Area Representatives – Past Events 2024
Thank you to all our Area Representatives who organise activities and events for their local members.
And, of course, for sharing their event reports afterwards!
UK East Midlands – Overview of events in 2024
US Texas – 31st Annual Alamo City Concours d’Elegance, 5 October 2024
From Ed Torres: The Concours d’Elegance, presented by the San Antonio Jaguar Club, was held at the spectacular new Cavender Jaguar Land Rover of San Antonio dealership, in northwest San Antonio. This is a new state of the art dealership that is powered by solar panels surrounding the main structure, which also provides shade for the cars participating in the Concours. The weekend kicked off with a Friday reception at the aLoft hotel near the University of Texas at San Antonio campus. A special thanks to Ms. Billie Bailey for the Friday night reception refreshments and for setting a lovely table of great snacks. Efforts like hers always guarantee a good turnout and fun fellowship. A perfect Texas sunrise greeted us as The Concours the next morning. In Texas we would call it a “Tequila Sunrise”. We were in for a very pleasant and sunny day. The Awards Banquet followed that evening with a social hour and a wonderful meal at the Sustenio Restaurant at the Eilan Hotel. We were fortunate to have Jaguar Clubs of North America President, Mr. J.J. Kieg, give a presentation on the Jaguar brand and their current plans. Once again, great food, fellowship and drink make for a great event. The event had 17 cars for judging, with 6 in Champion, 1 in Special, and 10 in Driven Division. An additional four cars were shown in Display only class. Concours Chief Judge Mr. Brian Blackwell gives special thanks to Ms. Faylin Miller, Service Director at Jaguar Land Rover San Antonio, who helped stage the event and provided great memento bags for all participants. Brian also gives thanks to our San Antonio Jaguar Club President and Vice-President, Gabriel Renero and Manny Jimenez, respectively, for working with Jaguar Land Rover San Antonio and taking care of all the banquet details. A successful concours must have dedicated individuals like this to allow the Chief Judge to focus on the concours judging and scoring. Brian notes this was the first time in many years that the San Antonio Jaguar Club had enough judges certified and available to judge all cars without external help. On that note, special recognition goes to Ben and Jan Davis, member of the Jaguar Owners Association of North Texas (Dallas area) for persistence in fighting the concours gremlins. They faced difficulties loading their award-winning XK140, decided to leave it at home and motored on to San Antonio in their late model F-Pace. The F-Pace windshield was damaged on the trip yet they were determined to make the event and assist in any way they could. This is what makes a great club member! Congratulations to the San Antonio Jaguar Club for 31 successful Concours events! Photo: 1971 Jaguar E-Type owned by Craig Miles of Timnath, Colorado, Rocky Mountain Jaguar Club. Craig had some custom made luggage fitted for the boot that holds tools and maintenance manuals.
UK East Midlands – End of Season Tulip Run, 29 September
From Anne Mitchell: On a rare fine day at the end of September, seventeen cars converged on Whittlebury Park, near Silverstone, for the last event in the East Midlands 2024 calendar. Thanks are due to Reps from nearby regions who helped promote the event. E-types from as far away as Yorkshire, Worcestershire and Kent joined local members from the East Midlands. The day started with a gathering and photo-shoot outside Whittlebury Hall. This was followed by tea, coffee and pastries, kindly supplied by our hosts Jeff and Carol Sargeant. Our 82-mile Tulip Run initially struck north up into the hills of Northamptonshire before crossing into Warwickshire and then dipping down to pass through Banbury and Buckingham. A short-notice road closure due to HS2 work initially perplexed our teams, but they resourcefully managed to work their way around it. The sight of eight E-types all parked together in a Shell garage, with the crews all poring over maps laid out on their bonnets caused a little bit of a stir in sleepy Southam. Safely returned, the drivers and navigators enjoyed a marvellous carvery lunch back at Whittlebury Park. The photo observation contest was extremely competitive. Three eagle-eyed teams spotted all nine photographs (Roger & Sally Hughes, Jeff & Carol Sargeant and Peter & Jacqui Webb), with Jeff and Carol winning the tie-break question. Brian and Sally Halford kindly supplied a bottle of bubbly. We are extremely grateful to club members Jeff and Carol Sargeant, owners of Whittlebury Park, who kindly hosted the event. This was our largest ever gathering and a most fitting way to end to the season.
Estonia – 2024 Season Ending event, 21 September
From Nick Vocht. The Jaguar Drivers Club of Estonia was held just outside of Tallinn, Estonia at the Anija Manor house which dates back to 1482. The club (as a community) dates back to 2002, and was transformed into a non-profit organization in 2014. The club has over 400 members which include Jaguar owners & Jaguar enthusiasts. At the event over 40 Jaguars were present ranging from F-types, XK, XJs, XJSs and most recently also classic Jaguar owners joined. These classics include a 1961 FHC E-type in Opalescent dark green and a 1964 MK2 3.8L manual gearbox with overdrive, in blue. The club organizes Annual Opening & Annual Closing events, where Jaguar owners and enthusiasts gather to admire different cars, and share their Jaguar stories. For the first time in the club's history, a 1961 Jaguar E-type joined and it was the star of the show. The car got a lot of attention and compliments, and hopefully more classics (E-types) will join the Club in the future. The A784 is mine. It has a black license plate (instead of a regular white one) which means it is the 784th car the Association of Estonian Vintage Equipment Clubs (EVKL) has inspected and approved of its historic / originality after restoration. It actually got a 99% score I’m proud to say. NB: the club is an 'unofficial hobby club' as far as I am aware, not officially associated with Jaguar or other JDCs.
UK Yorkshire & Northeast – The Bronte County Run, 30 July
From Ian Fey: An overcast Sunday dawned and we arrived at Whiteley’s Garden Centre in Mirfield where 2 large tables had been set out for the 29 people who turned up. After catching up on the news, a general sharing of the latest foibles our cars had thrown up and suitably replete with bacon sandwiches and coffee we set off. The start of the route was fairly built up but we soon move into countryside and the cutely named village of Stone Chair. On through Queensbury and we came across the densest population of speed cameras it has ever been my misfortune to encounter. We counted 10 within 2 miles but fortunately we had been warned to expect them so best behaviour by all members. We passed through the village of Denholm, turned left at the Flappit Inn and into moorland countryside until we arrived at Howarth, home of the Bronte sisters We parked in the Heritage Railway yard . Some opted for the climb through the village to visit the Bronte Museum in the Parsonage where the Bronte sisters lived. Others chose to enjoy a leisurely lunch on the cobbled street of the town and others opted for a ride on a steam train, enjoying the sights made famous in The Railway Children film. Into the cars once more and on through countryside, narrow lane and sharp bends with few passing places being the order of the day. One particular stretch looked less like a road and more like a well bombed runway. Fortunately E types tend to bring out the politeness in people and everyone moved over for us. We then began to climb towards the moors, over cattle grids, past sheep in the road, studiously ignoring the passing traffic combined with some spectacular views where the vista stretched for miles. Past the imposing ruins of Barden Tower built in the 14th and 15th Centuries and through more moorland until we reached a high point at Stump Cross Caverns for tea and cakes. Stump Cross Cavers is an ancient natural cave formation deep underneath the Yorkshire Dales and well worth a visit. As well as the café there is a gift shop selling fossils of everything from ammonites to dinosaur ribs as well as a range of jewellery for the ladies. Drinks and cakes beckoned and then, suitable replete, we headed over the moors, pas t the quaintly named villages Kirby Malzeard, Laverton and Grewelthorpe to enter Masham, home of the Black Sheep Brewery. Unfortunately, as it is a Sunday the Brewery is not open for tours or samples (and the E type boot will only cater for a 6 pack) so we pass by and head over the River Ure on wide open roads heading towards the cathedral city of Ripon, which, believe it or not, was once famous for the production of spurs in the 15th and 16th century. A few more country lanes and then the A roads allowed us to exercise the cars a little until we reached our final destination of The Inn at South Stainley where we are becoming quite the regulars and where we have, once again, booked for our Christmas lunch (albeit in November). Our next events are a run in the York area on the 8th September starting at the Balloon Tree garden centre, Gate Helmsley YO14 1NB followed by the Christmas lunch on the 27 November if anyone would like to join us. My contact details are on the Reps page in the magazine.
UK Dorset – D-Day Centre & WW2 Museum to the Symondsbury Estate, 28 July
From Paul Abadjian: The Master Plan for the 'Dorset Day' this year was to start at the terrific D-Day Museum, on Portland, the embarkation point for so many brave men 80 years ago. This new museum has been established by E-type Club member Derek Luckhurst, and he has personally sourced all the myriad exhibits, including a full size Spitfire hanging from the roof! Quite an achievement. The strapline for Portland is 'Keep Portland Weird' so the first part of the scenic route was around Portland, looking for weird stuff! After that, we took in spectacular Egardon Hill with rolling green fields stretching to a dark blue sea. Yes...we WERE lucky with the weather, for a change! The ultimate destination, 50 miles later, was The Symondsbury Estate, a wonderful and imaginative re-purposing of what had been run down rural farm buildings and estate into beautifully restored restaurant/cafe, 2 art galleries, an interior design shop, a ladies clothes shop, and animal park. We all gathered together in the allocated 'Jaguar Field' with its beautiful views for a sort of communal and convivial picnic. Overall, the day seemed to receive a universal 'Thumbs Up'!
UK-East Midlands – Summer Meeting 7 July
From Anne Mitchel: Summer may not still have arrived, but there was still a good turn-out to our first East Midlands Summer meeting on July 7. With the morning thunderstorms abating, there was an opportunity to enjoy drinks and to chat around the cars before a hearty Sunday lunch. After our successful visit last year during the ‘Robin Hood Run’, we returned to the Fox and Hounds at Blidworth Bottoms, just to the east of Nottingham. The fiendish E-type quiz was won by Les Johnson, who showed remarkable knowledge of the historical events that occurred during the years the E-type was produced. We are grateful to the East Midlands members who made the trip despite the uncertain weather, with special thanks to hardy Derbyshire and Yorkshire members who ventured south.
UK East Midlands – Open Day, P&K Thornton, 6 July
From Cip Nistorica, XK Club Representative: “We had a brilliant day with many classic Jaguar owners joining us to celebrate our common passion. Thanks to Anne Mitchell for organising the local E-type Club meet and all XK Club members attending. As always, we have made barista coffee and cake available and everyone seemed to thoroughly enjoyed themselves despite the weather being a bit on and off. “Our famous panel beater extraordinaire, Darren Edwards, demonstrated his craftsmanship on the English wheel and discussed metalwork techniques, which seemed to fascinated our members. “We have also incorporated synthetic fuel into our day, trying to keep the wire wheels turning for longer with Sustain by Coryton, carbon neutral fuel for our cars in our hope to save the Planet. Drop in fuel for all road going classic cars, now available to purchase on site with us. “It was also the launch of our new modern rolling road facility where we can tune our beloved classics to run to perfection. “We managed to raise over £502 in donations for Cancer Research UK so I am really pleased with that.” Thank you very much indeed!
US Texas – Jaguar Owners Association of North Texas (Dallas – Ft Worth area) 54th annual Concours d ’Elegance, June 8
From Ed Torres: The expression ‘only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun’, a phrase attributed to Rudyard Kipling and Noel Coward, perhaps should have included Texans. The Jaguar Owners Association of North Texas (Dallas – Ft Worth area) held its 54th annual Concours d ’Elegance on a warm Saturday, June 8, at the stunningly beautiful Jaguar Land Rover dealership in Frisco Texas just north of Dallas. That’s right – 54 Concours events for a club that was formed in 1963 at the peak of the “British Invasion”. This enthusiastic club also hosted the International Jaguar Festival in 2022. Kudos to the association and Jaguar Land Rover Frisco for a well-run event in a pleasant and beautiful setting. Best story of the day was Steve Quilty of Abington VA, who is on a quest to attend a Jaguar Club of North America (JCNA) sanctioned event in all 50 states in his 2007 X Type Sport Brake estate wagon. Steve believes these cars are meant to be driven, and he is proving it in his beautiful 2007 X-Type Sport Brake Estate Wagon. This event was his 39th this year. There were 27 cars judged, which included 13 E-Types and 2 XKs. Best of Show with a perfect 100 score was Anneli Zinser’s 1966 E-Type coupe in stunning Opalescent Metallic Blue. Anneli is a member of the Jaguar Club of Houston. This car is a tribute to Anneli and her late husband Jay, who restored the car together along with Jeff Snyder of Jeff’s Resurrections in Taylor, Texas. We all miss Jay very much; and salute Anneli and Jeff as they plan to make the circuit of all four Texas Concours this year. We wish them the very best. A big thank you to the Jaguar Owners Association of North Texas and the Jaguar Land Rover dealership for hosting this event. The two organizations plan to stage other special events this year to promote our marque.
UK-Dorset – Compton Abbas, 6 June
From Paul Abadjian: Well, some didn't quite make it to the start at The Great Field for various 'social' reasons, and others, once they found it, seemed very reluctant to leave it!! Very glad that the mechanical malaise that caused their E-type to 'fail to proceed' did not afflict the plane in which Jim attended last year. ........that can be MUCH more serious, I am given to understand! The rest of us coped manfully with the scenic route, and arrived at Guy Ritchie's Compton Abbas airfield to be greeted by the rest of the group who live in that direction, so didn't do the route. There were a number of slightly frail-looking vintage bi planes taking off and landing as we enjoyed lunch in this stylish and popular venue. Sitting outside in the sun afterwards, watching the airfield activities, and catching up with friends old and new was a treat! Many thanks to those who came, and we hope that this may inspire some of those local club members who didn't come this year, to maybe venture out for next year? With the sun shining, it's a relaxed and enjoyable day, and an excuse to get the car out for a gentle scenic run. Give it a go...who knows, you may even enjoy it?!
Canada West – All British Field Meet, 18 May
From Jim McLagan: Van Heusen Gardens in Vancouver saw is over 500 cars attending, including several Jaguars. Club Representative Jim Mclagan and two other local E-type members took their cars along to the event. Gary Barr in dark red E-type, OM3 177 is John McCafferty and the white E-type is Jim himself.
UK East Midlands – The Great Eatern Reservoirs Run, 12 May
From Anne Mitchell: With the Eastern Counties being the driest region in the UK, it perhaps isn’t a surprise that some of the largest reservoirs in England can be found in the area. Collectively covering nearly 7,000 acres, Pitsford Water near Northampton, Grafham Water near Huntingdon and Rutland Water can hold nearly forty-billion gallons of water. While the scenery around the reservoirs is very pretty, there are also some very fine driving roads. Our Tulip Run took advantage of these, winding through Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire before finished at Rutland. Ten teams joined the run at Brixworth Country Park, just outside Northampton on a beautiful, hot day. Cars from the East Midlands were joined by club members from Yorkshire and Bedfordshire. After the start, the route headed east, swiftly crossing the Pitsford Water causeway before passing through Sywell Aerodrome. Skirting Wellingborough, the run continued on sweeping cross-country roads to Kimbolton before striking north to circumnavigate Grafham Water. Leaving Cambridgeshire, a pleasant rambling run led the teams to the ancient town of Oundle in Northamptonshire. The final section brought the cars to the South Shore of Rutland Water and then to the finish line at Manton. All the teams safely negotiated a challenging Tulip Run, though a few cars were a little late arriving. We discovered that several thirsty drivers had succumbed to temptations of a country pub, just north of Grafham. The run finished at the Horse and Jockey pub in the village of Manton. Dan, the owner kindly provided ample group parking in a large field next to the pub. He also reserved a private area in the restaurant to allow everyone to enjoy a late Sunday Lunch together. To add a bit of interest and perhaps a little more stress to the already overworked navigators, an ‘observation photographic competition’ was arranged. This was won outright by Peter Atchison and Meryl Goddard who correctly identified seven of the nine photographs of various curious items along the way.
UK Essex – Little Easton Manor, Sunday 5 May
From Terry Greer-King: “After last month’s successful recce this was the first of the new monthly Essex meets. The history of Little Easton Manor can be traced back as far as the 11th century, with the current house built on the site of much earlier buildings, traces of which were discovered during the 1920s. During the 20s and 30s, several films were made in the grounds, including 'Midshipman Easy' and an Edgar Wallace thriller; the boathouse which proudly sits at the edge of the Great Lake was purpose built for one of them. During the wartime years, the Easton Lodge Estate was used by both the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Air Force as a wartime airfield. “During the Countess of Warwick's residence in the 20s a fully functioning theatre was established where the likes of Charlie Chaplin, HG Wells, George Formby and Gracie Fields have all performed. “The monthly meet is part of a series of events organised by the current owners for charity. Not only is the owner a highly successful businessman but an E-type owner to boot (his light blue OTS is pictured). “We had 9 Es parked on the lawn and it was great to see the group well represented. Next meeting is first Sunday in June.”
US Texas – Jaguar Club of Austin 50th Annual Concours de Elegance May 4
From Ed Torres: Congratulations to the Jaguar Club of Austin on their 50th Annual Concours de Elegance held May 4, 2024 on Georgetown Square, Georgetown, Texas. It deserves repeating; 50 continuous annual Concours, what an achievement! No doubt why the Austin club is the envy of other clubs in the state when it comes to running a great Concours. This was a fun event to attend even if you didn’t have a car to show. There was a good turnout of cars in each class. The event had 24 registered cars, which included 16 in the judged classes. The cars were arrayed by class around the historic Williamson County Courthouse, a charming setting surrounded by local shops and restaurants. This sort of venue is a wonderful way for club members to interact with individuals and families who were very interested in the Jaguars exhibited. The Williamson County Courthouse is a historic tourist attraction in the area due to it being the site of several trials in the 1920s that effectively put an end to the Ku Klux Klan’s political influence in the State of Texas. The high point of the day was the Best of Show award which went to Anneli Zinser and her lovely family, proud owners of an outstanding 1966 E-Type Coupe in Opalescent Silver Blue, which made its debut after a recent restoration by beloved club member Jay Zinser along with Jeff Snyder of Jeff’s Resurrections of Taylor, Texas. This was Jay’s second project car, the first of which, a ’66 red roadster, won four national championships, one international Jaguar championship, and over forty Best In Class and Best In Show awards. several national championships and over 40 trophies. It was an emotional moment since we all miss Jay, who passed in December 2023. Jay was a wonderful human being and longtime judge that supported clubs and members across the state. The Zinsers are members of the Jaguar Club of Houston. There were two other very nice E-Types in the champion class, including JJ and Rebecca Keig’s 1969, and Fred and Terry Robert’s 1965. In Driven Class, Charles Breed brought a nice 1969 E-Type. The 1955 XK140 owned by Craig and Nancy Cagle also showed very well, along with Clark and Ellen Wilson who brought their nicely done 1955 XK140. Other E-Types included a 1969 Special category from Richard and Kelly Wright. Richard has modified it for racing, and he plans to compete in a vintage racing series at the Austin Formula 1 racetrack in November. The display class was also well represented by E-Types, with Michael Boudreaux’s 1965, Jay Weber’s 1972, and Robert Stelfox’s 1973. Modern Jaguars were well represented. The 2021 F-Type owned by Manny Jimenez was a nice modern expression of the classic Jaguar sports cars in this group of championship autos. It is oft said that a good Concours runs on great food and drink and this left nothing short. The weekend began with a welcome reception at the Brix and Ale Restaurant in the spectacular new Sheraton Georgetown Convention Center. The event concluded with a spectacular dinner and great fellowship at Tony & Luigi’s Italian Restaurant in downtown Georgetown. Job well done by the Jaguar Club of Austin and we hope to see everyone back for the 51st!
UK Essex – Hilton and Moss visit, April 27
From Terry Greer-King: “So a couple of us made it to the event on Saturday 27th April. We gatecrashed the Aston Martin club event at Hilton & Moss in Bishops Stortford but were made to feel very welcome. A full tour of their facility included quite a few Astons, a number of Jaguars including a lightweight, a few more E's, a race ready XK 120 and several Mk 2's. Other highlights, apart from the bacon rolls, included two Ferrari's, a Dino and a Testarossa, a couple of Cobra's and a lot of Mercedes. Mercs included a limo, a number of pagodas and Gullwings.
UK Benelux – Dutch Spring Meeting, 21 April
Organised by Chris de Groot, XK Club: The idea to hold a meeting for Dutch members had been there for some time. The first discussions were held last winter in consultation with the den Toom family. What did we want to do? Starting at a nice, unique location, offering the opportunity to get to know each other or strengthen friendships, a tour through the Betuwe landscape, a good lunch and a unique afternoon session. A broad program that would appeal to everyone. In the preparation of the meeting, the E-Type club was also discussed, and we decided to invite them as well. The more participants, the more fun! On Sunday April 21 st the day started with al brisk and a drizzle here and there, but during the arrival of the cars at Fort Everdingen, the sun came out. A nice selection of about 15 XK’s, 5 E’s, one Mark II and a Jensen gathered at the Fort, see also: http://forteverdingen.com. This Fortification, constructed between 1842 and 1874 was part of the “Hollandse Waterlinie”, see also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_Waterline. The idea was to inundate parts of the Netherlands with water to defend ourselves against “Evil from abroad”. After coffee and apple cake, the owner, who established a brewery in the Fort, took the participants on an interesting tour. Lots of bricks, with walls up to 3,2 m thick! Very impressive. We handed out the roadbook and the participants took off through the Betuwe to the next stop at Avelingen Restorations. The tour mostly used small dikes in the region which is larded with a lot of water and beautiful scenery. The Betuwe is an area in the Netherlands with many fruit growers, cherries, apples, and pears. Due to recent storms with rain, most of the blossom disappeared. The views were still beautiful thanks to the yellow rapeseed all over the place. Our hosts at Avelingen Restorations, https://avelingenrestorations.nl/en/ Patrick den Toom and Minke Hakkesteegt welcomed everybody with a nice selection of beautiful automobiles. One eyecatcher was a shiny Jaguar, in bare aluminium, shaped by some very skilled crafsman. The atmosphere was friendly and lively as usual in this facility. We were invited to lunch, sponsored by Avelingen Restorations. Then it was time to wrap up and drive to the other side of the Highway to Damen Shipyards. At Damen, Hennie den Toom was our host and told about his career, starting at the age of 15 [!], at Damen Shipyards, see https://www.damen.com. He made it possible for us to visit this location, which is quite a unique opportunity! After an enthusiastic presentation about the history of Damen shipyards, still a family-owned company, we took a tour. It is amazing how large these tugs are, and we were very impressed by the size of all “tools” and equipment to work on these massive beasts. We were given a peak into the archive/museum of Damen. This is an immense collection of everything related to the history of the company. From handwritten inventory books, to typewriters, gifts from clients, etc. etc. Also very impressive how the heritage of the company has been cherished. The Damen family has always been, and still is, a very socially responsible company. Their employees are number one. Also unique in today’s corporate world… We ended the day with a drink in the Damen company bar. We are looking back at a very nice day, with a nice group of participants and cars. We also would like to thank Patrick den Toom and Minke Hakkesteegt from Avelingen Restaurations for receiving us at their premises and serving us such a fine lunch and Hennie den Toom for making it possible to visit the Damen Shipyard.
UK-Scotland – Drive it Day, 21 April
From Roger Sambrook: A number of our members in Scotland joined in with the Perthshire Drive-it- day, known as the Perthshire Classic Car Tour, held on Sunday 21 April 2024 and organised by the Rotary Club of Perth. The E-types joined up to 100 other classic cars assembled at McDiarmid Park Perth, home of St Johnstone Football Club where old and new acquaintances chased over the multitude of different vehicles at the event. The cars journeyed a familiar route north through rural Perthshire along the banks of Loch Tay and on to Glencoe where lunch was taken at the Isles of Glencoe Hotel. The return route south followed a slightly different route this year through Appin and Lochawe to Tyndrum before finishing at Crieff Hydro Hotel for a Light Dinner and the Awards Ceremony. All the cars were directed to a central location within the hotel grounds where members of the public and hotel guests could enjoy a varied car show for the evening. Principal charities benefiting from the event were Prostate Cancer Scotland, Alzheimer Scotland and Carers Scotland. Last year over £30,000 was raised and the same is hoped for this year.
Jersey Rallye des Manoirs, 19-21 April
From Mark Blanchard: Jersey held their Rallye des Manoirs on the weekend of the 19-21 April. Organized by Andrea and Chris Le Boutillier of the Jaguar Enthusiasts Club and with help from Mark Blanchard of the E-type Club and Simon Slaffer and Nick Hayman of the XK Club it was a combination of 35 French Jaguars from Normandy and Brittany and twenty Jersey Jaguars. The participating cars ranged from SSs of the 1930s, XK 120s, XK 140s, XK 150s, E-types and a selection of the modern XKs. The weekend was centered around three privately owned Jersey manors, with participants driving to and from them. The clubs were extremely grateful to the Seigneurs, Pam and Paul Bell of Trinity Manor; Vincent Obbard of Samares Manor; and Charles and Georgina Malet de Carteret of St Ouen’s Manor for welcoming them so warmly. On the Friday the French contingent were met off the boat from St Malo and escorted to the Ambassador Hotel where they settled in and had a welcoming four-course evening meal and a chance to get to know each other and meet up with the Jersey organizers. On the Saturday it was an early start and a run to the east of the Island before arriving at the Jersey Orchid Foundation to view their beautiful flowers and have a coffee before heading to Trinity Manor where E-type Club members Seigneurs Paul and Pam Bell hosted a spectacular display of the cars on their Manor lawn. Refreshments were provided by the Jersey team before the convoy left for a drive to Samares Manor where Seigneur Vincent Obbard led guided tours of this beautiful property and provided tea, coffee and sandwiches. The day was rounded off with a superb formal dinner at the exclusive Savoy Hotel in St Helier. On the Sunday, having driven to the west of the Island and passing through the grounds of La Moye Manor, the route incorporated wonderful views of Corbiere lighthouse in brilliant sunshine and after a drive along the five-mile road the convoy stopped at Jersey Pearl for coffee, cakes and some retail therapy. From there the cars headed to St Ouen’s Manor where the Seigneur, Charles Malet de Carteret delivered a potted history of the manor and its grounds in French. A lobster lunch at St Ouen’s Parish Hall followed, culminating with a performance by the Jersey Ukulele Band which had the French and their new Jersey friends on their feet, waving their serviettes and clapping to the beat and providing warm and lasting memories on their journeys home as well as knowing their support of the rally had raised much needed funds for the Motor Neurone Disease Association Jersey.
