2013 'Holly' Birkett 6-Hour Relay

[Andy Downes]

Well, that time of year is fast approaching...

Team Orebi Gann are once again preparing for the end-of-season bash that is Morgans For Fun in the Birlkett at Silverstone on the 26th of October.

I am once again charged with trying to make it hang together on the day (with race car drivers it's a bit like herding cats ) and this year is the 35th anniversary of my managerial debut in this event - I couldn't possibly mention that the Anglemog Saxons won ahead of the Anglemog Vikings by just 3 seconds at Donington Park.

This year Morgans For Fun are to be :-

Simon Orebi Gann - Roadster Lightweight
Paul Burry - +8
Barry Sumner - 4/4 4-seater (sadly the awesome 'Black Sheep' has cried "enough" for this season)
Kelvin Laidlaw - Roadster Lightweight
Jonathan Edwards - +8
Jerry Knight - +8

Sadly it seems we will be without our fiesty neighbours Morgan Lady and Gentlemen this year for reasons I'm not aware of. So I shall need to lock horns with someone other than the determined Andy Green this time.

More later, but if you're at Silverstone that day then come and see us. In the meantime a quick peek at a previous MFF success.



Have (endurance) Fun.

Andy

[Andy Downes]

A little bit of Birkett history.

I joined the MSCC in 1976 and went off to my first Noggin, the first person I met was John Lindsay and the second was Mary Lindsay. Within minutes she asked;

ML - what are you doing next Saturday ?

AD - nothing

ML - do you want to come motor racing ?

AD - yes please, I've always wanted to go motor racing

ML - good, we're competing in a 6-hour race and we need a 'runner'

When I showed up at Silverstone I soon found out what a 'runner' did !

However, what a baptism, Bob Northover was the Team Manager, Mary was racing HG her Series I, Andy Garlick his primrose yellow +4 MOG 615 complete with Supercharger and Magneto - I was hooked and back in 1977 for more. I have attended the Birkett meeting more than any other event.

Come 1978 Mary's arm-twisting resulted in 2 Anglemog Teams - the Vikings and the Saxons. Bob was managing the Vikings and Mary 'asked' me to manage the Saxons "because apart from Bob you're the only person who knows what to do !".

So in at the deep end with a team consisting of :-
Anglemog Saxons
Terry Garland - 4/4 4-seater
John Milbank - 4/4
Bob Chaplin - 4/4 with 2-litre Pinto engine, rack-and-pinion steering, extra wide rim steel wheels
Dave Saunter - +8 Moss Box
Peter Evans - +4 SS
Mike Duncan - 4/4 with Lotus Twin-cam

The (friendly) opposition managed by Bob Northover :-
Anglemog Vikings
Mary Lindsay - +8 Moss Box JEK
Patrick Keen - +8 Modsports
Alan Kennedy - 4/4 Lightweight Special
Andy Garlick - +4 TOK 258
Norman Stetchman - +8
John MacDonald - +4

At the end of 6 hours, the upstarts (Saxons) beat the professionals (Vikings) by just 3 seconds to win the event and the prize-giving in the Redgate Lodge bar was a noisy and beery affair . Sadly I have no photographs of the race to liven up this thread, but the result added another chapter to the distinguished history of Morgans at the Birkett. For full reports by the respective Managers try Ken Hill's 'The Four-Wheeled Morgan - Volume 2".

I managaged a 6-hour Team every year after that and apart from a few years in sabbatical in the 90s have been doing it ever since - the last 15 with Simon OG's Morgans For Fun .

It's even the reasonfor my signature below - it was long serving Birkett Relayer Kelvin Laidlaw who christened me 'Skipper'.

Have Fun (for 6-hours)

[Bob Bull]

Well, while I have never driven in the Birkett, I did cycle up to Silverstone from Barnet on occasion in the late fifties to watch the race, usually fairly windy and not too warm. However, it was not until I got 'involved' with those hairy legged Morgan Types that I started to attend it again, and it is now one of those 'not to be missed' events. Sadly the bike has long gone, and the legs to power it have also declined to where a 1998 Vauxhall is a luxury.

All being well I shall turn up again in 2013 equipped with camera and healthy appetite, so when changing one's trousers, be sure you are unobserved. This warning for is the 'well known relayer'.

It appears that Mary Lindsay is to blame for a lot of what has happened in the Morgan past.

Bob (who is not called anything)

[Mary Lindsay]

hairy legged Morgan Types

That only applies to some of them Bob, not the ladies of course.

It appears that Mary Lindsay is to blame for a lot of what has happened in the Morgan past

Yep, I'm afraid so.

[Mary Lindsay]

I have had a rummage in my photo archives and come up with a selection of photographs from the 1978 event.

The Viking Team: front row left to right John MacDonald, Norman Stechman, Alan Kennedy, Andy Garlick, Mary Lindsay; standing behind Mary is Patrick Keen.
Can the eagle-eyed amongst you spot the others including Steve Harbottle, Bob Northover, John Smith and Dan Doncaster?

Mary Lindsay, Plus 8, Vikings.

Alan Kennedy, 4/4, Vikings.

Andy Garlick, Plus 4 TOK 258, Vikings.

John MacDonald, Plus 4, Vikings.

Patrick Keen, Plus 8, Vikings.

Mike Duncan, 4/4, Saxons.

Peter Evans, Plus 4, Saxons.

[Mark Shears]

Great photos Mary.

Peter Evans still has his primrose yellow Plus 4 which is a genuine Supersports.

I think Andys Birkett history is great and explains his place ( and yours Mary) in Morgan folklaw!

Bob is still working on his...!

Cheers

Mark

[Bob Bull]

Mary, if you have any more pictures like the first one ................. stop rummaging!

Looks like 'The Massed Alberts', after a particularly tiring Gig ............. in Abu Dhabi. Thank goodness someone did not have colour film available.

Mr Shears, wait until my new book Morgans in Spectacular Colour Photography is published.

[Andy Downes]

It appears that Mary Lindsay is to blame for a lot of what has happened in the Morgan past.

...her, and that Rick Bourne bloke...

[Mary Lindsay]

Mary, if you have any more pictures like the first one ................. stop rummaging!
Looks like 'The Massed Alberts', after a particularly tiring Gig ............. in Abu Dhabi. Thank goodness someone did not have colour film available

I am so pleased you like it Bob.

[Andy Downes]

Mary, Thanks for posting those great photographs...seems like only yesterday... and what a lineup you had assembled.

Mark, I met Peter Evans in about 2005 at the Curborough Sprint having not seen him since the 1978 Birkett Relay, we shared our memories of the race and Peter said he was still running on the same set of tyres having only done the odd race or sprint in the intervening period !!! I'm not sure if that were true, but they certainly looked pretty wooden.

[Andy Downes]

WHERE ARE THEY NOW ?

Does anybody have any details about these cars now please ?

Anglemog Saxons
Terry Garland - 4/4 4-seater TUP 826K
Dark Blue, I nearly bought this car in 1980, but no news since. 2020 Shane Howe now owns it and is rebuilding the car
John Milbank - 4/4 HOC 805N
Red, John still owns this car and races in the Morgan Challenge, having raced in Europe for many years, originally Crossflow, then Lotus Twink, now Zetec
Bob Chaplin - 4/4 with 2-litre Pinto engine, rack-and-pinion steering, big wide steel wheels
Two tone Blue, no news about this car
Dave Saunter - +8 Moss Box
White, Dave rebuilt this into a 4-seater, now owned by Keith Morris and being rebuilt with Barry Sumner
Peter Evans - +4SS
Primrose Yellow, as Mark has said, Peter Evans still owns his car. 2020 Now owned by Ian Cummings, grandson of the first owner Cyril Charlesworth
Mike Duncan - 4/4 with Lotus Twin-cam
Blue (I think) as I recall this was a Factory-built car with a 1600cc Lotus Twin Cam - may now be in the USA

The (friendly) opposition managed by Bob Northover :-
Anglemog Vikings
Mary Lindsay - +8 Moss Box JEK 303H
RED ! I think we know where this car is
Patrick Keen - +8 Modsports 'Trago Mills'
Black, this was the ex-Stapleton car I believe, any ideas ? Believed to have gone to Norway
Alan Kennedy - 4/4 Lightweight Special
Alan built 2 of these Lightweights one Gold and one in Blue, Morgan chassis but fibreglass bodies and no ash frame, I saw one for sale a while back but who has them now ? One is being sprinted by Mike Hughes
Andy Garlick - +4 TOK 258
Green, I helped Andy G prepare TOK for the 6-hour, at the time it was owned by Patrick Keen (see above), subsequently sold to David Haith, Rick Bourne and Keith Ahlers in that order, the original 'irishman's Knife' if that's not an oxymoron
Norman Stetchman - +8 NS 5800 or NS 54002020 Rebuild nearing completion, has reverted to its 1970s colours
'Spiny' Norman still owns this car (had it from new) was two tone Brown (it was the 70s) then became Pace Petroleum blue when it ran in the Willhire 24 Hour races in the early 80s (won in 1981 or 1982). 2020 Rebuild nearing completion, has reverted to its 1970s colours
John MacDonald - +4 550 DXN
Green, one of John's famous 'white cowl' +4s, I'll never forget him and Andy Garlick demonstrating 'the real +4 driver's one-handed cornering technique' at Bentley Drivers' Club one year , does John Mac still have the car ? There are two, one owned by Jeff Stow the other owned by Rupert Richards' family

Hopefully some of you can fill in the gaps and I'll update the list accordingly.

Many Thanks

Andy

[Barry Sumner]

Dave Saunter - +8 Moss Box
White, Dave rebuilt this into a 4-seater, now owned by Barry Sumner and being rebuilt

Unfortunately not owned by me - but by my good friend Keith Morris - but do have a hand in the rebuild!!
Barry

[Mary Lindsay]

but do have a hand in the rebuild!!

Barry - you have a hand in everything!

[Mary Lindsay]

Thruxton 1972 - The first one I did.
Team included Doug Taylerson in a brand new 4/4 (he blew the engine up), Adam Bridgland in a Plus 8, Frank Gillam Plus 4 (now owned by Bob Northover), Ray Jones in a Plus 4 and me in my Series One.


Silverstone 1973


Silverstone 1974, team Anglemog. Left to right: Allan "Sam" Samuels - Plus 4 4-seater, Peter Joiner Plus 8, Adam Bridgland Plus 8, Bob Chaplin 4/4, Mary Lindsay 4/4 Series I.


Silverstone 1975 - a very wet race. Mary Lindsay in John Smith's 1953 Plus 4.

[Andy Downes]

Unfortunately not owned by me - but by my good friend Keith Morris - but do have a hand in the rebuild!!
Barry

My apologies Barry, I do of course know that Keith Morris owns it, it's just that it's been at your place for a while and has adopted you !

Mary, great pictures - just great.

Andy