TS2 needs parts. It’s Bank Holiday Monday, so nothing is open, nothing is being delivered and there isn’t much we can do about things. Juggling work and children, we’d been expecting to use every bit of free time we had to work on TS2, but with the parts situation on hold, Evie and I suddenly find ourselves with something rather unusual: a day off.
We had a standing invitation to the Verwood Rustic Fayre, a celebration of the rural traditions of the Dorset and Wessex area, organised by the local Rotary group and a team of volunteers. It’s one of those community events that brings together crafts, classics, retro, local charities and all ages of visitor, while raising money for local good causes and community projects.
TS2 had been due to put in an appearance, and with fair winds, perhaps she still could.
The day starts strong, with Dorset TR Register member (Ray) pulling his rebuilt TR onto our drive with his friend Mike. He’s heard we are stranded. The four of us shared coffees and stood around TS2, looking, discussing, checking and generally trying to work out whether she could be safely persuaded into action.
Ray brings technical knowledge, a healthy set of spares and, most importantly, a strong desire to see things resolved. Somehow, TS2 is coerced back into action, and Ray’s Signal Red TR4 gives admirable service as an escort vehicle for the short drive to Verwood.
The sun is shining. Time to breathe a little, perhaps.
The Fayre celebrates traditions from our area’s history, but it isn’t really about the past. It’s about the community that exists today. The people who give their time to organise, volunteer, raise money, create, share their passion, talk to strangers and keep the whole thing going.
I’m minded that there is a strong parallel with the TR Register. We spend a lot of time talking about the cars. Their history and engineering, their restoration and originality. And rightly so. These cars are part of our motoring heritage, and TS2 in particular carries a significant payload of Triumph history.
But whilst the Register is centred around the cars, it’s actually about the people.
At Verwood, lots of passers by want to know about TS2. They want to hear her history and about the Ten Countries Run. They want to share stories of their own motoring adventures. It was wonderful to see TS2 capture and channel the interest from all corners.
But what mattered just as much was everything happening around her.
Ray had turned up to help. He and Mike brought knowledge, spares and moral support. Dorset and Wessex members were on hand to help us think through the technical problems, suggesting ideas and recommending suppliers for the parts we need.
And while we were at the Fayre, we weren’t worrying about what might go wrong next. We were talking to people. We were strengthening bonds within our local group, making new friends, and talking about TRs.
That’s the bit that can sometimes get lost when we talk about preserving old cars. We aren’t preserving them simply so that they can sit untouched in a museum. We’re keeping them alive so that people can enjoy them, argue about them, fix them, drive them, talk about them, and very occasionally, turn up on someone else’s driveway in them with a boot full of spares.
As custodians of these beautiful machines, all of us are somewhere on that rollercoaster sweep of highs and lows. Some have owned TRs for decades. Some are just starting out. Some will own one in the future.
The cars connect us. The people make the community.
TS2 made it to Verwood. She made it home again too, with 90,129 miles showing on the clock. The technical problems haven’t gone away. There are still parts to find and work to do.
But something else changed today. We felt renewed. What had started to feel overwhelming suddenly feels manageable again. We arrived home looking forward to the final fettles.
Perhaps that’s what both the Rustic Fayre and the TR Register understand. You can celebrate the traditions of the past without limiting yourself to it. Because ultimately, whether it’s a village coming together to support its community or a group of people keeping seventy-year-old Triumphs on the road, it’s the people here now who make the tradition worth preserving.
Ray's 4, to her immediate right. Steadfast.