The Octagon 

NEWSLETTER OF THE CLASSIC  CLUB

Vol. 47                       No.3                    Issue 558                                    March 2010 

MAINTAINING THE BREED FOR OVER FORTY YEARS

 PRESIDENT:  Jim McSweeney.  3516 Seaford Ln., Casselberry, FL 32707.  Phone 407

695 2981  E-mail jimspeedmaster@aol.com.

EDITOR:   Al Cook, 8554 Amber Oak Dr. Orlando, FL 32817.  Phone 407 6678 6814- E–mail arcpa@mpinet.net.

WEBSITE:  www.classicmgclub.com  WEBMASTER:  Paul Plasschaert, E-mail: webmaster@classicmgclub.com. 

MEETING:   NOT AS USUAL!!!  It is the third Thursday, March 18^th at 6:30 PM at the home of Al & Kathy Cook, 8554 Amber Oak Dr., Orlando, FL 32817.    Directions: from Highway 436 and University, take University west towards (could it be?) the University.  Continue past Goldenrod Rd. to the next light.  Turn Left onto Hall Road.  Take the second right into Lake Pearl.  The street is Landmark Drive.  Go straight to the “T’ and look right.  It’s the blue and white house on the corner of Landmark and Amber Oak Drive.  We will be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in true MG fashion, that is, a little late!  This will be our regular meeting for the month and we will conduct the usual business of the club, except for the argument over where to go to eat!  Note the earlier time.  The Club will furnish the Corned Beef and Cabbage and all of the normal accessories.  We will ask our members to contribute their own specialties.  Please call Kathy Cook at 407-678-6814 to coordinate these items.  If you are unable to provide a food item, you can bring a suitable Seasonal Beverage, but please call to coordinate!  Also bring your ideas for driving events for the next month(s).  We know about the GOF and the British Car Breakfast Club Show, but we need to think ahead to the warmer months.

FEBRUARY EVENT FOLLOW UP:  Our expedition to Ocala and the Don Garlits’ Museums of Drag Racing and Classic Autos was a great success! We converged on the Museum from a couple of directions and had plenty of time to tour the exhibits before having lunch at the nearby Sonny’s Restaurant.  Don had a wide variety of vehicles and we conducted an unscientific poll at lunch and learned that no one of our group had owned more than three of the vehicles on display.  After lunch, we departed for the Russell Stover Outlet Store, which was only about 15 minutes down the road.  The only problem experienced was a shortage of Easter Bunnies (next week, they said).  The group split up and all reached their final destinations safely. 

MARCH DRIVING EVENT & PICNIC D’ ELEGANCE: A consensus choice for March’s event was presented at the February meeting.  Our driving destination for March is Mount Dora and we will enjoy the charms of this lovely town while checking out what the organizers call the First Annual Mount Dora Classic Car Festival.  It is being held on Saturday March 20, 2010 from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM.  Webmaster Paul Plasschaert has sent out registration information to all who may want to register to attend the show (note deadline to register is March 6, 2010).  If you plan to register, make your own arrangements and arrive as required for the show.  For more information, check out their website: www.lakedoraclassic.com.  

Although some of you will want to register for the Show (and necessarily will have to arrive quite early), the Club will not participate, as a group, but will tour to Mount Dora, in caravan, departing at a more reasonable time, to arrive in sufficient time to check out the show and then enjoy a picnic lunch at our Mount Dora Annex Location, A/K/A the home of Anne and Lester Ariail, 352 East 3^rd Ave, Mount Dora, FL 32757.  Here is how we will do it:  For the Orlando-based contingent, meet at 9:00 A.M. at the McDonald’s Restaurant in Maitland, near the intersection of Horatio Ave and US 17-92.  Have a cup of coffee or a quick bite of breakfast. The group will leave, in caravan fashion, as close to 9:30 as is possible.  Follow the well-worn path of 414 to 441 to Mount Dora, or some similar route to arrive at Anne & Lester’s in time to park and stretch those legs in a short downhill walk to the center of town to view the show and sample the wares of the local merchants who are undoubtedly the biggest supporters of this event!  We plan to return to Anne & Lester’s after our walking tour to convene the Legendary (??) Annual Picnic

d’Elegance is an event well known to some of the more seasoned (small pun intended) members of our group.

For the benefit of our newer members, the Picnic d’ Elegance is a time for you to get out your best picnic attire, food, ambience, etc. and have lunch in style!  There will be judging by your peers and an award given for the best overall picnic attitude!  Needless to say there will be handicapping of the entries.  If someone comes in a Chevy mini-van, you won’t get many votes for your glass table and chair set and your chandelier, but if you brought that stuff in the back of your MGTD, that’s a different story!!  Needless to say, the key is to have a good time and share lunch with your MG friends.  The Club isn’t providing anything but the opportunity, so bring what you want to eat and drink for lunch.  After lunch and beverages, we may (or may not) decide what to do next!

 UPCOMING EVENTS:  Our own GOF South, Mark 44 is hosted by MG Classics of Jacksonville and will be held on April 9-11, 2010 at Jekyll Island, GA.  The hotel is the Oceanside Inn and Suites and, if you haven’t already done so, you NEED to make both your overnight reservations and to register for the event, at this time.  For more information, go to their web site (www.mgclassics.org/gof2010).  This GOF is the Gathering which is organized by the three Florida-based clubs on a rotating annual basis.  Please do all you can to support, encourage and participate in this fine tradition.  You can do this by sending in your registration NOW! For those of you who cannot make the GOF, our own local British Car Breakfast Club is holding it’s 26^th Annual All British Car Show on April 10, 2010 at Mead Gardens in Winter Park, Fl.  Our Club is participating by handling their registration.  For more information, contact President Jim or visit the web site at www.allbritishcarclub.com. April 24, 2010, Legends on the Green, Concours d’Elegance – Tournament Players Club, Sawgrass, FL  WANT ADS: Joe Smith reports that he is looking for a TC in restorable condition.  Please call him before his new medicine takes effect.  He can be reached at smithlin@Embarqmail.com or (352) 804-5877.