MAITLAND CLASSIC MOTOR ASSOCIATION

PRESIDENT’S WEBSITE REPORT

JULY 2024.

It’s July and a new financial year and an upcoming AGM are upon us. Recently we have had some lovely winter weather where it is an absolute pleasure to drive and ride our historics and classics on the rural roads of the Hunter Valley. This pure indulgence will continue for a few months yet!

MCMA members have recently had a wonderful Uralla Long Weekend Run. Refer to our galleries to see some photos. Here we had 42 people in 22 cars, mostly historics. We had great driving along Thunderbolt’s Way and the New England Highway. We visited Gloucester, Walcha, Uralla, Armidale and Nundle. Places of interest included Gloucester Markets, Walcha Royal Café, Apsley Falls, the charming shops in Uralla, New England Brewing, Saumarez Homestead and the New England Art Galley Museum near/in Armidale, and quaint Nundle. Everything ran seamlessly and there were no mishaps. We trialled our satellite phone and reinforced the role of ‘back-marker’ on this trip and all appeared to worth well.

In the next few months, we will have a tour to the Southern Highlands and another weekend away, this time to Quirindi. The Southern Highlands and Illawarra Tour will allow us to catch up with friends from the Berrima Club and defend our ‘trivia trophy’. We have the pleasure of a few members from the Upper Hunter Motoring Association. We will spend 3 nights at Bundanoon and tour the sights of the Southern Highlands and 3 nights at Coniston and tour the sights of the Illawarra as far south as Nowra. In October, Barry will be hosting us at Quirindi for a weekend of pleasurable driving in and around the Liverpool Plains, as well a night of entertainment with a spit roast/barbeque, trivia, singing and music.

Members are reminded to support local automotive businesses and to mention the club when they are buying products or paying for services. There is an opportunity to report their pleasant experiences at every club meeting. Our local businesses rely on us just as we rely upon them. We don’t need to be reminded that some of the skilled services we require for our vehicles are becoming very difficult to locate. This, as we well know, will become more difficult in the future.

A club like MCMA caters largely for mature drivers and older drivers, because it is usually us who are fascinated with older cars. To drive older cars on the road it is absolutely critical that we are all concerned with road safety and the understand the factors that contribute to it. As we continue to age, many of us are approaching, or have reached, the compulsory annual driving licence health assessment (from 75 years) and the compulsory biannual driving licence driving tests (from 85 years).

The Services NSW publication “The Road Ahead; Navigating your journey as an older adult” is a useful read. It sets out each of our responsibilities – as a driver, and as a friend or family member. It identifies the signs to look for if you are becoming concerned about your driving or someone else’s driving. It also details how the annual medical assessment works after 75 years of age works, and the biannual driving test works after 85 years of age. The driving test can be taken at a Service Centre, or from your home with an accredited driving instructor (at your cost). There is no limit to the number of times you can be assessed over 2 months. Disappointingly, some of us are hearing of some distressing experiences that older drivers are experiencing, such as unrealistic questions in the medical assessment and the inconsistencies in some of the on-road driving assessments. MCMA will record these concerns and support your preparation.

I hope that you all continue to enjoy historic motoring and you do so in the company of others. That’s how we share our interest and hobby. Please drive with care, courtesy and consideration.

Kind regards,

Ian Scanlon

President: Maitland Classic Motor Association (MCMA)