TOC AGM May 7 2022 7th May 2022

The TOC AGM - by one completely unqualified to write anything, especially a record of the TOC AGM, but one who appreciates the finer things of life.

Oh, what joy!! A TOC AGM again, after two years of deprivation.

Yes, the 2022 AGM, but held for the first time at the British Motor Museum at Gaydon. An interesting place, where I discovered that even more Land Rovers and Range Rovers inhabit Gaydon than Kensington and Chelsea put together. And, they are all sparkling clean. Not a sign of any mud, let alone a cow pat or two!! We are surrounded by clean Range Rovers as I write from here in South Kensington. All of them with not a mark of dust, dirt, damage and not a sign of these great boat-like things doing anything except cluttering up the roads of London which are all getting narrower, while the vehicles using them are all getting wider. Teslas!! Over 6 ft wide!!

       Thank goodness for Bristols and yes, you’ve guessed it, Talbots!! They just slip through the traffic as if it opens up in recognition of a superior presence. Well, let’s face it - they are superior in every respect, but I digress. I am good at that!

       And what a pretty sight that was! There must have been 12 or 15 Talbots, mostly courtesy of Georges Roesch, adorning the car park reserved for us, and Ian Polson’s gorgeous 403 Bristol. She was allowed in because dear old Dick Fuggle used to say that Bristols are what Talbots would have been building after the WW2 if it had not been for those awful Rootes Brothers. More digression, my apologies.

       So, The Lord High Everything Else Roxburgh rang me on the evening following the AGM asking if I would write a few lines about the AGM, not a Minute mind you, but recollections. So, after I accepted the challenge, I set about writing, not a Minute, but probably something more akin to an Hour.

We all gathered in Conference Room 1, nothing 2nd Class for us, and there must have been about 50 or more Members, who were entertained with statements, tales and descriptions of the goings on over the past couple of years in matters of Archives and Spares, new and old, scanning old photographs and more by our current Lord High Treasurer, (Howard Day), The Lord High Archivist (Julian Hunt), and the Lord High Keepers and Storers of the Clubs Spares (Ian Potts and Guy Gregory). All, as I have said, interesting, informative and in places, very amusing and all kept in order technically and complete with projected papers and information by Our Lord High IT Man, Glyn Lloyd.

As an addition to the foregoing, Simon Scott was invited to speak about his acquisition of a 1922 8/18 Talbot, celebrating her 100th birthday this year. We got the impression that Simon had bought the car at auction, upon the advice of the Past Lord High Archivist Fack, very economically. Whispers of 'A Steal' went round the Conference room, but we all congratulated Simon on his purchase and for his description of the method of starting the car.

The first requirement is two bottles of Champagne, (the House was not specified, but it would surely have been at least Moet and probably Bollinger Grand Cuvée,) to be drunk, but the corks preserved for their use in stuffing into a couple of the orifices of the carburettor, whereupon the engine would leap into life and a smile would appear on the face of the owner!!

I have been told many times that the chances of a Vintage car starting are inversely proportionate to the number of people watching, but clearly not in the case of the 8/18. The requirement there is that the driver has to be Pissed on Pop before he presses the starter button.

So, there it is. I trust that we all had a safe and enjoyable journey home, I certainly did, and that we will all see each other from time to time at Talbot gatherings, events and meetings during the ensuing year.

Next year, apparently, we are already booked into the Shuttleworth Collection Hotel and Conference Room. Let us all, and more, be there - and somebody else be asked to write a few words about the 2023 AGM!