The pictures in this article were supplied by David Dodd, and we are publishing them with our appreciation. The commentary is mine alone. While David actually attended the event, I was not able to do so, therefore my commentary may or may not reflect the reality of the day. But these days, with reality being abused daily, who is to say that my account is wrong? -Scott

The annual Houston MG Car Club picnic was held at Meyer Park in Spring, TX on a partly sunny, warm and mostly dry July 10. The much-anticipated event was hosted by club members Gordon and Angie Bard, who are notorious for dressing up for any reason at all and making any mundane occasion seem extraordinary. Club members thereby braced themselves for the sight of lunch being served by a giant woodland animal (beaver? squirrel? grizzly?) and were relieved to find that Gord elected to present himself only as a teenage girl. In the photo to the right, Gord (the cute one in the dress) takes a break from roasting cicadas spiced with his homemade habanero garlic rub.

Foregoing the traditional “blanket on the ground” approach, the rather more gentrified club members elected to enjoy their gourmet picnic meal on sturdy benches in a shaded pavilion. What better place to enjoy the culinary delights from the fertile imagination of Chef Gordon, including Texas specialties such as Armadillo Poppers, Roast Palestine Possum, Sauteed Brenham Wild Boar Tails, and Longhorn Skirt Steak braised in Dr. Pepper?

An MG is almost the perfect vehicle with which to drive oneself to a picnic. A cheap and cheerful motor is the ultimate conveyance for anyone who can’t afford to actually eat at a restaurant and therefore finds throwing a blanket on the ground with cheap cold cuts scrounged from home an acceptable alternative gustatory experience. And that blanket can be found in most of our cars, because it is a ubiquitous MG accessory, protecting the occupants from either the malfunctioning heater or the ill fitting side curtains / soft top. Picnics attract annoying insects and small rodents; ditto, the interior and wiring of just about any project MG. The following cars found the lure of the great outdoors irresistible, and even managed to start on demand and make it to Meyer Park. The big question – did they all make it home?

Another highlight of any HMGCC event is an address by our Beloved Leader, Mr. Michael Woodward. And the picnic was no exception. In the photo to the right, Chairman Mike regales the adoring throngs with an amusing anecdote from his upcoming book, “Minor Miracles: How to Keep a Morris Running Using Only Articles Purchased from a Dollar Store (Part 3)”.

And the main attraction – fun and games! After that embarrassing incident during Duck, Duck, Goose when Joe tore off his shirt, sprinted to the duck pond and dove in headfirst, our Beloved Leader led the assembly in the intricacies of Blindfolded Reverse Gear Slalom races. In this photo, you can see the fear on his face as his time is about to be bettered by Larry in his race tuned B-GT. Fortunately, Larry’s car lost power just before the finish, leaving victory befittingly in our Beloved Leader’s hands.

All in all, an excellent time was had by all, and tales aplenty will be told at future gatherings. Until next time – Safety Fast!

Once again thanks to Greg for maintaining the records.

What a week the club has planned to celebrate our 50th Anniversary! Experience everything that our club stands for in one exciting week – cars, parts, drives, British fare, drink and most importantly, great friends to share the excitement! Here is a list of all of the great events planned with links to the event details and registration.

The week begins with the Free For All Swap Meet hosted by John Boyer on Sunday, September 5th, 2:00pm – 4:00pm. Remember one person’s junk is another person’s treasure. Free For All-Parts Swap, Sept. 5

On Tuesday, September 8th we will have a free showing of Inside The Octagon II (MG 1946-1980) at the Alamo Drafthouse at LaCentara (Katy). Show time will be 7:00pm. It is pretty cool that we are able to see classic MG’s on the big screen. We will be showing Inside The Octagon I on August 14th as well; don’t miss either of these great features created by our own Gary Watson. And remember, you can’t see these films anywhere else. They are not on YouTube or Netflix. Alamo Drafthouse-INSIDE THE OCTAGON II (MG 1946-1980), Sept 8

One of the favorite food of our friends in the UK is curry. To honor their passion for this spicy delight we will be hosting Curry Night – A Symphony of Flavors on Wednesday, September 9th, 5:00pm – 8:00pm at Noon Mirch in Webster, TX. Curry Night-A Symphony of Flavors, Webster, TX Sept. 9

The celebration wouldn’t be complete if we did not visit one of our favorite British establishments, the Richmond Arms. Join us for lunch on September 10th, 11:30am to 2:00pm to enjoy your favorite British fare and a pint of Old Speckled Hen. 50th Anniversary Week Luncheon, Richmond Arms, Sept. 10

The 50th Anniversary Party will be held on Saturday, September 11th, beginning at noon, at the Falcon Point Golf Club in Katy. There will be great food, friends and a few surprises. This event has limited capacity, so reserve your spot early. For those of you who are traveling from afar or who would prefer to stay locally we have reserved a block of rooms at the Holiday Inn & Suites near Katy Mills Mall. 50th Anniversary Party, Sept. 11  

Following the 50th Anniversary party we will wrap up the week’s celebration with a drive to the Baker’s Street Pub. It is a short distance from Falcon Point, but we know some of you will want to exercise your cars a bit, so we will be laying out both a direct route and a more winding route to the pub. We will have a reserved area for us to enjoy one another’s company, swap stories and kick the tires a bit. 

This is going to be a great week! Make sure you are registering for all of these great events!

We joined the Austin MG Club on a Drive to Drippin’!

The second CCMGC drive of 2021 featured a tour of wineries around Dripping Springs, connected by the scenic back roads of the hill country. The muster point for the drive was on the southwest corner of Austin where everyone gathered and enjoyed some shade while they could. A total of eight cars (seven MGs and one GM!), sixteen people and four members of the Houston club showed up for the drive in what promised to be beautiful summer weather. We left for our first destination shortly after 10:30.

The first leg of the drive introduced the drivers to the turns and twists of hill country driving as we left the weekend shopping traffic behind and headed toward Dripping Springs. This leg of the drive featured the first two river fords, one of which enhanced the experience by having water flowing over the road. Splashing through the stream, we motored on to our first winery, Parmeson Wines, which opened early to offer the club a private tasting.

We gathered our cars in front of the tasting room to get the obligatory scenic shot together and moved into the air-conditioned comfort of the winery to make our drink selections. Trish Hardy pleased everyone’s pallet by providing a cheese and cracker tray to accompany our beverages. We enjoyed resting and chatting in the shade as we tasted the Californian cuvee.

The second leg of the drive was the longest and wound through the countryside between Dripping Springs and Wimberley. This segment featured several more river fords, including another wet one, as well as numerous cattle guards designed to test the compliance of our antique lever shock absorbers. Our cars were in their natural element in these narrow country lanes, and we had the roads pretty much to ourselves. After an hour of driving, we turned into the Wimberley Valley winery, where we again gathered under the shade of giant live oaks. This winery featured a fabulous food truck and drinks served from a double decker London bus. Several of our more parched and adventurous participants cooled off with the wine slushies they served.

After everyone ate and drank their fill, we headed off to our final destination, the Driftwood Estate winery. En route, we followed a heavily decaled 1960’s VW bug, which we figured was part of the Great Race 2021 that had stopped in San Marcos for lunch. Our hunch was confirmed when we saw a timing station further up the road. They shouted that we should join the race!

We parked in the shade and headed into the air-conditioned tasting room to cool down and choose a selection from their all-Texas wines. Gathering our drinks, we headed out to the shaded porch and enjoyed a final few laughs together. All agreed that it was a successful drive, combining great roads with good drinks, excellent food, and even better companions. To top it off, we had no mechanical failures despite the temperatures. As we drove home, we all looked forward to returning to Dripping Springs and our next club drive.

- Contributed by Scott Hardy. Photos by Scott Hardy and Gord Bard

Rick South, Carrie South and Trish Hardy
enjoy the views at Driftwood Estate Winery

Ray Holtzapple takes first in class at MG 2021 in Atlantic City

Ray with Flat Bernard and his 1974 1/2 MGB GT Jubilee

The HMGCC monthly meeting in June was only our second face-to-face meeting since Covid restrictions started, but we made the most of it by taking the meeting on the road to Montgomery. Our meeting site, Ransoms Steakhouse and Saloon, was suggested and vetted by Bob Schroeder, who also generously agreed to be the guest speaker.

Club members started arriving around 11:00, and six members took advantage of the warm May sunshine to exercise their MGs for the drive. Smiles and chatting were first on the agenda as members greeted each other and embraced the new experience of seeing old friends in person. When the restaurant had re-arranged the tables for our use, we moved inside and ordered drinks and food while fearless leader Mike Woodward set up the microphone and audio.

The official agenda started at noon when Mike banged the gavel and the serious business began. We all quietly imbibed and enjoyed our meals while we approved the previous meeting minutes and engaged in a hearty discussion regarding plans for the 50th anniversary celebrations coming up in September. The conviviality (and the drinks) encouraged great ideas and volunteers for organizing future events.

One highlight of our monthly meetings is always the presentation of the guest speaker, and Bob Schroeder did not disappoint. He entertained the assembly with a mix of history and automobile trivia, such as the City of Montgomery being the birthplace of the Texas flag, the story behind various monikers given to convertible cars, how to bid at an auto auction, and the reason why later model MGBs have three miniature windscreen wipers.

Dwight Dawson reported that club membership has reached a record high of 179, and we were joined at the meeting by new members Charles and Cindy Still (1948 MG TC) and Delila Carlock (1960 MGA).

As always, we ended the meeting with giveaways and sharing our names and cars. Laughs, smiles and handshakes between the members accompanied our exit as we completed a fun filled day at Ransoms. We left with full stomachs and good memories as we looked forward to the next time we can get together.

- Contributed by Bob Schroeder. Photos by Bob Schroeder and Dwight Dawson

Dear All,

Please see current standings of the driver's award. As always many thanks to Greg for keeping up with this.

Safety fast!

Mike.

It may have been a year later than planned, but warm May temperatures and well-timed breaks in the clouds made for a delightful setting as the Spring Gathering of the Faithful finally took place Killeen, TX, home of Fort Hood and a new venue for the annual event.

Many of the HMGCC members travelled in style with an LBC convoy through Bellville and on to Kenney for a patio lunch and refreshments at the iconic Kenney Store.

Continuing our adventures a few more miles to the north, we stopped at the Blue Bell Creamery in Brenham. Each of us selected a personal flavor choice for a cup of the World's best ice cream. Our cultural caravan continued with a brief stop at The Downtown Art Gallery, one of many attractions in Historic Downtown Brenham with which members may not be familiar. (Shameless Plug - this Historic Downtown area will be our destination for a July 31 HOT NIGHTS / COOL TUNES event.)

Our caravan ended Friday evening in Killeen, where we parked our cars amongst the many other MGs and trailers and indulged in pizza and heavy socializing on the hotel’s back lawn.

The car show on Saturday morning was conveniently close-by at the Convention Center around the corner. With tons of room, at least 60 MGs of all description were on proud display. As usual at these events, we had the chance to discover little-known MG details and unique features. The wheel pictured was spotted on a right-hand-drive MGB at the show this year. Most of us have never seen these chrome Rostyle wheels. They were a factory option in the early 70’s but were discontinued in the North American Market due to excessive warranty claims that stemmed from the plating rusting through because of our penchant for using lots of salt on our roads. At the same time they became standard equipment on the other markets.

After enjoying a box lunch at the hotel, several of us ran the Hare and Hound Rallye which covered 40 miles of rolling and twisty countryside roads. This event required you to guess the proper direction to turn at every intersection, but also provided clues to keep you on course. The most creative run may have been by Trish and Scott Hardy. When they realized they were hopelessly off course, they wandered off down to Salado and found a vineyard for alternate entertainment.

The Saturday night banquet featured the traditional blue blazer and fancy hat photo shoot for participants, a matchbox derby race, and the ever popular silent and live auctions. After a delicious barbeque dinner, Houston members who received trophy recognition at the banquet included: Roger Sykes 1974 MGB-GT (won Premier Class and advanced to Octagon of Honor), Ray Holtzapple 1975 MGB GT Jubilee, Glenn Carpenter 1954 MGTF, and Scott Hardy 1972 MGB.

The clouds caught up with us on the ride home on Sunday, which featured light to very heavy rain depending on timing and route taken. Wet conditions are always a convenient method for verifying how all MG’s are water-tight-challenged. All things considered, this Spring GOF was a fun time with MGs and friends, both new and long-seasoned.

Houston Members participating in some or all of this weekend were:

Peggy and Joe Schrodi, Bob and Kathy Schroeder, Mike and Stephanie Woodward, Roger Sykes, Greg Fleischer, Ken Evesson, Past President and Brenham resident Tom Sturm, Trish and Scott Hardy, Linda and Terry Myers, Gordon and Angie Bard, Ray and Mary D. Holtzapple, Glenn and Fran Carpenter, Candy and Dwight Dawson, Flat Bernard, Nick and Julie Roccaforte, and new members Steve and Jackie Session, who promise to bring their MG next year!

- Photos and article by Dwight Dawson

Registration is now open for the Club's 50th Anniversary Celebration Party. The organizing committee, chaired by Rich Coldwell, has a wonderful afternoon planned with great food & drink, a bit of nostalgia and lots and lots of friendly chit-chat and laughter with old and new friends.

The event is scheduled for noon to 4pm, Saturday, September 11, 2021 at the Falcon Point Country Club.  Following the event we will take a drive to a nearby establishment to continue the fun.

Attendance for the event is limited to 150 people so make your reservation early.  The Club has grown significantly over the past two years now with over 175 member families.  Because of this we are limiting attendance to two people per family.  We want to give as many members as possible the opportunity to attend.   

Don't wait - make your reservation now.

Better late than never, please find a link to the recording for the Club's April meeting. 

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/9-0Ah4kzhShIzQkcgIhORiHKBBjzlcbbV1WERWK-Xlj_JY9kWwfIv7BgxPpTqTPy.RKfk6FUHpJk_oPgh Passcode: 9!rqImT8

Don't forget, beginning in May we will return to face to face meetings. Here is a link to register for the May Monthly Meeting.