MG-Rover Support Rally & Convoy 17 April

[mgmti]

Copied from another forum.

This is to be a larger version of the April 11th display, this time on the Sunday to allow people to attend without disrupting their work.

10am Gaydon Museum - til late

Midday - QGate, Longbridge - til late

We need parties at both venues, for people who want to stay put at one of the other.

The plan is to meet at Gayden, and convoy to Longbridge to meet the workers - I'm expecting a big welcome from them.

If some people want to stay at Gayden, thats great.

If others want to convoy between the 2 venues, all the better.

This is organised by BeverleyM again who has said :

It would be great if all that come along to wear any forum (whatever forum) t-shirts, MG t-shirts.....fly flags etc etc.

To make this work, could I ask you all please to pass any ideas to me by email
beverley@leda.com
I will pass things on to whoever is delegated.

THIS MUST BE WELL ORGANISED

I've already had some great pm's and emails from people 'inside' Longbridge, so we WILL be able to make this bigger and better than Monday.

[E_T_V]

I'll be there. And I urge other so try and make it too.

[MG MAL]

I will certainly try to attend,(still not too good at the mo after op)

Mal.

[Beaker]

Who else is going?

[Beaker]

So at the moment we have

MG Mal
Skatiechik
E_T_V
MGMTi

[Austin-Rover]

I will be there in 'TFC. I will be going down the M6 to arrive at Gaydon for 10:00 and then the convoy to Longbridge.

[e692wtt]

I'm travelling with Austin-Rover, so count me in too.

[Slaphead]

I'll be there aswell!

[ChrisM]

I shall also be there, hitching a lift with the two Ronnies :beer:

[Miracle maestro]

I'm going in the ZS, letting the O.A.P. maestro have a sunday morning lay-in :laugh:

[Beaker]

Well we will be in the black campervan so look out for us :)

[E_T_V]

I'll take the kettle too so I have a feeling I might be a popular attraction!

See you there.

[E_T_V]

I see we made the telly

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/avdb/news_web/video/9012da680009930/bb/09012da680009c17_bb_16x9.asx

You can guess who the fool is playing the tune on his horn as that MGF with the flag on drove off I'm sure :D

[E_T_V]

Some more info:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/4453625.stm

And some pictures too:

http://minis.vbapex.shacknet.nu/20050417-gaydon-longbridge/lon20050417.html

[e692wtt]

We also got a little bit on ITN but goodness knows how to get a link :laugh: - mostly the convoy on the M42.

And also a tiny mention on News 24, showed the parade of cars passing the front of the Longbridge factory from the back of the crowds at Q Gate.

[ChrisM]

My Mum recorded a couple of items on BBC News 24 - on closer inspection, during an interview, we (myself, e692wtt, Austin-Rover, Slaphead, Skatiechick and Maria) can be seen lurking in the background!

What a mind-blowing day... RIP MG Rover - should that be Rust In Pieces?

[E_T_V]

Oooooh someone even managed to photo my shed.

http://rovertech.ourdomain.co.uk/mkandy/lb2005/mini-DSC03302.JPG

Image courtesy of someone on the rovertech site. (Sorry dunno who yet).

[Austin-Rover]

What a truly mind blowing day! A fantastic turnout of cars, people, workers and families. Mixed emotions for all. The atmosphere outside Q Gate this afternoon was amazing.

Highlights had to include the 'rallying of the troops' in the car park at Gaydon, and bringing the M40 to a crawl on many occasions! Two lanes of MGRover products stretching as far as you could see!

[E_T_V]

Some pics that I took

[ChrisM]

Some of my pics...

[ChrisM]

[Austin-Rover]

Some pictures from me too...

[Austin-Rover]

[mgmti]

I see we made the telly

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/avdb/news_web/video/9012da680009930/bb/09012da680009c17_bb_16x9.asx

You can guess who the fool is playing the tune on his horn as that MGF with the flag on drove off I'm sure :D


OK, I admit it was probably me.

regards,
Patrick

[E_T_V]

I think we'll have to take joint credit for that one as well as quite a few others :D

[e692wtt]

Jeez, what a day! It seems incredible that events have turned out like this, but I am extremely glad that I went. It was an emotional day, sadness that MG Rover has passed but much more happiness that the cars, and MG Rover, have so much support from so many people.

One particular highlight for me was the support from passers by and the locals (just like the Austin Centenary Cavalcade photoshoot yesterday!), especially the people in the Longbridge area who came to their front doors, windows and the ends of their drives to wave at us and cheer us on. Passing motorists tooted their horns and waved as they passed our convoy as well. A great atmosphere.

And to see so many cars in convoy on the motorway (footage of this was on ITN), taking up the inside 2 lanes at slow-ish speeds, was truly a sight to behold.

Today was historic! :cool:

[Miracle maestro]

It was a brilliant day, in all ways. :)
I like the camper van, looks very useful

[Dean]

Looked a great day, shame I midded it, I was in London driving a big white Volvo!

Dean.

[John S]

Looked like an epic display. Pity - I've been bogged down with too much computer work recently. Would have loved to have shown my support. :(

[Rich]

Would have loved to have shown my support. :(

Me too, but I have been stuck with the re-wire from hell.

Budgeted 4 days to do it in, but didn't account for the fact that the occupents would fill a house to such an extreme with clutter, and then have 4 wardrobes built in on top of the carpet so you couldn't get the floorboards up where you needed to :rage: grrr, it took 8 days with 2 people and still isn't completly finished!!

Still I am glad to see so many people actually turned up there, at least it proves there is still support for Rover.

[Maria]

http://www.maisie.accelerator.org/GaydonandLongbridge/

[Jonathan]

I don't think many of us are going to forget the last few weeks in any hurry, you don't realise what you've got until you lose it, and it really did hit home (painfully) this weekend. BUT, we've shown that the cars and the heritage are not dead, and everything that MG Rover, it's employees and their predecessors have done is not only appreciated but it'll continue to be enjoyed and appreciated long into the future.

Some wonderful pictures so far, they'll be quite something to look back on in years to come. I'll add mine:

http://www.maestro.org.uk/events/MG170405/ (temporary page)

[Slaphead]

I don't think many of us are going to forget the last few weeks in any hurry, you don't realise what you've got until you lose it, and it really did hit home (painfully) this weekend. BUT, we've shown that the cars and the heritage are not dead, and everything that MG Rover, it's employees and their predecessors have done is not only appreciated but it'll continue to be enjoyed and appreciated long into the future.

Some wonderful pictures so far, they'll be quite something to look back on in years to come. I'll add mine:

http://www.maestro.org.uk/events/MG170405/ (temporary page)

I couldn't agree more! I'm gutted! I still expect to wake up and find it's all been a bad dream.A company that's had more 'Great Escapes' than Harry Houdini and Steve McQueen put together,has finally gone....or has it? Maybe there's one more reprieve to come.Well,i suppose you have to live in hope.
Anyway,given the circumstances it was a great day[i know that doesen't sound right,but you know what i mean].If only the majority of the British public had given as much support,maybe this day would never have come!

I'm sure we all send our best wishes to all of the employees and their families at MG-Rover and those not directly employed by the company,but who will still be affected by it's closure.

On a lighter note,a word of thanks to E_T_V for supplying hot beverages from the back of his catering.....erm,camper van! Cheers Dan. ;)

Once again,best wishes to everyone affected by the loss of MG-Rover. :thumbup: