What have we missed??!!

[Jack]

Righty then. Having been on a few committees, there is nothing worse than members making loads of suggestions and nobody taking any actions for themselves from them. Alastair, as a well connected man about town can I ask you to identify an enthusiastic member of the Northern Section that I can get in touch with to organise the first big event of the year - THE RHUBARB RUN - I will probably need someone local who knows the roads reasonably to get a short run together and help to find a start and end point. Happy to come along to a meeting or two over the winter with the Northern Section to discuss and make plans, though hopefully this will be a nice easy one to sort - we know where the end point is, we just need a start point and a few cars.

We will leave from wherever we can find a decent sized rhubarb producer, and the run will finish at wherever the big Rhubarb Festival is happening. Prizes to be awarded for best dressed (either period or rhubarb related) and some other rhubarb related competition - though no racing.

Jupiter in Feb can't be any worse than me and Amy sitting in the SC with no hood through the constant drizzle of the Saturday of the rally Even in ski gear I was cold and very wet, February weather will be a breeze and a good chance to prove to the general public that Jowetts aren't just summer trailer queens

Final note is that whilst I am very keen to involve younger members, I am also keen to see some of the older members getting out for events like this - you're as young as you feel, and if you're 25 or 65 all I'm interested in is getting the cars out there, driving them, meeting others and having a good time. Many of us work all week just to get out on a Saturday afternoon for a drive, so let's all get together and do it. Plus it takes at least 3 people to bump start the car

I will start a new thread regarding this as soon as we have some details pencilled in. I can't believe any other section has got anything planned with the cars or social for a February weekend, but I will check.

Jack.

[Peter Holden]

OK so you have picked up on one of my stupid ideas.

Go for it Jack.

If you can be daft enough to attain a Guinness world record for ironing under water you can to the rhubarb run. I attach a link to the Asparagus festive website for information. www.britishasparagusfestival.org/ One advantage over rhubarb is that you can make a very powerful wine from it. We make that round here as the best out door rhubarb is grown in the Vale of Evesham next to the asparagus, next to the cider orchards, next to the pear orchards (Perry orchards ), next to the vegetable fields and during the 1600’s we would have been growing tobacco! ( a north American variety that was slightly hallucinogenic) not suppressing Worcestershire people were considered a funny lot. I’m not from Worcestershire I just live here.

[Chris Spencer]

Noel - Thanks for the response and I appreciate how difficult it can be to get onboard with the magazines but as the readers are to large extent already converted (to the older car / van) then we should make this our primary target market. I agree that the 'Automobile' very much fits the Jowett scene. Of late they have been running editorials on little known / low volume / early production vehicles. Can I sugest we make a special case for the centerary to them and rather than concentrate on the cars - edit a potted history of 'Jowett' which in it's self is very worthy story / read.

So on to other leads - we may have to think outside of the box here and dismiss long winded attempts at trying to get articles published in Motor Sport / Classic & Sports Car etc for now. However - Practical Classics have a monthly article on readers restorations - we must have someone if not several members who have undertaken a good quality restoration - this is one route (Practical Classics is the UK's best seller). They are now magazines dedicated to commerical / van transport - surely this a target for a 'Bradford' or one of the Jowett commerical vehicles. There are several good quality mags aimed at the vintage transport market (steam / diesel / petrol - 2 / 4 wheel / stationary - 'Old Glory' springs to mind this again is another avenue and I am sure there are several others. Is it worth a list being drawn up of what we could target in the publishing world - I am quite happy to do the research. Others members reading this - any other ideas - anyone out there have contacts in the press news world ?? Please do not be shy - lets have your thoughts.

Of course the easy member conversion would be the Jowett owner that is not a member - how ?? - I for one (and others) tend to track most of the published Jowett vehicle sales - either private / trade / web or auction and they tend to get listed on Jowett Talk. What we need to ensure is that when a Jowett changes hands - is that we gain the new owner as a member - after all we could be loosing a member (the vendor). Noel do we have any publicity handout that informs what membership benefits are ?? - If we don't can we have something drafted ?? (I realise we need to involve Mo & Bob). Then when a Jowett comes to the market we contact the vendor - send out a publicity pack with membership form and kindly ask the vender to pass the info on to the new owner.

Peter / Jack - Great idea - now lets make sure the rubarb is organic etc - then how about getting in touch with a famous establishment - that could use / retail rubarb ?? - Harrods food hall, Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsey, The Ritz, The Queen are all London based - we could and should spin some great publicity out of this.

All ideas are welcome but as Noel states it is not that easy - however, it becomes far less daunting when the burden is shared so we all need to work as a team. We can not just stop at the rubarb run we will need more ideas to keep the club profile high and attract membership - volunteers one step forward please.

Jack - Mug that I am - I'm in !

[M S G Benning]

Oh what did I start??? In NO WAY was my comment intended as a slight against our hard working volunteer press officer. It was more of an observation, in that if we (as a club) had been aware earlier, any one of our membership could have registered & then made everybody aware. My comment about the car park was based on not being allowed space on track/wherever, therefore having to find normal parking in the parking lots & trying to park us altogether (or even trying to meet up) would be a logistical impossibility. For 2 years now, I have listed events as known in 7side section (with, where possible, closing entry dates). Maybe the Exec should consider asking each section to submit the dates of major public events held in their section area during the year with closing entry dates. Reminders can then be placed in the Jowetteer & on Talk under 'section news' (where there appears to be little activity at present) or 'UK events'. I put the onus on every member to help raise the profile by making sure they have appropriate literature with them when they attend any shows etc.

[Alastair Gregg]

Jack, The man you need is Paul Beaumont (PM him). He will probably hate me for ever for dragging him into this so soon after the 2 years + graft he has put in on the Rally, but I'll risk it and if he can't face it he will know who to delegate to

If we do the relay idea I will ask my chairman Tim Brown if I can handle the detail as it passes through the NW section and I can speak to folks in the Midland section whom I know, but then below the Midland does that become your section Amy/Jack?

[Forumadmin]

They must be forcing Rhabarb in their lounges to get it ready for Febrauary

Did the Beajolais run in the Jup about 20 years ago. But did not get to drink any...

Did the Tulip 10 years ago and the Monte many times earlier than that. The car and I will need some serious refurbishment to do either aga in.

[Jack]

Oh what did I start??? In NO WAY was my comment intended as a slight against our hard working volunteer press officer. It was more of an observation, in that if we (as a club) had been aware earlier, any one of our membership could have registered & then made everybody aware. My comment about the car park was based on not being allowed space on track/wherever, therefore having to find normal parking in the parking lots & trying to park us altogether (or even trying to meet up) would be a logistical impossibility. For 2 years now, I have listed events as known in 7side section (with, where possible, closing entry dates). Maybe the Exec should consider asking each section to submit the dates of major public events held in their section area during the year with closing entry dates. Reminders can then be placed in the Jowetteer & on Talk under 'section news' (where there appears to be little activity at present) or 'UK events'. I put the onus on every member to help raise the profile by making sure they have appropriate literature with them when they attend any shows etc.

I don't think your post, or even some of the more forthright posts of others (me included) are intended as criticism or a slight against Noel - much more that it has flagged up how important it is that we all play our part, and hopefully the suggestions and views are being taken in the way they are intended by the committee and Noel himself.

No man is an island, and if we all sit back and wait for Noel to single-handedly craft a national press campaign, get an article published in all the major magazines, get the cars onto the TV and also have a day job, we are all going to be disappointed - we cannot all expect him to do this alone, but I think a huge positive from the whole thread are the multiple offers to get involved, ideas for the rest of the year and beyond, and lots of support from various members. If we all think about how we can help and go out and do something, his job will be a lot easier, and we will all be a part of a greater club and our cars will be even more sought after at the end of it.

I think a central calendar could help with the problem you describe publicising events, and would be the first place to go to check what is going on for everyone.

We also do need the appropriate literature you mention. I'd love to hand out information and membership contacts, even a brief "how to get into Jowetts" to people who ask about the cars, at the moment we have some info but a dedicated sales document that won't age over a few years could be a real positive step, if it doesn't exist already.

Finally, while we are focusing on the positives, we have received a very helpful e-mail from another club which has a stand and even knows a bit about Jowetts, so we may yet get some cars to the event. Cinderella shall go to the ball, perhaps. Amy is going to hate me calling her Cinderella, but then again she does spend a lot of time covered in cinders in the garage, only for her prince to come to the rescue

Jack.

[NoelStokoe]

Dear Peter,
Many thanks for your great post with so many good ideas to think about.

Like Alastair, the one that particularly caught my eye was the "Rhubarb Run" which sounds like a lot of fun! This is similar to the "Beaujolais Run" we did a few years ago. At the time we did get some local publicity, but with hindsight, I did not contact the wine magazines at the time, which clearly, would have been a good idea. If this venture gets the go-ahead, I would contact the grocer-type magazines, as suggested in one of the previous posts, I would guess there would be a lot out there!

Pulling the steam train would also be a good idea, we had talked about doing this at the Railway Museum in York when the NJR was held there. The Museum sounded interested at the time but did not go ahead because of their insurance constraints. I wonder if I could arrange this at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, it is just down the road from me....would there be any vintage owners interested?
PS Did the Jowett actually pull the steam train in that famous picture, or was that a publicity stunt at the time like the "Floating Power" advert which had a Jowett on top of a boat....The car was far too heavy for it so they blew up a photo to full-size and stuck that on top of it!!
Noel Stokoe

[Alastair Gregg]

Re the Rhubarb run

We have an obvious link to start us off from Wakefield. The Morrison's Bradford. They won't turn their nose up, I don't think, at being seen to be part of the run and with a name like that it wouldn't do us any harm being associated as they already support us so much anyway, In fact if they wanted we could do all the change overs at Morrison's stores. Ray has some Morrison's contacts and I have one as well (Manufacturing Engineering Manager). Paul Beaumont will know who the Northern section contacted for the Rally. Marketing Jowetts will be easier if you work with big well known friends and particularly if they get a benefit too

[Peter Holden]

The rhubarb run in February! I did not realise it would be that early. Weather could be a problem, but having said that if done as a relay it would mean shorter journeys for everybody. The asparagus run is every year so I was thinking the rhubarb should also be every year.

I think the idea of getting Morrisons involved would be a good. They would want publicity, even if it was just in there own stores we would get some thing. More than we get in the car magazines!!

The train stunt I think was just a photograph stunt. Having said that a Jowett did pull a low loader trailer and there are reports of that actually being done. In the 20’s it was. Now with a bit of artistic licence we could arrange a steam lo co pulling event. Photo of a full size steam engine but actually pull a scale model – still a steam engine!!!! I think on of my 00 trains might be a bit to small! Or alternatively a small full size steam engine. What about one of the narrow gauge train in Wales? Still a steam engine.

With regards to Jacks comment about spending money. The club does not have a bottom less pocket. The club has got to maintain a healthy and positive balance sheet (unlike the state of the country – thanks to Gordon Brown). Any event that the club organises we have to plan to make a profit, it gives us funding for future events. If we break even then OK, if we loose money in one occasion then we have at least some think to fall back on.

With regards to organising these sorts of events I think we might be trying to hard to get the publicity. I believe if we, as a club, are having some fun in doing something, with the cars, in some social event then the publicity will come naturally. The Jowett Car Clubs started as social events in going for runs and having a mass picnic.

On of my arguments that this discussion forum should be on a secure site is that ideas like this should be protected. Members from another club wishing to promote there cars have now got an idea. They are a bigger club with a lot more money to spend and have full time club staff that can organise events in a lot shorter time.

To late that idea has been pinched and the stunt has been done!!!!

[Robin Fairservice]

I have a picture of a Javelin pulling a light airplane. I was reminded of this the other day when I saw one of the luggag tractors at our local airport towing a twin engined Kingair to its spot on the ramp. Perhaps the towing need for a light airplane are not high. Is any member in the air plane business and could check out the power needed to tow an airplane?

[Forumadmin]

http://jowett.org/jowettnet/dt/club/j1-welcome.htm

A Javelin towing a plane off the runway after an emergency landing on an airstrip being used for drag racing. The plane, piloted by Barry with his son and Keith on board, suffered from a fractured oil cooler and had to glide down after the cockpit filled with smoke over Johannesburg. To say the least it was a close thing.

[Robin Fairservice]

That looks like the one that I remember seeing. I wonder if that could be repeated, but with a larger plane, and get a video put onto Youtube for wider viewing.

[Amy]

Goodness me, I go away for a couple of days with work, I return home and find Jack wanting his very own rhubarb costume...

I think the rhubarb run idea is superb (but this does come from another underwater ironing world record holder).

I'd be very happy to get involved, both on the run itself (what's a little bit of February weather when this could be so much fun?!) and also for the organisational / publicity / fundraising side of it.

So far I make it:

- Jack & Amy (TTD 88)
- Keith & Jenny
- Alastair
- Chris Spencer
- Peter Holden

Stiffy, I know you didn't mean to spark things off, but this does all seem to come back to you, so can I take it the Benning household will be involved too?

Amy.

[Chris Spencer]

Obviously - Jacks desire for a rhubarb costume is not a problem! Sharon is already sorting the design and drafting the pattern for him !