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Walking into the pub meet at the Cheshire Line Tavern in Stockport a large group of people chatting are instantly recognisable as members of Manchester Minis. The atmosphere is very welcoming and a trendy looking lad extends his hand and introduces himself as Dave, the club president.
As he begins to tell me about the club it becomes clear that this isn’t your average Mini club.
“I don’t run Manchester Minis as a committee car club,” he begins, “instead we have two AGM’s each year where the members can decide how they want the club to be run. I am the club president but it is not my club, it belongs to the members.”
Dave explains that club runs as a social club rather than a car club admitting that he hasn't had his Mini on the road for four years and saying: “We have a few members who don’t actually own Minis they just come along for the social scene. We do get a lot of Minis coming to meets; but it's nice that people can come and enjoy the social side without feeling like they have to go to all the events because not everyone can afford it.”
Manchester Minis are very socially active. They attract about 20 members to a pub meet every Wednesday and treat them to an array of social activities.
“We have a very good relationship with the landlady in the pub,” Dave explains, “ so she lets us move the tables around to set up scalealetrics nights and quiz nights. She also lets us set up an auto test in the car park during the summer!
“We just coan off part of the car park and spend the evening ragging our Minis around the car park doing handbrake turns. The atmosphere is always fantastic, I love it, and we attract quite a crowd with the customers from the pub coming out to watch.”
When not turning their local pub car park into an auto test Manchester Minis attend events throughout the summer. “We usually get about 10-15 members at each big event,” said Dave, “Our biggest is the British Mini Showdown where we always take about 25 cars.
“When going to events we always try to drive in convoy, we have a Mini with a CB at the front and I’m usually at the back with a CB making sure we keep all the stragglers together.”
Like all clubs Manchester Minis is livelier in the summer but they meet all year round on Wednesdays at the Cheshire Line Tavern in Stockport from 8pm. For more information call Dave Barlow on 07736 457090 or check out www.manchesterminis.co.uk.
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CUSTOM: This lovely Mini turbo was built by one of the club members.
Images by: Turbo Dave of Manchester Minis
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