Autumn Get together for the Y Register - 02S Register Launch
Written on 14 October 2018 by Jerry Pennell
Going on the track record for the Summer of 2018 It was hoped that Sunday October 15th was going to be a nice day for the get together Tanya had arranged for the Launch event of the 02 S Register and had invited members of the Y Register to join in at the Plant Oxford MINI shop and in the afternoon at the British Motor Museum Gaydon.
The day before had started wet but by the afternoon the weather was bright and sunny, so my hopes were high that the whole weekend was going to continue into Sunday, THINK AGAIN, The day dawned wet and miserable, I had arranged to take both my new acquisition RE02VOY an electric Blue Cooper S chassis Number TC60265 and mate of mine was going to drive my MINI One for me.
We met at work for him to collect the One and we drove up to Oxford in atrocious conditions, the M4 and A34 being particularly hazardous with heavy rain and water spray obscuring vision very badly. It was a relief to get to the car park at Oxford to be met by quite an assemblage of both 02S and YReg cars, very heartening for Tanya and Jason who had arranged the meeting of the register members.
Familiar faces were seen and greeted, and very nice to meet some new faces and chat.
The cars which were able to make this part of the day were
- Blue MINI One Y931 OBL Chassis number 081 Owner; Richard
- Blue MINI One Y102 CGC Chassis number 097 Owner; Steven
- Blue MINI One KG51 WYU Chassis number 116 Owner; Andrew
- Red MINI Cooper Y157 OBL Chassis number 122 Owner; Martyn
- Red MINI Cooper Y363 OBL Chassis number 123 Owner; Dave
- Red MINI Cooper Y304 OBL Chassis number 133 Owner; Tanya
- Blue MINI One Y522 EAN Chassis number 194 Owner; Jerry
- Red MINI Cooper Y539 OBL Chassis number 105 Owner; Paul
- Black MINI One Y442 SLB Chassis number 348 Owner; Andrew
- Silver MINI Cooper Y84 KYA Chassis number 564 Owner; Guy
- Silver MINI Cooper EJ51 VPY Chassis number 3617 Owner; Amy
So we had a varied selection of 2001 cars, both YReg and 51 plate and good to see them. The cars had come from far and wide, Dave C (123) from Humberside, Martin C (122) from Kent these I think might have been the furthest Y Reg driven.
A very good turn out on a weather poor day, Tanya had arranged to use the MINI shop so everybody was under cover and dry, a bonus being able to view the cars on display in the museum area next to the shop area.
The rains continued for the rest of the morning so photos were taken and the 02S register cake cut about 11:00, being under cover everybody was able to enjoy the meeting of old friends and make new friends from both sets of register members. Tanya had arranged for both sets of cars to make their way to the second venue of the celebratory day, the British Motor Museum at Gaydon and it was hoped to have a convoy of cars making their way from Oxford to Gaydon, The weather intervened and a few of the Cooper S cars headed by Jason snaked their way up the A roads through Kidlington, Deddington and Banbury to arrive at Gaydon, to be met by all the remaining cars who had used the M40.
By the time we got to Gaydon the rains had slightly lessened, but not enough to have a photo call with cars and owners outside, so everybody retired to the museum and enjoyed viewing the exhibits and chatting over lunch in the restaurant. Most people made it to Gaydon from Oxford, a couple of others decided as they had traveled from the south coast and the weather not conducive to further distance, made their way home. It was very nice to meet up at Plant Oxford and socialise.
The rest of the day was enjoyed viewing all the exhibits both in the main building and the Jaguar Annex next to the main building. An early production Silver Mini Cooper was seen in the overflow exhibition along with many interesting concept and prototype cars and quite a few Edwardian cars on show Turn of the 20th century stuff.
The bad weather did show up a water ingress issue on my MINI One 194 which I thought had been fixed, My mates companion got wet from water coming in around the near side B pillar, so 194 is now back in the bodyshop to get this fixed, we think a combination of the heavy rains and driving at speed and a poor bodywork repair before I bought 194 is forcing the water in and around the door seal.
Despite the inclement weather a good day was had by all. The drive home to Wiltshire down the Fossway was dry and clear and trouble free. Richard H did report a slight issue with oil on the road at one point on his journey home which made him do a pirouette, damage free! Many thanks to all those brave souls who made it to Oxford and Gaydon and very many thanks to Tanya and Jason Field who arranged the day for us