FIRST SHED
This was the first time that our Club had organised an event of this type, up until now most of our events were in the form of a drive to a venue whereas this one was a drive to a venue to see what some of our members can do and have something to eat and drink!
Our first visit was to John & Jane Kreig’s property set on the steep rise above Woodchester with wonderful rural views. John has been helping a lot of local people with engine troubles for many years plus he has a full time job driving, however he seems to find the time to continue both.
Our group descended on he and his wife Jane fairly early on the Saturday morning but he had been up earlier. As with a number of car lovers he showed us his restoration projects and outside was his completed bright Red Holden FJ. Inside was a very rare FJ Panel Van and an FX and another FJ Saloon awaiting his time to get them back on the road again.
After this we moved onto another very large shed which was set up with quite a number of different types of lathes and milling machines plus special machines relating to the specialist work that John did to hone the engine bores and to face heads to valves and to the valves themselves. John wont let an engine out the door unless he is satisfied that the work is correct.
John & Jane had set up a big table with tea or coffee plus the most amazing teacake baked that day by Jane which was such a lovely gesture, Thanks to you both John & Jane!!
Behind the sheds was an enclosure which had a number of kangaroos and emus, some of whom were in process of rehabilitation. Pretty busy people these Kreig’s looking after these animals; running their property and the engine engineering shop part time.
SECOND
We said our thanks and goodbyes to the Kreig’s and headed to Belvedere to Brian & Brenda Chapmans property late morning and parked our cars adjoining the home and outside entertaining Pavilion. On the other side of the house is Brian’s beautifully designed workshop, spotless with all his tools set on the wall or in the work toolboxes ready for use in his parttime enjoyment getting cars to run as they were meant to run. At present he was working on an MG but he is also skilled at re-spoking wire wheels and has a passion in his restoration projects of old Pre-war Triumph roadsters.
As part of the invite we joined them and cooked our various BBQ sausages, chops etc and they had fresh salad and all the doings one could imagine for us to sit around their huge oval shaped table. The talk around the table was all about what they had seen so far and what projects we all had at home which needed action. In such a delightful setting there appeared to be no reason that anyone wanted to leave but we did say our thank you’s to Brian and Brenda and headed back towards Strathalbyn to our final shed.
THIRD
The final shed was mine! What a letdown eh! Never mind! We sat around and had a glass of red and spent some time together chatting before saying goodbye.
Those on the trip were: John & Jane Kreig, Rivette Murphy, Caleen Vandernakker, Kate Knight, Rae & Cameron Mighall, Gavin Johns, Brian & Brenda Chapman, Mie Greenwood & Jan Dinan, Peter Barreau, Peter Sutton, Peter Casley, Graham Simpson, Greg & Pam Meyer and Kym Arnold.
