American Auto Club North West

 Well folks here we are half way through the year already the winter snows but a faded memory who would have thought the sun was going to put in such an early appearance even with petrol prices going up quicker than Tommy can cadge a brew, you lot have been putting your hard earned into your hobby and getting out and about, Krispy Kreme and the like always well attended even when other shows clash but saying clash is wrong really when you sit and analyse the situation its letting us choose how far we want to travel this week yes I know the two biggest shows of the season are just around the corner early next month but hey Tatton is local for most of us and Americana is our nirvana this side of the pond and so budget that way.  For those that missed out on our fantastic Oak Head Park bash up in the lakes the fun and celebrations carry on into both these coming shows as we want everyone to be part of our clubs 30^th anniversary activities so come and join in the fun and grab some cake the rotties on a short lead,  Tommy’s on a diet  and by July I’ll be abstaining from all things sweet (that’s what I keep telling myself) so your encouragement would be greatly appreciated or help if you happen upon any committee member face down in a stupor.

 I’m sure someone else has already said the best is yet to come, but hey lets all go and make sure it happens take care good friends and enjoy.  Graeme S.

Hi folks, well  I hope I didn’t catch too many of you out with April’s big watt motor transplant, mind you the way petrol is hitting £1.30 odd a litre I wish I could turn back the clock to May 1981 when the club was just starting its first official meets as the American Auto Club Northwest.  Back then it was £1.32 a gallon, Charles and Diana were getting married, we had rioting in Moss Side and Toxteth. We were probably at the lowest point of that decade’s recession but our intrepid forebears set up this great club of ours to aid and enhance the enjoyment of what must have been then the ludicrous running of big engined Detroit iron, probably what the green party would call politically incorrect pastime. Fast forward 30 years we are celebrating our 30^th anniversary, we have just had the marriage of Charles and Diana’s eldest son, rioting on the streets of London, and once again we are probably at the depth of this decades recession, and yet against these odds this story seems to be repeating itself against the odds the American car scene seems to be as strong as ever.  In conversation different ones have mused they expected all kinds of cars to be coming up for sale, some are, but mostly down South (going by E-bay), but its funny we are still getting new members joining who are new to the scene and have just acquired their first American motor, and I am not talking PT Cruiser or Chrysler 300 which are good first steps into this hobby of ours.  I have found I have had to inform them these new members are coming on board  with the likes of 70’s Cadillac’s, 1951 Pontiac’s, and even big rig Kenworth show trucks! So expect to see a few new faces on the show circuit this year and give them a big warm Northwest welcome, I know Bert and Val have been working hard to get tickets out to these new faces, and whenever they have shown up they have already found what a friendly bunch we are even though one of them walked away with the bowling trophy on his first outing!  At that same event Southport Bowling, Richard Hertley turned up in his newly acquired 440 six pack Road Runner, again another pointer to have the tree huggers going barking mad.  Hopefully this May’s events will be blessed with good weather and good crack. I know the company will be excellent as all have the same passion for life and desire to live it.  So come and join us and let’s celebrate the American Auto Club Northwest’s 30^th birthday.

                                     When all trophies are given out we are all winners.

                                                                    Graeme S.

Hi folks, am I on my own in feeling the powers that be are taking us all for April fools? I understand the crap that’s hitting the fan in the middle east has a knock on effect, but unlike in the Suez crisis when we had petrol rationing because of shortages, the other oil producers have agreed to open the taps a little bit more to maintain supply volumes to help us!! Through this period, the higher price per barrel of crude has nothing to do with their healthier bank balance, or our own government’s revenues from the Brent shares it holds on top of the increased refined fuel duty (petrol/diesel). In addition to that the 20% vat on top, I now hear the bank of England are hinting at an interest rate rise to curb our spending to slow down inflation. Surely we are only spending more because of increased Taxes put on purchased goods, or increased transportation cost due to higher fuel duties. It’s a pity we can’t apply this kind of logic to physics, we would soon have the formula for perpetual motion. With this in mind I’ve mentioned to John Bates (he’s the mate who’s had my 68 fastback in his garage for the past twelve months), to beef up the suspension to take at least an extra 200kg of zircon batteries, and swap out the 351 Windsor for a 440 watt Pifco motor! Hmmmmm.  Suppose I won’t need those killer speakers to hear Simon and Garfunkel’s Sounds of Silence, and I think it would be cool to hide the recharge socket behind the defunct gas cap. I hope Chris and Bev have organised power points around the Newark show ground for Americana, as some councils take a dim view if you hook up to their lamp posts, and I’m not keen on leaving a classic Mustang on the road overnight as it only seems to charge when the street lights are on.

         Enjoy the month of April dear friends, Graeme S.

Hi folks, talk about the Mad March Hare, yes dear members I’m still here along with the rest of your Motley crew (ye know that would be a great name for a rock group) somewhere in this months club mag you will read how Barry Cunliffe stood us all up and shot us all down?? oopps “I mean Stood the committee down then put us all up again at the AGM that is”     Jim Goldies notes and Tommy G’s poetic prose will no doubt paint a colourfull picture of the event, what the written word wont be able to discribe was the friendly atmosphere throughout and the belly busting spread laid before us,    “worth the one hundred plus miles some members had travelled, be beaten by only three miles for the long distance throphy sorry John, but hey Sharon’s HotPot more than compensated I guess “. 

Besides being given the honour of leading this great club of ours, this years charity nomimation   Ronald McDonald House, will give me a sense of fulfilment if we can do our best for this very deserving organisation. As some of you know my family lost my four year old niece last August, little Leoni a proper little madam went into Alder Hay Chidrens Hospital in the first week of Febuary 2010 were she was eventually diagnosed with the very rare Mitrchondrial  Myopathy. Over the following months Leoni fought her way from the intensive care unit four times down to the high dependency unit, all the time her mum and nan always on call 24/7, this is when me and my wife would go up to the hospital to give them a couple of hours away from the wards. On these visits we discovered about Mac House as its affectionatley know amongst the doteing parents, through the weeks that passed by,  you get chatting with the various families from all over the country,  Stoke, Colwyn Bay and Blackburn where just some of the places I recall and thought this could be any other member from our own club in this unfortunate position,  so I started to become aware of what Mac House did and gave. Fully equiped rooms are provided so families can stay on the hospital grounds free of charge, full kitchen facilities so families can cook their own food, but once a week a chef comes in to cook a good meal for all to make sure they get atleast one proper meal as usually eating is the last thing on these parents minds.  Since 1993 Mc House has looked after more than 15000 yes thats fifteen thousand families in there 69 bedrooms, some stayed just a few days but others many months knowing full well that they will never be able to take their child home, costing in the region of £475K per year to run which is all raised by voluntary contributions the vast majority being raised by grateful families demonstrating their gratitude for the help and support Mc Donald House gave, for more info please check out Ronald McDonald House Alder Hey Children’s Hospital on the Web.

         Sorry friends for useing most of my gas on this years charity but I feel this is just what the American Auto Club North West is famous for  Taking the time to Care.

                                          looking forward to seeing you all this season Graeme S.

At todays AGM it was confirmed that Bauer Millett will continue being an AACNW sponsor into the 2011 “season”.

We would like to thank them for their continuing support in these difficult financial times.

http://www.bauer-millett.com/section.asp?section=5#/servicing

http://www.gmparts.co.uk/

Happy New Year folks, and welcome to the AMERICAN AUTO CLUB NORTH WEST’s    30^th year!

Yes folks this great club of ours is 30 years old in May so with all the extra special events we have planned, as well as all the usual shows and cruises marked down in the clubs new calendar, I think we are ready for a FUN and SUN packed year!  Also may I wish the AAC UK happy birthday as they are 30 as well in July I believe, a point of note which has been the cause of the enjoyable banter between our great clubs over the decades, like sibling rivalry as to who is the older or the better. We are all part of this great American car scene family, and like in all families on a whole we pull together for the greater good, something the Jacksons have been doing for over 30 years. A mile stone the Americana International passed in some style last year, and no doubt Chris and Bev along with the rest of the Americana family will be doing their utmost to better, as they have done year on year in the past.    

                            I know this year’s committee will be working just as hard to make this year a memorable one for all the right reasons,

                       So come on say hi and enjoy safe driving folks,   Graeme S

It’s that time of year again and what a cold end to the year [for most of us] it is to, although Gibbs is probably melting slowly in Australia. On behalf of the club we would like to wish all our members, friends and family a Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Finally the AACNW has it’s very own Facebook page which can be found here:

The Official AACNW Facebook Page

This is not going to replace the website, it will be running side by side with it.

At a recent Commitee meeting it was decided to raise the cost of new membership and the cost of renewals. Fortunately it’s a very small amount by todays standards. Please note, it seems there’s an option when joining online about having or not having a magazine but you will get one anyway !! New membership prices are as follows:

The new member cost is going up from £24 to £26, and the renewal cost from £20 to £22. (Associates will stay the same).
This is to cover the charge from paypal, and also covering extra costs which come into it.