Were you able to attend Midget50 or MG Live! this month? Or perhaps you took part in a more local gathering instead? Whatever the scale of the occasion, there is one thing that they all have in common – it takes a lot of hard work behind the scenes to make even the smallest of events into a success.

Usually this work is carried out by volunteers, perhaps supported by a small staff of full-timers in the bigger clubs. But spare a thought too for the traders who also support events. Sure, they have a commercial interest in attending and you could argue that the sales they make effectively pay for the effort involved. In many cases, however, the time and effort they invest is out of all proportion to the immediate financial returns. It is easy to underestimate the logistics involved in setting up, stocking and staffing a tent at a three-day event such as MG Live!, and yet those specialists who advertise in MGE were there in force. I am sure in many cases they made the effort not out of strict commercial necessity, but more out of a desire to support the movement generally, to put something back by helping create an upbeat atmosphere and an MG buzz, and they deserve our thanks for this.

While I’m handing out plaudits, I’d like to praise the way our clubs more often than not work together as friends rather than rivals. This happens throughout the season, and Midget50 is just the most recent example that springs to mind. So I welcome the news that next year’s commemoration of the MGB’s 50th birthday is being put together jointly by the MGOC and the MGCC to create what should be a celebration of suitable proportions to mark this landmark model. You’ll find details of all these and more inside this month’s issue. Please enjoy!

Simon Goldsworthy
Editor

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