At the Hot Air Balloon(less) Races
Bill Moseley
Check out our website for upcoming events and photos from past events. August meeting will be Monday, August 15 at Po Folks across from the Cordova Mall. If you have anything to put in our British Marque articles, please email it to me.
HOT AIR BALLOON RACES DEFLATED
PBCA joined the Mardi Gras MG’s club for a great British car get-together and display at the Foley, Alabama Hot Air Balloon Festival on Saturday, July 16. The Festival was highly publicized by Foley and they had a nicely done website. Check the event at www.gulfcoastballoonfestival.com if the site is still on-line.
We drove about 25 miles to Foley as a group and met at the Foley Festival Grounds with Dick Bishop, Mardi Gras MG’s president whose members also drove in as a group. The event was Dick’s idea and Dick called it a “British Car Display”. It turned out to be the hit of the festival. The balloonists did not arrive as planned during the morning so all the few hundred people who came to see the balloons trooped our line of British cars. We had some great conversations with many of them. Several people asked me, “What does MG stand for?” An intelligent question that gave me an opportunity to talk them to death with my answer!
Our display was from 9:00 to 3:00 but some stayed because the balloon crewmembers said that the balloon pilots would come in about 6:00 that evening – Guess what? It was a nice, sunny day with a gentle breeze from the south but still, NO BALLOONS except for the few little ones that got away from children.
We enjoyed the 10-plus arts and crafts booths and many food vendors. A large stage was set up and featured musicians and dancers. All I can add is that my wife and friend, Monnie, and I got to drive our TR-8 home WITH AIR CONDITIONING!!!
(Photos by Bill Moseley)
(Cap) Mardi Gras MG’s president Dick Bishop asks, “Where are the balloons?”
(Cap) British Cars on display
(Cap) Tom Schmitz endured the heat in his MG TF
(Cap) Hot Air Balloon fans admiring Bill Specht’s MGB and my TR-8
(Cap) Vince Cooke and his wife, Pat proudly displayed their XKE
Mardi Gras members who attended were:
Richard Bishop - MGB
Moody Steadham - MGB
Jack Nelson - Jaguar XKS
Bill Specht - MGB
Frank Straub - MG Midget
Glenn Wharton - TR6
Ryan Wharton - TR6
Panhandle British Car Association members were:
Tom Schmitz – MGTF
Bill and Monnie Moseley – Triumph TR-8
Bob and Margaret Henson – Jaguar XKS
Keith Sanders – MGC
Vince and Pat Cooke – Jaguar XKE
Nick Monteleone – Triumph TR-8
Mickey and Kay Kay - MGB
Diane Seals – MGB
