Paul Compton’s 1934 Wolseley Hornet Aerees Special is a regular attendee at the VSCC’s New Year Brooklands Driving Tests. This possibly unique single-seater was photographed at the 2020 event, held on Sunday 19th January.

The VSCC’s Brooklands Driving Tests event is a firm New Year fixture in the club’s calendar. This year the day was blessed with glorious winter sunshine and as a result a much larger than usual crowd attended. They were treated to some spirited driving, particularly from David Rolfe in his Riley engined MG M Type special (VU 7908). Here he is seen at the end of a test sharing a joke with a marshall.

The Network’s editorial office has received many seasonal emails over the Christmas holiday period including this one from Lubomir and Maruska Piksovi in the Czech Republic. Their 1932 Minor Two-seater O3V 1450 is in regular use throughout the year although this great shot was taken in high summer.

RD 4648 is a 1933 registered Meredith ‘Trinity’ Wolseley Hornet Special. The pre-digital photo seen here was taken sometime prior to August 2010 at which point the DVLA placed an export marker against the registration, indicating that the car had been sold overseas. The Trinity name was adopted as the car could be configured in three differing guises viz: a Foursome Drophead Coupe, an open four-seat tourer and finally as a sports Two-seater. At least one other ‘Trinity’ Hornet Special is known to survive here in the U.K.

Joe Rayner chanced upon this derelict flour mill recently, while exploring the lanes around Clogheen, Tipperary in his 1932 Minor Two-seater (ZV 83851). Grubbs Mill is located on the Castlegrace Estate and legend has it that it’s seven storeys are inhabited by a ‘friendly ghost’.

The Network’s 2020 ‘Marches’ Rally is now just six five months distant. If you haven’t booked as yet, now is the time to do so. The Welsh Marches in late spring is a spectacularly beautiful part of the UK and the tour routes chosen by this year’s hosts, Tony and June Adlard exploit those memorable Marches vistas to the full. To join us over the weekend of 5th-7th June go to the Rally Page here and complete an entry form – it’s as simple as that!

The Fairmile in Cobham, Surrey was the venue for a recent New Year lunch and get-together, attended by members of the Network’s Home Counties ‘chapter’. The meet was organised by Kenneth and Liz Allen, owners of DG 8657, a 1934 Minor Saloon, while completing the party were Phil Sowry, Eric and Janice Cheetham and Alister and Mollie Reed.

Here in the U.K. a tradition has developed over the Christmas holidays, this period now becoming a recognised time to exercise classic and vintage cars. Hundreds of ‘meets’, mainly on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day take place in pub car parks and on village greens all over the country, while others just take their cars out for a mid-winter spin. Plenty of Networkers’ took to the lanes and byways,  proven by this compilation of photographs, all of which were taken over the last ten days.

… and remembering our friends. (top left to bottom right) Brian Maeers, Andrew Batey, Sylvia Wilkinson and Peter Elliott.

While the post Christmas blues may be affecting some Networkers, others have blown the cobwebs away by taking to the highways – in Mike Hobson‘s case, the very high ways! Here his 1933 Hardy Hornet Special (APB 670) sits atop of Holme Moss (1719 feet ASL) after  climbing the peak in 3 minutes 25 seconds. Martin Gregory‘s 1931 Coachbuilt Saloon (UF 7090) was also out on a proving run on 29th December. Martin reports that his recent gearbox and speedo work has paid dividends and that the car performed impeccably during its 60 mile outing.