Impromptu September 2025
Impromptu
September 2025
It’s September, so time for another Impromptu update about what’s been going on this last month. With the routine absence of our printed Impressions magazine for the month of September, we have this cut-down report so you don’t miss out on the latest news. The issue of the full Impressions will resume from October again.
Contents
- Chairman’s Corner by Tim Sears
- National Quick Roundup
- Club’s Annual General Meeting
- Car details in Crossmember
- IMPressions – access to back issues
- Forum Update
- Welcome to new and returning members
Chairman’s Corner
A full report of this year’s National at Alfold will appear in October’s Impressions, but in the meantime I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who helped in any way before, during and after the event – it wouldn’t happen without you. I’d also like to thank those that have come forward to offer to look at organising future Nationals.
If you would like to be involved in organising a National or think you know of a suitable venue please drop me or our National Coordinator, Karen Fitzgerald, an Email. We are putting together a team of people to help with some of the background tasks, so that the responsibility doesn’t fall on one or two people.
Tap here to email Karen
The Club is also in need of bookkeepers to assist with accounting as it has become clear the Treasurer role is too much work for one person. If you can help in any way please call me for a chat or Email for more information.
The nominations for committee posts have now closed and I’m pleased to announce that Karen Fitzgerald will be standing for the role of Club Secretary and Director. Karen will bring a great deal of experience to the role and has a IMPressive understanding of how the Club operates. You will be able to vote for committee posts from 1st – 10th October (full details in Impressions).
It’s always nice to see Imps being used as everyday vehicles; while in the West Country this week I met up with Cornwall ACO Bob Blackman, and fellow club members Graham Beddoe and Sarah Doughty. Bob has been using his Clan regularly over the last couple of months, covering 1000+ miles which included his drive to the National. Sarah took the opportunity to take her Imp for a drive while we were visiting.
Tim Sears (Chairman)
Tap here to email Tim
National Quick Roundup
If you were there at the National this year you will know, first hand, how successful it was overall. A full account of the event will be included in the October Impressions magazine of course, but in the meantime, here are a few quick snippets from the event.
Bearing in mind the location was rather a long way south this year, we had a great turnout of cars (and vans too) and visitors. We welcomed visitors from all over the country, and many from overseas too. Not quite as well-attended as the Alton National in 2022, but that was very popular, being the post-Covid ‘escape’ event.
Costs and charges have become rather a worry over recent years for the Club and the organisers worked hard to maximise event features yet keep a lid on the costs. The final figures are being sorted but it looks like the event broke even this year – phew!
Feedback has been positive about the location as well as the entertainment, facilities and overall arrangements. There are points to learn, and the team have taken note of some things which can be improved on for future Nationals.
Tap here to see the blog page updated during the National.
Look out for the full report in October’s Impressions.
The Club’s 2025
Annual General Meeting
This year’s hybrid AGM will be held physically and virtually via Teams on:
Sunday 19th October 2025 at 11am
The British Motor Museum
Banbury Road, Gaydon
Warwickshire
CV35 0BJ
Our AGM is an important event during our Club’s annual cycle of operations and formalities. Not only does it provide the opportunity for all our members to vote on important Club matters, the discussion and consideration of future changes ensures that we continue to develop and improve. The Club officials will be voted in at this time as well; the Chairman, Directors and Committee members alike.
And you can take part! Click on the link below to see how you can join in and help shape the Club in the future. Your support will be valued – be that a tick in a few boxes to vote in your favourite Club members, to formalise Club rule updates or to take part in discussion. You can do all this either online or in person. Click the link below and find out more.
Tap here for more information about the AGM, with details about who’s nominated, rule changes, and everything else you should know.
Crossmember ‘part two’ • Car Information Records
When Crossmember was introduced just over 12 months ago we concentrated on migrating and setting up Members personal data only but knowing there was a second part that we did before in the old database and wanted to keep it there for the future. Members and the Club have now been managing and using Crossmember, and all is going well. Now we need to set up, ready for use, the informative Car Data section.
This included details of any Imps or Impish vehicles you currently owned alongside some specific details about the car or cars – make, model, reg no, colour etc. A snap shot of this was taken last year and will be checked over and imported into Crossmember and linked to your member record. Clearly some time has passed since then so it will be a little out of date and New Members have not been asked for this yet.
A further article will appear in Impressions in coming months with more detail and may be accompanied by an email. There will be a need for each member to access their member record in Crossmember (details of how to do this will follow in a further article) to check and update the car data. If you do not have access to email, or use computers, a similar request will be posted to you and between myself and Graham T, we will update the records. Periodically we will also remind you that this needs to be done.
From the information collected, the Club and the Model Registrars will be able to look at the information and compose reports and articles to share with members. There is a bit of work to do yet but please watch this space and be ready to help out when asked.
(Val Immers, Membership Sec and Graham Townsend, Vice Chairman)
Back Issues No More (nearly)
Back Issues as a service has been on wind down and in decline for some time now. Members have always had any immediate (last 3-4 months) missing issues covered and sent out through Val (Membership Sec). There after the option to buy other copies through the advert that appears regularly in Impressions has always been there. Other than that, it is a service that is no longer used.
Therefore, it has been decided to take the final steps (over coming months) towards closing down the service altogether. The plan is to migrate access to a Members Only area on the website. This is still in the early days of planning but would be a far fairer and easier way to help members access all the past copies – including the regular yearly indices.
However, there will still be archive copies both in hard copy and digitally, managed by the Club Librarian. For a short time if you do need any hard copy from the past drop Graham Townsend a line with your needs and he’ll check what might be available.
(Graham Townsend, Vice Chairman)
Tap here to email Graham
Forum Update
At last, we have some good news to share this month, about our Forum; this is just a quick note to say that we have not forgotten about it!
It has been some months since we lost access to the Forum but it’s return is imminent. Much of the migration work and platform testing has been completed. Some access details and system checks are needed still before we re-launch access to the site.
Some elements are now out of date, including some member’s accounts / logins as these have not been maintained recently. Work is in hand to remedy this as well. Not quite there yet though, so look out for further news in the next couple of months.
Membership Updates
Names to follow….
