147 Watson Street Sarnia, Ontario, Canada N7T 6T9

www.bluewaterbritishcarclub.ca

VISIT TO GARNETS PLACE

I was lucky enough to meet Garnet Thistlethwaite through a chance meeting at Bronte British CarDay a few years ago. He runs a garage specializing in the restoration and repair of older British cars, andspecializing in Jaguar and MG. My major engine problems with our 61 jaguar Mk II were taken care of byhim and finished to a high standard. Can’t thank him enough. His knowledge of early Jaguars and MGs andother British cars is vast. He runs a super interesting Garage on his property, so with that in mind we organ-ized our visit with club members.

The day of the visit turned out to be wet and cloudy, so our 3 car contingent was made up of ourregular cars. Meeting at Reeces Corners at 9 :30 am we set off on a scenic route through the back roads toIngersoll. First stop there was at Tim Horton's for a break, we were early anyway for a 12 noon lunch at theElmhurst Inn. Got to the Inn , still pouring with rain, however we had a reservation and ended up in a privateroom for lunch. Garnet and his wife Lauren joined us as arranged. All very nice and we all had a goodlunch. We had hoped that Garnet would come in his MG TC, however the pouring rain put an end to that ..

Leaving the Inn we went to Garnet’s home and place of business. He has a large shedand it was packed with great British cars. An early ‘flat radiator’Morgan, newly painted in bright red, and about to get an interiorand some finishing touches. An XK120 Roadster, (BruceScott’s), its newly rebuilt engine was on the test stand, which hestarted up and it sounded great. The engine will back in the carshortly. An early split window Volkswagen sedan, newly paintedbut the interior and engine out of it. Also there, a racing MG TCwell known on local circuits and which also has raced at WatkinsGlen NY, engine out and some remedial work on the chassis.This is the Tommy Hoan race car that was seen in our MaySpanner cover story. A vintage Jawa motorcycle is up onthe wall which Garnet raced years ago. It makes interesting“Wall Art”. Posters cover the walls showing cars that havebeen through his garage. Just picked up by its owners aftera complete engine rebuild was a lovely dark blue and silverRolls Royce Silver Cloud, its picture tacked up on the wall.Garnets MG TC is red and immaculate and owned by him for many years, on this visitit was under cover under a big tree. He took it out of storage hoping to drive it, how-

ever the rain put an end to that. He also has a second MG TC to be made into a race car some time in thefuture; now housed in a back shed. Also a Mk 1 Jaguar saloon was there and scattered round the building isa MG TD awaiting repair, plus a land Rover, a Jaguar Mk II. A parts car Jaguar Mk I. It’s all good stuff!Garnet explained to us what he was working on, his motto is everything fixed to a high standard, and itshows! Attention to detail was evident in all his work .

Lauren was kind enough to bring up coffee and a great Pimms drink which was enjoyed by all.Thanks Garnet and Lauren for your super hospitality and a great visit enjoyed by us all. Kim R.

MONTHLY NEWSLETTERof the

Bluewater British Car Club

JULY, 2018

The Spanner July, 2018 2

Bluewater British Car Club MinutesDate: June 13, 2018.Number of Members present: Dinner: 11; Meeting: 11Location: The home of Eric Kernohan in Port Franks.Minutes respectfully submitted by: Secretary, Sandra Cronk

1. Call to order: Vice President, Mark Jones, called the meeting to order at 7:55 p.m.2. Approval of the Minutes of the May 9, 2018 meeting.

A motion to approve the minutes as corrected was made by Barbara Warwickand seconded by Alan Cronk. It was carried.Sandra requested that Executive Members respond to the email when they receive the Minutes, to ensure that everyonehas received them.3. Treasurer’s Report: Treasurer, Roy Overton, reportedIncome: 2 memberships (2 X $20.00) $40.00Expenses: Lunch for our host at the Ilderton garage tour ($26.90) and ink refill ($118.20). There may be a refund on onepart of the ink package. Balance: $696.75. Questions: There are three more regular members left to reply.A motion to accept the Treasurer's Report was made by Chris Gardner, seconded by Michael Walton and carried.4. Unfinished Business/Past Events:

1) May 19th, drive to and lunch in Ilderton plus tour of Bert's Barns. Members enjoyed it all.2) June 2nd, London Classic Car Show: several of our members attended. The complaint that the same cars

win every year was heard again. A suggestion was made that previous winners could be limited as to when they can re-enter the show, as the Cobble Beach show does.5. New Business/Upcoming Events:

1) British Car Council report: The company that provides the insurance has changed. Roy asked if we have acopy of the insurance policy. The answer was no, so Roy suggested that he would try and get a copy from the new com-pany. Mark mentioned that the Car Council also gives out little plaques for annual long distance awards..

2) June 23rd, drive to Ingersoll and lunch at the Elmhurst Inn. Kim says that he has received only a few responses sofar. Byron will send out another email requesting members to let Kim know their intentions.

3) June 24th, Sarnia Street Machines at Centennial Park.4) July 11th, our next monthly meeting is at the Atrium at 5:30 p.m. We will meet at the restaurant. Rock, the owner,

will tell us about a couple of historical events.5) Several upcoming events were discussed. Check the Spanner for details.

6. Announcements: 1) Members thanked Eric for hosting tonight's meeting and for another wonderful meal, sponsored and pre-pared by him. The meat done in his smoker was especially scrumptious!

2) Aline Walton passed on her thanks for the good wishes we sent to her last month. She has made a won-derful recovery!7. Adjournment: Jean Hicks moved to adjourn the meeting at 8:31 p.m. It was seconded by Mark Jones and carried.

The Spanner …is the monthly newsletter of the BBCC.Articles, pictures, ideas, etc. are welcomed and are to be sub-mitted by the 20th of each month for inclusion in the nextmonth’s newsletter.Forward items to:Byron Warwick.By email at bandb@cogeco.caOr by post or hand to:481 Tom St., Corunna ONN0N 1G0 Phone 519 862-3527.David Kelley. 1085 Fairlane Ave.,Sarnia, ON, N7S 3J9. Phone 519 542-7214.Contributing writers this month: Allen Bachelder, DavidKelley, Sandra CronkPhoto credits: Kim and Laura Rutherford, Michael Walton,Mark Jones, Byron W.

The Bluewater British Car Clubpromotes interest in acquiring, driving, maintaining, and

restoring all makes of British Cars.

Membership is open to anyone with an interest in Britishcars. Meetings are held monthly, every 2nd Wednesday,at Stokes By The Bay, 6:00 dinner, meeting 7:30 P.M. In

addition, monthly club, driving and social events arescheduled throughout the year.

2018 Club ExecutivePresident: Allen Bachelder 810 824-4188Vice Pres: Mark Jones 1519800-4966Treasurer: Roy Overton, 519 332-3449Secretary: Sandra Cronk 519 845-3209Events: Byron Warwick 519 862-3527Non-ElectedSpanner Editor Byron Warwick 519 862-3527News Publisher David Kelley 519 542-7214

The Spanner July, 2018 3

Presidential Prattle…By Allen BachelderJULY, 2018

Here it is July. According to plans, we should be preparing for our upcoming sojourn to the Maritimeswith Mark and Judy Jones. But like Robert Burns’ “best laid plans of mice and men…” ours went “…awry”.Our first extended MG trip was definitely a success, although somewhat qualified. Everything MG on ourMagnette worked unfailingly, as did a number of componentsintended for other vehicles not MG. Never a starter failure (see last month’s Prattle). Our working hodge-podge traveled 1906 miles without fault – save one: our home-contrived A/C… after basking us in elegantcold air for most of our first day out, it abruptly and unceremoniously quit. Despite this inconvenience, weproceeded as planned. With pretty good cheer too. Roadside diagnostics revealed little. We saved the repairfor home.

However, travel involving long periods of sitting can bring about, in those of a certain age, some dis-comforts, which unaddressed, could rise to clinical levels. The errant A/C in our MG has what is called a“trinary switch” that shuts the compressor down if pressure in the system is too high or too low. Our humancomponents lack this, and if you carry this metaphor too far, it’s easy to see that this is a good thing.

Moreover, the really important thing about all this is the spirited good sportsmanship shown by thevictims of this predicament, and we were still able to enjoy those few days celebrating great friendships andMG tyre-kicking at the annual Get-Together (GT) of the North American MGA Register in Richmond Vir-ginia; enjoy seeing 16 Magnettes on the field; and then enjoy a few more days reuniting with family at thehome of our son in Cincinnati Ohio.

But, observing the discomfort and concern over possible clinical consequences of our aging problemswe have elected not to accompany Mark and Judy to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island this July. In fact,Allen has now sorted out the A/C andall is well with our Magnette. Butsorting out passengers is beyond Al-len’s pay grade. Alas personal com-fort is an essential element in recrea-tional travel. Even if the car is com-fortable, the passengers need to bealso.

As long as we stick to moremodest adventures, we are fine andwe are in no danger whatsoever. Wedo not write this to elicit any sympa-thy, as none is required. We are fine.

So… you’ll be seeing ourshining faces at the monthly meetingon the 11th. So sorry we missed theJune meeting soelegantly hosted by Eric Kernohan.We are hearing rave reports of it.And after two years’ absence, Eric,please know that we are not avoiding you!‘ Just wait till next year…

‘ See you on the road!

Six of the sixteen Magnettes on the field in RichmondVirginia. First one on the left is Bachelder’s.

The Spanner July, 2018 4

CalendarOf Upcoming

Events

CALENDAR of EVENTS2018

July11 Drive & Monthly meeting at Atrium

Restaurant, Port Huron, Alan CutcherArrive at 5:30PM, park on the side lotMeeting at 7:30pm.

28 Driving event, to Erieau, BaysideBrewery Email instructions to followByron and Barbara.

August 8 Drive & Monthly meeting at Pioneer

Restaurant, Port Huron, and Florrie’s for dessert. Dinner at 6:00pm,meeting at 7:30pm.

10-11 Bothwell and Wambo Car shows18 Driving Event, to Bayfield, Mark and

JudyJones25 Hobbyfest, Sarnia, Germain Park

Saturday, Byron.September

8 Enbridge Car Show12 Drive & Monthly meeting at TBA

Dinner at 6:00pm, meeting at 7:30pm. 15 BAHC Car Show, Rutherford Close

16 Bronte British Car Show XX? Driving event, TBAOctober

06 Equinox tour to the Stahl’s Museumwith BAHC and others.

10 Monthly meeting at Stokes BayDinner at 6:00pm, meeting at7:30pm.

TBA Fall Colour Drive November

Monthly Meeting July 11, 2018Atrium Café and Ice Cream Parlor

1519 Military St, Port Huron MIEnjoy this 1890 themed Café.

Arrive on your own at 5:30PMParking in the north side lot.

Hear Rock’s talk,about the Fenians

see below.Dinner at

6:00pm, Meetingto follow

at~7:30pmIf you are going, Please

Contact Byron bandb@cogeco.ca

Rock Talks Gayle Cooks

Mark Jonesand otherFlintstoners

A MAXI MINI

The Spanner July, 2018 5

LUNCH AT THE ELMHURST INN

Our Monthly Meeting at Kernohan’s Cottage in Port Franks

The Spanner July, 2018 6

LONDON “CLASSIC” BRITISH CAR SHOW

Some of the usual and also some unusual carsseen at this years BSCCL Classic Car Show atthe CROSSINGS Restaurant and Pub on HydePark Road on Sunday June3, 2018

Lotus

MarcosJakes and Cromwell E-Types

Coupla O’ Morgans

Trio of T-Series MGs

Barbara, Aline and Laura going for a spinMadeover Land Rover LEGEND

Rutherford XKGardner and Walton Triumphs

The Spanner July, 2018 7

Back in 1945, when I was still in school I collected stamps World Wide,favouring British cars and still to this day I collect only Mint Stamps

BARBADOS30¢... 1964-1976 used by royalty &dignitaries from around the world10¢... 1947 Bentley MK VI made toorder for Prince Bernhard of theNetherlands 200090¢... 1952 Austin Atlantic$3.00... 1950 Bentley special

BHUTAN30CH... Invicta (UK)75CH... Talbot100NU... Sunbeam4.OONU... Morris Garage700NU... Aston Martin10.00NU... Rolls Royce

GHANAC2000... Bentley S series convertible-1950C5000...Lotus Elite-1957

GREAT BRITIN151/2p...1922 Austin Seven & Metro26p...1934 Jaguar SS & XJ6 195729p...1907 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost & 1982Silver Spirit

1st...1961 Jaguar E-type1st...1965 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow1st ...1963 Aston Martin DB5

£1.28...1962 MG MGB£1.28...1968 Morgan Plus 8£1.28...1976 Lotus Esprit

By David B Kelley

The Spanner July, 2018 8

GOOD FRIENDS

Had an email from our good friends Malcolm andBrenda Taylor, whom we have known for over 30 years . Itwas an invitation to go and stay with them at their new re-tirement home in Iroquois Ontario. We first met at a CarShow , of course , they have a Triumph TR3A. Through ourfriendship Malcolm asked if our club would be interested tohost the Triumph Classic which they hold in a different placein Ontario every year. Of course we did and it went off well . The event even included motoring author Gra-ham Robson who was the speaker for the event. All that happened many years ago and we have been firmfriends ever since.

So with the date settled Laura and I started off in our Jaguar XK convertible on its first big trip. Firstday we drove to Kingston, staying at the Marriott over night. Maybe could have made the trip in 1 day, butwanted to drive the very scenic Highway 2 next to the St Lawrence Seaway in daylight. We had an enjoyabledrive and arrived at our hosts home about 11:00 am

The idea of them selling their home in Palgrave near Orangeville was to down-size. So much for that, they ended up with a biggerhome and 24 acres of bush and trails behind theirhouse. What a tranquil place it is . Their spa-cious house and large front lawn overlooks theseaway. During our stay our hosts showed us thelocal area with its historic sites and buildings, also

an old bricked tunnel the steam trains used in past times.We made a trip to Ottawa, to take in the Ottawa Jaguar Owners Club Con-

cours ; also it was nice to see the city, we had never beenthere before. We had a great timeand also enjoyed Malcolm's gour-met cooking. Malcolm has amasseda few toys since moving there. Anold Oliver tractor with a front end

loader, an ATV for driving through the bush, a nice cabin cruiserfor sailing on the seaway. They have a dock in front of hishouse, and a AWD older SUV for winter driving. The new cargets put in the garage for the winter with the TR3A. Also at theend of the driveway is a 34 ft motorhome which is now for sale after some great tripsboth in Canada and the US. Thanks for a great time Malcolm and Brenda, it wasspecial.Kim R.

Lawn Ornament

St. Lawrence Seaway

The Spanner July, 2018 9

I found this letter in the file that was passed tome with the purchased of our MG TF, in 1994

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