From July 2013

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The National Jowett Rally at the end of May saw several members from our
Section in attendance. After a wet Friday, the weather was very kind to us both on
Saturday at Milestones Museum and on the Sunday which was a “do your own thing”
day. Milestones Museum was a very interesting site for the concours day and we had
three prize-winners: Gordon Puttock won the Premier Concours with his deluxe Javelin,
and Tony Gouldsmith, and Nick and Ann Lawrence were awarded first and second
respectively in the Vintage class with their Short Twos, so congratulations to all of them.
Thank you also to the organising committee for an enjoyable National Rally.
Our June meeting was held at the Museum of East Anglian Life at Stowmarket
and the following report was kindly sent to me by Patrick Hemphill:
At least twenty members and friends from around the East Anglian region
assembled for an interesting, if rather cold day at the Museum of East Anglian Life
situated in the Suffolk town of Stowmarket, on Sunday 9th. June. Even more impressive
was the line- up of Jowetts, some fresh from the Basingstoke NJR including not one but
two Short Two models, four Jupiters, including the R4, a Javelin, and a Bradford. In
the car park, we had an unexpected encounter with Kenneth Bottomley and his wife,
Yorkshire nationals now domiciled in Stowmarket. Kenneth is a Jowett ex-employee
who started around 1946 and continued working for International Harvester after the
demise of Jowetts. They had read their Jowetteer and just came along to see what we
were all about. After refreshments, we began perambulating around the indoor and
outdoor exhibits.
The museum has a fascinating series of rooms in period décor and furnishings,
and a kitchen which had some members fondly reminiscing while others found the
contents quite normal! The classroom with its wooden desks, inkwells and blackboard
was similarly forbidding. Outdoors, volunteers were steaming up some fine traction
engines and an Operman 3-wheel truck was persuaded to run in our presence. Across
the field, the water mill was briefly operated featuring the ‘overshot’ principle. Despite
the small amount of water, the power of the mechanism was impressive and quite
sufficient to grind grain and hoist bags.
Many of the buildings had been relocated at the museum from elsewhere in
East Anglia, but Abbotts Hall is original, dating from the Queen Anne period, and
recently opened to the public; in fact the museum is built in its grounds.
Anyone interested in East Anglia’s engineering heritage will find lots to see in
this complex, with exhibitions dedicated to Paxman diesel engines, Burrell and Garrett
steam engines, and Ransomes farm machinery among many others. There are rare
breeds of farm animals and kitchen and formal garden - far too much to see in one day,
so a return visit could be on the cards. -Patrick Hemphill
Diary 2013
Sunday July 7th - Maldon Car Show, Maldon, Essex. This is our special meeting to
celebrate 90 years of The Jowett Car Club. The contact for this meeting is Tony
Pluckrose Tel. 01621 778938.
Sunday August 11th - “It’s Showtime” Purleigh, Essex. The contact for this meeting
is Tony Pluckrose Tel. 01621 778938
Fri/Sat/Sun September 13th, 14th, & 15th - Section Weekend based at the Ridgewell
White Horse, Mill Road, Ridgewell, Essex. CO9 4SG. At the time of writing, there is
just one room left, but you are welcome to attend for any of the meals if you wish. For
more information please contact Mary Young on tel. 01245 256944.
That is it for this month... -Robert Baines