Dear Member and Visitor
The second half of 2023 was very diverse in terms of the activities we advertised and organized, but there was one deep sorrow that I had to deal with and that's where I'll start.
After returning from the MGDAYS in Épernay, I had to inform the European Manager Vivian Vleeshouwers that we would not be able to go ahead with the commitment to hold the MG EEOTY 2024 in Portugal, due to the significant increase in costs in the various organizational areas and the lack of sponsorship from the MG Motor due to a lack of interest or ignorance of the importance of such an event.
We had warned our Members in advance about the EEOTY 2023 event and when Luís Cunha Matos, Advisor to the Board, told us that he would be travelling with his family, we asked him to bring a gift for the Danish MGCC, which was celebrating its 50th anniversary at the time of the MG Centenary. Cunha Matos ended up doing us a double favour, as he brought us a trophy alluding to the MGCP's 40th anniversary, presented by the Overseas Director Peter Cook.
Maintaining the policy of good understanding with the Clube Escape Livre, 5 MGCP Members - Isabel Tinoco, J. Machado Pinto, L. Cunha Matos, Manuel Morais and Salvador Soares - took part and suffered some of the hardships that José Tavares de Melo also experienced 120 years ago.
To end the month of September on a high note, we travelled to the District of Leiria and hit the spot with "LSR - LEIRIA SOBRE RODAS". We were very well received by the Municipal organization and beyond. The local Members - José Poças Santos, Rui Silva and Vladimiro Alexandre - facilitated and contributed greatly to the success of what was the 179th Concentração MGCP.
In October we were surprised by the news that the Cyberster would be presented in Portugal on the 24th at the O CLUBE - MONSANTO SECRET SPOT, in Lisboa. The MG MOTOR PT asked us for a Classic that expressed heritage and I gave them my 1959 MGA MKI to display in red!
Complying with the guidelines issued by the MGCC-UK, the Vice-President of the Board, who is also the Club's International Representative - Tiago Silva - attended the European Conference in Rome, where, as well as reappointing Vivian, they debated issues related to the necessary cohabitation of our Classics and the ever-increasing environmental constraints.
We rounded off the activities with an early Christmas party, where honours were paid to the Club's oldest anniversary Members and others with specific attributes. The Folhas Platónicas were responsible for the humorous note “Como salvar um casamento”.
To everyone who facilitated my action, I send the warmest Octagonal Greetings,
Isabel Tinoco
December 2023
