The Xmas party was another hoot,  with fine food and much fun and laughter.

Frank and Justin were particularly festive. Frank was hilarious, doing an impromptu sketch, in a German accent,  extolling the virtues of owning a BINI,  wearing a plastic moustache from a cracker, with  a comb over provided by a deflated torpedo balloon!

Talking of balloons.  Never before has such a simple thing provided so much joy,  fun and laughter. Those long ‘Torpedo’ balloons have it all. Double entendres and inuendo ensued as the girls pursed their lips around the end and blew hard, making them  become ever longer and  more erect. Jayne was particularly good at blowing hers.  She looked so good in jodphurs, that mine inflated itself!

We ended up with a 21 balloon salute,  launching them all at once to provide a cacophony of noise as they raced insanely around the room!

Our favourite teacher, Jan, provided an end of term report for some of the Clubs pupils. Have a look at the “Some say’ section of the site.

Jan and Stu are once again to be congratulated on organising the event. They really are ‘Jolly Good Fellowes’ and so say all of us!

Have a GREAT CHRISTMAS everybody!

writes Bas

Three cars set off on the annual run to West Bay and Portland. It was a shame that it was so few, after all the hard work that Roger and Carole had put in, organising the event.

Let’s hope that next year more members join in the fun!

Roger led us through Sutton Bingham- the reservoir was incredibly low-through the lovely villages of Halstock, Corscombe, Beaminster, Maperton, Melplash, Pymore, Broadoak, and Symondsbury, where we had never been before.

On route we meandered through lovely leafy lanes and hedgerows adorned with vibrant berries and autumn colours. Fallen leaves danced in the breeze almost as if they were glad to be untethered from their trees.

At one stage Roger swerved violently right. Was it to avoid a pheasant? -No

a rabbit? -No

a fox?-No.

What could it be? I hear you ask.

A giant pile of horse shit! The biggest that I had ever seen. Two more and they would have given the Pyramids a run for their money!

Talking of horses, Mandy had spent the morning riding one. No it wasn’t in the desert and the horse did have a name. And it wasn’t called Colin!

They caught up with us at THE CROWN, Bridport, where we had a fantastic roast with six different vegetables. Eight if you include two different types of potato!

We had the usual banter and a good laugh.

Before setting off along the picturesque coastal road to Abbotsbury, we could not resist doing a few laps around the MINI roundabout at West Bay! You have to don’t you?

Portland was a sight to behold with the waves crashing against the shore, throwing up tons of spray. The sea was awash with foam or as Mandy said “someone had put too much washing up liquid in it!”

The wind was blowing a gale but it was exciting and breathtaking to see.

Next up was tea.

Upon entering the Cafe, the place was pretty full and we needed a table for eight. I wandered about looking perplexed and was just about to approach a waitress when I spotted right next to me Jan, Greg, Roger and Carole and four empty seats.

The buggers had been their all along but Jan feeling playful decided to keep quiet to see how long it would take before I spotted them!

It was the first time that she had been quiet in her life!

Anyway we all had a great tea and another good laugh about Roger’s windswept look.

Incredibly stupid as I recall it!

I was up for ridicule next when I spilled tea all over the table.

For my next cup, Mandy kindly told me that I had overlooked the tea strainer, after I had filled my cup! So I sloshed it back in the pot and the table became awash with more tea!

Mandy was particularly playful. She and Colin had found a Blow Hole and suggested that I had to take photo of it. She knew the perfect place where I could stand to get a great shot!

So Gullible Gordon followed her and waited, with camera poised for the blow hole to blow!

When out of the corner of my eye I noticed that Mandy had scarpered.

Smelling a rat, I too legged it just before an avalanche of water hit the very spot where I had been standing! The little rascal!

I had the last laugh though. The Blow hole had gone very quiet. Mandy said that the tide had gone out. Inspector Chaffey and Harvey,his hound, went to investigate.

He peered over the hole and nothing happened, so he got closer and peered some more, when with an almighty whoosh, the geyser erupted and drenched him. And as he retreated for good measure a second spout drenched him some more.

His woe didn’t end there as Mandy then bollocked him for nearly drowning her dog!

So ended a great day,with beautiful scenery, much banter and laughter and a day spent in good company. Many thanks to all concerned.

This year’s Mini World Action Day at Castle Combe was a bumper event with 97 Club Stands from as far away as Liverpool, Brighton and Redditch.

There were over 50 traders too and most people seemed to be carrying round bumpers,  looking like they were on some kind of ski-ing holiday!.

Our very own Sarah and Kevin, were seen carrying lots of parts as Kevin gave Sarah a crash course in buying replacement parts for her stricken mini!

Daleks, Storm Troopers and other sci fi characters were to be found mingling with the crowd.

Frank exterminated the opposition in the H4H conker championship, proving that his nuts really are made of steel!

H4H deservedly won the best Club Stand award with their fine display.

Frank was their Private Dancer!

A giant cruise of over 200 minis took place but  none from YMM.

Thanks to Justin and Rob for organising the tickets, and to all those who turned up.

Mouth to Mouth Run Sunday 18 September 2011

writes Bas

Gary and Brenda, Roger and Carole, Stu and Jan, and Bridget and Bas set off with threatening skies as black as tarmac.

We drove through waterspouts, floods and tempests. (OK heavy rain!)

Watching windscreen wipers winking, blinking- swish-swash-swish-swash- swish-swash- bish-bosh- swish- swash on and on and on and…

On arrival at Weymouth our noses soon led us to The Pavilion Cafe, for a bacon bap and coffee. Cheap and with lots of bacon!

Afterwards we met up with Mark, Tina and Emily, who had  ’overnighted’ at Weymouth.

We left at 10.30am and on cue out popped the sun. Did he have his hat on? – No. It rained again.

We drove in convoy via Portland and had a pitstop at Chideock, the first village in England to have two speed cameras installed. Not a lot of people know that!

After a great roast served in fine surroundings by excellent staff we wended our way to Exmouth Rugby Club.

Where the sun shone on us in more ways than one, with a glut of raffle prizes coming our way.

We only needed a few cabbages to play Crackerjack!

We all went for a spin around the Esplanade, being greeted with waves, flags and smiling faces and youngsters saying “mini” as we drove by.

At one stage we passed some girls on ponies and one was heard to proclaim ”I love minis” and she was right. Most people do and despite minis’ tantrums and annoying habits we all do don’t we?

They are like your children. They play you up and drain your pockets but you wouldn’t be without them.

We drove home through Devon’s glorious countryside bathed in super sunshine and were grateful for the day and all the hard work that Tim Pedder and his pals put in, raising money for the RNLI.

Sunday 4 September 2011

An early start thanks to a cock up by Bas, saw us setting off for Bovington at 7.30a.m.  An 8.30a.m. start would have been fine.

It wasn’t a good start for Bas, who cursed loudly when he pulled back his curtains and saw RAIN!

That put paid to his 63 mini joining in the fun.  He cursed even louder when at the event the sun came out at 10 and remained for the duration! DOH!!

We set the cars up in an attractive display, organised by Stu and Roger, and the girls adorned the Coopers with balloons celebrating its 50th anniversary.

There was plenty to see and great bacon, mushroom and onion baguettes to be munched. You can never get an egg nowadays!

We settled down to do our customary quiz which is great fun, especially if you are winning. Carole gets incredibly excited when she answers a question……..wrong!

Next was an entertaining bird display.

Things went downhill when Bridget won a prize that never was in a raffle. Apparently they had two pink raffle books with the same numbers on the go at the same time!

Then none of our glistening cars won an award and we didn’t win the Best Club Stand.

But the half glass full gang said “It is not the winning but the taking part that matters”

The half glass empty crowd left feeling thirsty!

All in all, though another enjoyable day spent in good company.

Whilst our good old English weather is thankfully a far cry from Hurricane Irene it does tend to put the dampener on proceedings, writes Bas

Saturday, at the Wings and Wheels show at Henstridge, was no exception and persistent showers saw us frequently scampering for cover.

The highlight of the day was a fly past of a Lancaster Bomber accompanied by a Spitfire and a Hurricane.

Highlight was the right word as they certainly were high.

I took some great photos of three gnats in the sky. Never mind they became flies when I cropped and zoomed!

And it was a Fly past after all!

Here are some of Gillian’s photos.

It is a pleasant, if small, show with cheap and good food and superb service from the band of helpers.

TWELVE of us displayed our cars in an ‘M’ for Mini fashion at the Classics at the Castle event at Sherborne,  on Sunday 17th July 2011,

writes Bas

As the Mini Cooper was celebrating its 50^th Birthday we gave pride of place to our best  red,  white and blue Coopers.

Teamwork was the order of the day with Stuart marshalling the parking and the rest of the gang erecting our Coleman Event tent and decorating the cars.

The weather forecast was stormy and it certainly turned out that way. We took shelter in our Coleman’s Event tent and thank goodness for the side panels,  which kept the wind and rain at bay.

We whiled away the time during ‘rain stopped play’ moments by doing another quiz.

Did you know when the microwave oven was invented or who the first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time US TV were?   Or how many Mini Chelsea’s are currently registered at the DVLA?

I am sorry to report that the ONLY person to know the length of a standard saloon mini was Roger.

He also brought the house down with his antics when he dropped one of Jan’s DD Cup cakes,   which promptly plummeted between his thighs and lodged there.

The more he tried to prise it off the more he smeared icing all over the place.  Mind you,   I’m not sure that his wife,  Carol,  helped by squirting his crotch with water!

Talking of cakes, thanks to Jan for her Double ‘D’s and Mandy for her ‘little ones’,  and Jayne for her scrummy strawberry cheesecake.

When the sun came out it was scorchingly hot and we made the most of it wandering around looking at the hundreds of fantastic cars on display.

On the subject of displays we did not pull off the hat-trick of Best Club Stand’s awards.

I guess that it was too much to hope for,  to win such a prestigious award three years in a row.  We had to settle for ‘Highly commended’.

Eight of us rounded off the day with a meal at Mudford Inn where Bridget became the first person in the Universe to choose salad with Rice and Pork strogonoff.   Needless to say she didn’t eat it.  (thanks for reminding me, Mandy}

Answers;  1945,  Fred and Wilma Flintstone ,  83  and  10 feet and ¼ inches. 

Finally here some more photos.

If you hover your mouse over them,    you get a description  and if you click on a photo it fills the whole screen.

Another great two days,  especially Sunday when we basked in sunshine, writes Bas

A great improvement on Bristol and Beaulieu!

We always have fun at this show and great credit goes to the organiser John Samson who had to move the site at very short notice.  Both he and his team did a great job under very difficult circumstances.

We amused ourselves playing kid’s golf and dodging arrows fired by Emily! We did a fun quiz too.  All interspersed with tales of close shaves that we knew about!  And the ice creams were fantastic.

The icing on the cake was another Best Club Stand Award and Brenda’s sparkling Mini won the Best 80′s Car Award.

BEAULIEU is synonymous with basking in glorious sunshine. -writes Bas

For as long as we could remember we had only known one washout.

This year’s monsoon certainly made up for all the good years.  It rained and rained and rained and for good measure it rained some more.

Not  wanting to be outdone,  Mr Wind joined in with great gusto!

Both chose to ignore the “Rain before seven dry before eleven” rule.

The forecast had been ominous, wet and windy,  but we set off with hope on our annual pilgrimage up Zig Zag Hill.  It is the long way round but it is the fun way to go in a Mini.

Stuart and Jan led the way in “Billy”, the oldest estate in the club,  hauling the additional cargo of Andrew and Lesley,  and he did it without puffing at all!

Colin and Mandy and Gran and Jeg (Whoops- It is so easy to say that!).  I’ll start again.

Colin and Mandy and Greg and Jan and Gary and Brenda set off early on our expedition to set up base camp.

The rest of us set off in convoy about an hour later.

We,  usually,  enjoy the journey through the New Forest gazing at the grazing ponies and cattle.

Not this year.  They had taken shelter from the storm.  The weather was not fit for Man nor Beast.

We always get lost somewhere along the way.  This year we only took three wrong turns!  At Cranborne, at Brockenhurst and in Beaulieu itself.  Never mind we got in through the rear entrance with no queues at all.

Maybe our leader, Stuart, had been dazed and confused by having been blinded for many miles, by some buffoon, called Bas, who was following him with  his headlights blazing on full beam!

We had a quick scout around and retreated to the cosiness of our Event tent, fully togged up with its side panels.

Sarah, the sweetie, had made some cup cakes,  capped with white icing and green lettering spelling out ‘Yeovil Mini Mania-Mini Cooper 50”.  Jan provided some tasty treats too.

As the day wore on the weather worsened.  The brave souls who ventured out muttered “we may be gone some time” as they left.  You can see how windy it was by looking at the flag,  in the photo.

It ,  eventually,  snapped.

The explorers came back with tales of wondrous things; of piston rings and bright shiny things,  of  Works  and Competition cars,  and  famous Rally Driving stars.

Not wanting those of us who were dry to feel left out,  the Event tent started letting in water.  It blew through the vent and ran down the poles dripping all over the place.  We cursed “Dam”.

We could have done with one.

We huddled together for warmth and as always intermingled laughter with moaning.

Sarah had already renamed the club –Yeovil Mini Moaners Club. And made me the President!

The later it became,  the fewer cars remained.  We had to keep peering over our side panels to make sure that we were not the only ones left.

Anyway we stuck it out until the bitter end and ventured out,  shivering under umbrellas, eagerly anticipating picking up another Best Club stand award,  having already decided that we were THE BEST.

We waited through countless awards,  urging the Commentator to speed things up.  After all we were drenched and chilled to the bone.

The only thing that cheered me up was a hot babe,  in pink,  picking up the ‘Best headlights’ award or something like that!

But the wait was in vain.

Pride certainly came before a fall, as for some strange reason they decided not to present a Best Club stand award this year.  So we packed up and buggered off.

Ten of us stopped off at The Kings Arms, East Stour,  where we had a fantastic carvery followed with perfect puddings.  Even if we were soggy the veg were not.