Vales and the Valleys
The 5th V&V run was again a success with entrants
coming from all over the UK.
A thanks from our Chairman, Paul:-
Just a note to thank all those that helped to make
yesterday's event an outstanding success. To then get a public thank you from Mr
and Mrs Jones of Yorkshire saying that it was the best run they had EVER
attended was the icing on the cake. Gash and Denise once again did us proud at
the start with breakfast rolls and coffee, Rob and Linda's organisation and
routebook was of the highest quality, Chris and Nesta's route was the best ever
with breathtaking views helped by the fantastic weather (once again a great
decision by me to change the date !!), Val and Kathryn with help from our other
club members sold £185 worth of raffle tickets especially as Mike and Steve had
made the raffle all the more worthwhile with some excellent prizes. Thanks to
everyone else who donated a prize or prizes. Thanks to Simon who once again
kindly donated a cup for the furthest travelled and presented it to the Jones's
from Yorkshire. The finish was superb at the Botanical gardens who made a
marquee available for the raffle and Rhodri gave us a brief talk about the
Gardens. The group from the Potteries club couldn't believe that we had put so
much together for the day and had all thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Club
members then met back up at the Fairways Hotel in Porthcawl for the traditional
end of run meal once again brilliantly organised by Diane so a big thanks to
her. If I've forgotten to mention an individual please forgive me. Robin from
the Swansea club also asked me to mention a run is being organised by them for
August Bank holiday. More news to follow.
Regards,
Paul Bullock
Chairman.
Bridgend clubs 4th annual run took place on
the June 13th we hope to bring you a write and some photos soon.
If you have some photos please send them to me so that I can include them on
the site.
Thanks
The
day started unusually bright and sunny, especially considering the rest of the
summer, I was out early that morning in my 1975 MGBGT heading for the rendezvous
at Waterton Technology Centre near Bridgend.
The weather was ideal for the Bridgend MG Owners Club 4th
National Run, especially in an enclosed GT.
Four
years ago the Bridgend MG Owners Club decided to hold an annual run, inviting
people from all over the UK, and from abroad if anyone wished to enter.
It was decided by the club committee that the profits from the run would
be donated to a local charity. The
charity decided upon was Y Bont.
Y
Bont is a charity based in Bridgend that is a unique centre that provides
quality care for special babies with disabilities, and also offers support to
their families. The charity needs
to raise £150,000 per annum to continue in existence, as it receives very
little support from government bodies or local government/National Assembly for
Wales. To date the Bridgend MG
Owners Club has contributed approximately £1500 to Y Bont.
This
year it was decided by the club to split the money raised from the run to go to
two charities one being Y Bont to which £200-00 was sent and also £660-00 has
been sent to The Sandville Self Help Centre in Ton Kenfig, Porthcawl which is
run by Mrs Gwyneth Poacher. This is a self help and respite centre which is run
without any funding from any other source other than charitable donations.
People can go to this centre and talk to others in the same predicament and also
receive treatments such as reflexology aromatherapy etc to help with their
illnesses, along with expert advice and support from voluntarily trained staff.
The
Technology Centre at Waterton have been hosts to the start of the Bridgend MGOC
annual Vales and Valleys run for two years, ensuring a good breakfast of bacon
rolls and coffee, for the crews and a car park large enough to accommodate the
70 cars that were starting out on the club run.
Thanks go to the staff of the Waterton Technology Centre for hosting the
start of the event.
Following
the welcome and briefing session by our Chairman Paul Bullock the Run started
with a bang, or rather an alarm, as Sally Connellan struggled to stop the alarm
on her bright yellow MGB Roadster 1980 from loudly ringing in the morning.
The cars were flagged out with short intervals to give good separation on
the road. As the oldest car, a 1939
MGTA owned by Mr C Knight of Gloucester, was flagged out it was followed by MGs
of all ages and colours. This plan
was successful in separating the cars early on in the run which took us around
the green lanes and sea coast of Ogmore by Sea and Southerndown.
Through a ford dried by the sun and passed white geese caught in the
contrast of electric red poppies. Now
there was not another MG to be seen, but I did not question my wife’s
navigation, as we drove towards the Ogwr Bryngarew Valley.
Chris
Steins, who planned the route managed to take us two miles down the A48 with a
12.5-mile tour around the prettiest part of the Vale of Glamorgan and onwards
into the picturesque valleys to the north west of the Vale.
In all the run covered around 85 miles of the most beautiful and
contrasting scenery in the South Wales area, with a wide variety of landscapes
from the Vale of Glamorgan to the Welsh Valleys and the rugged beauty of the
Black Mountains.
Thanks
also go to Linda and Robert Litton who did the administration for the run and
produced the very helpful tulip based route plans.
Especially useful in indicating the presence of speed cameras!
The
Village of Llangynwyd continued to nod sleepily in the sunshine as we passed the
Old house Inn and the cross to the bard and poet Wil Hopcyn and legend of the
Maid of Ceyn Ydfa. Passed the
semi-terraced house with net curtains and a plaque marking the birthplace of one
of the greatest spoken voices of Wales, Richard Burton.
A few MGs stopped on the corner by his house to pay homage to him.
On through mottled, flashing woodland towards the lunch stop at the Lliw
Reservoir.
We
parked and picnicked before setting off towards Pontarddulais and spectacular
views over the Gower. At Pontyberem we slowed down to peer at the selection of
classics for sale outside Barclay Classics.
We continued to nudge slowly along behind fellow MG travellers as we were
all stuck behind a ‘white line painter’.
The sparkling new lines slid hypnotically along beside us for miles as we
moved towards Carmarthen. Finally
our line painter pulled in and a relieved tail of MGs sped towards the Botanical
Gardens of Wales.
The
cars were all lined up around the outside of the Botanical Gardens’ Great
Glasshouse, making what only an MG owner would say is a spectacular addition to
one of Wales’ great attractions.
In
a marquee in the gardens Mr Clive Edwards, Facilities Manager, welcomed us.
Our Chairman, Mr Paul Bullock, thanked our Sponsor Paramount and then
awards and the all-important raffle took place.
The award for the oldest car went the to 1939 MGTA and the best car on
the run to a white 1960 MGA Roadster. The
Simon Nelson Cup for the entry for furthest travelled went to Phillipa Stroud
who had come from Stowmarket in Suffolk.
Everyone
was invited to visit the Botanical Gardens to view the collection and purchase
items from the shops. It was felt
that everyone had had a good day out with something for all, countryside, views,
classic cars, flowers, wildlife and fun; in fact Wales’ Vales and Valleys!
Finally
our club would like to thank through Enjoying MG Magazine Paramount Motors of
Swansea for their help as our main sponsors.
Caron
& Nigel Spencer-Jones
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