Ballylickey Event Report

Once again we had a marvellous weekend at The Seaview House Hotel, West Cork, on the weekend of 3rd-5th September 2022. Despite the forecast of rain all weekend we enjoyed lovely bright sunshine and pleasant temperatures.

After a brief stop at Gougane Barra for lunch and a visit to the Friday markets in Bantry we arrived in Ballylickey at about 5pm. Most of the group arrived shortly after and we had dinner at 7.30pm which was of the usual high standard.

Saturday morning we started off early and by 10.30am the rest of the group arrived and we set off on a scenic drive as usual arranged by Michael Mullins to Bantry and on to Durrus. At this point the heavens opened and we encountered a cloud burst. I now realised why Anton and Ros had not brought their SS car but took their XF instead. However deluge didn’t last long and the sky became blue again. It stayed like that all day.  We stopped at Crookhaven where I believe some of our members visited the Mizen goldsmith shop and purchases were made (no names). Continuing on our journey, Schull was our next stop for lunch. We spent a couple of hours in the town and this gave me an opportunity to inspect and admire Rodney’s XJS.

Time to leave and off to Ballydehob via Bantry to our hotel for 5pm. Dinner at 7.30pm was again most enjoyable.

As well as Jaguars we also had Sean and Rosemary’s Maserati and Eoin and Cliona in their lovely VW Camper Van. Val and Marian were in their new car. Michael and Mary and Leo and Abby had their E-types, Larry and Bernie and Pat Goggin drove their MK2s. We had a good selection of old and new Jaguars given the weather forecast for the weekend.

Sunday morning we drove to Gougane Barra for lunch and it was then time to say goodbye.

Thanks to everyone for attending, it was great to get back to normal.

Apologies from John Reynolds, Jon and Eirin, Philip and Sally. Best wishes to Sally after her surgery.

John F Sheehan

Meeting Report 31-August-22

Notes from discussions at our August Zoom Monthly meeting:

• We started with an informal chat about the challenges of using your Jaguar for a wedding – some members have been called to duty by their respective relatives and acquaintances recently.
• Ballylickey weekend.
  • Wet weather expected is expected over the weekend, but of course the forecast could be wrong. So there are plans and contingency plans to make the most of our time together.
  • Most people are arriving in Ballylickey on Friday and staying two nights. Members arriving on Saturday as requested to be in Seaview House by 10:30am as everyone will be assembling then. The group will leave at 11am sharp for a scenic drive to Schull for lunch, via Goleen, and back by Ballydehob.
  • We’re looking forward to seeing Pat’s car in action after all the work Leo has done on it.
• We watched a couple of videos:
  • I Drove This Jaguar XKR 20 Years Ago! Is It As Good As I Remember? (2001 XKR 4.0 Coupe Road Test)
  • Suffolk Sportscars 2018 film – SS100 and C-type
• A few of our younger members are waiting for Leaving Certificate results this week. Best of luck to all!

Meeting Report 05-July-22

Notes from discussions at our June Zoom monthly meeting (which was postponed by a week):

Ballylickey Trip Update

An update on the Ballylickey Trip coming up in early September – the Seaview House Hotel is fully booked now. 13 rooms have been reserved by JEC members. Anybody who has not yet booked and wants to stay will need to contact the hotel directly to have their name added to a waiting list.

Youghal Event Reminder

The Classic Wheels Ireland Vintage 2022 Classic, Bike Run and Show is on May 28th and 29th in Youghal. At our AGM and Zoom meetings some members indicated that they plan to attend. The run is at 2pm on Saturday 28th, from Farrell’s Summerfield Bar. The static show is at 2pm on Sunday 29th, in the same location. JEC members coordinate meeting through the WhatsApp group if you wish.

Lunch and the AGM at Garryvoe

We met on a bright, sunny April Sunday at the Garryvoe Hotel for lunch, which was then followed by our AGM. We had an impressive turnout of members, although a significant number of our stalwarts were unable to attend due to Covid illness. Our thoughts are with you, and we hope you make a speedy and full recovery!

Garryvoe Trip for Lunch and AGM

We plan to meet for lunch at the Garryvoe Hotel on Sunday 3rd April, to eat at 1pm. This will be followed by our AGM, as part of which we will arrange the Calendar of Events for 2022. It’s the first opportunity we will have had to meet in person in quite some time, so we encourage as many members as possible to attend. We are looking forward to a good turn out!

Merry Christmas to all of our members and friends!

We wish all of our members and friends of the Jaguar Enthusiasts’ Club a very merry Christmas. We managed to get together a couple of times in 2021, when restrictions and common-sense allowed. Things will improve, and we’ll make the most of it as and when they do. Stay tuned to the website and Facebook page for updates.

Classic Wheels Ireland Youghal Event

An event in which some of our members are planning to participate, and others may like to join them, is coming up soon in Youghal, Co. Cork – the Classic Wheels Ireland Classic and Vintage Car and Bike Event. For pre-1990 vehicles only, it takes place over two days, Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd August. There’s a run on the first day, and a static show on the second. More details on https://www.classicwheelsireland.com/

Customs Implications for Non-EU Online Shopping

One of our members recently received an email from An Post, regarding VAT and customs charges for online shopping outside the EU. Clearly it’s relevant to us when we order parts, tools and other materials for our cars from abroad, particularly in the light of Brexit. Here is the text of the email: