Kenya this explains why most of the Fords in Kenya were Canadian Fords.

Hitler's rise to power caused Ford to rally to the war effort and in spite of the German U-Boats' best efforts the Ford Plant in South Africa produced 60,000 vehicles during the six years of war to meet the needs of the South African Forces.

It wasn't until 1946 that the first post war cars were produced in South Africa to help satisfy a car hungry public.

The next big expansion was 1962 with a production capacity of 110 units per day. Close to 1300 people were employed with that work force now standing at some 7000 people.

Ford has come a long way in South Africa since its pioneering days of the 1920's producing 60,000 vehicles per year. The "two millionth" Ford came off the South African production line in 1986.

New Zealand Post have just released a new stamp set featuring six classic cars.

So what? You might ask. Well - they have chosen a Mark I Zephyr sedan for the 80 cent stamp. This has recognised Ford's integrated construction and the use, for the first time, the McPherson strut independent front suspension.

The other stamps are 40 cent Volkswagen Beetle, $1.10 Morris Mini Mk2, $1.20 Holden HQ Belmont, $1.50 Honda Civic and the $1.80 stamp features a Corolla Hatchback.

You could rightly argue that the latter three are hardly classics, but there should be no discussion that the Mark I Zephyr was the one that should be recognised.

The stamps and related products - first day covers, maximum cards, and miniature sheet booklets - went on sale in NZ post retail outlets and the Stamps Centre in Wanganui on June 1.

Special framed presentations can be ordered only from the Stamps Centre, Wanganui.

Time to start your stamp collection??

An elderly man lay dying in his bed. He suddenly smelled the aroma of his favourite chocolate chip cookies wafting up the stairs.

He gathered his remaining strength, and lifted himself from the bed, leaning against the wall, he slowly made his way out of the bedroom, and with even greater effort forced himself down the stairs, gripping the railing with both hands, he crawled downstairs. With laboured breath, he leaned against the door-frame, gazing into the kitchen. Were it not for death's agony, he would have thought himself already in heaven: there, spread out upon waxed paper on the kitchen table were literally hundreds of his favourite chocolate chip cookies. Was it heaven? Or was it one final act of heroic love from his devoted wife, seeing to it that he left this world a happy man?

Mustering one great final effort, he threw himself toward the table, landing on his knees in a rumpled posture. His parched lips parted: the wondrous taste of the cookie was already in his mouth, seemingly bringing him back to life.

The aged and withered hand trembled on its way to a cookie at the edge of the table, when it was suddenly smacked with a spatula by his wife...

"Piss off" she said, "they're for the funeral."

When something is "new and improved"! Which is it?

If it's new, then there has never been anything before it. If it's an improvement, then there must have been something before it.

Why do people point at their wrist while asking for the time?

Do they point at their crotch when asking where the toilet is?

 Why are people willing to get off their bums to search the entire room for the TV remote because they refuse to walk to the TV and change the channel manually?

Why do people say "Life is short."?

Life is the longest damn thing anyone ever does!!

What can you do that's longer