As you will have just read about in the latest issue of Safety Fast! this exciting, nationwide event is taking place between Tuesday 30th April and Saturday 25th May and the three Abingdon Works Centre Legs will be running on 15th of May, 16th of May and the 20th of May 2024.

As we continue the celebration of 100 years of MG in 2024, for the enjoyment of members throughout the country, our goal is to link all regions of the UK and all parts of our Club in celebration as a Centenary led expression of the ‘Marque of Friendship’. This is being achieved by way of a series of ‘road runs’ all the way from John O’Groats to Lands’ End.

The whole Club is uniting in this endeavour so that a very appropriate ‘MG 100 baton’ can pass from one end of the country to the other, involving as many members as possible… 

This is your chance to take part!
 

The Abingdon Works Centre Leg arrangements are as follows:

MG100 Cavalcade – Abingdon Works Centre Road Legs:

AWC Leg 1:

British Motor Museum to MG Car Club Kimber House

Collect Cecil Tuesday 14th May.

Drive route to Kimber House Wednesday 15th May

Distance: 57 Miles

Duration: 1 hour 33 mins @ average road speed

L             B4100

1st RB   B4455 Fosse Way

1st RB   A429 Fosse Way via Halford

2nd RB  A429 Fosse Way via Moreton in the Marsh

L             A424 south of Stow on the Wold towards Burford

2nd RB A424 through Burford town

1st RB A40 to Witney

L             Leave slip exit A415

R             A415 towards Brighthampton

2nd RB  A415 through Brighthampton

1st RB   A420 towards Oxford

2nd RB  A338 towards Wantage

L             Farringdon Road – past Dog House pub

L             A415 towards Abingdon

2nd RB  A415 (cross under A34) into Abingdon, continue to Kimber House

AWC Leg 2:

MG Car Club Kimber House to Brown & Gammons, Baldock

Drive route to B&G Tuesday 16th May

Distance: 67 Miles

Duration: 2 hour 0 mins @ average road speed

Leave KH via Town Centre One Way A415 to Cliffton Hampden

L             B4015

2nd RB  B4015 to Chislehampton

R             B480

1st RB   A329 through Little Milton to Thame crossing over M40

2nd RB  A418 to Aylesbury and keep on A418 to cross through the town

                A418 to Leighton Buzzard

3rd RB   A4146 East on Southern Bypass toward Dunstable

1st RB   A5 toward Hockcliffe

2nd RB  A5 towards M1

1st RB   B5120 through Toddington to Westoning

2nd RB  Greenfield Road towards Greenfield

L             Greenfield Road to Flitwick

R             Maulden Road heading North

3rd RB   A507 East towards Clophill and Shefford keeping on A507 towards Baldock

2nd RB  Norton Road

L             B656

R             Bell Row to Brown & Gammons HQ

AWC Leg 3:

Brooklands Museum to National Motor Museum, Beaulieu 

Collect Cecil Sunday 19th May

Drive route to Beaulieu Monday 20th May

Distance: 109 Miles

Duration: 2 hour 58 mins @ average road speed

R             Leave Brooklands B374

1st RB   A245 towards Chobham

2nd RB  The Street through Fetcham

R             B2122 the immediately:

1st RB   A246

3rd RB   A24 south through Box Hill, Dorking & The Bar

R             A272 west – the full length through Twyford to Shawford

L             Otterbourne Rd to Otterbourne

2nd RB  Poles Lane

L             A3090 through Ampfield & Romsey

1st RB   A36 to cross over M27

2nd RB  A326 to Marchwood

R             Wiggs Lane

L             Beaulieu Road becoming North Lane

L             B3056 Hatchet Lane to the National Motor Museum

The Abingdon Works Centre invites all members to be part of this amazing celebration and you will be most welcome to attend Leg1, 2, or 3, either for the full routes of part of them.  Leg 3 will include a lunch stop en-route down to Beaulieu so you may wish to do the first half or second half, further details on this aspect will be sent out by the AWC nearer to the day.

If you wish to be part of these above AWC legs, please send an email to ian.wright@mgccawc.co.uk to reserve your place and to ensure you receive final timings etc.

There is also a dedicated page on our new Abingdon Works Centre website www.mgccawc.co.uk that contains these maps etc.

*Should you plan to be one of the ‘intrepid’ end-to-enders who in celebration of 100 years of MG will enjoy the entire event, then please get in touch with Rob Constant on rob@littleabingdon.co.uk to express interest. 

Similarly, should you wish to do more than just the one local Centre leg, then again please contact Rob so we are aware of your multiple entry intentions. The success of this venture depends greatly on the communication between members, Centre organisers, the Cavalcade organising team and the MG Car Club. Don’t delay – consider your plans now!

The event objectives are as follows:

• To celebrate 100 years of MG in as inclusive and visible way possible, with support from all the various CRBs, but in particular MGCC Centres, by running a series of consecutive ‘scenic runs’ the full length of the country..
• Bring to life Club celebrations in a very active way in the UK – MGs on the road!
• Involve as many members as possible – from all age groups and eras of MG – from Vintage/MMM to ‘Young Members’…  The friendship of generations travelling together
• Devise an ‘overall’ route, which takes in some of the key venues to the overall MG story and iconic motoring / motorsport locations throughout mainland UK…
• Attract national and local PR – via TV, radio and on-line & print media through our nationwide event..
• Involve MG Motor UK Dealership Network in the event and fundraise for charity for both Lupus UK and the Alzheimer’s Society…

Where do the origins of this exciting event come from?

The concept originates with Geoff Mansfield who undertook the full Jogle in his 1931 MG M type Sportsman Coupe in his 80th year with a 90-year-old motorcar! A 1,000-mile adventure undertaken during 2021 for both the experience and to fund-raise for charity…

How will it work?

Although there may be a number of ‘end-to-enders’ joining in with all stages of the event, the Cavalcade is not a procession of MGs from one end of the county to the other, but rather a series of individual Centre road-runs.

These are, where necessary, joined together by ‘linking sections’ with ‘handover points’ for the ‘MG 100 baton’ which are envisaged to generally be at MG Motor UK dealerships, passing the ‘MG 100 baton’ one Centre to the next throughout the country.

The event has also been timed to coincide with the Southeast Centre’s exciting Brooklands event over the weekend of the 18th & 19th May, with the dates of the Cavalcade working ‘forwards’ and ‘backwards’ from this to ensure the Cavalcade is passing through the area at the appropriate time. Please see www.mgccse.co.uk/mg100-south-east/ for details.

Where’s Cecil?

The handover points will facilitate the passing of a gloss-sprayed card Cecil Kimber (the ‘MG 100 baton’!) between Centre officials, thereby allowing for the individual Centre’s scenic run to start and conclude where the Centre so desires, taking in such picturesque routes and places of interest as they wish to include.

The whole ‘Where’s Cecil’ concept we believe will bring a fun, engaging and media-friendly angle to the event emphasising the fun and heritage facets of our Club character.

 ‘Cecil’, will have two ninety-degree folds, one at knee height and the other at the pelvis allowing the great man to sit prominently in the passenger seat of a series of MGs throughout the trip. He will also have capability to be stood up by way of a movable ‘spine’ which will allow display at the Cavalcade start, finish, baton Handover Points and at the Southeast Centre’s Brooklands MG 100 event.

The story of Cecil’s adventures will no doubt make for an entertaining theme through the event and be recorded for posterity in the Cavalcade log-book. Once the event closes, Cecil and the Cavalcade log will retire to live comfortably at Kimber House, Abingdon as a permanent reminder of the event’s contribution to our 100-year celebrations.

We are keen that all parts of the country and all parts of the Club are involved in this ‘rolling’ event, involving as many members as possible, as a very inclusive demonstration of the ‘Marque of Friendship’. This is a brilliant way to unite as the original MG Club which grew with factory support in marking 100 years of MG in the very way MGs were intended; to be driven…