ThamesMog
Secretary's Report January 2005

I hope everyone had a very happy Christmas. It is at this time of year that families are together for the holiday season. And naturally it is a time when we remember our lost love ones and friends. Just before Christmas I was very sorry to learn that Stuart Ross, our North American correspondent for Thames Valley Centre News, had lost his wonderful wife Barbara. They were together for forty-one years and both shared their love for Morgan cars through the Philadelphia Morgan Club and Rolls Royce motors with the Atlantic region of the Rolls Royce Owners club. Barbara passed away not long after they had been to the recent Autumn Mog that they had organised together. Barbara and Stuart had visited us at one our noggins a few years ago, on a very sunny autumn day, with a great turn out of Morgans to honour their stay with us. Stuart intends to visit the Lake District this year, a place that Barbara and Stuart had enjoyed very much together.  I hope Stuart that we can go for a walk in the fells together, when you are over here. I find that at times of great sadness a walk in beautiful countryside can be very healing. I am sure in the Lakes in particular you will feel even closer to Barbara. On behalf of the Centre Stuart I would like to send to you our sincere condolences. To live in the hearts of those we love is not to die.

Please don’t forget on January 1^st we shall be visiting the Phoenix Pub for the lunch time classic car meeting. However, please contact Andy Low if you are thinking of going, since at the time of writing the Phoenix has been closed for some weeks. We are hopeful the pub will be open but please check with Andy just in case this event has had to be cancelled. Please also check with me just in case we will need to schedule a different location for the Phoenix monthly noggin. Alternatively on New Year’s Day we have a rather spectacular walk with Sexmog and Hopmog on the beautiful South Downs.

A Walk from the Long Man at Wilmington

Saturday 1^st January 2005

Our first walk of 2005 is another magnificent one! Wilmington is a few hundred yards south of the A27 a few miles west of Polegate. We shall meet at the free car park for the Long Man. The car park at Wilmington can be found as follows – turn off the A27 into the “Street” at Wilmington, pass the “Giant’s Rest” pub on right. Keep on through village for about half a mile. When the “Long Man” comes into view, the free public car park is on the right. Leave no valuables in car. We shall meet at this car park at 10:30 am. I shall then take you up to see the Long Man of Wilmington. For those that feel able we can also climb to the top to enjoy the fine views across the South Downs. We plan to be back in time to go to the Golden Galleon, Exceat near Seaford by 12 noon for lunch. For those that just wish to join us for lunch the Golden Galleon is on the A259 a few miles east of Seaford, west of Eastbourne, where the road crosses the river Cuckmere by way of a very narrow bridge. It has a large car park. In the afternoon, for anyone that has time, I can take you from the Galleon car park to my favourite beach in the Seven Sisters National Park, for a real New Years’ Day delight! I hope to see you there.

And lastly for our first monthly walk in the Chilterns for 2005 we are going to Whipsnade.

A Walk from Whipsnade

Sunday 30^th January 2005

We shall meet at the car park for the Old Hunters Lodge at 10.30 am. The pub is on the B4540 close to its junction with the B4541, two and half miles south of Dunstable. The walk should be very pleasant and easy under foot. All our pubs to date on our walks have been very good, with great food. If you just want to join us for a noggin we should be back about 13:00 for lunch. I hope to see you there.