Abingdon Works Centre Pre-Silverstone Dinner - Thursday 9th June 2009
The original idea of the dinner, held on the Thursday evening before MG Silverstone, was to welcome those on their way to the international gathering, providing them with an enjoyable evening in the company of MG enthusiasts in a distinctive location.
Internationally, the 2009 dinner was certainly the most successful to date with more countries represented than on any of the previous such gatherings. Along with MG enthusiasts from the
UK, Abingdon Works Centre Chairman, Richard Martin, welcomed visitors from
Australia,
South Africa,
Sweden,
Switzerland plus two Americans, one living in
Germany and the other in
Germany.
This year’s dinner was held in the centre of Oxford, in St Cross College which boasts as it’s neighbours the Ashmolean Museum, founded in 1683, and the Martyrs Memorial which commemorates the three 16
th Century Oxford Martyrs, Thomas Cranmer, Thomas Latimer and Nicholas Ridley who met fiery ends in the 1550s.
The Summer’s evening was warm enough (and more importantly dry) for pre-dinner drinks to be held in the college’s quadrangle with the assembled guests chatting over glasses of Pimms before sitting down to dinner in the dining room. After a first-class meal and, for those not driving, a few glasses of excellent wine, Brian Woodhams, MGCC Overseas Director, welcomed the overseas guests, some of whom he’d had the pleasure of meeting at events in their own countries. Over coffee, Brian Moylan, entertained everyone with tales of his times with MGs covering some of his experiences ‘on the road’ with the Competitions Department on the world rally circuit. Brian, as well as being a font of MG knowledge, is an excellent story-teller as, I’m sure, all present will testify. Following an entertaining AWC raffle, it was time for people to start saying their bon soirs and to wend their way to their various beds around the city and county.
Judging by the comments, both on the night and over the weekend, everyone enjoyed themselves and felt that it was an excellent starter for the main course that was MG Live.
Text: Richard Martin
Photos: Pete Davies
