Stoneleigh 2017

[Steve Kerswell]

Seems people have been unable to contact anyone about their bookings. It has been removed from the list of events in the Stoneleigh guide.

[Liam Bourne]

Evening Adrian. Any more news on next weekend yet? Thanks. Liam

[Adrian Southgate]

All good, we'll be there. The more the merrier. 

[Steve and Matt Pegrum]

we're planning on arriving saturday, what do you guys tend to get up to?

[James Doulton]

Last year, we went into town (Kenilworth?) to a Chinese on the Saturday night and had a barbeque on Sunday night. Or something like that.

It was bitterly cold on the Saturday night (minus 6C or something) so we stayed in the marquee with a patio heater blazing until midnight. I got up at 6am with ice on the inside of my tent. Most people were up by 7am on the Sunday and it was a beautiful morning. The Sunday night was much warmer. We were mostly too old to want to go to the entertainment so I think we sat around in the marquee with a few beers or went for a walk around the other car clubs.

On the Monday, after decamping, I did the show and bought as much as I could carry. Then it started to rain and everyone went home.

This year I am intending to come in a little old tin top and probably camp on Sunday night, so that I can do the show on the Monday (my back seems to be a lot better now). I think it is expected to be windy on Saturday night and wet on Sunday night, so it could be fun.

[James Doulton]

I don't think that I will be able to come in a Dutton this year because I still haven't finished refitting the head to the Legerra - the inlet manifold is off, as is the cam cover and the thermostat and the tappets need adjusting. Then there are a number of other things needed, like changing the wheels to my road ones and polishing the car. Also I don't think that it will be a good idea to camp.

I went back to work this week but my back is still pretty sore and I am being very careful not to do anything heavy. I could possibly come in the Rickman but its diff is getting quite noisy, so I will probably come in a tin top and have to pay to get in. I'm not sure that I will be able to go around the show because I can't walk for 10 minutes without getting a lot of pain in my leg.

I am gutted. I so look forward to Stoneleigh.

[Steve Kerswell]

My wife is still suffering pretty bad from her fall, so have decided not to attempt the trip to Stoneleigh, she was hoping to attend but her jaw and broken teeth are still painful and she has not shaken off the concussion like we had hoped. And even worse I'm still cooking my own tea :-) Been hoovering today, half an hour in I realised you have to plug it in, not easy this nursing lark. Have a good weekend.

[Steve Kerswell]

Yeah, this iron spits steam, to much aggro, leave well alone, I've laundered my nylons now matron :-)

[Paul Regan]

Did anyone manage to take any pictures of the Dutton Owners area on Sunday or Monday? I made it all the way up there but in my excitement totally forgot to get some snaps...

[Liam Bourne]

Evening all. Nice to meet you all at Stoneleigh and thanks for letting me park with you. Does anyone organise other events or drives out etc?
Cheers

[Adrian Southgate]

'Stuff' happens occasionally but normally it takes one foolhardy soul to stick a hand up and say 'I'll sort that out' and plan something.

Us lads up north have been terrorising North Wales and Cumbria for a few years, normally once or twice a year we do weekenders which involve nice BnB's, lots of tea and a bit of hoonery, The hard part is getting weekends when we are all free to go out and play, something I imagine will be the same up and down the UK.

[James Doulton]

That is rather unfair, Daryl. When I was trying to get people interested in the Kit Car Action day at Castle Combe, I tried to phone everyone within 50 miles who had been a member of the club in the last 5 years - about 40 people. 15 of them had changed their phone number or it was wrong, 7 had sold their Dutton, of the rest, only 2 people had a roadworthy car but 1 of them was already 'busy' that day. The other person, who is a committee member, turned up. We also had one other person come from Peterborough.

With only 3 working Duttons known to the club within 50 miles, then we are not going to get a lot of support for events.

There were only ever ~7000 Duttons made, about 2/3rds of which have never been registered with the club. The last Dutton was nearly 30 years ago. You know better than most about how many get destroyed each year, with ID theft and dismantling for Escort parts. The club is shrinking and the owners are aging and the cars are disappearing, all of which lead to fewer cars turning up at events.

There have been little pockets of active owners in a few places, like the Northern Duttoneers, but with the club having about as many members as there are cities in the UK, then clusters are not the norm. The Facebook group now has 200 members but with 94000 sq miles of the UK, then each has an average area of 470 sq miles.

I could organise a piss-up at a brewery, and I have done in the past, but if I try to get Duttons to a local kit car show - that is almost impossible. That is why I am also a member of a local kit car club.

[Big Vern]

Whilst Daryl's words may seem unfair he's right, just look at the picture DA has posted of the Dutton stand. It used to be packed out and people struggled to park, that picture looks a bit barren.

It's not really the club that are doing things any more but a few enthusiastic dutton owners, some of whom might also be club members, that are doing things. A few committee members who refused to go or could not be budged have strangled the club pretty much to death. The active part of the dutton community should really be called the dutton owners on ning club! and some of them have left for facebook :(