THE
4X4 CLUB – ZIMBABWE
Newsletter
No: 106
November
2013
P O Box HG 594
Highlands Harare Zimbabwe The
Motor Sports Club House, 2 Annan Road,
Eastlea, Harare.
The
Chairman and Editorial Team:
The
4x4 Club is affiliated to the Zimbabwe Motor Sports Federation - ZMSF
Our
Club is a member of the Mashonaland Motor Sport Association Club House,
situated at: 2 Annan Rd. Eastlea. It is
available for hire for weddings, conferences, kid's parties, 21st
birthdays, etc.
News,
comments and opinions expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of
the Club or the Committee
THE EDITOR’S
DESK - Michael and Pat Gill
We
regret this epistle; according to M&P will be a bit short. We have not only been busy, retirement is
hell, but we are off to Kenya again. The
Steads have asked us to help them do control points on the East African Safari
Classic and we excitedly accepted. This
year there are 65 entries from all over the world and about half are Porsche
911s. All have to be pre 1975.
So
now we will spare a few moments to update you on the 4x4 activities.
CHAIRMAN'S
CHATTER: - Peter
Benzon
Christmas is coming and the decorations were up and
carols were being played middle of October in some shops. It seems to get earlier and earlier every
year that the spending fever starts! So it's now time to tell Santa what you
want for Christmas; a new tent; how about a GPS; new winch or set of tyres for
your pride and joy. We have a busy end to the year with the Dungbeetle Jamboree
in Mutare. The Mutare guys always make us feel very welcome and put on an
entertaining Jamboree set amongst the beautiful backdrop of Smallbridge dam. And in
early December we have the Rumble in the Jungle out on Aldington farm in Harare
south. This should be a great fun weekend with a new format this year so please
join us for the weekend. Or even just
for Sunday if you don't feel like camping out.
Enjoy your 4x4 Cheers Peter
SUBS:
It
is nearly the end of the year and I will be chasing you for your subs before
long. Subs remains at $40 for the
year. We will be there with the Receipt
Book and new Membership cards at the Mutare Jamboree and at the Rumble. Have
your money ready!! See the Membership Renewal at the end of this newsletter.
NEW
MEMBERS:
Colin and Dyllas Taylor: Colin
drives a Toyota SWB which we think might be the ex Mac Bailey's Shorty. We will find out in time. Welcome to the Club and we look forward to
getting to know you as the New Year progresses.
MEMBER'S
NEWS:
It was good to see Jason Young and Toni out on Three
Hills, in borrowed Stubby, rather than in the back seat of another car. They also found out that a camping weekend
needs a lot of car space and it was packed to the roof.
Stubby has
had a bit of a busy time recently.
Margie Gibson's
Land Rover had to be rescued and towed (NO – not to the knackers yard but to
her mechanic) so she ended up using Stubby for the week. Her comment "The could be life after the
Landie"
DISCOUNTS:
Telford Mica has moved into a very large new premises next to the
old crowded shop. They will still give
Club Members a discount so ask Jason or Kelvin when you next go shopping with
your up-to-date membership card.
TECHNICAL
TIP
We
drive on dusty roads and our tail lights get dust inside. Check yours and maybe pull out the bulbs and
give them a wipe. They do get dirty and
it might help to keep them cooler and more visible. When did you last check all your light to find
out if they were working?
(Ed's
note: Thought we had better check our
own, and found the number plate light on the Patrol was caked in mud!)
Foreign aid might be defined
as a transfer of money from poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor
countries.
PAST EVENTS
Three Hills. Well this was a surprise. Firstly we had about 17 cars, lots more than
in the past, and many new faces. The
weather was great for the night up on Moon Rock and Peter had found a whole new
route and area to show us on Sunday morning.
Some good 'wheeling'; always nice to pull someone who has managed to
stick themselves in a donga. Total
distance was under 100 ks. After a lunch
and rest period on top of a "First Time" hill, with a magnificent cliff top view of the
country; we meandered our way over some very "interesting" 4x4 trails
until we found ourselves back at Domboshawa Rock
and then home. The star attraction had
to be the Hanomag 1950s Campervan (referred to as the "Honey Sucker")
driven by Mike Brophy with Bumi and Margie Gibson. Very slow but with Margie waving out of the
rooftop turret hole it managed it all without a hitch.
A lesson for those vehicles with
oversize tow hitches that dug in, and then some with no proper recovery points
on the front. Come on guys, we know you have a SUV but a small change to the
front and rear recovery points would be such an advantage.
20TH
ANNIVERSARY DINNER
Well done Past and Present
members. We have just enjoyed
celebrating our 4x4 Club's 20th Anniversary at the Motor Sports Clubhouse. Many thanks to Carol and her team who put so
much into dressing the place up, arranging the fine details and getting about
60 people to dress up in their finery. The
table setting were beautiful with small square vases of full blown roses
interlaced with little sparkling LED lights.
We thank Lynda for giving us a very good deal. See her details below.
There were pretty ladies everywhere
and it was good to see all the formal suits out on display, even if some were a
bit tight round the middle.
It was a great evening and we enjoyed the few
speeches about the Club. Peter Benzon
and Neil Greenway, a founder member, told stories of the past while a slide
show brought back memories of past events, people and cars.
The MSC put on a good dinner and there
were beer and wine glasses with our Club emblem engraved on them as a memento.
Your Editors were also presented with mugs "THANK YOU FOR 20 YEARS OF 4X4
TRAILS AND ADVENTURES" and later some chocolate for the "Geriatric
Delinquent". The youth these days
have no respect for the aged!
Roger Ellis' mug had "THANK YOU FOR BEING FATHER
MARSHAL".
AND A NICE LETTER OF THANKS FROM NEIL
Thanks and well done to the 4 x 4 Club committee for putting on a
great occasion for
The celebration of 20 years since
the founding of the Club in Harare.
It was held at the MSA Clubhouse,
with lovely decorations.
I noted the club mug which had a
special message " Thanks
for all the emails over the years ".
I look forward to seeing the next 10
years in your hands and being at that “ gala occasion “
Much appreciated, Neil & Flossie
Greenway
(If you need flowers for any occasion we can recommend you contact Lynda
0772.374.533 the lady who did the table setting for us.)
FUTURE EVENTS:
Watch out for the flyers they should go out soon.
DUNGBEETLE Mutare Jamboree
23 / 24
November
Always
a great event and we urge you to make the effort to drive to our lovely Eastern
Highlands, Smallbridge Dam, and spend the weekend with the Mutare Boys. Even if you do not have a Comp Car they would
love your help or just your participation.
Rated by many as the best social
and competitive event of the year and that lovely scenery and those mountains…..
CHRISTMAS RUN
8th December "The
Rumble in the Jungle"
No
exact details out at the time of going to press but we hear of plans of a
camping weekend with fun drives and the usual Huntin Shooting Fishing Fun Day. Come out for the day or for the weekend. This
will be at the Kirk's farm at Harare South so get ready. It is tradition for us to make this the Charity
Fund Raising Day for SOAP (Save our Old Age Pensioners) please we need
your help. We would like you to bring
tins and boxes of food stuffs and anything else that our destitute old people
would like for Xmas. Just do it!
Why is the time of day
with the slowest traffic called rush hour?
Why can't women put on mascara with
their mouth closed?
CLUB SITE AT
DONNYBROOK PARK
At
the last Committee meeting a lot of time was spent on what we should do at our
site. A better signage at the entrance,
so people can find the entrance, is needed.
It has to be very permanent as metal signs grow legs and we have to
avoid it being "rented" from the City, as advertising. Where to put it and what it will cost has to
be decided.
More trees will be planted; we planted about
50 last year. Now that we have our bore hole a couple of acres of grass is also
on the wish list. This would be between
the Mud Run and Flat Track and is part of our expansion of the exhibition area for
events like the Jamboree.
4x4 Club Diary - 2013
These dates change as the year progresses, but flyers will be
sent out before each event.
Event types
(A). Competition
cars. (B). Social event, any car. (C). 4x4 Touring/SUV
NOVEMBER 22–24 Dungbeetle
(A) Mutare
DECEMBER 8
Christmas Run (B) Local
A =1; B = 1; C = 0. Events left
this year
DONNYBROOK
To enter Donnybrook Park on
a non-event day it will cost you $2
per car, providing you have you membership card. Non-members will be charged $20 per car. You must sign the book at the gate and put
your name, your Club and membership number.
Do not pay without signing the book.
Please note: If you wish to go to Donnybrook to play and there is
another event on, then the organizing club can charge what they like for you to
enter. They will have hired the entire
complex for that day. Please don’t try and argue with the gate attendant, they
will just be doing their job. Either
pay-up or go away and come back on a free day.
FACE
BOOK
Motor Sports Association Club House
MSA Membership: The Club House bar works
on a Swipe Card basis and any member of an affiliated club can join. Pay your $20 Club House subscription and get
your card. Bar prices are double for
non-cardholders.
Hall for Hire -
Hire
our affordable Club facilities for parties, Wedding Receptions, meetings,
seminars, courses and other functions. Assist us in this way to obtain funds for the
Clubhouse.
Michael and
Pat GILL
Phone: 04.494028
(M) 0778.843.843 (P) 0778.731.288
THE 4 x 4
CLUB
P.O. BOX HG 594 HIGHLANDS HARARE ZIMBABWE
2 Annan Road, Eastlea, Harare.
www.4x4.co.zw
Affiliated to the Zimbabwe
Motor Sports Federation
MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL - 2014
Name: ...........................................................................................................
Address: .............................................................................................
…………………………………………………………………………………
Telephone numbers : Home:
.……........................
Work:: ……………..................
Cell:...........................………........... E-mail
: …………………….......................
In order to keep our
records up-to-date, please let us know if you have changed any of your
details.
Signed: ............................................... Date: ...……..................................
Annual
subscription for 2014 is US$40
Our Bank Account Details, if
you wish to do a direct deposit:
Account Name: The
4x4 Club;
Bank: NMB Borrowdale Branch;
Branch Code: 11106 Account No: 260066827
Please advise me as soon as
you have paid, or we will not be able to reconcile the account and you will not
get your Membership Card.
Pat Gill: Membership
Secretary
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