We are delighted to report that TR Register member Simon Leifer's 1968 Triumph TR5 has been short listed by Sir Stirling Moss as one of 30 cars competing for one of the three prestigious daily "Best in Show" awards at this weekends Goodwood Revival (11th, 12th and 13th September).

Ten cars will be displayed on each of the three days located 'Over the Road' at the Stewart Miller & Peter James Insurance Stand - and all visitors will be very welcome to view them.

A proven extensive race winner this stunning Triumph TR5 was recommissioned to road going use in 2003 and registered with FIVA.

The "Best in Show" winner each day will be presented by Sir Stirling Moss with a magnum of Veuve Clicquot Champagne, an engraved silver salver, a £100 insurance voucher from Stewart Miller & Peter James Insurance and, of course, Goodwood Revival 2016 tickets.

Furthermore, the TR Register's very own 'TS2' will be supporting Simon Leifer with its appearance in the Revival Car Show held across the three days of the Goodwood Revival Weekend. TS2 is the first right-hand drive TR ever made and was the press vehicle for Standard Triumph. It is held in trust and maintained by the TR Register who allows its members access to this historically important vehicle.

Simon needs your vote: you can vote online now by clicking on the button below or on the Stewart Miller & Peter James Insurance Stand 'Over the Road' at Revival. Let's hear it for the TR5!

Vote Now: http://www.peterjamesinsurance.co.uk/2015_revival_car_show_best_in_show/rcs-bis-saturday-shortlist.html

TS2 will be present throughout the Goodwood Revival on display in the Revival Car Show area.

As we sprint towards the end of the season, many of the Revington TR / TR Register Sprint and Hillclimb positions seem settled but there are a number of key battles still going on.

Isn't it wonderful that out most fiercely competitive class we see four different cars and their drivers competing for glory? Class 3A sees Neil Revington (Beta), Andy Bradnum (GT6 Mk III), Dale Huxford (Spitfire Mk IV) and Tony Browne (Dolly Sprint) all still in with their chance of glory. Upping the power into class 3B sees Rod Warner (TR7 V8), Robert MacGregor (Dolly Sprint) and Jim Johnstone (TR6) fighting it out.

Elsewhere the TR6s tend to dominate. In Class 2B Roger McEwen and Nick Smith are dicing for the honours. In Class 1D, it's Graham Howard and Jim Berry. And in 2A it's between Alan Yeo and Chris Roberts in the Vitesse.

So there you have it. For the 2015 season we had 26 competitors registered driving 10 different types of Triumph. It really doesn't matter what type of four wheeled Triumph you own, you'd be made most welcome in our Revington TR / TR Register Sprint and Hillclimb Championship. Come and join us in 2016.

Our congratulations go to Simon Leifer and his gorgeous TR5 who after being selected by a team of panelists from Stewart Miller and Peter James Insurance companies appeared in the Best In Show display within this years Revival Car Show area. During each of the three days of the event, Sir Stirling Moss singled out a winner from the cars assembled. On Saturday, the victorious vehicle that tickled Sir Stirling Moss's fancy was the ex- racing TR5 of TR Register member Simon Leifer.

Sir Stirling Moss presenting Simon Leifer with Best In Show for his TR5

Also in attendance was the TR Register's 'TS2', the first right - hand drive TR2 ever built. The car sat alongside a whole selection of classics, proudly displaying its story to the many thousands in attendance and generated huge interest from the public, exhibitors and the press alike. The TR Register hopes that this will be the beginning of an increasingly higher profile of the club at the event in future years.

Other prominent TRs were also in attendance including the ex-works TR4 , 3VC driven by the clubs Technical Director, Tony Sheach plus a huge number of others on display around the Revival Car Show area.

A fifties rocker stops by to admire TS2

The Burlen Fuels stand featured the Le Mans Triumph TR3S tribute car of Paul Hogan, just over a year after its fantastic outing at the Le Mans Classic as part of the Penrite Oils and TR Register Le Mans team.

TR3S tribute on the Burlen Fuels stand

Another notable TR in the form of the ex-works Maurice Gatsonides Coupe des Alpes winning Triumph TR2 was to be seen in the trade village promoting a series of exciting looking vintage rally events across Europe. This left hand drive TR2 still competes wearing its original PDU 20 registration plate.

Ex-works TR2 on display

Goodwood Revival Highlights

There were many highlights of the Goodwood Revival this year both on and off the track.

An electric atmosphere was generated on Day one as the Freddie March memorial trophy braved the heavy rain showers to race on into dusk with a sight reminiscent of Le Mans in the 1950s with Jaguars aplenty. The victory went to Derek Hood and Chris Ward in their Cooper Jaguar.

There was much drama elsewhere in this race when Jochen Mass, Le Mans legend missed his mandatory pitstop whilst running in 5th position and incurred a 20 second penalty in his gull wing Mercedes to eventually finish the race in 16th.

David Hart,1959 Jaguar Lister in the Sussex Trophy

Kriton Lendoudis, 1959 Lister Chevrolet "Knobbly" leads Jo Bamford and Christian Hore in their 1955 Jaguar D-Types. Sussex Trophy.

Stunningly quick 1928 Frazer Nash saloon called "The Owlett" in the Brooklands Trophy gave the big Talbots a run for their money.

Multiple Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen put on a breathtaking performance at the helm of his Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt prepared by Alan Mann in the St Marys trophy. Tom Kristensen and Henry Mann went on to win the trophy overall on aggregate with Sundays second race ably won in their 7 litre Ford powered beast. Elsewhere on the grid the crowd cheered on a battle scarred Alfa Romeo GTA to take 5th while touring car ace Matt Neal battled hard with Mike Jordan for second and third in their Lotus Cortinas.

Winning honours of the events flagship "Lavant Cup" went to James Cottingham and his 1957 Ferrari TRC 500 in a grid that included Nick Masons 250MM Ferrari as well as thirty other rare Ferrari's contributing to a grid worth in excess of £150 million.

Ferrari 246S Dino of Bobby Verdon-Roe

Clive Joys 1955 Jaguar D-Type

Celebrity chef James Martin "overcooks it" in his Mini at the Chicane on Day 1.

In the air

In the air, the hundreds of thousands strong crowd witnessed a memorable event on Sunday when 12 Spitfires flew over the Goodwood Estate in formations of four, to commemorate the Battle of Britain. Simultaneously , surviving veterans were chauffeured around the circuit in period Jeeps as the humbled crowd showed their appreciation and respect with continuous applause.

The Goodwood Revival event continues year on year to grow from strength to strength and this year provided Lord March with another sell out crowd for the best that historic racing has to offer.

12 Spitfires took to the air on Sunday at the Goodwood Revival

The public had a chance to get up close to these iconic aircraft

Off the track

Off the track and Chris Evans was selling off a large number of vehicles from his collection of cars in the Bonhams auction. Although a Jaguar XKSS, Chitty Bang Bang replica and a Ferrari 250 GT/L Lusso all found new homes some of the cars in the Evans lot failed to meet reserve although there was much interest in his collection of memorabilia that was sold to raise money for Children in Need.

The big money went on a very tasty 1965 Aston Martin DB5 convertible which changed hands for a cool £1,087,900. Followed closely by Rolling Stone Keith Richards Bentley "Blue Lena" which fetched a frankly eye watering £763,100

Mods, Rockers and the 1960s.

Ferrari dominated the Earls Court Motor Show reenactment. 

Kop Hill, located in the Chilterns, an area of outstanding natural beauty, near the market town of Princess Risborough, Buckinghamshire, played host to an estimated 15,000 plus visitors over the weekend of September 19/20th 2015, as the setting for an annual hill climb event which is now in its 7^th consecutive year. Covering a distance of 0.7 miles, with an ascent of 324ft, the hill has an average gradient of 10% over its full length, but close to the top it reaches 25%, making it a good test for brakes and clutch.

As in previous years, the vast range of vintage, classic and performance cars and motorcycles did not disappoint, with over 500 vehicles taking part. Of particular note was the high number of pre-war vehicles, the oldest of which being almost a century old.

What many may not know is that Kop Hill first staged a hill climb in 1910, which makes it one of the oldest venues in the UK for such events. In those early years, the hill witnessed such illustrious names as Malcolm Campbell, driving his 12hp Talbot Blue Bird, and Count Zborowski in an eight cylinder, aero-engined, GP Ballot.

However, by 1925 concern was growing for the safety of spectators at such events, and following an accident on the hill in which a spectator's leg was broken after being hit by a car, Kop Hill became the site of the last competition hill climb staged on a public highway.

Enough of the history, the modern, revival event might be more about show than about competition, but what a show. Some highlights this year included the 24 litre, two tonne monster Napier-Railton capable of 165mph plus owned by Brooklands Museum and the 1922 Isle of Man TT winning Sunbeam Grand Prix car, both of which ran the hill. But it's not all about vintage, famous petrol-head and Jamiroquai frontman Jay Kay thundered up the hill in his bright green Ferrari LaFerrari to wow the crowd.

Also in action on the hill were a number of Triumphs of the non-TR variety, including a 1929 Super 7 Special, 858cc/7hp; a 1933 Gloria Special, 1767cc; and a 1938 Triumph Dolomite, 1767cc, to name but a few.

TR Register Chiltern Group cars, plus some from further afield, including the Glavon group, drew a lot of interest from visitors, including rallying legend and event patron Paddy Hopkirk, who stopped by for a cuppa and reminded us that he had driven a TR3A to victory at the Circuit of Ireland in 1958. Hopefully, he has now forgiven Triumph for firing him after a later event, where he continued to drive the Stelvio Pass on a flat tyre and in so doing destroyed the car's suspension.

With its display of up to 22 Triumphs at various times over the course of the weekend, the TR Register required the largest pitch on the field and had more cars on show than any other club. Our stand was well organised and the hospitality shown to members and visitors alike was second to none. It was a delight to be greeted with a warm welcome, hot drinks and a fry-up after a chilly early morning drive. Several group members chipped in with supplies, and also to help with the catering, under the watchful eye of our Head Chef Dave Broomhead. Our thanks goes to all those that helped.

Chiltern Group Leader Peter Bowden reported that the group signed up several new members at the event, proving that it's not all about eating, drinking and having a merry time of it.

For Triumph enthusiasts, the highlight of the event had to be seeing not just one, but two rare and exquisite Italias, including Ian Tomlinson's which won the Peter Lewis Trophy for the car visitors would most like to take home, as voted for by the public.

Ian's Italia also ran the hill, as did Ian Smith's 1954 long-door TR2, Roger Chamberlain's 1968 TR5 PI, and Dave Broomhead's TR6, along with well-known club member Ian Cornish in his equally well-known Triumph Works Rally TR4, 4VC, which he has owned since 1969.

Nowadays, of course, the hill run is a non-competitive, un-timed event, but Ian relayed the Chief Marshal's compulsory briefing as follows, "We are subject to the provisions of the Road Traffic Act, which means a 60 mph speed limit. However, from the bottom of the hill, I am unable to see our speedometers, and I am aware that speedos often exaggerate a car's performance! The important thing is that we don't do anything silly, we obey the signals given by the marshals, and we remain on the tarmac."

For modern cars and motorcycles, Kop Hill's gradient is not particularly challenging, but many of the older vehicles have to drop down through the gears in order to achieve the summit.

Ian Cornish talked me through how he drives the hill, "I leave the line using 5000 rpm in 1st, 2nd, overdrive 2nd and then 3rd, which means that the car is doing about 72 mph by the time I enter the shade of the trees, a couple of wiggles and the steepest part of the climb. I don't find that transition into the shade easy as there's no white line down the centre of the road, so I tend to ease the accelerator a fraction, then ram it down hard, still in 3^rd, as the trees thin and I head for the brow. As I crest that, the final marshal post appears on the right, the chequered flag is waving and so it's throttle off and brake gently for the approaching T-junction. Having an overdrive which engages immediately at 5000 rpm helps greatly, as it means just a single gear shift until some 60 mph, when I'm into 3rd."

All in all, the Kop Hill climb is a fabulous event for enthusiasts who prefer to see (and hear) cars in action, rather than just as part of a static display. No date has yet been set for the 2016 event, but as soon as it is I'll be booking my tickets. For more information about the event, visit: http://www.kophillclimb.org.uk

Author: Darren Cummings, TR5 owner and TR Register member.

Kop Hill Facts

• Over £240,000 has been raised for local charities since the revival started seven years ago
• Over 400 historic cars and motorcycles can be seen at the event.
• Kop Hill is one of the oldest Hillclimb venues in England with the first recorded races taking place in 1910.

This years TR International Weekend once again featured our hotly contested competition for Concours D'Elegance and Pride of Ownership Awards.

Every year the standard of the cars entered blows the judges away and this year was no exception. With a total of 31 entries across the two competitions there was plenty of interest for the 2,000 attendees and lots of difficult decisions to be made by the team of judges.

The TR Register wishes to thank Andrew Heywood and his team for organising the contest once again and also a huge thanks to all that entered their magnificent Triumphs. Also we must extend a huge debt of gratitude to Meguiars who once again proudly sponsored the event and without whom we could not run such a coveted event.

We look forward to seeing another packed entry list for the Concours D'Elegance and Pride of Ownership awards at the TR International Weekend next year to be held at Lincoln Showground 15th - 17th July 2016.

Pride of Ownership Results 2015

Concours D'Elegance Results 2015

For the fifth year running, the Red Rose group have represented the TR Register at the Manchester Classic Car show at the City Events Centre next to the Trafford Centre. As a little bit of background to the show, the group of people who ran the International Birmingham show for many years run it. Andy Rouse, one of the organisers approached us at one of the Tatton Park Classic shows and asked if we would be interested in entering, this was an opportunity to good to miss so we started planning.

Andrew Heywood came on board to help with finding the best cars within the group and with the help of TR Bitz, who supplied a TR5 running chassis for a car they were re-building; we managed to put on a good show. At the first show we had been given a stand towards the rear of the building, the second year brought us further towards the entrance. In order to try to gain a more advantages position we put in a request to the TR Register for the exhibition equipment and staff it possible. This was granted and again we obtained a better position. Each year we changed the cars and improved the presentation with the lighting gantry and the backdrop from the Club and each year TR Bitz providing something interesting we have managed to attract much more attention.

Last year we where directly in front of the main entrance with a fully carpeted stand. To one side a massif Mercedes stand including their own mobile kitchen, chef and pianist to keep the members happy. (We can but dream). However, we still managed to attract attention with the cars including the Concourse TR5 of .

Coming to this year again we were in the prime position opposite the entrance again not only competing with Mercedes but also Aston Martin and Porsche, who we hid behind the screens, in front of us, on the main passage way, along the wall were the Concourse entrants. The van arrived from Didcot after the usual extended trip up the M40, M5 and M6, for anyone who has had to do this trip will know that it is a journey to miss. With the help of the Red Rose members present, we managed to get Nigel Cluley and his men quickly back on the road home. The remaining members finished up by setting out the seven cars we had room for, everyone has to be out of the hall by 8.00 pm. We followed the International Weekend theme by highlighting the three anniversary cars. In all we had two TR7s convertible, one fixed head, one TR3 one TR4 one TR4A one TR6 and the star of the stand Roger Hinds TR2. The amount in interest shown in Rogers's car is amazing; however, I do not think we managed to convince anyone that it was the result of too much polishing.

Many may ask are car shows like this worth all of the hard work that goes into them, I believe that for us who organize them the answer must be yes mainly for the public who come and show their appreciation of the cars and especially for the interest shown by the younger ones who get to sit in them. My thanks go to Andrew, the Red Rose members and John Sykes for their continued involvement.

Words - Bob Eccles, Group Leader of Red Rose TRs.
Picture - David Copley

The NEC Classic Motor Show once again provided the classic car world a season finale on a massive scale over the weekend of 13 - 15th November. The Birmingham based show is a leviathan of an event with over 1,800 cars, 300 bikes and 250 car clubs as well as the UKs largest indoor autojumble.

The TR Register was represented across four different stands and displays within the show this year.

The main TR Register stand featured a headline act from the Jigsaw racing supplied Triumph Italia race car that was unveiled to the UK public for the first time in nearly two decades at the 2015 TR International Weekend.

A before and after sidescreen restoration theme featured the "wooden spoon" condition TR2 of Roger Hinds and the gorgeous recently completed TR3A restoration of David Gillespie.

A European touring TR6, owned by the clubs Overseas Director , Chris Hale create a lot of interest around the clubs new TR Tours scheme.

A highly modified TR7V8 coupe brought the model range up to date with the fantastically engineered car of Phil Hughes.

A real showstopper, the magnificent Fiberfab Jamaican captured the imagination of many who stopped to admire this stunning special based on a TR4A owned by Andy Somerville.

Elsewhere the recently rebranded TR Youth group had their own stand within the newly designated young owners area and displayed a series of TR related pedal cars, an entry level Triumph Spitfire, two TR6s and the stripped out supercharged TR4 all owned and maintained by TR Register members under the age of 35.

The TR Register affiliated Swallow Doretti stand had a fantastic beach theme to enjoy and the Meguiars display featured the winner from the TR International Weekend concours, the emerald green TR6 of Paul Griffies from Cheshire.

Another TR Register member's car was entered in the Meguiars Pride of Ownership display at this years NEC Classic Motor Show. Steve Barlett's gorgeous 1954 TR2 looked fantastic following its recent rebuild in time for the 2015 National Drive it Day back in April.

This years show was particularly successful for the TR Register, with the club winning the inaugural Classic and Sportscar Award for "Best Club Initiative of the Year." Every year the C&SC awards are held after the first day of the show to recognise the efforts of classic car clubs and their volunteers. This year a new category for best club initiative was added and the judges were particularly impressed with the series of Technical Seminars the TR Register launched in 2015.

The nomination, which was prepared by the clubs Press Officer, Wayne Scott detailed the series of day long seminars held throughout the year as well as the free sessions held at the TR International Weekend. The judges mentioned the collaboration with TR specialist companies and we must extend a huge thank you to Pete Cox, the teams at TR Enterprises and at Revington TR. Without their willingness to share specialist skills, this program would not have been possible. Thanks are also extended to the members who deliver seminars at the TR International Weekend like electrical matters from Tony Thomson, Lead loading by Stuart Edwards and Superchargers by Peter Cobbold. Furthermore Chris Hale, Paul Tunnadine and Ian Brown deserve recognition for organising and coordinating the seminars and to Robert Longstaff for covering them in TR Action Magazine.

The judges were also impressed by the follow up media coverage on the Technical Seminars including the free videos available to members via the members area of the TR Register website.

Simon Taylor , compere for the evening said on the C&SC website "Our winning scheme recognises that classic owners have differing mechanical abilities. Some will strip down a cylinder head of a lunchtime, whereas others might be reluctant to take a spanner to their pride and joy. So the ideal solution – and one that could be adopted at any club with sufficient resources – would be technical seminars aimed at basics, such as MoT prep work, intermediate (tackling your suspension perhaps) and advanced levels – maybe an engine rebuild. Just such a scheme – and it's already proved successful – has been set up by set up by the TR Register, which wins the Lancaster Insurance Club Initiative of the Year."

But the winning didn't stop there, the TR Register affiliated Swallow Doretti register won 'Best Club Themed Stand' for their beach style, ice cream stand adorned display complete with matching Hawaiian shirts!

Later in the weekend, the TR Register was awarded £150 towards club funds by the FBHVC following Bill Piggotts impressive display of superior knowledge in the Footman James motoring quiz, the clubs Financial Director Mervyn Parkes received the award on behalf of the TR Register.

The TR Register dedicated its display this year to the memory of Colin Boother, a regional group leader for Cotswold Vale who passed away in November this year. A minutes silence followed by tea and coffee was held on the stand in Hall 3 at 1pm on the Friday to coincide with a large convoy of TRs attending his funeral in Pershore that afternoon.

You can walk around the TR Register stand at this years NEC Classic Motor Show with the video below:

Sunday the 1st November 2015 saw the TR Register Annual General Meeting take place at the Heritage Motor Museum, Gaydon.

The meeting was chaired by Vice Chairman Chris Hale following the news that Chairman Phil Tucker had been taken ill moments before the meeting started. We are happy and relieved to learn that Phil Tucker is feeling much better after a spell of rest and recuperation on doctor's advice and is recovering well.

The main headline from the formal part of the AGM proceedings for 2015 was the successful election of three very worthy Honorary Memberships.

Willy Cave
Willy, now in his late 80s, has been rallying since the 1950s and is competing still! In the 1950s, he navigated in TR3s twice for Paddy Hopkirk and once for John Waddington, then in TR4 3VC three times for John Sprinzel. He has navigated for almost every well-known rally driver at some time and, for Historic Rallies, remains highly respected and sought after. Alfa.
Peter Tokely
The story of Peter Tokely's rise to victory in class at the 1977 Scottish Rally Championship was revealed for the very first time in TR Action 279 released back in January 2015. The story is that of true grit and determination, of running a rally team on a hugely tight budget and taking on the factory cars with great success.
Mark Treadwell
Marks first TR was a TR6 which he owned when he joined the TR Register 1979 and he also owns a TR4. On joining he immediately threw himself into all things TR and very shortly after joining got elected as Kent Group Leader a position he held from 1979 – 1986.
In 1992 Mark was elected to Committee/Board as South East Coordinator where he worked tirelessly to support members in his area until he stepped down in 2014. During that time Mark became the TR Registers first Deputy/Vice Chairman in 2003 a position he held until 2013, serving two Chairmen Ian Evans and Chris Cunnington, also during this period he was Chairman of the Admin Sub Committee.

The meeting also included a look back at the previous years activities in pictures which was presented as a video compiled by Wayne Scott:

Elsewhere, all directors positions up for election were uncontested and voted on by show of hands. The meeting recorded thanks for the hard work of Roger Hogarth and Nigel Jordan who had chosen not to stand for re-election to South – East and South area director positions respectively. There were no other candidates standing for these positions.

At the beginning of the meeting the accounts and the appointment of the independent reviewers Mulhall and Co. were all passed by show of hands. There was some discussion over the grammatical content of the minutes but the meeting approved these as a true reflection of the 2014 meeting.

Vice - chairman Chris Hale also informed the meeting that due to an error in the nomination, the vote for a new Honorary Vice President had to be withdrawn and deferred until the 2016 meeting.

Club officer's reports included the chairman's review of the year, read out on Phil Tucker's behalf by Chris Hale plus a report from the clubs magazine Editor and Press Officer Wayne Scott.

Further details on these reports will be available in the meeting minutes due to be published online in mid – December.

The following resolution was voted on via a poll to include all voters present and those voting via proxy. As per The Companies Act 2006, any resolution that requires a change to the clubs Articles of Association must be classed as a special resolution and therefore required a three-quarters majority. The following resolution was not supported by the membership and was therefore not adopted:

Resolution proposed by Ian Cornish (152) and seconded by Mike Ellis (299).
Articles of Association, TR Owners Club Ltd.
That the existing Clause 22(1), which states:
" An Honorary President of the Club may be nominated by the Directors and elected at the AGM to hold office for a period for life".
be replaced with the following:
" Clause 22(1) An Honorary President of the Club shall be elected by a vote of the members at an Annual General Meeting. An Honorary President shall hold office for a period of three years unless he resigns or becomes disqualified because a bankruptcy order is made against him, or because a composition is made with his creditors generally in satisfaction of his debts. If the Meeting at which an Honorary President retires from office does not elect another person to be Honorary President, the retiring Honorary President, if willing to act, shall continue in office until the end of the Annual General Meeting in the next following year. The period of notice for nomination as Honorary President shall be 60 days from the date of receipt of nomination to expire on the day before the AGM. The nomination must be accompanied by the names of the proposer and seconder (who must be Members of the Club) and a disclosure of the nominee's business and motoring interests."

Discussions under 'any other business' at the end of the meeting included questions from the floor relating to the role of the Honorary Vice President positions and also the announcement of the return of a TR Team to Le Mans Classic in 2016 from Paul Hogan. More details on that will follow in a future update soon.

The Annual TR Register Awards also took place following the conclusion of formal business at the Annual General Meeting with the following results:

Andy Spencer was awarded a Gold Award for long and outstanding service as a Group Leader over two decades and Kevin Bryant was recognised for his continued hard work and dedication to providing the TR Register with two track days a year over the past few seasons. Clubmans awards this year recognised the organisation of the TR Register's Scottish Weekend by Cliff McKinnon and a tireless amount of voluntary work for Glavon group by Andy West.

The meeting enjoyed the amusing moment when Tony Sheach introduced himself to the wall of Avon Hall during the AutoSolo at this years TR International Weekend, a moment that scooped Tony Sheach the highly prized "Pratt of the Year Award". A previous pratt of three years running Wayne Scott said "Tony was a worthy winner for a truly special head in hands, DOH! .. moment."

This year the Wheelspinner award went to Wensum group for their heart warming display of compassion earlier on the year when they helped a mum who had lost her young daughter to illness surprise her TR5 fanatic father after he had provided her with such important support during a truly terrible time. Wensum group organised a hotel, lunch, dinner and a day of driving for Heather McCaughleys father who later said that it had been a truly special and memorable day.

TR Action awards went to David Gillespies serialised restoration of his TR3A and for best picture to Nigel Clueley for his awesome shot of Spitfires at Goodwood framed over his Peerless. The web award recognised an early adopter of the TR Register's new overseas group websites by IG Sudwest Germany's Arthur Williams.

The Eddie Holden Award, one of the TR Register's highest accolades this year went to Alan Gibb. Alan has spent the last three decades enthusiastically involving members in Scotland and beyond with the TR Register's activities in many roles within the club including his current position as Grampian Group leader.

This years AGM saw another award being announced on behalf of the entire Standard Triumph Movement. Representatives from the Stag Owners Club, Dolomite Club, Club Triumph and Standard Motor Club visited the meeting to recognise the outstanding contribution to the Standard Triumph movement that Graham Robson has given over many years, including the formation of the Standard Triumph Forum of clubs.

More details on the 2015 AGM will be included in the official minutes which will be published online during mid - December.

Many thanks to Dale Huxford and Andy McGowan for sending us these awesome shots of the TR Register Hillclimb and Sprint Championship round at Prescott on October 3rd 2015, results and report to follow!

It rained, it rained and it rained some more, then too late the sun came out. Rod put up his gazebo thank goodness although it did get a little crowded on occasions.

So it was that the main objective of the Sprint was to keep the car on the black stuff, and not every Triumph succeeded; it was expected of Bob but not necessarily of all the others, but no damage was done except to egos.

Fastest on the day was Rod Warner in his nearly looking shiny TR7 V8 that clearly had some exotic rain tyres fitted, but he didn't collect the maximum points as Dale Huxford put in a great performance despite spinning. Third in the points chase was Tom Purves in his most immaculate TR3A that had its hood up for the first time this year. The results show how the scoring system gives a fair result to all cars regardless of the BHP / Tonne or weather.

The Sprint results were:

Words by: Roger McEwen
All action photos except where indicated courtesy of Steve Cox - Classic Marques.

To download the entry forms and provisional timetable for the 2016 season visit the Motorsport Downloads page.

This year has, in my view, been the most successful Championship season this century. We have seen an increase in the car types being used and some fantastic turnouts at events, although there were a number of events with no entries. The new Class Structure and Bogey Times continue to prove their value in comparing car and driver performances.

Congratulations to Nick Smith winning the Championship at the third from last event, and to all the award winners and competitors.

The awards for 2015, presented by our sponsors Revington TR, are:

26 TR Register members entered the Championship this year, the same as 2014. There were 8 entrants in Class 1, 12 in Class 2 and 11 in Class 3, with some entrants using cars from more than one class during the year. There were seven non-TRs being driven.

21 competed at events, a decrease of 3 on last year, with five competitors unable to make the start line.

The average turn out at events was 5.2 competitors compared to 4.6 last year.

The average number of events per competitor was 5.0, higher than last year, with the highest being 12 by Nick Smith and Roger McEwen, followed by Rod Warner with 10.

Ten competitors scored the maximum points at an event, with Nick Smith scoring seven maximums. Fifteen competitors did the required 5 events to count for the Championship a major increase over previous years.

The best supported event was the Reg Phillips Trophy Meeting at Shelsley Walsh in July with 15 Championship competitors. Both Gurston Down events were very well supported with 14 at the April Meeting and 12 at the September Meeting. Unusually there were less than double figures at the Prescott Autumn Classic and the final Castle Combe sprint.

Four events on the calendar did not have any Championship representation which is very disappointing to the Championship and the event organisers, although not as bad as 2014. It is interesting to note that one of these events was again the 5 Clubs Wiscombe Hillclimb that was very well supported some years ago.

Two new venues were on the calendar. A sprint at Hullavington airfield organised by Bristol Pegasus as a replacement for Colerne at the very beginning of the season, and a sprint at Croft Circuit organised by Darlington and DMC on Easter Monday that increased our exposure in the North, although it was not very well attended. In addition Curborough returned to our calendar with the RSSOC Festival using the figure of eight circuit. Unfortunately it was not very well attended probably due to its late inclusion.

Championship entrants also competed in speed events that are not on the calendar including Isle of Man, Motorsport at the Palace, Shelsley Classic Nostalgia and Bo'ness Hillclimb.

The Championship held Test Days at Castle Combe and Blyton Park that proved very successful, with a good turn out of TR Register members in many varieties of Triumph. Thanks go to Kev Bryant for organising these so well.

Words by Roger Mcwen
Header image : Andy McGowan
Lower image : Steve Cox , Classic Marques

Over 70 members from as far afield as Stockton-on Tees, Loughborough, South Wales and even Devon brought 35 TR's and Peerless's together for an unforgettable weekend in the Lakes.

"Just wanted you to know how much we enjoyed the Autumn Ball weekend. It was clear that a lot of hard work was undertaken by Cumbria Group to make the event such a success. We are fairly new to the TR club scene and it was for us a fantastic introduction to the enthusiasm and professionalism of the people involved. The accommodation, food, the runs out and, not least, the way in which other members made us feel so welcome was beyond expectations. A hearty well done".

This email from Cliff and Margaret Verrill from Cambs Followers in the East Midlands, was just one of the many e-mails, cards and compliments we received following the inaugural TR Register Autumn Ball held at the Windermere Hydro. The sun shone all weekend making the views over Lake Windermere quite breathtaking and a good time was had by everyone.

Friday evening started with a fabulous hot and cold buffet at the Windermere Hydro and everyone mixed with plenty of friendly conversation. Moving through to an adjoining suite, we were treated to a tutored wine tasting by Guy and Linda Pugh from Garstang in Lancashire. Guy had chosen some excellent wines, including an excellent Reisling with an oily, petrolly bouquet and a stunning Italian Amarone to finish.

The run out on Saturday took us through Ambleside then the A593 through Coniston village and Torver to briefly join the A595 at Broughton in Furness. After crossing Duddon Bridge we turned right to ascend the unfenced, single track road over Corney Fell with a wonderful view to the sea over Ravenglass and Seascale. We then rejoined the A595 and drove past Muncaster Castle then a right through Gubbergill to Stanton Bridge and Nether Wasdale and the hidden gem of Wast Water. A welcoming buffet lunch at the Strands Inn was excellent. The village was lined with TR's of every colour, quite a sight! After lunch, still bathed in Autumn sunshine with the tops down, we retraced our steps to Stanton Bridge where we bore left towards Eskdale while some of our more adventurous members turned off to tackle the Hardknott and Wrynose passes, while the rest of us chose to come over Birker Fell (only a 1 in 4 Descent)to rejoin the A595 and then the A5092 and the A590 to Newby Bridge and back to Bowness on Windermere, with time to rest before the TR Ball in the evening.

The ladies wore their posh frocks, the men resplendent in black tie and dinner suits and Jim wore his fabulous McLean tartan kilt and sporran!

The tables were suitably named as Pistons, Overdrives, Carburettors, Crankshafts, Headlights, Tappets, Camshafts and Differentials.

The Menu was, of course, TR Inspired:

TR2 Motoring Melon Fantasia
TR3 TR Tomato and Basil Soup
TR4 Wheelie Lovely Lemon Sorbet
TR4a Peerless Roast Beef served with
Radiator Roasted Potatoes
Triumphant Seasonal Vegetables
TR5 Six Cylinder Cranrachan
TR6 Classic Chassis Cheese and Braking Biscuits
TR7 Castrol Coffee and Molyslip Mints

While dinner was being served the Hotel's in house magician moved from table to table keeping the guests amused at his sleight of hand tricks with cards, ropes and real money.

After dinner we danced till 1am, with a brilliant selection of music. Many kicked off their shoes and let their hair down. A few were still in the bar till nearly 2am - quite a night!

After a hearty breakfast on Sunday there was a short run down the Lake to the Lakeland Motor Museum and everyone had a free pass to get in. The displays included Early Motoring in the English Lake District. a 1920's garage, Back to the Future, an Isle of Man TT Tribute and some Vincent Motorcycles. The Museum also houses the not to be missed Donald Campbell Bluebird Exhibition which includes a full sized replica of the famous Bluebird K7 (1967).

After many fond farewells everyone made their way home with lots of requests to " Don't forget to invite us to the next one!"

Lakeland Motor Museum

Words and pictures by Anne Whitehead and Jim McVey

Two new area coordinators have been appointed by the TR Register Car Club to serve the local groups in two of the clubs southern areas. The two coordinator positions will follow a format that has already proven to be an effective arrangement in the North - East and Scotland. They will not be voting members on the board of Directors but instead will work closely with both the board of directors to report back from the local groups in their area.

The new coordinators both aim to continually to improve communication links both amongst local groups and the TR Register as a whole and to lso help facilitate combined activities between neighbouring groups in the future. We hope that all the local groups in the areas concerned will welcome these two experienced and enthusiastic volunteers to their new roles and support them in every aspect of their volunteer work for the TR Register Car Club.

Meet the New Area Coordinators

They are both called 'Roberts' but as far as we know, they are not related! Lets find out more about them...

Jeff Roberts - South East Area Coordinator

Jeff first became involved with TRs in 1974 when he bought his 1964 Conifer Green TR4. In 1975 he joined the TR Register where he and his wife Lesley became regular members of Chiltern TRs. The TR4 was his daily driver for 3 years but after a company car came on the scene Jeff decided to keep his TR4 as a classic, fully rebuilding the engine and running gear in the early 1980's.

Although the TR is back in the UK these days, In the early 90s Jeff took his TR with him to Germany when he relocated there for a couple of years due to work and as a result gained plenty of experience dealing with the German licensing authorities and strict TUV regulations.

In 1991, to accommodate his two growing children Jeff bought a very early RHD TR3 as a 'barn find'. Ostensibly as a Wedding Anniversary gift for his wife, Jeff spent the next five years rebuilding it from the ground up. About five years ago Jeff discovered through a 'Lost and Found' article in TR Action that his TR3 had an interesting rally history as a privateer in the hands of Leslie Griffiths and Norman Blockley, where it came 4th in Class in the 1956 Alpine Rally and won a Coupe des Alpes along with four other TR3s that to great acclaim had finished in the first 5 places that year.

Jeff's professional background is as an international HR Director with leading global UK and US companies. As part of these activities he has lived with his family in six countries in Europe holding Board level responsibility for 14 countries in Europe, Middle East and Africa. On his return to the UK in 2012 he formed a business of which he is Executive Director, specialising in Business Growth Strategy Development for SMEs and Top Team Development - hence his recent involvement in assisting the TR Register Committee in it's Planning Meeting last December.

Jeff was elected Group Leader of Windsor Forest TRs in December 2013. Since then, Jeff and his Committee have worked hard to grow the Group to become what it is today, an active, diverse, family friendly group. The Group was awarded the Wheelspinner Award in 2014 and in 2015 successfully organised the South East Regional Drive It Day as featured in TR Action.

Jeff enjoys all aspects of TRing, the technical and mental challenge of working on TRs, restoring and rebuilding them and developing them to perform better. He regularly participates in runs, shows and events organised by Windsor Forest, neighbouring TR groups and the TRR and other classic car clubs and in driving further afield in Europe. An important factor for Jeff and something to be developed is the social element of membership - where the club has seen a growing interest and participation from partners and from recent joiners new to TR ownership and the classic car scene.

Jeff's vision for the TR Register is to see it maintain and grow its position as a leading classic car club in the UK and internationally, number one for Triumph TR enthusiasts and for it to develop its activities, products and services in recognition of the needs of today's classic car enthusiast, their partners, families and the changing world in which we live.

Richard Roberts - South Area Coordinator

Richard Roberts has had a life connected to all things Standard Triumph. Richards first connection came about when his Dad bought a Standard Ten which got him familiarised with Standard parts. His father later exchanged this for a Standard Pennant which was destined to be Richards first car. During Richards youth, his father also acquired a 1921 Triumph motorcycle which Richard helped him restore alongside a Triumph bicycle for his 13th birthday!!

Richard Roberts' first foray into TR's was in 1972 when he bought into a share of a TR3. He had a shared TR Register membership at this time attending London group and Apple County meetings until he joined in his own right in 1981. Back then he was driving a Standard Pennant going on to a 1200 Herald, Vitesse 2ltr. Triumph 1300 FWD, and three 2500s Estates.

In the eighties he owned another TR3 and a TR4A with a Hurrell conversion.

Richard Roberts joined The Kennet Valley group in 1982 becoming GL in 1989 and ran the group until 2010. But has remained an active committee member ever since. Richard owns a small fleet of TRs these days comprising of a TR3,TR6 & TR7 convertible.

Contact details for both may be found in the back pages of TR Action Magazine.

The TR Register is excited to learn that Glen Hewett of Protek Engineering in Wallingford, UK has recently acquired the historic Triumph TR2, MVC575 and plans to restore the car to its former glory. The car made history in 1953 during speed trials held on a highway near Jabbeke in Belgium but was dismantled and stored away in 1976 awaiting a restoration that never happened.

Standard Triumph were keen to show the world that their new sports car, the TR2 was faster than its nearest rivals, in particular the Sunbeam Alpine that had completed the run at at Jabbeke in the March of 1953 with 120.135 MPH over a flying mile at the hands of Sheila Van Damm and Sir Stirling Moss.

For Standard Triumph's attempt at the record, Ken Richardson modified the TR2 to reduce drag and included a metal tonneau cover, belly pan and rear wheel spats. Sitting on the floor behind a lightweight plastic windscreen, Richardson achieved only 104.86 mph on his first run on May 20th 1953. However, it was later found that the car had only been running on three cylinders due to a loose spark plug lead! Once that was repaired, the car achieved 124.889 mph for a flying mile - a new top speed record for a two - litre production sports car.

To assist with the renovation TR parts specialist Moss Europe recently announced that they will be supporting the project with a parts sponsorship for Glen, a Moss trade customer for over 30 years.

You can follow the progress of what is set to be a challenging but interesting rebuild over the coming weeks and months through a series of articles in TR Action Magazine 288, with the first instalment released on 16th February 2016.

The Triumph TR7V8 rally car of Alastair Flack from Hamilton Motorsport is one of the most highly modified examples of the marque in competition today - and he built it himself! This weekend, on the 31st January it takes on some stiff competition in the first round of the year in the Motorsport News Circuits Rally.

The Hamilton Motorsport Triumph TR7V8 monster has a cleverly re-engineered monocoque shell with a relocated spare wheel, fuel filler and tank. It is powered by a 3.5 litre Rover V8 fed via a cast alloy crossover injection system using throttle bodies.

Alastair Flack has developed this TR's many uprated components including alloy hubs, adjustable control arms and two-way variable front and rear coil over suspension, during 17 years of TR7V8 rallying. Now, via Hamilton Motorsport he supplies these items to other owners and competitors.

The driver

Alastair Flack comes to the event with a vast experience in rallying beginning in 1985 with a Mini 1275GT. Alastair later progressed through Astra GTEs, Rover SD1s and even a Chevvy powered comp safari Range Rover but has been dedicated to TR7V8 rallying since 1998 having now campaigned four in total. Over the last 17 years he has racked up a number of TR class wins and top ten finishes. This latest TR7V8 is the most modified car Alastair has created and after significant development during 2015 is expected to deliver some exhilarating results in 2016.

The event

The Motorsport News Circuit Rally Championship event features up to 100 cars across five classes determined by engine size from Austin Minis and 1970s Escorts to Subaru Imprezas and now the Triumph TR7V8 of Alastair Flack and Hamilton Motorsport. The 8 round series will challenge competitors with a mixture of bespoke rally stages across various sections of the UK's motor circuits including paddocks, water splashes and perimeter roads as well as the tracks themselves culminating in a finale in mid- 2016.

The Motorsport News supported Circuit Rally Championship in association with MSVR kicked off back in November 2015 at Oulton Park. Alastair Flack and the Hamilton Motorsport Triumph TR7V8 will join the action at Brands Hatch on 31^st January 2016 for Round 5.

Motorsport News is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2016 and will be offering extensive coverage of the action with event previews and reviews. Hamilton Motorsport will also be sharing the story of their preparation and results via their blog at: http://www.hamiltonclassic.co.uk/blog/

The Triumph TR7V8 rally car of Alastair Flack from Hamilton Motorsport is one of the most highly modified examples of the marque in competition today - and he built it himself! This weekend, on the 31st January it takes on some stiff competition in the first round of the year in the Motorsport News Circuits Rally.

The Hamilton Motorsport Triumph TR7V8 monster has a cleverly re-engineered monocoque shell with a relocated spare wheel, fuel filler and tank. It is powered by a 3.5 litre Rover V8 fed via a cast alloy crossover injection system using throttle bodies.

Alastair Flack has developed this TR's many uprated components including alloy hubs, adjustable control arms and two-way variable front and rear coil over suspension, during 17 years of TR7V8 rallying. Now, via Hamilton Motorsport he supplies these items to other owners and competitors.

The driver

Alastair Flack comes to the event with a vast experience in rallying beginning in 1985 with a Mini 1275GT. Alastair later progressed through Astra GTEs, Rover SD1s and even a Chevvy powered comp safari Range Rover but has been dedicated to TR7V8 rallying since 1998 having now campaigned four in total. Over the last 17 years he has racked up a number of TR class wins and top ten finishes. This latest TR7V8 is the most modified car Alastair has created and after significant development during 2015 is expected to deliver some exhilarating results in 2016.

The event

The Motorsport News Circuit Rally Championship event features up to 100 cars across five classes determined by engine size from Austin Minis and 1970s Escorts to Subaru Imprezas and now the Triumph TR7V8 of Alastair Flack and Hamilton Motorsport. The 8 round series will challenge competitors with a mixture of bespoke rally stages across various sections of the UK's motor circuits including paddocks, water splashes and perimeter roads as well as the tracks themselves culminating in a finale in mid- 2016.

The Motorsport News supported Circuit Rally Championship in association with MSVR kicked off back in November 2015 at Oulton Park. Alastair Flack and the Hamilton Motorsport Triumph TR7V8 will join the action at Brands Hatch on 31^st January 2016 for Round 5.

Motorsport News is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2016 and will be offering extensive coverage of the action with event previews and reviews. Hamilton Motorsport will also be sharing the story of their preparation and results via their blog at: http://www.hamiltonclassic.co.uk/blog/

The TR Register is excited to learn that Glen Hewett of Protek Engineering in Wallingford, UK has recently acquired the historic Triumph TR2, MVC575 and plans to restore the car to its former glory. The car made history in 1953 during speed trials held on a highway near Jabbeke in Belgium but was dismantled and stored away in 1976 awaiting a restoration that never happened.

Standard Triumph were keen to show the world that their new sports car, the TR2 was faster than its nearest rivals, in particular the Sunbeam Alpine that had completed the run at at Jabbeke in the March of 1953 with 120.135 MPH over a flying mile at the hands of Sheila Van Damm and Sir Stirling Moss.

For Standard Triumph's attempt at the record, Ken Richardson modified the TR2 to reduce drag and included a metal tonneau cover, belly pan and rear wheel spats. Sitting on the floor behind a lightweight plastic windscreen, Richardson achieved only 104.86 mph on his first run on May 20th 1953. However, it was later found that the car had only been running on three cylinders due to a loose spark plug lead! Once that was repaired, the car achieved 124.889 mph for a flying mile - a new top speed record for a two - litre production sports car.

To assist with the renovation TR parts specialist Moss Europe recently announced that they will be supporting the project with a parts sponsorship for Glen, a Moss trade customer for over 30 years.

You can follow the progress of what is set to be a challenging but interesting rebuild over the coming weeks and months through a series of articles in TR Action Magazine 288, with the first instalment released on 16th February 2016.

The inaugural National Car Club Awards is set to take place on the evening of Saturday 5th March, after the Practical Classics Restoration & Classic Car Show, at the NEC Birmingham.

The event has been sponsored by Tourism Ireland and includes a wide range of categories to recognise the many aspects of car club activities both outside the event and at the show itself.

The panel of judges reads like a list of the great and good in the historic motor scene and includes Danny Hopkins - Editor of Practical Classics, Keith Adams - Editor of Classic Car Weekly, Mike Brewer - presenter of the hit TV series "Wheeler Dealers", Daniel Nwaokolo - NEC Classic Motor Show Event Director, David Whale - FBHVC Chairman and Deputy Director of Tourism Ireland David Boyce.

The TR Register have been shortlisted for the following awards:

• Outstanding Website of the Year
• Outstanding Club Magazine (printed)
• Outstanding support of the next generation
• Club Ambassador of the Year

To read more about the awards and judges visit: www.nationalcarclubawards.com

TR Register members can access discount codes for advance tickets by logging in here

TR Register members David Hudson and Les Gibson are also Ferrari Owners' Club members and undertook what was originally billed as a Ferrari Owners' Club Monza road trip. Originally submitted for publication in TR Action Magazine, you can now read here this entertaining account of when one of Italy's finest teamed up with a Triumph TR7 V8 for the epic road trip.

Outline planning for a European road trip started over four years ago, yet for various reasons it was still only an idea until May 2014, when it was formally unveiled at a club meeting. It was already too late for the trip to happen in summer 2014, but there clearly was interest in a tour to Italy and the Italian Grand Prix.

The basic concept was a DIY approach. With no tour operator we would work out a route and then select and book our own hotels to suit. Initial feedback showed that we could not turn back at Milan, when Maranello (Modena), the home of Ferrari, was so close. Therefore the road-trip would be to Modena and back.

By November 2014 the basic bones of the trip were established: 12 days touring through Germany and the Alps to reach the Italian Grand Prix. An advertising flyer was printed and the trip was officially on the club calendar for 2015. We pressed on with the detail planning.

When diaries and commitments were checked the initial interested group was progressively reduced down and down until only two cars and three enthusiasts remained… But two cars is nearly a "group" and we three persons were definitely going!

In the Red corner: representing Italy, Modena and the Cavallino Rampante… Les Gibson with his glorious hand built and instantly recognisable Ferrari 308GTS. Fitted with Ferrari's marvellous v8: using a flat plane crankshaft, four weber twin choke Webbers, the carburettors and cams are set for top end power. 255Bhp from an engine that loves to rev and sing. Shining rosso corsa paintwork and glossy black interior.

In the Orange corner: Me, David Hudson, with a British mongrel: a Triumph TR7 V8. Initially thrown together in some fashion by British Leyland, in Coventry, from various bits they happened to have lying around. Then dutifully modified by persons, with varying skill, ever since. It is now a surprisingly solid convertible example; powered by a 3.5litre, stage 2, Rover v8 with 190Bhp. With comparatively crude suspension and less power than the Ferrari, the TR7v8 is slightly lighter and does have a wider torque curve on its side, which makes it very flexible and forgiving to drive. I am in a good position to make comparisons, as Les Gibson bought his beautiful Ferrari 308GTS from me, five years ago and that car is our link between the two owners' clubs.

Last, but not least and taking the role of executive hitch-hiker, another Les… Les Arrowsmith. Les shared the TR7 driving and passenger seats in both cars.

So we were ready for the off… Well not quite, if I may jump back a couple of weeks as this is relevant to the story.

For as long as I had planned the road trip I knew the Triumph's original 240mm sold disc brakes would probably not survive the autobahn and definitely would not survive the long Alpine descents. Long story shortened: Countless upgrade options were considered, the suppliers were to a man and woman useless; lacking basic technical knowledge about their products and generally without the courtesy to return enquiries. All of this meant weeks and months were wasted such that designing a bespoke brake upgrade was frustrated.

Time was up as the holiday now loomed before me. I selected an 'established' front ventilated disc upgrade, from a well-known Rover / Triumph supplier. To make the most of what I had I also entirely renewed the rear drums, shoes and wheel cylinders and fitted a variable proportioning valve to get a much better brake bias.

Five weeks to go. The new brake parts arrived promptly. The TR went into a local garage to get the parts fitted and two weeks later I got the car back; with an apologetic, "that is the best we can do with those bits". The brakes were working, per say, but the brake pedal travel was ridiculous… oh and I would need wheel spacers to clear the callipers. The TR was not drivable in that condition.

3 weeks to departure and PANIC STATIONS. Les Arrowsmith's Mondial cabriolet was the finest of back up cars and it too was in a garage receiving servicing and final checks. However there was a suspicion that the alternator was not 100%. The Ferrari Mondial also might not be ready!

Despite the supplier's earlier advice, it was quite obvious that the Triumph needed a bigger brake master cylinder to match the larger calliper pistons. The supplier then failed to return my calls about whether he had a larger master cylinder and there was no more time to mess around. I consulted various web sites and was finally able to find a possible master cylinder. Taking a day of work and working through Friday and the weekend I modified and fitted a 1" (25.4mm) bore Subaru Imprezza WRX servo and master cylinder.

The 1" master cylinder was based on educated guesswork and it might easily have been the wrong size, but it was perfect and finally I had brakes!

I had one week of running the Triumph to and from work, to bed everything in and the TR was ready to roll with only a week to spare. There was the faintest vibration under braking, but all the brakes and suspension parts were checked again and it was all good to go.

And so to the trip.

Sunday

The first leg was really quite short; assembling at the DFDS ferry terminal in Newcastle. A flat calm crossing of the North Sea was perfect for on-board dining, a couple of beers and a restful night. The fact that the ship's exhaust was routed via our cabins spoiled things slightly, but an excellent crossing nonetheless.

Monday

Disembarking at Ijmuiden (Amsterdam) couldn't be simpler, with the tiny ferry terminal leading directly onto the fish quay and Dutch roads.

Immediately it became apparent that the CB radios, we had brought, were not going to be effective. With the roofs open, on both cars, the radios could not be heard over the wind noise. We reverted to old school touring, with the lead car keeping the last car in sight. Still we were hardly in peril, we were in civilised countries, the hotels were booked and both cars had maps and identical TomTom satnav units. Even it we did get separated, we would be guided to the same end point.

Our first stop was a moment of reflection at the Oosterbeek war cemetery, Arnhem. An immaculately maintained and peaceful clearing in the trees, where the rows of white stone tablets told their story of young lives spent.

Continuing onwards we planned to use side roads as much as possible, but with Dussledorf, Cologne and Bonn between us and our first over night stop at Koblenz it was obvious this section would have to be on the autobahn. At a motorway rest halt we met, by chance, another British touring group. We swapped ideas and headed off on our different routes.

The run into Koblenz was fairly unremarkable, except that my slight vibration was now becoming quite noticeable. By our second rest halt I was concerned enough to drop the wheel off the Triumph and find the new kerbside disc was both very hot and not running true. The constant chaffing was knocking back the brake pads, generating heat and creating a vibration in the steering.

On arrival at Koblenz it was becoming obvious that the new brake disc was a problem; I was beginning to get a distinct knocking and shudder under braking. Still we'd got the first day out of the way.

It was hot and very humid, but the cars were tucked up in an underground car park and it was definitely time for beer and food. A gentle walk around the old town found a restaurant serving Italian food and that was the end of a good day.

Tuesday

The second day was going to be a fairly long haul from Koblenz to Ehrwald located just inside the Austrian border. It was grey and damp and the car roofs were up, down, up and down again as we initially followed the river Rhein south. This section was fabulous, with vineyards and castles above us, the river beside us and neat little towns to through. Eventually the river turned east and we had to turn away in order to track south towards Ulm and Fussen. However, a slight navigational slip turned us back towards Stuttgart and into some unfortunate weather.

Stopping for fuel it was at this time I decided the brake disk was now too bad to ignore. Looking ahead we would have a 'quiet' day at Modena; when we were due to visit Les Arrowsmith's dearest Italian friends Fabio and Afra Vandelli. If I could just pussy foot the Triumph's brakes through the Alps then that day, in Modena, was my only chance to pull the car apart without spoiling our tour schedule.

Hence from a petrol station forecourt in Germany I made arrangements for a new brake disc to be shipped to an unsuspecting housewife in Modena. The shipping costs were eye-watering and the supplier made no apology for the original disc, yet this wasn't the time to start a fight. Hopefully self and brake disc would both meet up in a few days' time assuming, of course, that Les Arrowsmith's phone call about, "a very heavy letter from England" had been understood correctly.

We'd lost some time and now headed towards the Autobahn to catch up a few miles, the skies were black and it was time to raise the roofs, but too late. We plunged into wall of water.

Les Gibson dived his car under a tree to quickly fit the one piece targa roof to the 308. Not so good for me, there was no more shelter there and, with the travel cover fitted, it is a two / three minute job to uncover and fit the Triumph roof. If I could just keep rolling it is amazing how much rain you can drive through, in an open car and still stay fairly dry.

I rushed onwards to the next village hoping to find cover. The plan was working at first, but the rain worsened and slowed the traffic to a crawl. All but stationary self and car were soaked. I turned into an ALDI car park and fitted the roof as quickly as possible, but everything was saturated. At least was that I was in the right place to buy some kitchen towel to mop up the water!

Forty minutes were lost before the car was dry enough for the inside of windscreen to clear. Even then the humidity in the car was so intense that stopping, for any reason, meant the glass immediately began to fog again.

The motorway allowed us to press on and we began started to dry out. Despite more rain we arrived in Erhwald shortly after dark. The cars were wet, we were wet and the Triumph's brake vibration was now a nasty rattle, so bad that the steering column was loosening and my Cibie spot lights had been shaken out of alignment!

We loved the Mairs Landgasthof, it was scrupulously clean, had interesting traditional rooms, great bathrooms and stunning scenery. That it cost a mere £45/room means it is highly recommended. A quick rinse and we were downstairs for beer and food; both were of a high standard.

Wednesday

The Alps beckoned, but first some running repairs were needed. An inspection showed the top of the steering column was still bolted in okay, but the lower bushing through the bulkhead had been destroyed; leaving the steering shaft free to rattle around. Clearly I could not buy a Triumph bushing in an Austrian skiing village, so I needed to create a packing. After a few false starts, trying to pack the gap with polythene sheet cut from drinking bottles, I was directed to a DIY shop only 100mtrs from the hotel. They sold heavy rubber hoses by the metre and one size was near enough. Back at car and a section was cut, slit down its length, fitted over the steering shaft to fill the gap where it passes through the bulkhead and secured with tie-wraps. Although not perfect it was a very, very good fit with only a couple of millimetres clearance. What's more, for only nine Euros I had enough spare hose to make another six such temporary bushings.

The Mairs Landgasthof proprietors again deserve congratulations for their helpfulness, for letting me pull the car apart on their forecourt and for searching their cupboards for likely materials and tools.

Finally we were in the mountains, still cloudy grey and damp. My steering was okay, the brakes were shocking, but look at that scenery and what roads!

Our route skirted west past Imst and Landeck to join the Silvretta Hochalpinestrasse. The Hochapline is now a toll road that loops south before returning north to re-join the main through road, this means it is not used by through traffic and is frequented only by locals and tourists. As we climbed finally we broke out into sunshine, what a relief.

Our finishing point for the day was Arosa, south east of Chur, Switzerland. The weather had reverted to mist and damp, but after a vicious climb we arrived at a very fine hotel that, the proprietor was pleased to announce, had been frequented by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle… although not so much recently.

Thursday

Arosa had been selected as an interesting stop over, as it would host the Arosa classic hill climb event that weekend. Our tour timing had been determined to reach the Grand Prix, in Milan, on Saturday. We were, therefore, in Arosa a day too early! Although indicated as a four day event, there was actually no hill-climb action on the Thursday, but still we saw the first cars arriving and there was a growing buzz of classic engines in the town.

European hill-climb events (Bergenrennen) are somewhat larger than anything we have in the UK. Steeper and much longer, the Arosa event uses the last 7.8Km section of the public road as it twists and climbs 1,200ft to reach the town. It is more akin to a WRC tarmac stage and the cars that arrived were mainly road-rally prepared classic vehicles.

Leaving the clouds in Arosa we dropped steeply back down to Chur. The 308 was still running perfectly, but the shuddering Triumph brake made this a painful descent, albeit one with inspiring views.

Next we tracked south, following part of the old San Bernardino Pass, to reach the little village of Splugen. Here we took another coffee and cake stop, before turning off the San Bernardino pass and onto the Splugenpass.

The initial climb is steep with a narrow road quickly rising out of lush pasture into bare upland grasses, not unlike Scottish fells. At the summit the road crossed into Italy and we find a strange village perched alone in the grey cloud and apparently abandoned. The ground is barren and rock strewn, no good grazing or crops, but there is a reservoir here. Perhaps these were the cottages of the workers Mussolini brought here to build the dam? It isn't clear why it is there, although many may now be holiday homes.

The descent down the Splugen-pass gave split opinions. It is an astonishing piece of road building, with hairpins carved into a cliff face. I love this road, but Les Gibson found some of the hairpins to be too tight for the Ferrari and he didn't enjoy doing three point turns half way up a cliff. Certainly it isn't a place to enjoy the car, there is barely 40mtrs between some of the hairpins, this section of road is a gruelling lock to lock work out!

A nice (and very cheap coffee) in Chiavenna before the final leg of the day, back north and up to Sils Maria (Silvaplana, Switzerland).

The Swiss pride themselves on the cleanliness and attention to detail. Even by their standards Sils (Silvaplana) is a picture postcard gem, so polished as to appear artificial. Nonetheless they let our now rather grubby cars into the village (or rather we raised the 'No Cars' barrier and let ourselves in…) and another very fine hotel was found. It was, however, raining again. We'd had a few spells of sunshine, but the trip had been predominately grey and very wet up to now.

The mountains had also provided a slightly surprising result, the low down torque of the Rover V8 was making much lighter work of the hairpin climbs than the nervous, high-revving Ferrari V8. The TR was able to pull through the hairpins and get going easily, whereas the Ferrari got bogged down, at each hairpin, needing some space to get the revs up and then it rapidly caught up. Although sweating a little bit, both were climbing and coping very well for their age… and so were their cars!

Friday

On Thursday we had doubled back north to Sils, with the intention of today looping up further north to pick up the San Bernardino Pass again and follow it back down south to Milan today.

We woke to brilliant sunshine, but it had rained heavily over night, the cars were wet and there was significant snow on the peaks. It was decided to head more directly to Milan, back through Chiavenna and then down the western shore of Lake Como.

As we entered Italy at Chiavenna we were greeted with our first clear skies, brilliant sunshine and heat; "Ah, wait for beautiful Italy" Les Arrowsmith had told us and he was right. Stopping by the lake it was time to take morning coffee and to dry out the car covers and saturated boot contents!

Leaving the beauty of Lake Como and a short motorway haul took us to the outskirts of Milan. Strangely the Autostrada toll barrier took pity on us, rising as we approached. It wasn't clear what we should do, so we nipped through before it changed its mind. Perhaps there will be a letter in the post.

I didn't fancy driving in Milan, fearing endless queues and overheating engines. In fact the route into town was very simple, the SatNav units did exactly what was required of them and the entry in Milan was quite unremarkable. The pre-booked car park was some distance from our lodgings. So Les Arrowsmith was offloaded at the hotel, left to enjoy a cigar and guard our bags, while Les Gibson and I searched for the car park. A hot, dark catacomb was found beneath an office tower block and the cars were safely locked away from the curiosity and careless parking of the Milan streets.

Keen to see the old town it was time for a quick wash and change, before jumping onto the Metro and down to the old town centre.

Milan is such a grand town and slowly we meandered back to the hotel, admiring the views, arcades and people until a suitable restaurant was found. After a fine dinner al fresco, we used a sophisticated form of alcohol based dead reckoning to take us back to the hotel. Another fine day was done and finally the weather was bright and hot.

Saturday

The hotel had been chosen carefully, as it was near to the central station and in turn the central station would connect us to the Lesmo rail station at the north east corner of the Autodromo Monza. Two trains and a modest walk brought us to the second chicane to witness the second qualifying session, which brought a pleasing and strong Ferrari performance with both Vettel and Raikkonen very well placed for the race.

The F1 cars sounded much better in person than they do on television, but the supporting GP2 cars were a great surprise with a screaming V8 and shape that suggested the F1 cars we knew about five years ago. As a single chassis race series the racing was very close, if a little processional. Still as a lower budget racing, it compared rather too well in light of the current F1 cars.

Back into Milan and it was time to avoid the tourist traps. Two doors from the hotel and we sat outside watching the world and, again, drinking local beers. Fifty yards further and around the corner to a side street trattoria. Les Arrowsmith used his Italian to order a veritable feast for a handful of Euros. A mountain of Mussels started the meal, with Foccacia, more seafood and more and more! The evening was topped off by free Limoncello and gifts to take away. "Eat like the locals", said our translator. Unassuming and simply brilliant.

Sunday

Grand prix race day. Lewis Hamilton toured around competently at the front, Vettel showed some improved speed and did a fine job to keep second, yet everyone was watching Raikkonen. After bogging down on the start he had squandered is grid advantage and was plum last before the first corner. Tenaciously Kimi worked his Ferrari back through the field to a very creditable forth position. We were in a perfect vantage point to see his overtaking moves, which yielded an unexpectedly good result for the Tifosi. The Freccia D'Oro air display (the Italian version of the red arrows) weren't too bad either; as they painted the red, white and green Tricolore across the Monza sky.

No time for the post-race track invasion, we had a dinner invitation in Modena. It had to be double fast onto the train, back into Milan, grab the cars and down to Modena by 8pm. Les Arrowsmith's Italian friends, Fabio and Afra, had laid on a simple, but excellent Modenaise meal. Authentic Bolognaise ragout, home-made pasta, roast meats, fruits, cheese and home produced balsamic vinegar. The generosity of this couple was a joy. Of course they knew Les, but to take two other English strangers into their home was so kind. Fabio did wonder, however, why he had received a single brake disc in the post…

Monday

Back to Fabio's house and time to repair the Triumph. Frankly the replacement disc wasn't acceptable, with multiple impact wealds around the mounting surface. The shipping box wasn't marked, so this clearly wasn't transit damage; instead I suspect the disc had had a long life on various shelves. However, I was in Italy, there was no chance to get another disc today and so I could hardly debate the point!

I draw-filed the damage flat, fitted the disc to the hub, refitted the hub and brake calliper, reconnected and bled the hydraulics: the result was astounding. Powerful, smooth, normal brakes! The repair had taken nearly two hours, so now it was quick time into Maranello to take in the Ferrari sights.

Since my last visit (last year) the Galleria had entirely remodelled several sections of their display, which shows the depth of their collection. Next were the compulsory photographs at the Ferrari factory gates and again at the entrance to the Fiorano test track.

Tuesday

Now we had turned the corner and started the return leg. The 308 was still running faultlessly and the Triumph was quite transformed and felt quite civilised; now that the influence of the warped brake disc had been removed.

The outbound leg had meandered to take in the best roads and sights, the return leg had to be a bit quicker.

We started on the Autostrade to get some easy miles out of the way on the open, flat and quite featureless Lombardy plain. Passing Verona we continued up the motorway almost to Trento before transferring onto the old road. The pace relaxed now and we took the first coffee break of the day.

Cruising towards Bolzano and finally it was the Ferrari's time to break down. Fortunately it was more comical than serious.

Les tooted his horn, so we took this hint to stop the cars and talk… Indeed he had not called us back, rather the horn push had shorted out! Over the next leg the tooting became more frequent and was really quite embarrassing by the time we rolled into Bolzano (for lunch). Not only had this Englishman arrived in this quiet town in a rather flash Ferrari, he was blasting his horn at all and sundry just to make sure they noticed him. Who did he think he was?

Three minutes of contortion was all that was required to disconnect the wire to the horns, despite the compressor being helpfully buried in the front wing amongst the headlight lift assembly.

We had covered a lot of ground easily that morning and leaving Bolzano we turned on to the SP99 / SP98 mountain road that winds through the villages of San Genesio, Valas and Zona before dropping back down to our overnight at Merano. The road was perfect.

The SP99 isn't a famous pass and a much more sensible low level route exists between Bolzano and Merano, so once again there was very little traffic. The SP99 has also benefitted from a lot of investment and, while some sections are still narrow, it has modern open hairpins, short tunnels and smooth surfacing. We'd found a perfect touring road allowing us to relax and just let the cars run.

Perhaps we should mention the hotels more. Working to a moderate budget the hotels were selected for location and cost, while paying attention to the feedback rating on a well-known booking website. Generally they were brilliant, one more worthy of particular mention was Hotel Zima, Merano. Great host, more spotless rooms, good breakfast and marvellous location, a gentle 15mins walk from the old town centre. Once again very sensibly priced.

Wednesday

The last day in the mountains. San Leonardo pass, smooth and steep. By the first stop we were easily 4,000ft above the valley with a view it is difficult to convey. Over the top and down the north side to meet and follow the old Brenner Pass.

We still had a lot of ground to cover, quick though the outskirts of Innsbruck and onward to Oberammergau for lunch. Finally onto Bavarian roads to reach the Autobahn and north to Heidelberg.

It became a hard day's driving. It nearly became a very long day, but fortunately we narrowly escaped a huge motorway traffic jam and took to the back roads trusting the SatNav to reach our last hotel. It was dark as we arrived, far too late to see historic, beautiful Heidelberg and nearly too late to find a meal. A German fast food outlet was the only answer, providing meals of varying and dubious quality.

This leg had been far too long, but overall the trip had been a great success. Eating our variously fried chicken parts we began to plan for next year… More of this, less of that and much the same.

Thursday

Motorway and more motorway… we had a ferry to catch! Only once we arrived at Ijmuiden did we catch our breath. Finally, we joined the ferry and, gratefully, another flat calm crossing back to Newcastle.

2,075miles, 12 days, one brake disc, one steering bushing, a gallon of coolant, a mad Ferrari horn, countless cafés, coffees, cakes and grand views, some astounding mountain roads, a Grand Prix and Italian friends… Surely not a bad way to spend a holiday?

Next year

Already the plan is coming together. Similar recipe, DIY booking, ferry from Newcastle or Hull. Maybe add an extra day to the trip overall in order to shorten the daily miles.

A layover day in Heidelberg to see the town and the Sinsheim aviation museum. Then onward to the mountains…

Another layover day to see the hill climb action of the Arosa classic. Leave to option of the Sunday Grand Prix (for those who didn't go this year). Plenty more mountains and excellent roads. Plenty more coffee and cake stops and hopefully a few more cars to take the group up to six or seven.

So far we have three cars, TR7v8, TR6 and Ferrari Mondial Cabriolet complete with five persons. If you are interested in joining us, we will start working out a route this November 15; final route February 16 for a trip in September 2016.

We look forward to hearing from you.

The TR International Weekend this year will be held over the weekend of 15th - 17th July 2016 at Lincolnshire Showground. The event is set to be the largest gathering of Triumphs in the UK this year as we feature the Club Triumph National Weekend and Standard Triumph Marque Day on the Sunday - all part of the same event!

The annual Concours D'Elegance and Pride of Ownership awards have been a mainstay of the event for decades and this year will enjoy a full makeover under the new management of Andrew Smith and his team. The awards will also feature displays and prizes for un-restored Triumph 'Survivors'. Andrew Smith gives us an update on the latest progress below.

Things are moving at pace. I have undertaken my first recce of the Lincoln Showground and, by the time you read this update, I will have carried out a second recce in mid-January. In the main, the internal and external facilities at Lincoln Showground are excellent and the surrounding countryside is steeped in history with many places of interest to visit. With nicely polished floors, the 'Concours Hall' at the Lincoln does not afford quite as much space as Avon Hall at Malvern and this will lead to a more intimate atmosphere. The Concours Hall will host the Meguiar's Concours categories and the Penrite Triumph Survivors display. There will be prudent use of internal space and greater use of the outside area, particularly as entries from Club Triumph are a welcomed addition.

Current planning assumptions will see the Pride of Ownership entries displayed in the outside area adjacent to the Concours Hall. The awards ceremony is planned to be held on the grassed outside area (with a wet weather contingency in place) and the timing is planned to be brought forward from its traditional 4pm to around midday on Sunday; this will allow greater participation by members, the public and celebration of award winners.

Reviewing the existing rules, guidance and scoring criteria for the primary categories is almost complete and where required have been amended or rewritten - all to be published on the club's website and Forum in due course. However, it's safe to say the general format will remain relatively unchanged for 2016, but with some significant changes planned for 2017 and beyond; evolution not revolution!

I am also reviewing the individual trophies awarded with the intent, subject to budget, of ensuring better quality awards are presented. In addition, all category winners will be photographed with their award next to their pride and joy – results and photographs will be hosted on the club's website and Forum within 5 working days following the International Weekend.

Meguiar's, sponsors of the Concours events, have eagerly agreed to conduct at least three 20 - 30 minute individual product demonstrations per day in the Main Foyer e.g. interior care, soft top care, paintwork and engine bay detailing etc. The plan is to use TS2 as the glamorous 'model' and Meguiar's will also be giving away free product samples to those gathered around. Demonstration timings and programme to follow.

Meguiar's will also be hosting a Concours Detailing seminar/workshop at their UK HQ in Daventry on Saturday 7^th May – details and booking can be found here.

I would still very much welcome volunteers to step forward to assist with running the Concours Event - help is needed from setting up the hall to judging, and a few things in-between. So if you are interested and willing to help please email me on TRRConcours@gmail.com advising me what you'd like to help with, or call me on 07796 177115 (weekdays after 8pm and anytime at weekends).

So, this was just a brief update on current concours progress and outline planning for Lincoln. I will update further on progress.

The International Weekend in Lincoln 15-17th July 2016 is getting closer and there's still a lot to do!