2002 Lillian Christmas Parade
December 14, 2002, will mark the sixth year that PBCA has been invited to
participate in the Lillian, Alabama, Christmas Parade. Gathering time is
12:00 noon at the Lillian Community Club on US 98 three blocks east of the
Alabama end of the Perdido Bay Bridge. Some of the cars have been decorated
in the past but it is not necessary. The parade route is short, about 20 minutes, and the
weather is usually such that the parade should not tax our little British
radiators with the exception of Bob Henson's Jag.
PBCA will provide the candy throws and the parade is held rain or shine. So
far the record stands at four years of sunshine and one of rain. And even
in the rain in 1999, we turned out 11 cars.
Following the parade, there will be coffee, hot chocolate and cookies at the Lillian Community Club.
Isn't it great that we live were we can comfortably drive our LBCs year around. No need here on the Gulf Coast to winterize and store them away for
several months a year. Of course, some of us transplanted northerners are still getting used to 75 degrees on Christmas Day.
Rescheduled Fairhope Show Brings Out PBCA
PBCA had 18 cars entered in the South Alabama British Car Club's Festival in Fairhope, Alabama, which was reschedule to November 9th due to a
hurricane threat to the previously scheduled early October weekend. In spite of the delay of a month, 83 cars gathered in the park at the Fairhope pier
on Mobile Bay. This year the weather was warm and sunny right up to late afternoon. A number of PBCAers got caught in some fairly heavy rain
storms on the way home. This year PBCA won the Club Participation Award outright. The cars entered and the Awards by class garnered by PBCA
were:
Tom and Jeanne Schmitz, 59 Bugeye Sprite, 1st
Don Hambrick, 62 Austin Healey 3000, 2nd
Dieter and Inge Bruening, 65 Jag XKE, 2nd
Bob and Margaret Henson, 67 E-Type, 3rd
Richard and Donna Cunningham, 65 Jag XKE Coupe
Chuck and Charlene Byrne, 94 XJS, 3rd
Margaret Henson, 95 Jag XJS
Tom and Jeanne Schmitz, 55 MGTF 1500, 1st
Tom and Susan Page, 62 MGA, 2nd and Most Original Award
Brian Daly, 62 MGA
Scott Putirment, 71 MGB GT, 3rd
Jerry Hall, 67 Lotus Elan, 2nd
Bill and Melissa Silhan, 67 Aston Martin, 1st
Craig Hurt, 79 Rolls Royce, 2nd
Gus and Ann Fell, TR8, 1st
Bill Moseley, TR8, 2nd
John Hassebrock, 71 Spitfire, 1st
Mike and Cherie Japp, 77 Spitfire 3rd
Also in attendance was Keith Sanders who brought the PBCA sound system and spent the day as Show EMCEE. Both of Keith's MGCs failed him and
he hauled the equipment over in his recently acquired BMW Z3 Coupe. Keith, did you really try to start those Cs??? You have got to figure out
someplace to put an octagon or a leaper on the Bimmer.
The following additional members were on hand to cheer the participants on: Mickey and Kay Kay, Curt and Midge Derby, Bill Cornacchione and Dick
Maddux.
The editor extends a special "Thank You" and Apology to Inge Bruening. Inge volunteered to drive the Bugeye home for him. About ten miles short of
the garage, the skies opened up in a down pour and that is when she discovered what I wasn't aware of....neither the wipers nor one of the headlights
were working nor were the side curtains in the car. I am not sure the TF would have been any drier. I doubt that Inge will opt to drive that little beast
again instead of riding home with Dieter in the more weathertight E-type. Thanks anyhow Inge, your efforts were very much appreciated.
2003 Officers and Board
The Nominating Committee presented the following slate of Officers and Board Members at the November meeting. Theywill be elected and take office at the Christmas Party.
President: Ron Newman
Vice President: John Barber
Secretary: Ralph Overly
Treasurer: Tom Schmitz
Club "Spark Plug" (i.e. Events and Entertainment): Keith Sanders
Show Co-chairmen: Tom Schmitz and Bob Henson
Technical Advisor: Bill Snyder
Editor: Bill Moseley
Historian: Marcia Cooper
Webmaster: Mike Japp
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PBCA Year 2002 Wrap Up
The Panhandle British Car Association has had a successful year in both growth and activities. The club has welcomed 21 new members and their
spouses and families to a total of 96. More members have been active than in recent years. Besides our regular Monthly Meeting at the Seafood Shanty
in Pensacola, every month there has been some form of activity or event including our second, and to become "annual", "Drive to Bon Secour Lunch
Tour" at the Fish Camp restaurant.
We toured to and visited an antique gas station near Atmore, Alabama, with an extensive collection of antique tractors, beautifully restored old gas
pumps and an extensive collection of automobilia.
Our tour and picnic to the small airfield near Chumuckla, Florida, where Dick and Mitzi Maddux keep their airplane was a very popular event and we are
already planning a repeat of that. Maybe this coming year, the wind will calm down and we will be able to take some short hops in Dick's friend's
Stearman biplane.
We held the second Annual Progressive Dinner with approximately 30 PBCAers eating their way across the Panhandle. The event was hosted by
Steve Sanders for hors d'ouvers and Carolyn and Jack Bauer for a delicious Bar-B-Que dinner and a beautiful view across Santa Rosa Sound to Navarre
Beach. We wrapped up the gastronomic tour with some outstanding desserts at Annette and John Barber's home and an introduction to two very
British English Bulldogs.
The 10th Annual Pensacola Beach Bash and British Car Show drew 132 cars, an all time high, and our new location worked out very well again. More
space for the cars and less walking to see all the field. Also a larger crowd of spectators as we were directly on the main beach. A record high of 34
class sponsors and many thanks to Jaguar of the Gulf Coast and B&M Starter and Alternator Service as our major sponsors again this year. This is
always a full club event and many PBCA members are to be thanked for making this such a great annual event. Pat yourselves on the back, as you
really did a great job.
The 2003 Show will be held April 26th, which is a week later than usual due to Easter weekend being the third weekend in 2003. Two major additions to
the 2003 show will be a large tent in the middle of the Show site for some welcome shade. Even in April, that beach sun gets quite hot and every year we
send some of our friends home with an early season sunburn. We will also have dusk to dawn security in the host hotel, Pensacola Beach Best
Western, parking lot both Friday and Saturday nights. The "Red Beans and Rice" Welcome Party will be held again on Friday evening.
PBCA members ranged far and wide this year as ambassadors for the Club. PBCA was represented at the Lillian 2001 and 2002 Christmas Parades, the
Panama City British Car Show, Fairhope Arts and Crafts Festival, New Orleans British Car Show, Camellia Show at Bellingrath, Townsend, TN, British
Car Show, Chateau Elan British Car Gathering in Atlanta, Haji Temple Show in Pensacola, Lillian Car Show (This was this show's third year with PBCA
members attending), Montgomery British Car Show, North American MGC Convention, Florence Alabama British Car Show, AACA Seville Square
Show (14 cars and 14 trophies, 8 of them First Place Awards), Ft., Navarre Beach's Second Annual Show, SABCC British Car Show in Fairhope, and the
always great Natchez, MS, "Brits on the Bluff" British Car Show.
We hope that next month we can report a record turnout for the 2002 Christmas Party and Dirty Santa gift exchange December 7th at the Pensacola
Beach Best Western and the Sunday Brunch the next morning at the Bayside Grill.
We will also cover the last driving event of the year, the First Poker Rally, being planned and coordinated by Bill Moseley. It will be run November 24th
on a 70-mile back road route through the western end of the Panhandle and eastern Baldwin County, Alabama.
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