Committee
Ronnie Gordon: (Chair & Acting Secretary) 0141 956 2950 07906 042215
31 Roselea Drive, Milngavie, Glasgow G62 8HE
John Stewart (Treasurer)
Harry Sherry : (Webmaster)
member
John Young: (Membership Secretary)
Ian Stother: (Member)
Ronnie Johnston: (Editor)
Kevin Began: (Events Co-ordinator)
Dave Stewart: (Webmaster)
Monthly meetings: These take place on the 3rd Tuesday of the month in the Kirkhouse Inn at 08.00PM.
All members welcome.
The opinions expressed in this bulletin are not necessarily those of the committee or any of its members.
Editorial:
Firstly, my apologies for an error in previous bulletins. The Club’s monthly meetings are held on the third TUESDAY of the month in the Kirkhouse Inn at 8.00.
The settled weather seems to have passed but we are still getting our cars out.
I managed along to the Biggar event which, as always, did not disappoint.
I took the Morris on the RSAC “Three Lochs” run on the 19th. which was based at the Morris Equestrian Centre Fenwick this year.
We were made very welcome and the facilities are excellent.
The weather was poor to start with but improved steadily as the day progressed.
There were a few entries that I have not seen before including a magnificent Rolls Royce 20/25 and a very original Bugatti.
Our Club was well represented with Graham Runcieman, Kevin Began and George Rome all taking an award.
Jonathon Lord has announced that next year’s event will use the same venue and the expected date is Sunday 18th August. If you have not yet participated in this event why not make a point of coming next year? I don’t think you will be disappointed.
Meantime, there a photos of some of the cars at the Race and Rally Motorsport Photography Facebook page.
SAD NEWS:
My last Bulletin had only just been published when I learned the sad news of Shirley Gisbey’s passing.
I am grateful to Jeanette Alexander, her long time friend, for the following tribute.
Members will be saddened to learn of the passing of Shirley Gisbey on 2nd August after a long illness. Shirley always greeted everyone with a smile and enjoyed attending Club events if her health allowed.
She was a keen gardener and kept her own garden perfectly while fit enough to do so.
Latterly, she and Malcolm would visit garden centres where she continued to enjoy her love of plants.
She also liked Scottish Traditional Music and attended the local Accordion and Fiddle Club monthly, even on a cold winter’s night.
All our sincere sympathies and thoughts go to Malcolm, their daughters Lorna and Sheila and their families. We will all miss her.
Jeanette Alexander.
Club Events:
Bus run and afternoon tea.
We have arranged this for 30th September. We propose to go to Crieff and a light lunch will be provided. Final arrangements are still being made and full details will be announced by a “News Flash”. Meantime, we need to have an idea of numbers so please let Ronnie Gordon know if you intend to come along.
Payment for the bus will be by way of a donation.
Autojumble: Saturday 13th October
This will be held in the usual venue:
St Cyprian,s Church Hall, Beech Road, Lenzie, G66 4HN.
This is a good opportunity to de-clutter the workshop and make a little money. It is also an excellent social event. There will be a Tombola and hot drinks and bacon rolls are available. If you wish to take a table (No charge.) contact Ian Stother, Persons taking tables should arrive at 09.00 with the hall being opened to the public at 10.00.
AGM: Monday 3rd December.
Come along and have a say on how your Club is run. Kilmardinny House at 07.30.
Mid Winter Dinner: Friday 18th January.
We will be using the same restaurant as in the past two years which has proved very satisfactory.
1051 GWR, 1051 Great Western Rd, Glasgow G12 0XP.
Cost and booking details will follow.
MOTORING TRIVIA
THE WOLSELEY GYRO CAR:
A SOLUTION LOOKING FOR A PROBLEM?
The early days of motoring saw many weird and wonderful contraptions as engineers applied their ingenuity to the task of designing a motor car.
If a prize were to be awarded for the most bizarre design a serious contender would be the Gyro Car built by Wolseley to the orders of Count Pyotr Schilovski a wealthy Russian with connections to the Russian Royal Family.
Schilovski approached the company with his plans in 1912 and a vehicle of this design was duly produced.
It certainly could have won a prize for technical ingenuity but it is difficult to imagine what practical use it could have been put to.
The car had only two wheels and depended on heavy horizontally rotating flywheels for stability.
These flywheels weighed over half a ton and kept the car very stable but it must be remarked that another pair of wheels would have done the same thing for a lot less effort.
With the engine stopped a support on either side lowered automatically to keep it upright.
It looked like a hybrid of a car and a very long motorcycle and at 2.5 tons it was no lightweight.
The gyros that maintained its equilibrium also made it very difficult to manoeuvre and the turning circle was massive.
With the outbreak of hostilities in 1914 the Count returned to Russia, the company became fully engaged with munitions contracts and the car was consigned to a corner of the factory and largely forgotten.
After the war it was thought the Count had died in the hostilities and the company made the first of two bizarre decisions concerning this machine. They did not wish to dispose of it entirely so it was buried in the factory yard.
I claim no expertise in the long term storage of motor vehicles but I am fairly certain this is not one of the best procedures.
The car was subsequently disinterred and after restoration was displayed in the company museum.
In 1946 the inexplicable decision was taken to dispose of the car and it was broken up for scrap.
What a shame that a short sighted decision should deprive future generations of such an interesting piece of technical ingenuity.
On display in the museum
AND FINALLY:
It looks like concerns over using new technology in a car are nothing new.
PICTURES NOT AVAILABLE
That’s all folks, Hope to see you at the Autojumble.
RonnieSWTVC Bulletin Volume 2018 Number 8 (September)
The SWTVC Website can be found at www.swtvc.org.uk and has up-to-date information about meetings.
Registered address of the SWTVC: 31 Roselea Drive, Milngavie, Glasgow
G62 8HE