by Jan Tell
In recent times, we have had our annual meeting of seveners on the first Saturday of the month of August or September. The meeting alternates annually between the three districts of the Swedish Club and this year, it was the West Region’s turn to host it at ’The Mill ’in the small community of Bäckefors.
Normally the attendance at the annual event is 25/30 cars of the club's approximately 100 members and 90 cars, Lotus and Caterham, however in the current climate only 13 cars came this year. However we also had an Lotus F-type, Lotus Elise, Landrover and Lotus Elite join the party.
Most people arrived at the Old Mill on Friday evening to meet over a good meal with the chance to catch up with each other and share stories of the year gone by and be ready to start on Saturday's rally in the morning. The accommodation was perhaps appropriately in the old workers' housing. Attached to the Mill so no travelling !
The roadbook that was handed out at the start is still in genuine paper format and of course with distances in miles and kilometers. Well yes, modernization is underway, I have heard so who knows next year we may be on MyRoute App. The rally also contained about twenty questions and driving skills tests, all of which were scored.
Picture 1: Rally start by Lars Olof. Photo by Gunnar Eriksson
Picture 2: Rally start by Carina and Niclas. Photo by Gunnar Eriksson
Picture 3: A happy Jan who owns a GPS. Photo by Jan Tell
After driving on really curvy roads in a fantastic landscape, there was a lunch stop in the small town Färgelanda. You then of course take the opportunity to talk, tease …… and partly praise your fellow competitors.
Picture 1: Sometimes it stops... Photo by Ingmar Strannevik
Picture 2: What do you say about this curve on the "Ring"? Photo by Jan Tell
The rally continued around curves and over the hilltop towards the Norwegian border. We broke into small groups for the nice drive back towards the finish line in Bäckebol in the late afternoon sun with its dense forest and the open fields.
The Club each year has a beer and cider brewed and this is waiting for participants at the finish line, Local microbreweries are selected in the region where the annual meeting is held and we replace the labels with our meeting-unique self-designed Seven labels. All for the nice feeling of rinsing down the road dust while walking around among the cars, kicking tires and talking through the day's driving.
The evening's dinner was served in the ironworks' brewery Brukskällan. It was followed by a rally review and award ceremony from the sponsors' prize table.
Then in-depth talks and interesting investigations followed into the late evening. Many problems whee solved, which are then strangely unresolved the next day.
Sunday morning is full of the bittersweet taste of the farewell. Another great and fun meeting really fun and nice to meet old and new Seven members! Aaah, one year left until the next annual meeting…
Jan Tell is the Vice Chairman of the Lotus Caterham Seven Club Sweden, and the 1st Auditor of the International 7 Network
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