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Hans Across the Water -- Encore
I'm sure that many of you participate in some form of internet forum connected with our cars. I've been part of the mgs group on the autox.team.net site. The site is populated mostly by owner/drivers of MGs, but anyone can participate. The site is populated very much as the world of MGs is, i.e., members from around the world. But -- there's that common bond that hooks us together, we're hooked into MGs.
This universality was brought to the fold about six years ago when a member of the list, Hans Duinhoven, from the Netherlands let it be known in December of 1999 that he was coming to the Boston area for training in early January and would enjoy meeting other listers. That's all it took to get the ball rolling. On Sunday, January 9, 2000, about a dozen of us met at the historic Wayside Inn in Sudbury, Massachusetts and had lunch with Hans.
In the course of many emails it seems that the event needed to have a theme. With apologies to the Beetles it became known as Hans Across the Water. Have a look at http://www.ttalk.info/Tech/hans_across_the_water.htm for a report on the first gathering.
Over the past six years we've occasionally made contact and talked about doing it again 'one of these days'. You know how those things go. Well, it turns out that Hans recently changed employers and his new employer decided that he should go to the Boston area for some training. After a few weeks of climbing in and out of cyberspace we were able to put together that which has become called 'Hans Across the Water - Encore'. Not all of those attending the first gathering were able to make the second, but a number of new faces showed up. Here's the 'Encore' group:
Coming around from the left we have Paul Hinchcliffe (about to become President of CCBCC), Denise Thorpe (known to many as the Goddess of the list), Hans himself, Frank and Linda Krajewski of BMCNE fame and Alex Gottfried (54 TF from Sudbury, MA). No, I haven't forgotten about the one at this end of the table. He was the absolute surprise of the whole event. For those of you who are members of the mgs list I would like to show you the face that belongs to the list curmudgeon, none other than the irascible Ed Kaler of JustBrits. Ed flew in from Chicago just to join in the celebration of Hans' encore and to bug yours truly.
Many megabytes of images were taken at the event and I'd like to share a number of them with you. To be kind to those of us who are still in the dial-up world I'm going to do them as thumbnail images that you can expand as you wish. There are a few images that stand out and I want to be certain to share with you.
Hans with Frank and Linda
Krajewski
Paul Hinchcliffe and Denise Thorpe
Linda Krajewski and Alex
Gottfried
Paul Hinchcliffe and yours truly
Mr.
,
himself, Ed Kaler
Since this all came about
because of MGs, let me show you that they really were in attendance. I
drove Lazarus to pick up Hans at his hotel in Boston. It was about a 25
mile drive out to Sudbury, a mix of Massachusetts turnpike at 65-70 mph with
this view
,
classic New England townscape
,
and Alex's house
.
And
--- for you folks with high speed links --- here's a video that Hans shot while
on the way from Boston to Sudbury. I think it's while passing through
Wayland on U.S. 20. Caution -- it's 7.1 MB, a long load on dial-up
The group with their steeds
. Denise with her well traveled MGB
Paul Hinchcliffe's TC
,
Alex Gottfried's TF
and Lazarus
.
We had a lineup as we were
leaving the Inn
to go to Alex's. Can't tell if Ed was blowing off steam, or was just
intimidated by Denise.
One of the reasons that we went
to Alex's was to help install a Pertronix ignition into his TF. Now I can
appreciate the wide open spaces of the TD's under-bonnet more than ever
It was a great time and we agreed that we have to do it again one of these days. I'm not so sure about following up on Ed Kaler's suggestion that we hold the next gathering in Chicago. Maybe you can join us next time.
email to:Bud@Ttalk.info