“August brings the fresh Spring showers, on and on for hours and hours”.. OK, so I pinched that from Flanders and Swan, and changed it to suit the Southern Hemisphere, but it still resonates as I’m spending too much time in cold and wet Melbourne!

And as a result I missed another monthly gathering, which I understand went well – even if Rory didn’t persuade any of you to buy Andy’s Eleven. This month we are off to Bruce’s shed, which is always a highlight of the year, particularly as it tends to fall close to the anniversary of my buying his Eleven (can you see an obsessive theme emerging here?) Please come along and keep us company on the 17th so Bruce doesn’t get bored to death by me.

By the time you read this the five or six (I lost count!) teams of Lotuses will know the results of the Philip Island 6 hour, so be ready to crown the conquering heroes on their return.

This month is about to get busy with all sorts of fun coming up. Tom’s Lotus Lunch is this coming weekend (I have to try to persuade Mrs R to drive me there in the Elan/Elise – you should come just for the giggles :)). Then there’s the Morgan round of the CSCA sprints on 13th, with the Shannons CMC Classic the following day where, God willing, we might have two Elevens side by side. A fortnight later is the glorious All British Day, with our biannual Concours d’Elegance.

Plans are afoot for a trip to the magnificent Gosford Motor Museum sometime in September or possibly early October. Watch this space.

And talking of road trips, who’s coming to the Cootamundra Sprints on 3-4 September? What better way to celebrate Fathers Day?

Also in September are two CLA institutions – our AGM on Wednesday the 21st – nomination forms on the members’ page – please do think about joining the fun of the Committee – I promise we don’t bite. We are welcoming Greg Cliffe as our new Treasurer and saying a huge thank you to Kris so please come along to join me in saying my thank you’s to them and all your committee.

The following weekend (25th) is Eggs Benedict, in sad but joyful (if that’s not an oxymoron) memory of Maurice, and we will also be running the second annual Round the Buckets. Anne is looking out for some fun roads for you to try en route there or home.

I think that’s possibly enough diary management, and as I really can’t bear to pass comment on the aftermath of Brexit and Boris Johnson as Foreign Minister, the recent horrifying evidence of home-grown torture, or the looming possibility of the lunatic fringe running the worlds largest nuclear arsenal (with another nutter with his hand on the other button), I shall leave it at that.

I look forward to seeing some more of all of you over the coming months as I re-organise my diary to be more Lotus friendly.

In the meantime drive safely, keep it upright, pointing the right way, and on the black stuff,

Pip pip,
Ashton

PS here’s a picture of my engine which, by the time you read this, will be in the car 🙂 There, my final mention of an Eleven…