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Meet your Committee! - Andrew Stokell (Regalia Secretary)

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  • Meet your Committee! - Andrew Stokell (Regalia Secretary)

    Hi everyone!

    Here is the third post in a series of posts for you to get to know your M&MOC committee members. Our committee works hard in the background to raise the profile of these marvellous cars, and ensure their longterm survival. Grab a cup of tea, have a read, have a laugh, but please go easy on us!

    Last week we met Ed Howlett-Davey, our Social Media Secretary. This week we meet our Regalia Secretary, Andrew Stokell!


    Name:
    Andrew Stokell

    When did you join the M&MOC Committee? October 2016

    Tell us about your first Maestro/Montego (or other)

    My first car may not have been a Maestro or Montego but it was one of the three Ms – in this case a Metro. A 1984 ‘B’ reg MG Metro in silver – B894 RWX (with cheese grater wheels). An entertaining little car which was not very fast but chuckable. Sadly back then for me a car was car, and so it eventually got traded in for the next one. As most people now say who had one then, wish I’d kept it!

    Tell us about your current Maestro/Montego (or others)

    My Maestro is a 1989 G reg MG 2.0i which I bought from a pair of wheeler dealers near Luton in May 2014. Mechanically it was fairly sound, though did need some bodywork.

    I remember the day a friend and I collected the car to bring it home. Awful wet weather on the motorways, but my friend (and the Maestro) disappeared off into the distance and I couldn’t keep up in my Father’s Rover 45 (that Maestro was a fast car!)

    I bought one because both my Father and I had fond memories of his early Efi Maestro (also in white, but with the optional electronic dash and voice synthesis). Maybe not as trendy back at the time as a Golf GTi, an Escort XR3i, or Astra GTE, it was still respectably swift and gave my Father a lot of enjoyment (driving mine puts a smile on my face and isn’t that what it’s all about?)

    I am gradually adding a few upgrades – electric sunroof from a Montego, 4-electric window system (also from a Montego), and power steering.

    Oh and “Mr Montego” (Jeff Patterson), will be glad to know I haven’t given my car a name (well ok, he’s ‘Mr Maestro’!)

    We’ve pretty much always been a BL/Austin Rover family, so other cars I have at the moment include an MG ZS180, an MG ZT190 SE, and a recent purchase in 2017, an MG ZT260.

    What do you do for a living?

    I work in Higher Education – University of Leeds, in the Library service doing project management work

    Tell us something interesting or entertaining about yourself

    I have self-published two local history books, helped co-edit another; and when a youngster, I played in a school brass band, and once, back in the early 1980s, we played in the world famous Royal Albert Hall, in London.

    Your funniest experience with your Maestro/Montego (or other)

    Like Ed’s spider story, I was in my first Metro, on my way to Uni when I noticed a large bumble bee pottering about the dashboard. Now maybe not as malign as a wasp (vicious B*&stards!) I was still somewhat anxious (was driving through part of Leeds, so not at speed and managed to not panic). I pulled over asap and used a duster to very carefully encourage it out of the car.

    When the wheeler dealers who I bought the Maestro from took me out in it, they tore around the local housing estates (like 1980s joy riders!) and a friend and fellow club member who was in the back – Norman Dawson – had to remind them that the brakes weren’t all that good on these cars even back in the day!)

    What do you hope to see in the future of the M&MOC?

    I keep reading that 1980s cars are now becoming interesting/collectable, so this must play to our advantage. The two large national clubs which cater for MGs have information about the MG branded Maestros and Montegos, and the MGCC have the FWD Register, but for me I am keen that all models of Maestro and Montego get recognition from the classic car community as having contributed to everyday lives, and being part of our industrial and cultural heritage.
    There’s plenty of classic Fords, VWs etc, out there, but the products of BL/Austin Rover are less well supported, despite having being owned in their tens of thousands back in the 1980s. Smaller clubs like ours are vital in preserving these vehicles, and I would encourage all those people who have a ‘project’ or forgotten family car in their garage or lock-up, to join our club and get the help they need (and only our club can provide) to get that vehicle back on the road.

    We’ve created a good, friendly group of northern members who go to shows throughout the year. I’d like to see that participation and enthusiasm built on, both here in the north of England, and elsewhere in the country.

    As one guy said to me at a recent show – ‘it’s good to see them… keep looking after them’

    Thanks Andrew!
    1985 Austin Montego 2.0HLS x 2

    MONTEGO - THE CAR THAT PUTS THE DRIVER FIRST

  • #2
    No name for your cars, Top man
    1958 Ford Consul Convertible. I love this car
    1965 Ford Zodiac Executive. Fab cruiser being restored
    1997 Jaguar Xk8 Convertible. Such a fab car
    2004 MGZT cdti. Great workhorse
    2004 MGZT V8. I love this car

    Comment


    • #3
      Cheers Jeff! :-)

      Comment

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