Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi,

I see that there has been a Morris Minor london to brighton run before, but is there one now?

The Morris Minor L2B ran for 25 years. It was marshalled very competently by the Surrey and Hants Branch until Brighton decided that they would use their own marshalls and charge S&HB an exhorbitant amount of money which S&HB were not prepared to pay and so after many successful years it was finished.

Another example of the state interfering needlessly in the lives of its citizens. volunteers can often do a better job at lower cost, but some busybody in the local Council decides that he wants to impose "professional" organisation.

It was always a really good day out which we took part in many times over the years. The early days when everyone set off together were the best - Morris Minors everywhere!!!

I don't think it was 'state interference' as such. More likely that the council saw this as a 'nice little earner' and used Minor enthusiasts to subsidise the locals' council tax bills.

I used to do the London to Brighton Land Rover Run, which started at Crystal Palace until the London Emissions Zone was set up and effectively eliminated all the diesel-engined Landy's. Thereafter, it started so far in to Surrey that it might as well have been called the Redhill to Brighton Run.

I guess that if the local authority is charging so much to marshal the event, why not look for an alternative destination? London to Portsmouth, anyone? It's a bit longer but more historic (more of a day out!) and now the Hindhead Tunnel is open it's a much easier run. There is loads of space around Southsea Common (or at least there used to be - I left the city years ago and have only rarely been back). But it is beside the seaside!

I suppose it could be anywhere really, though Brighton is hard to beat as a classic destination. Only a thought.

mike.perry wrote:The Morris Minor L2B ran for 25 years. It was marshalled very competently by the Surrey and Hants Branch until Brighton decided that they would use their own marshalls and charge S&HB an exhorbitant amount of money which S&HB were not prepared to pay and so after many successful years it was finished.

That's exactly the story; it was turning into a financial nightmare. Luckily, the MMOC covered us for Public Liability Insurance. Other end locations were considered but suddenly it wasn't the London to Brighton Run any longer. We were also lucky that we had the permission of the Governor of Wandsworth Prison to use their land (outside the walls!)for the start point and not to mention the kind assistance of a fellow MMOC member who arranged that end of things.

It was a very reluctant decision to stop the event. I should also mention that the then West Sussex Branch were the people who started and ran it for a number of years.They made an excellent job of the mass start at Battersea.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ySdT1dRSes

All,

Am currently going thru the living hell that is moving home and came across this! Happy days indeed!

I'd certainly go along with the opinion that our esteemed councils, are quick to make a buck or two.

Have a look at a website called WhatDoTheyKnow.com.

You can view Freedom of information requests submitted to councils and other bodies. Many are very revealing.

The Chief Executive Officer of my own council Havering, pays himself almost £250,000 per year, and this gentleman is one of the low paid ceos.

No wonder our council tax is always going. up.