NORTH FRANKLIN, Conn., Oct. 26 — An eclectic mix of nine cars got together in eastern Connecticut on a brisk October morning for the Fall Cruise organized by NEMO member Sebastien Geerens, his father-in-law Mike Bailey, and friends Jethro and Sheldon.

The starting point was Arrowhead Acres in North Franklin, and it was there that the tour ended up after about three hours on roads that took us through quaint towns down to the coast, over to a covered bridge, and back again for lunch.

It was what one NEMO member called “a spirited drive,” led by Mike in a Triumph TR6, with four classic Minis, a MINI Clubman, a second TR6, a GTI, two motorcycles, and even a Corvette. Among the NEMO people and friends attending were Steve and Tony Borges, Dave Black, Greg Mazza, Jon Gardner and Barbara Salome, Faith Lamprey and I, and, of course, Sebastien.

The tour kicked off a few minutes after 9am, with the first stop being for petrol and provisions at a nearby convenience store that sold virtually everything – even fine cigars if you were so inclined. Turn left once you walked through the door and there were donuts and coffee to be had at a Dunkin’ installation, turn right and there was the rest room (in anticipation of a relatively long drive). Walk back outside and there were the gas pumps. Faith topped off our ’67 Mini, on its maiden voyage since getting it back from the Borges’ shop, while I picked up a snack to tide us over till lunch.

Lest our line of cars get separated at a traffic light, we downloaded the route map on our phones before we left for the tour. There were no paper copies so if you did not have a phone (or were technologically challenged like me), you needed to follow someone closely who did, and have them watch for you in their rear-view mirror just in case. Fortunately, I had Faith riding with me, who is technically savvy and actually enjoyed this high-tech aspect of the trip. I must admit it all worked out well. No one got lost.

The cloudy skies turned sunny less than halfway through the tour. Most of the foliage was still on the trees and downright gorgeous. The roads were smooth, curvy and pothole-free – very Mini-friendly.

There were two stops along the way, the first to regroup and refresh at Rocky Neck State Park in East Lyme, the second to visit the Old Comstock Bridge, a covered bridge in East Haddam dating back to the 1840s. It was there that Jon revealed he used to live in the area and go fishing with his dad on the very river the bridge traversed – a lovely spot.

Upon our return to Arrowhead Acres we enjoyed a very pleasant lunch. Faith, Jon, Barbara and I ordered the turkey bacon club sandwich on the café’s own artisanal bread, highly recommended! Since Arrowhead Acres is also a winery, Faith and I treated ourselves to a refreshing glass of wine.

The Fall Cruise was a wonderful way to spend a Sunday in late October. Many thanks to Sebastien and his friends for making it happen, and to all the NEMO members who by participating made it a success.

The NEMO Holiday Party will be held at The Crossings Restaurant, 45 Main Street in Putnam, Conn., https://crossingsbrewpub.com/. The date is Saturday, December 6 from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

This is a new restaurant for us this year. It is in downtown Putnam. We have reserved their heated patio — just for us. And they reportedly have a great selection of draft beers. Thanks to Dave Black for arranging all this!

We need a head count, so RSVP by e-mail to faithlamprey@gmail.com, or call or text me at (401) 651-5576 ASAP (by 11/29 at the latest). Let me know the names of who will be attending (and ages of any kids). We will be ordering off the menu.

To the delight of many, we will be holding a Yankee Swap so plan to bring a wrapped gift (try to keep the cost below $35). A Yankee Swap means that someone else may “take” your gift when it is their turn to pick. (Warn your kids so they don’t get upset if this happens!) You get to pick a gift for every gift you bring (please, no more than one per person or the party will never end).

Our Holiday Party is one of our more popular events every year and this central location in Connecticut is convenient for the majority of our members. Hope to see you there!

STOWE, Vt., Sept. 19–21 — My husband asked what a perfect car show would look like to me. I replied that it had to have a nice venue, perfect weather (meaning day temperatures between 60° and 70°), be well-organized, have lots of classic Minis, and have a People’s Choice award for whatever car I brought to the show. The British Invasion in Stowe provided me with four of my five requirements. Not bad! I really don’t need to get an award to thoroughly enjoy the event, but it is always a nice treat.

I trailered Pim, my Domino Pimlico Premier to Stowe. The car was first registered as a 1986 Austin Mini. Some years later the body was badly damaged. The insurance company d it a “total loss” and it went to a salvage yard. A car enthusiast with a good eye realized that the car could be rebodied as a Mini-based kit car and had that done in 1991.

The kit manufacturer is Domino Cars of Great Britain. The body is fiberglass and has side curtains and a snap-on convertible top. The engine and running gear are from an Austin Mini so parts are easy to come by. Pim has a number of upgraded components including a 1275 high performance engine, 4 piston Metro Turbo front brakes, and finned aluminum drum brakes.

The Domino Pimlico is very rare in the U.S. My car had been in the shop for several years and is finally back on the road.

Saturday, the day of the show, was absolutely perfect. A gentle wind blew and temperatures hovered around 62°. There was easy trailer parking and plenty of show personnel to get everyone into the correct position in the right class. As one of the featured marques, Minis were well represented. OMG! There were 26 Minis on the field! A great showing of my favorite little cars.

My favorite Mini, other than mine, was a 1967 Mini Cooper S owned by Michael Lemire from Richmond, Vt. Michael is an interior upholsterer with an incredible vision of what a Mini can look like. The boot of his car looks like a beautifully crafted leather suitcase, and the car’s interior with its matching leather accents is stunning (see photo above).

Altogether there were two Minis in Class #13, Mini Saloons 1959 to 1969, six Minis in Class #14, Mini Saloons 1970 to 2000, four Minis in Class #15, Classic Mini Variants 1959-2000 (including Pim), 10 MINIs in Class #16, New MINI 2001 to Present, one Mini in Class #57 Austin & Morris, All Models Except Mini, one car in Class #64 British Motorcars – Other Sports, Saloons & Special Interest, plus a non-judged car belonging to the Classic Bike Experience vendor and a Mini for sale in the Car Corral.

There was one class mix-up with Minis/MINIs. Ken Lemoine sent in his application as a Mini class entrant but they saw Morris Minor Traveller and missed the Mini part. So, they put his car in Class #57 along with John Gallagher’s 1940 Morris 10 and a mid-1950s Morris Minor.

Morgan Aldridge’s 2009 MINI Cooper Clubman was entered in Class #65, the Friday Registration class for those who hadn’t pre-registered earlier.

There was a body off, totally restored 1993 “Italian Job” Mini in the Car Corral that may still be available. Call Joe or Judy at (802) 827-4490 if you are interested.

And the Mini/MINI winners were:

Class #13: 1st - Ernie Clerihew (Pittsford, Vt.), 1963 Austin Mini 850. The drivetrain in this car is from a 1993 Suzuki Swift that was purchased for $100. The car has a 993cc, 65hp 3-cylinder engine with a 5-speed gearbox.

Class #14: 1st – Karen and Mike Bernard (Brookville, Md.), 1996 Rover Mini Balmoral. This special edition car was created for the German market with wonderful red and green plaid upholstery and door cards. 2nd – Tammy Parliament (Stowe, Vt.), 1978 Austin Mini. This multi-colored vehicle was purchased from the Car Corral at the British Invasion last year. What attracted me to it was the sign on the window that said, “Free to touch and hop in.” 3rd – Chris Cole (Johnson, Vt.), 1999 Rover Mini Cooper. – This is an elegant Mini with Union Jack badging on the air cleaner.

Class #15: 1st – Shannon Robbins (also from Vermont), 1995 Pickup Truck. “Sydney” is a wonderful example of a customized Mini truck with a body that is all metal and has a custom paint color. This truck has been in the owner’s possession for 30 years and has not been repainted since it was remodeled. 2nd – Marcel Boucher (Laval, Que., Canada), 1962 Austin Countryman. This car was fully stripped and took 20 years to rebuild with a Cooper S engine and suspension. Years ago, this vehicle competed in hillclimbs.

Class #16: 1st - Cheryl and Tom Patty (Walpole, N.H.), 2015 MINI Cooper S. This MINI convertible impressed everyone with its Union Jack livery. 2nd – Sue MacDuff (Peterborough, N.H.), 2013 MINI Roadster. Another convertible, this time a two-seater that was available from dealers only for a short time. 3rd - Vicki and Aaron Cropley – 2006 MINI Cooper.

Class #57: 1st - Ken and Brett Lemoine (Framingham, Mass.), 1965 Morris Mini Minor Traveller. This was the only Mini in the class, which was supposed to be reserved for non-Mini Austins and Morrises.

Looking ahead...

The British Invasion dates for 2026 are September 18-20.

I’ll be back next year with my Domino Pimlico Premier Mini. Perhaps it will make the show a 5:5 experience for me!

Join other NEMO members on Sunday, October 26th, for a casual two-hour Fall Cruise organized by Sebastien Geerens.

Meet at 9 a.m. at Arrowhead Acres, 519 Pond Rd., North Franklin, Conn., www.arrowheadacresfarm.com/bakery-and-cafe. The drive will start and end at Arrowhead Acres, which sells sandwiches, drinks, pastries, etc.

RSVP to Sebastien at (860) 705-9795.

READING, Pa., July 10-13 — Some say it all started with a call to Area Code 201… in this case, that’s probably true. Fifty years ago plus, two Mini clubs – one from Ohio and the other from New Jersey – started planning the very first Mini Meet East, the “201” being part of a Garden State phone number. It was eventually held on April 26, 1975, in Reading, Pa.

So, what better place to celebrate MME’s 50th anniversary than back in Reading, and who better to celebrate it with than five gentlemen who were there at the beginning and could reminisce with the rest of us? Time was set aside Friday night for a panel discussion featuring the lads (remember, they were 50 years younger at the time) and all their stories about MME #1. It was truly a highlight of this year’s event.

Some early Mini Meet films were also shown, and some of the “stars” were still recognizable even decades later, such as a bushy-haired fellow with a big moustache and long sideburns clowning around during the autocross – unmistakably, Hrach Chekijian!

This year’s MME had a nice, laid-back feel to it. While the old favorites were there, including Autocross, Funkhana, Car Show, Kids’ Event and panoramic photo, the schedule was loose enough for self-guided drives to nearby attractions such as the Reading Pagoda, Proper Noise Garage, McGinty Motorcars and Classic AutoMall.

Then there was the group social at the Pagoda City Brewery, with its very British double-decker bus. We were advised the owner has a Moke as well. Where better to take a Mini or MINI if you want to sample some local beer?

MME veteran Karl Strauch laid out a couple of optional scenic drives for Sunday, including one my partner Faith and I really enjoyed that took in the area’s covered bridges – and accommodated a stop at a wonderful family-owned winery, the Folino Estate, for lunch and a tasting. Another jaunt had us checking out barn stars, a/k/a “hex signs,” so colorful and plentiful on farm buildings in this part of the country.

Also, there were multiple chances to take a tour of the nearby Mid-Atlantic Air Museum if you were into warbirds, or Gary Daniels’ Mini Barn, if you were into… well, Minis.

A pleasant surprise was the attendance of John Twist, a regular fixture at MG meets where he gives technical talks and has a “rolling tech session” during car shows. He lent his many years of expertise as proprietor of University Motors in Grand Rapids, Mich., to this year’s MME, and Mini owners were able to roll on up to John’s tent with their cars and get some needed advice. Turned out John was as proficient at diagnosing problems with A Series engines as he is with B Series MGBs!

The host hotel was the Holiday Inn Express on Bernville Road in Reading, directly adjacent to the Reading Airport. The event pretty much took over the hotel, so the usual after-hours tire kicking in the parking lot proceeded pleasantly without causing problems for other guests. The panoramic photo was staged at the Air Museum with the Minis and MINIs lined up in front of the airplanes.

We spent a lot of time with Derick and Lorine Karabec, including a breakfast to die for at a combination restaurant and farm store. We ran into John and Lisa Mastrandrea, chatted with Dan and Deanne Viola, and sat with Pete Stroble’s family at the Awards Banquet at Reading’s Liederkranz. Pete’s daughter Amanda Hawker grabbed a first-in-class in Autocross and was duly recognized with an award.

(Pete is one of the “five gentlemen” cited above who were at the first MME and shared their experiences Friday night. Readers may recognize his name as he is one of the principals at the British Transportation Museum in Dayton, Ohio, and for years was BTM’s Contributing Editor for British Marque Car Club News.)

I also met Steve Dellinger at the Liederkranz, a Mini owner belonging to the LANCO MG Club (another British Marque connection). I hadn’t seen him since an IMSA event at Watkins Glen years ago. Steve came away with a class award and I recognized him when he walked past our table to collect it.

Mini Meet East 2025 was a very pleasant way to spend several mid-July days. Faith and I took her 2019 MINI Clubman Cooper S and had an uneventful drive there and back, except for some remedial rear brake work that was done at MINI of Allentown (which also was an event sponsor). Not really an emergency, but you do get nervous when you get a warning on that big circular dial in the middle of the dashboard. Turned out to be the brake pads getting a little thin. We were in and out of the dealership in no time and enjoyed lunch at a local diner afterward.

Many thanks to everyone who made the event possible, not the least of whom were the five guys pictured in the MME 2025 program who were there at the first meet: Pete Stroble, as mentioned, plus Barry Prosser, Lynn Scowden, Pete Myers and Mike McCarthy. Thanks also to Meet Chair Barry Savar and Tour Master Karl Strauch. They all made this 50th anniversary truly golden.