Written by Anthony Osborne

​A small, but dedicated, group of Enthusiasts gathered not far from Chepstow, over the weekend of 3rd to 6th July for a tour of the River Wye Valley and Brecon Beacons (now known as Bannau Brycheiniog and pronounced ‘ban-aye bruch-ein-iog’. if you can get your tongue round it!). 
The campers and caravaners (including Gar with his ‘Flying Shower Curtain’), I understand, enjoyed an evening round a camp fire and have no doubt that there was a little alcohol involved too.  The camp was in the field attached to the local village hall and only a few yards up a hill from the village green.

We were very grateful to Liam and his family who put a lot of work in to organising the weekend for us.
Having driven down on Friday evening to a nearby pub Pat and I drove to the campsite first thing on Saturday morning, joining the others who were present shortly before 8:00 am.  The rest continued to arrive until we had a full complement of eight cars.
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Liam and his friend James were driving identical fully functioning, Ex-Metropolitan Police Rover P6 V8 cars although their blue flashing lights were covered up.  Gar was driving his Trans Mondeo, Betty (used to be Barry), Phil and Lorraine were in Big Rov their Rover P5B, Gus had taken Henry, his JC Midge, Pat and I were in Bill, Pat’s MGB GT, Lincoln was behind the wheel of his early Austin Metro and Mike, a local villager, was in his bright yellow and hot Seat Cupra.  Also to be seen over the weekend was Liam’s recent acquisition, a diesel Mk1 Ford Transit.

​We set off on the first section of our run, to Tintern Abbey, for a photoshoot, a short run of about twenty minutes, which passed uneventfully.  Uneventful sections of a run are good!

Photographs having been taken the next section of our run was quite short, in fact just 0.9 miles long to The Old Station, Tintern, for another photoshoot.  Isolated from the national rail network there are two railway carriages which are appropriately painted in the cream and brown colours of the Great Western Railway which served the West Country and South Wales prior to nationalisation after the second World War, although the carriages are very much newer than that!  We all lined up in front of the carriages and, again, photographs were taken. ​The station had long been retired but the facilities are being preserved and the signal box was surrounded in scaffolding.  The loos were popular as well!  Liam’s original plan had been to have breakfast here but the café did not open for an hour or so and breakfast had previously been rescheduled for our next stop.

On our way again and we were driving up the splendid valley of the River Wye to Monmouth.  Unfortunately, there was a certain amount of chaos at the traffic lights onto the A40 and we lost three of the cars.  Not only that, we missed them whilst waiting for them to rejoin us.  They headed for Symonds Yat Rock but did not go far enough to find the car park and we met them coming back against us on our drive up to Symonds Yat Rock.  The single track lane up to the car parks was traumatic with heavy traffic in both directions and less than inches to spare between the cars travelling in either direction, between walls and rock faces and expensive paint work!  In some cases, it looked as if the cars would never get through the gaps (I was glad that I had chosen the MGB GT for the run and not our XJ6!). 

Drivers going downhill must have wondered why our MGB GT had a police escort, front and rear, between the two Rover P6 cars.  However, the presence of the police cars didn’t encourage them to get out of the way! We eventually arrived safely at the car parks and a wooden shed housing a kitchen that served tea, coffee and breakfast baps which were eaten in their outdoor seating area.  It was here that the others all caught up with us.  Certainly, my breakfast went down well. The able bodied members of the group walked over the footbridge across the road we had battled up to view the gorge and the views were, I am advised, spectacular.

​Leaving Symonds Yat in the rear view mirrors we were behind schedule so headed straight to Apple County Cider as we had a time slot for our demonstration and tasting.  We parked up and were led into a garden area where we were suitably entertained by our host educating us about the manufacture of cider and giving us tasters of their products.  Our host’s mother also produces apple juice and we were given samples of that as well.  It all tasted very nice and most of us bought a bottle or two of the products of the farm

​​Whilst we were sat listening to the presentation there was a cracking noise from a wooden bench seat.  Lorraine stood up and very quickly moved away leaving Phil and me sat there.  It felt relatively safe but suddenly there was another ‘crack’ and the seat base collapsed altogether with our bums in mid air!  Fortunately we were all right although I don’t know if the seat will be repaired, the odd job man said that he would have a go at it but that was before he had seen the remains! 

​Moving on after sampling the cider we retraced our steps to Skenfrith Castle hoping for a look at the ruins and even paddle in the local river.  Unfortunately, there was a wedding which took all the Castle parking spaces and those of the pub across the road.  With nowhere to park or to look at we moved on and headed for Abergavenny and then to Furnace Sidings Station on the  Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway.  The station was a useful watering hole providing cake and tea/coffee and loos.  After a refreshing break we headed on again returning over the Brecon Beacons (or whatever they call them now, which in unpronounceable to an Englishman like me).

​After refreshments we headed towards Abergavenny over the Beacons and stopped at a view point where the two Police cars went topless and briefly exposed their blue lights which were soon covered up again before we proceeded down the road.

T​he views from the top of the Beacons were magnificent which ever direction one looked in.  Once the blue lights were covered up we progressed down hill to Abergavenny where some of us replenished stocks of high quality Shell E5 Petrol from the Waitrose Petrol Station before heading off again through Usk to the camp site.

Before the village entertainment started Finley, Liam’s son, insisted on demonstrating his skills on his push bike.  I don’t know how but somehow Gus had been persuaded to lie down on the field and he did with his eyes closed.  Helen, Finley’s mother, seemed much concerned about the proceedings. However, Finley achieved his objective and not one Gus was hurt making this photograph!  (Apologies for the quality of the photograph, but it is an action shot!).
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I believe that the village entertainment went on into the night and a good time was had by all whilst Pat and I drove on to Cricklade for a drive round the Cotswolds with the Gloucestershire MG Owners Club on their Cotswolds Caper charity run the following day.
A great day was had by all and a big thank you to Liam for organising it.

The Bournville Village Festival 2025 was held on Saturday, June 28th at the Cadbury Recreation Ground in Bournville, UK, and ran from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM BST. Members Anthony & Pat were there with three of their classic cars to join the display organised by Fred of the Nomads Car Club - great job, Fred!
 - Link to MGB rebuild video: https://youtu.be/7kXRVcPqi7I
 - Link to NEC Restoration Show video: https://youtu.be/xD3lmYDj2Ts

​Herbert Austin founded the Austin Motor Company in the summer of 1905.  On 4th November that year he discovered the former White & Pike printing works at Longbridge, situated beside the Bristol Road, the River Rea and the joint Midland and Great Western Railway line from Longbridge to Halesowen.
 
The Austin Motor Company moved into the Longbridge premises, which had been unoccupied for some four years.  Herbert Austin moved his effects into one of the offices, which was to remain his personal office throughout the rest of his life.
 
Austin's office was located at the front of the factory, adjacent to the front door, overlooking the main factory entrance of the time (known for many years as 'K' Gate).  Through the office window Austin would have looked down the Bristol Road South towards the village of Rubery.  His office window is circled in red in the photograph below. ​Austin used his office until his death in May 1941.  Subsequently Leonard Lord (Lord Lambrey) and Bill Davis (Deputy Managing Director of BMC) both used the office, briefly. ​

​In the 1950's, when the Austin Motor Company was part of the British Motor Corporation and Longbridge held the head office, there was money for development.  Much of this investment can be seen in the form of the Conference Centre (previously know as the Exhibition Hall), Assembly A (Car Assembly Building 1), the Sales and Marketing building, the Product Development Centre (Designs block), South Engineering Block and International Headquarters building (also known as the Kremlin).
 
In order to build the South Engineering Block, the old Showroom had to be demolished.  Bill Davis, then a B.M.C. board member, asked Leonard Lord where he should work, as his office was to be relocated.  He was told to move into 'The Old Man's' Office, which he did for some months until his new office was built.
 
Bill was the last user of the office.  It was on his instruction, when the front of No.1 shop including the Old Man's Office had to be demolished in the late 1950's, that provision be made in the new South Engineering Block to relocate 'The Office'.  It remained until the spring of 2003, when it was incorporated into the Conference Centre, as part of the archive centre.
 
For a guided video tour of the office as it was located in the Longbridge Exhibition Hall (also known as the Conference Centre) click below.

​Sited to the right-hand-side of the Conference facility, it is possible to switch the lights on from the outside and peer through the windows as if you were walking by.  Access to the room remains through a door in the museum, which houses a small collection of cars associated with Longbridge.
 
Austin, MG and Rover cars are represented and include a 1935 Austin 16/6 still fitted with its Austin Hayes automatic transmission (at one time owned by the late Bob Wyatt the Austin Historian and writer, and kindly loaned to the museum by GKN Technology) and a 1959 Austin Se7en (one of the original Mini’s for those baffled by the date).

​Once in the office, the period atmosphere is protected in time, indeed as 1930’s photographs prove.  The office is comfortable, but not lavish.
 
Inside the room through the left-hand wall is a small door.  This used to lead to the most important room in the factory - the Chairman's throne room (toilet)!  Along side this door is a framed drawing of a railway locomotive and carriage, with the words above: 'Most everything worthwhile is born of some dreamers dream'.  It was Austin's dream to make motorcars and that belief continued in the cars built here at Longbridge for almost 100 years.

​The fireplace occupies the centre of this wall.  The mantelpiece has a dip towards the right-hand end.  This was probably caused by Austin leaning on it over many years whilst talking to visitors to his office.  In the centre of the mantelpiece is a picture of St. George slaying the dragon.  On the shelf above is an Onyx ashtray, a souvenir from the World's first purpose-built motor racing track at Brooklands. Austin's son in law, Colonel Arthur Waite, led the Austin Seven racing team against many other manufacturers' products, including MG (ironic because the last British built MGs were built at Longbridge!).
 
Also of interest on the mantelpiece are two shells, produced by the Austin Motor Company during World War 1.  Austin expanded his factory between 1914 and 1918 in order to help supply the military needs of the country during that conflict.  In 1913 about 2,000 employees were producing 1,500 commercial and pleasure vehicles a year.  In 1918 there were 20,000 employees and the factory had expanded.  The North Works had been built the other side of the railway and the West Works on the other side of the Bristol Road. 

​The South Works, which included the original White and Pike factory, was extended back to the Birmingham-Gloucester railway line.  Products leaving the factory during this period included vehicles, armoured cars, ambulances, trucks, generators, searchlights, fighter aircraft and munitions. The most voluminous product manufactured was the 18lb shell of which over 6,500,000 left for the Royal Ordinance factories to be filled with explosives before dispatch to the front.
 
As soon as the Armistice was signed all Government Contracts were cancelled.  This left Austin with 20,000 employees and little work.  The Austin 20 was put into production designed for the world market.  This fine car suffered the imposition of taxation in the home market based on the bore of the engine whilst ignoring the stroke.  This led to the introduction of long stroke engines unsuitable for the rest of the world and in 1921 Austin was forced to rush the Austin 12 into production.

​Behind the desk, above the famous half crown, is a plaque commemorating Austin exhibiting his cars at a motor show in Turin in 1911.  Just six years after opening his factory, Austin was exhibiting his cars across Europe. ​

​Along side the fireplace is a photograph of a white-haired gentleman and is signed by the subject 'From your friend, Henry Ford'.  Ford would visit his factory at Trafford Park, Manchester, and stay with the Austins at Lickey Grange, no doubt spending time comparing notes and exchanging ideas.  ​Below Henry Ford's photograph, there is a period air conditioning unit made by Carrier in the United States.  Most visitors to the office, when asked, suggest that it looks like a stereo or a radiogram.  With the looks of a fine piece of cabinet making, it is in fact pressed steel painted to great effect. ​

​Below the window opposite the door into the office, on a delightful cabinet, is a clay bust of the 'Old Man' in his latter years.  This is the artwork for the bronze bust that is also on display in the British Motor Museum. 

​On the Old Man's desk are three inkwells.  The one, presented to him by Rudge Whitworth, is made from the wheel nut for a wire wheel.  In the red-topped ink well of the other pair is an old fifty pence piece placed there on a visit by Sir Michael Edwardes, when he was the Chairman of British Leyland in the 1970s. 

Another bust of Austin is on top of a cabinet to the right of his desk.  This bronze bust shows Austin in his younger years.

​To the right of the door into the room is a bench where, it is believed, shop stewards sat on visits to the ‘Old Man’.  Above it is a beautiful barometer and thermometer on an intricately carved mounting.  This was presented to Austin by his senior staffs for Christmas in 1933.  They clearly thought much of him.
 
Within the room all the fixtures and fittings are original, from the light in the ceiling to the carpet on the floor.  Whilst in the Exhibition Hall at Longbridge going out through the doors returned visitors to the modern world, leaving behind the history encapsulated in the single room that was the office of Lord Austin, 1st Baron of Longbridge. 

​With the demise of MG Rover Group, the Office remained in the Exhibition Hall until MG Motor withdrew from most of the Longbridge site and it was removed to the British Motor Museum where, once reassembled, it was officially unveiled in March 2024.  It has been reassembled next to the recreated Lord Nuffield’s office.  Do go along to the museum to see them both. 

​The MGB GT was born out of a desire to create a more practical and comfortable variant of the MGB roadster, which had been launched in 1962. The roadster was a successful and popular car, but it had some limitations, such as a lack of luggage space, poor weather protection, and noisy ride. The idea was to add a fixed roof and a hatchback to the roadster, creating a 2 + 2 car that could accommodate two adults and two (smallish) children and their belongings, while still retaining the sporty character and performance of the MGB.
 
As early as January 1962 the Abingdon design team, under the direction of John Thornely, had been working on the MGB GT as EX277. The GT was firstly drawn up at Abingdon by Jim Stimson at the request of the MGB lead designer, Syd Enever. These drawings were shown to Longbridge who would have the final sign-off of the model and insisted that the rounded appearance of the roof lacked something.

Instructing that the design be sent to Pininfarina who had a contract to do design work for the company (hence the Farina Austin A40, Farina Austin Cambridge, Morris Oxford, Wolseley 16/60, Riley 4/72, MG Magnette), Pininfarina incorporated the feature line (crease) around the roof and made a protype which was not that much different from the original Abingdon designs. However even Jim Stimson admitted that this improved the looks of the car no end, resulting in a sleek and elegant design that blended harmoniously with the existing MGB chassis and mechanicals. The new car looked like a miniature Aston Martin DB5, with a sloping roofline, a large rear window, and distinctive B-pillars.

The MGB GT made its debut at the London Motor Show in October 1965, and it was an instant success. The car received rave reviews from the press and the public, who praised its looks, practicality, handling, and performance. The MGB GT offered many advantages over the roadster, such as better visibility thanks to an enlarged (deeper) windscreen compared to the roadster, more headroom  - although some say, like the TR7 adverts "the MGB Roadster has 93 million miles of headroom" (roof down of course)!, more boot space and better insulation from noise and vibration. The car also had improved aerodynamics, which increased its top speed by about 5 mph. The MGB GT was also in some markets cheaper than the roadster to insure, as it was classified as a saloon rather than a sports car.
 
The MGB GT was powered by the same 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine as the roadster, producing 95 horsepower and 110 lb-ft of torque. The engine was mated to a four-speed manual gearbox, with an optional overdrive unit. The overdrive operates on both 3rd and 4th gear giving it a 3rd+ and 5th gear or 6 forward ratios overall. The car had independent front suspension, leaf-spring rear suspension, rack-and-pinion steering, and disc brakes at the front and drums at the rear. The car weighed about 2,200 lbs, and could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in about 13 seconds. The car had a top speed of about 105 mph.
 
The MGB GT was produced until 1980, with some changes and improvements over the years. Some of the most notable ones were:

• In 1967, the car received a revised dashboard with rocker switches instead of toggle switches.
• The MK2 had a recessed grille imposed on Abingdon by Longbridge. The MK3 had the MK1 grille surround with an 'eggbox' grille in black which Abingdon designed to replace the recessed grille. The MK4 had rubber bumpers - see images below for comparison.
• The internal door handles were changed with the MK2 incorporating the Morris Marina internal door handles being used on many of the BL cars of the day and replacing the lever handles used on the MK1, which were also used in the MK1 Austin 1100 and UK-built Minis from MK2 on to the end of production.
• In 1971, the car received a new engine with larger valves and improved cylinder head, increasing the power output to 98 horsepower.
• In 1972, the car received a new gearbox with synchromesh on all gears instead of just three.
• In 1974, the car received rubber bumpers instead of chrome ones, to comply with US safety regulations. All MGB GTs use 165-14 tyres. The roadsters sent out with radial shoes were 155-14. The increased ground clearance on the rubber bumper models (roadster & GT) was achieved by raising the suspension which was a Californian legislative requirement to achieve a minimum bumper height..
• In 1975, the car received an electric cooling fan instead of a belt-driven one.

By Anthony Osborne

​We all owe Gar a huge thank you for organising, herding, marshalling and leading us through some of the most fantastic scenery in the British Isles. It is to be driven again, in the other direction, in 2025. Are you going to join us?

By Anthony Osborne

Having checked out of the Spayside Hotel, already full of a generous Scottish breakfast, we were loading up the cars when we noticed we had an addition to the convoy. Eric Dalton had joined us again, having last met us at the museum in Glasgow. It was great to see him again, and his Rover 200 VdP in the car park.
In convoy we set off for our trip over the Cairngorms to Falkirk via Balmoral and the Royal Lochnager Distillery outlet there.
Due to roadworks closing one of the roads we were to drive down there was a slight diversion that added some 21 miles to the route! We arrived at a car park opposite Crathie Church, the church that the Royal Family use when at the Castle. The attraction for the brief visit to the car park was the facilities that were provided, which almost all of us visited for a comfort break (is that too much information?). A short drive and we were at the distillery outlet. We were amazed at the number of whiskeys that were available there, and the cost of some of the rarer ones (I would have had to take out a mortgage to buy many of them!).  ​

​Once again the scenery was fantastic, even if it was spoiled by the ski lifts that crossed the area (we hope that they have good snow in the winter to attract visitors to the area).