Wasn't that fun ? !
After months of planning, and 3 days of FUN, MG100FEST is in the books !
From a few inebriated minutes between myself and Jeremy in Peterborough Holiday Inn parking area at the end of NAMGBR 2022, MG100FEST was born simply as a good excuse to get our three clubs together and have a few days of fun. If the reactions received via email , in person, and on the club facebook pages are anything to go by, it was a HUGE success !
Some of the highlight moments to cherish include.....
Hearing MG people from each of the three clubs saying on the Friday evening that we are all sitting in our own groups, then realizing that the same people had to do somethin' about it.
A trifecta executive decision on Friday to buy a bunch of pizzas between the three clubs and share the cost ( the invoice is in the mail ! )
That a Motel 6 parking lot next to the 401 Highway could be the centre of the world for 100 people on a summer weekend in August.
Seeing the beautiful Ontario countryside with a line of MGs stretching into the distance. ( a photo by Jennifer Steeves in now the cover photo for ALL THREE MG clubs to that effect )
That the MG marque is the Marque of friendship when 18 MGs stop at the side of the road in support of an MG ( albeit a special one) having lost a phone and a hat. ( I'll leave the other example in the category of rumour )
That waiting for a photo to be taken under a tent at a vineyard is a good opportunity for a vineyard to sell some wine.
That we're glad that we mostly drive our MGs in the sunshine and not thunderstorms.
That we would rather drive our MGs for 1KM than walk 1KM in the rain, unless you need a walking frame to help you walk, in which case you'll walk half way there before deciding differently ( We love you Judy Pell )
That as long as there's pizza and a beer we're good for a second evening of similar food to the first!
That if we're going to have an MG quiz we need to have a few more difficult questions because its clear that these ones were too easy.
That we don't need a picturesque setting to take photos of pretty MGs ( that's our excuse for taking our group picture in a trucking waste ground. 'The industrial look' )
That arranging MGs in date order is OK if you have a voice like a coastal fog horn ( )
That having 40 or so MG100FEST cars show up to a car show made the car show worth holding. It would have been a little small without us!
That although we were all glad to get home ( and we hope you all did !) but we would love to do more of this....
We are very grateful of the thanks received so far, and if asked why we do it, we saw it in abundance over the weekend. It was smiling faces from all our clubs as we enjoyed each others comradery, friendship and love of these amazing old cars. It's clear that we have a lot of pride in our MGs, and spend money we sometimes dare not share in keeping them on the road, but its only when we share this with other like-minded folks that you realize that you're not as crazy as you thought you were... or ... that you've found others with the same level of crazy . The fact is you'll never knowwwwww. What's also abundantly clear is the question as to WHY we've waited 100 years to do this ? On that note, Jeremy, Mike and I would love to hear from you as we think about what's next. We certainly don't think this is a one off, but is it 'same again next year?', 'make it bigger and invite more clubs?'. Please review at your next club meeting or just drop us a line. We do have our own ideas, and we've already been throwing out ideas for what MG101FEST could be, but we'd like your ideas too before we start any proposals. If you'd like to get involved in helping with the next one, please shout up. It takes a lot of effort, and we're grateful for any and all help. You WILL receive one more email from us in the next few days with a consolidated set of photos from the event, INCLUDING the eagerly anticipated DRONE PHOTOS. In the interim, we wish you all great health, happy MG motoring, and if you are visiting one of the cities here that's away from home, rest assured that you have MG friends to link up with. This is Mike, Jeremy and Duncan signing off... Safety Fast !! Mike Price, Ottawa MG Club Jeremy Holdsworth, MG Car Club Of Toronto Duncan Taylor, Montreal MG Car Club
Hard to say how many people finally attended this historic weekend from Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal but it seems as though the numbers grew as the weekend progressed. Congratulations to all of those who organized the various events for the weekend.
Despite the roller coaster weather fronts, everyone managed to move, meet and mingle between the clubs during the different events planned. Lots of stories were shared, mechanical advice and adjustments made, as well as lots of laughter.
It is such a tremendous feeling of kinship when meeting those who share the same love for our cars. Time slips quietly by as similar stories of restoration, reparation and adventures are described. What an amazing group of young hearted people!
While Friday was a travel day for most, it culminated with a pizza party getting to know members from the different clubs.
Saturday was a well planned drive to a local restaurant, The Cove and then a visit to a winery. With enough time to relax or nap, everyone braved the tremendous electrical storm to make way to a brewery close by. There many met their match with twenty five historical questions about the MG evolution. We won't say it was fixed however, Jeremy's father won! Gord Clark was a close second but Jeremy did prepare the quiz???
Sunday dawned beautiful with no trace of the heavy rains the night before. We gathered for an aerial shot with all the collected MG members from the three clubs and then we made our way to the British Car Show. There is no doubt that the MG group outnumbered any other car there.
Sorry to have missed you. Stay tuned for yet another adventure sure to come. And, there is talk of yet another get together next year or the year after that - another opportunity to be a part of the fun.
