Drivers in Search of Breakfast

by Fred CookPosted on July 1, 2022 Posted in Events — No Comments ↓

Vice-President & Event Coordinator for Life, Jim Wilson, is keeping the club rolling during the dog days of summer. With the target of a restaurant serving breakfast, Jim is leading forays into the interior along myriad country roads with nice S-turns and quiet straightaways. Members may either drive their top-down LBC to experience having their bouffant buffeted by bucolic breezes, or a later model automobile with AC to feel more refreshed upon arrival. The following are just a sampling of recent trips. 

May 15. This was considered by Jim to be a catch-up event because, somehow, he must have missed a weekend or two. Bruce Skaggs reported, “(Today), our leader, ol’ lead foot Jim took us on one of his ‘world famous’ back road boogies to Paul’s Kitchen (in Wauchula, FL). Paul’s is one of our favorites since it is an old Florida dive with great food and cheap prices.” And Joe Malaney recorded the following, “Great tour today. My miles door to door were 122. Gas cost $30. I got 19 MPG which isn’t bad considering the spirited speeds we were traveling. I only got to (classified) MPH three or four times. 

May 22. The group hit the trail for a fun drive over the great backroads, this time to Wheeler’s Restaurant in Arcadia, FL. Note: Some members also attended the previous day’s monthly breakfast for exotic car owners (including LBC’s) at the Paris Bistrot on Main Street Lakewood Ranch Saturday, May 21.

June 5. A new venue & menu was picked for this Sunday’s breakfast drive – Nicholas’ Family Restaurant in Wauchula. This appeared to be a good choice because Trip Advisor rates the restaurant as #3 out of the 31 eateries in town. Bruce reported that Peter McCann and his wife’s MGB, to get technical, “gave up the ghost about midway.” Thus, it had to be flat-bedded home. Regretfully, it took AAA three hours to rescue him.

June 12. This Sunday’s tour took the intrepid group on back roads around the Myakka area for about 40 minutes ending at the Silver Star East Restaurant in Myakka City. Joe Malaney was with the group once again and reported the day’s cars included a 2005 Lotus, 1973 TR-6, 2007 Mini Cooper S and a 1999 Jaguar XK8.

If you include lunch at the Hob Nob after the May 30 Memorial Day Parade (see previous story) and the May 21 event, that’s six different restaurants in five weeks. Phew! Burp.

Thanks to Bruce Skaggs and Joe Malaney for report input. Joe also sent the photos.

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Memorial Day Parade

by Fred CookPosted on June 5, 2022 Posted in Events — No Comments ↓

Members of the Suncoast British Car Club joined in honoring our nation’s fallen heroes by participating in the traditional Memorial Day Parade in downtown Sarasota. It was a beautiful sunny morning on May 30^th and we again teamed up with the AACA to take part in the well-attended event. Following the drive down Main Street, we adjourned to the Hob Nob Restaurant for a lunch of old-style Florida food.

Photos by the author and Bruce Skaggs.

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Devereaux-Kaiser Car Show

by Fred CookPosted on May 20, 2022 Posted in Events — No Comments ↓

The 51st Devereaux-Kaiser Car Show took over the Sarasota County Fairgrounds on May 1^st. The event is a Sarasota staple, dating back to 1970 when it reportedly originated in Devereaux’s front yard. Or was it Kaiser’s? In any case, through succeeding years, depending on available space, weather, or a pandemic, there have been as many as 1500 cars showing up. Which is rather extraordinary when you consider that entry is limited to vintage vehicles that are at least 25 years old. And because there is no charge to display cars, there are vehicles on this occasion that never appear in other car shows. It is currently organized by the Sunshine Region AACA, with spectator entry fees donated to the Sarasota Fire Fighters Benevolent Fund. An estimated 400 cars were present this year.

SBCC members assembled across the street from the fairgrounds and entered as a group. We had about 18 cars at the show. The gallery below begins with the SBCC contingent and then moves on to capture some other scenes from the day.

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Turtle Beach Picnic & White Elephant Gift Exchange

by Fred CookPosted on May 1, 2022 Posted in Events — No Comments ↓

One of the club’s longest running, and most popular, events is the January 1^st picnic and white elephant gift exchange, also traditionally held in the pavilion at Turtle Beach, Sarasota. Due to the pandemic, this year’s edition was deferred until April 10. Although the numbers were down a bit this year, we still had 35 members and about 15 LBCs present. The club provided pizza. 

A White Elephant Gift Exchange is a popular holiday event where people vie to walk away with the best present. The rule for our club regarding competition for the most desirable gift is: Two swaps (steals), the gift is no longer available and the current holder gets to keep it. There is no rule for the type of gift. It can be funny, which might get a good laugh, but is not always the most desirable item. It can be weird or unusual, such as artwork or gadgets. These can be highly sought after, particularly if they are car-related. It can also be a genuinely nice gift, which has the potential to fuel competition. Examples from the past include quality bottles of wine. The one quality all gifts should have, however, is that they should be interesting.

Two very popular gifts that were retired (2 swaps) this year were a MINI model car with clock and an encyclopedia of automobile manufacturers. Although not held as usual during the holiday season, this year’s event was deemed just as much fun as in previous years.

Thanks to Jim Wilson and Bruce Skaggs for additional input. Photos by the author

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37th Annual All British Car Show

by Fred CookPosted on April 18, 2022 Posted in Events — No Comments ↓

On April 2, the Central Florida British Car Club hosted this show in Sanford, Florida. A number of SBCC members had planned to make the 155-mile trek to participate but the weather forecast for that Saturday was threatening. However, Bruce and Carolyn Skaggs along with Jim and Debbie Wilson decided to brave the conditions. The gamble paid off because both couples brought home some show hardware, and the rains conveniently came AFTER the show. Bruce reported that their 2006 Jaguar XK8 garnered a 2^nd in class while the Wilsons placed third in the TR6 class. Bruce further noted that it was a nice event .

Bruce provided the photos of the SBCC cars; the others are courtesy of the Central Florida club’s website.

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