Newsletter - March 1997

Editorial		Doctor On Call
Area Secretarys Soapbox!		Photography Competition

A few weeks back, Jan 20th to be exact, about 20 club members spent a very pleasant evening at John & Jacqueline Deakins home, for what was billed as a quiz night. Jacqueline prepared some culinary delights for us to sample, while John prepared the questions for the quiz.
The questions were a mixture of MG Technical, General Knowledge & TV Detectives!
My team consisted of Brian Fish, Ray Bossom & Bob Thompson, the 'Gruesome Four'. Alas our team spirit and fair play did not win us first, second or even third place, which I think was most unfair, especially after the quiz master took the bribe!
Who would have thought we would get all those technical questions wrong with Bob 'MR MG' Thompson in our team, the clubs 'Technical Officer'. So there's only one answer next time , a bigger bribe!!

Apart from the quiz there was another angle to the evening, in fact two angles! Firstly there was the matter of a little presentation to Peter & Eveline Paige. The quiz was really just an excuse to get Peter & Eveline together with some of their friends so that we could show our appreciation for their hard work & dedication to the club, during the past year.
Peter was presented with a Torch/Radio and Eveline, with a beautiful potted Chrysanthemum.

Then there was a second presentation and that was to yours truly. A complete surprise, but now that I think about it, Jacqueline was pretty keen that I should be there! A card and a bottle of 1992 vintage 'Fleurie', a red with a very pleasant bouquet!! A reward, I am told, for producing the 'Club Newsletter' and 'Web Pages'. Thankyou, it was very much appreciated!

Back now to some important Club News, at our February 3rd meeting at the Black Horse, Dry Drayton, despite the wrong venue being published, elswhere!, we had another 5 new members sign up. So we welcome:  Martin Evans, John & Ann Good, Colin Vincent & Rose Beary to the Cambridge & District MG Owners Club.
You will soon find out that WE ARE, SIMPLY THE BEST!

I'll keep this one short, simply due to the fact that most you will now already know, I have to much to say at meeting as it is! One can only comment on the great start to 1997, the Quiz/Buffet night at John & Jacqueline Deakins, was a most pleasant & very educational ( all those technical questions). Many thank to them from all who attended. It was a pleasant surprise to see longer term members Nigel, Karen & Celia at the Natter nghts in February, which were very well supported, the number of members who came along was at all time high.

A warm welcome goes out to our new members John, Martin, Colin, Rose, Carol & Eddy, please accept my appologies if I did not get the chance to have a chat with you, I am sure Heather our new liason 'person' did a good job and made you feel part of the club.

All of you please keep coming to our meetings & give your club support, spread the word how good it is, as we are always looking for new members with new ideas. (Strength Grows In Numbers). We extend the welcome to any MG Enthusiast that may be passing thru our area, please drop in to say hello!
Safe Driving
Brian

Recently The Cambridge & District MGOC decided to make a cash donation to an organisation whose sole aim is to provide life saving treatment to road accident victims. Below is a short biography of just one of the Sixty Doctors who give there time to MAGPAS.

At anytime of day or night, during any weather, Dr John Scott could be providing lifesaving treatment to a road accident victim, Dr, Scott is one of sixty GP's who volunteer to provide emergency medical assistance for MAGPAS - the Mid-Anglia General Practitioners Accident Service, based in Cambridge.

Like all Magpas volunteers Dr. Scott continues to fulfil his GP duties while making himself available for emergency call-outs. Even though he admits to "being totally speechless by the way some people drive", Dr Scotts enthusiasm for the task has not dimmed. "I have always been interested in emergency medicine and I've had a very rewarding 17 years with Magpas", he says.

When a 999 (911) call is put through to the emergency services for a road traffic accident, the ambulance service will call up the Magpas control room which will then locate the nearest doctor to the scene of the accident. "Most GP's are working out in the community and it is likely that we will turn up before the ambulance", explains Dr Scott. Sometime the Magpas doctors may have to carry out emergency treatment, on other occasions they just need to stay with the patient until the ambulance arrives. "If the accident is very serious" says doctor Scott "we will send out two doctors as a matter of routine. In a major incident such as the A1 pile up a few weeks ago, we turned out four doctors, but incidents like this are rare." During his time with the organisation, Dr. Scott has seen many changes. For starters, when he first joined Magpas, he arrived at the scene of an accident in his Austin Maxi, with flashing red and white lights. Today he drives a Volvo, with a regulatory green light flashing when he is out on call. " There is a total difference in the way I started compared to the changes that have taken place in the last four or five years", he reveals. " When I started I was given a box of kit and told to get on with it. Now we have introduced training programmes and we are the scheme of its in the British Isles with a teaching programme."

Changes in car design and seat belt laws have also led to changes in the role of the Magpas doctor. "There is a vast difference in the types of injuries I see now. I see far less facial injuries and whereas in the 1970's you would see a spread of injuries, now you get very serious injuries or minor ones," says Dr Scott. Magpas is a voluntary organisation and it relies totally on donations from the public to equip and prepare GP's to carry out emergency accident work.

Photography Competition Night- Monday April 7
There will be two competitions-one for the serious photographers, and one to cater for the frivolous fringe-which probably means most of you. Prove me wrong. There maybe a few who would like to think they are serious as well as frivolous, so don't fell constrained-everyone can enter for both.

The first competition will be themed MG in a setting. Everyone must have a favourite photo of their MG somewhere or other which they dig out every so often to brighten up the life of less fortunate beings. If so, that's what we want to see.

The photo must have an MG in it somewhere, preferably yours, though the car itself could be a relatively minor element in the composition. The setting could be anywhere-a country house, by the sea, even the garage if it has some interest and adds somthing to the picture. Photos can be any size, black & white, or colour, but must have been taken by you. Ones cut out of magazines are not allowed.

The winners and runners up will be decided democratically by totting up the votes from all those present on the evening. Those with the most votes win the competition.

Everyone will be allowed up to three photo's

If the winner gives their permission, then we will try and get the winning photograph printed in a future issue of Enjoying MG.
And of course it will appear on the Cambridge & District MGOC web pages!

The Second Competition is inspired by a recent one on the popular TV motoring programme 'Top Gear' which asked you to indentify three famous rally drivers from pictures taken of them in their infancy. Except that this one will ask you to indentify infamous MG drivers and their partners-not necessarily in the same photo.

So all you have to do is bring along a photo of yourself as a baby ar as a small child- the younger the better, so as to make it more difficult. The person who gets the most right is the winner. There will be prizes for the bonniest and the ugliest babies. To give everyone a chance, Brian, our 'leader' will not be considered for the former!

So get snapping!
Jeremy Mustoe

The competition to be held at the Black Horse, Dry Drayton, on Monday 7th April @8pm
All Welcome!

To Free Clutch After Winter Lay Up, jack up the rear wheels and secure car on 'Axle Stands'. Select top gear, start engine (and with it the whole transmission) ie. start in gear. Depress the clutch 'Blip' the engine, then stamp on the footbrake, the clutch will now disengage.