MID-WEEK RUN – BUTCHERS SHOP HOTEL, BUNYIP. Thursday 24th November.

As I am now working Monday to Wednesday and have been for most of this year, about the only club outings we have been able to attend are Breakfast Clubs. So it was when I read that this month?s midweek run was to be on a Thursday, we decided to roll one of the classics out of the shed (choice dependent upon weather) and join John ?and Jan Fowler?s midweek ?tour.

Thursday 24^th dawned fine and sunny, and was looking good for a run in the MG Midget, however, a less than promising forecast? saw my choice over ruled – the car of choice became the Cooper S.

We met with others at the Darnum Stump Tea Rooms for an 11.00am start, the bravest of us being Gus and Sue Luke in the MGA with soft top stowed.

Participants were; John and Jan Fowler in the MX5/Eunos although Jan decided to join June Meehl and Julia Hurst in the Meehl ?Mustang.? Bruce Bluett – Mustang, Mike and Di Whitford – BMW 635 CSI, Ron and Trish Brooks – Brock Commodore, ?Frank and Kate Columbine – modern BMW, ?John Cobbledick – Jaguar XJS Cabriolet, ?Merv and Karen Swingler ? Mustang, and John and Kira Moore in their Mazda MX5. We were also joined by two new members; Jamie Drysdale – Fiat X1/9 and Mark Haley in a Valiant Charger.? It is always good to see and welcome new members to our club.

John had been a busy boy devising not one, but two tours, one being shorter and less winding for those not keen on the hilly country. All the above drove the longer hilly tour, while the shorter tour was enjoyed just as much by June Meehl, Julia Hurst and Jan Fowler (Mustang), Gus and Sue Luke (MGA), John Weymouth (Sunbeam Alpine),? Rod and Grace Smith (MG TD),? Bob and Sue Murphy (BMW Z4) and on arrival at Bunyip we were met by Peter and Anne Whitney in their Holden Monaro.

If I have forgotten anybody or misspelt any names, please accept my sincere apologies.

The long run took us south of Darnum to the Ellinbank area via Parkers lane and Bull Swamp road. We then ran along Hamiltons Road to Lardners Track where we turned left towards Tetoora.? Torwood-Topiram Road is a road I have never been on and discovered that it was quite enjoyable, although quite wet. After travelling via Pheasant Creek we turned towards Drouin and completed the trip via the Drouin- Korumburra Road to Drouin South, then the Westernport Road, Coster Road, Longwarry-Kooweerup Road, and Nar Nar Goon- Longwarry Road to Bunyip.

Weather did turn foul soon after starting off from Darnum which put a bit of a dampener on things (forgive the pun). At one stage with the wind and rain at its worst, I was reminded of the joys of driving a Mini with the wipers sweeping about 2mm above the glass barely moving the water, and all the while the single speed (fast) wipers doing their level best to throw themselves off the side of the windscreen.

We took over the dining room of the Butchers Shop Hotel in Bunyip, and enjoyed good food and good company in cosy surroundings.?? All thanks must go to John and Jan Fowler for organising the tour.? We all enjoy our cars and judging from the noise over lunch we also enjoy the company of like-minded people, and I think this is what makes this club so successful.

Words by Allan Richards, photos by Ron Brooks and John Fowler.

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