Teal News Pages 1 and 2 are becoming pretty full, so could be slow to download for some browsers; Teal News 3 aims to give the latest news of Teal cars and Tealers from 1st January 2011 onwards. Some of these items will have been transferred from Page 1. I hope you find them interesting,entertaining or humorous, and sometimes relevant to the fine Teal marque…
The website for lovers of fine
Teal Sports and Touring Cars
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VITAL STATISTICS
On 1st January 2007 the www.skyblueteal.co.uk website was launched
On 1st January 2008 there had been a total of 2000 hits
On 1st January 2009 there had been a total of 8000 hits
On 1st January 2010 there had been a total of 18,800 hits
On 1st January 2011 there have been a total of 29,600 hits
The latest total is shown on the hits counter at Page 1; thank you for your interest and your loyalty to the only website dedicated to the remarkable Teal marque.
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More Vital Statistics
Brigitte Bardot was born on 28 September 1934; the film “And Woman was Created” was made in 1956; here is an interesting still from that film:
As lovely as a Teal ?
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Message for Keith Lidgerwood in Australia:
” Many Tealers want to thank you Aussies for making our cricket team feel so welcome, though perhaps you may have overdone it a tad. I am receiving your emails loud and clear, and thank you for them; but I don’t think mine (or others’) are reaching your desk (or pool). I understand that you are receiving the Teal website fine, so we all send you greetings, and look forward to your return, when we can rib you mercilessly. I know you’ll take it like the man you are, with a laugh, a shrug – and a sincere promise to get revenge next series! Best wishes, Keith, No 1 Oz, from Brian and your fellow Tealers.” 7.1.11
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26Th JANUARY IS AUSTRALIA DAY!
There are at least three Tealers who are Aussies: Mary Turner, Jeff’s wife, Keith Lidgerwood, who is down under at the moment, and Robin Day who lives, grows vines, and makes fine wine in South Australia when he’s not driving his Teal Type 59. We lift our caps to you, salute all things that make Australia such a beautiful, dynamic, and exciting nation (except their cricket), and wish all Aussie Tealers a fair dinkum driving season ahead… (below: what Keith is driving around Queensland, Victoria and South Australia – a 1930 La Salle Tourer, one of two he keeps for his pleasure in the southern hemisphere)
On a serious note, for once, I and many others can never forget how in the war years young Aussies, New Zealanders, Canadians, South Africans and others left their families, schools and colleges, offices and farms to rally in thousands to our aid when the chips were really down. And many were never to return to their homelands and loved ones. We salute them.
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Sky Blue Teal Caption Competition No 5 (Jan 2011)
Please leave your suggested captions on the Teal Discussion Forum page – thanks!
1. Surprisingly, there are some who say the Teal is not built for comfort…
2. Teal fitted with old ‘anti-theft’ device.
3. It’s pretty tiring trying to shoot a round of golf with only one club.
4. I should have listened to Irene; she told me I couldn’t go on puddle jumping all morning.
5. Colin thinking: I’m glad I fitted that screen to the Teal – keeps the wind off nicely.
6. The rest is history.
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There are two Teals for sale on Ebay at the moment (8 Feb 11) – a Type 35 and a Type 59. Just go to www.ebay.co.uk, and in the search box type: classic car teal
There’s also a nice Teal at
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And another Teal for sale (3Feb11):
Teal For Sale (3 Feb 2011) for £5999 on E-bay:
Looking for a Teal? Click on the link above to see if it suits you – bidding at £5999 has started, ends on Saturday 12th Feb at 1812.22 gmt. Or contact Sylvia on 01341 430200 directly.
Teal located at Barmouth, Wales, 48 miles from Shrewsbury.
Purchased by a distinguished northern Tealer – February 2011
News from Early Feb 2011:
TEAL SPIEL MARCH 2011 – YOUR THOUGHTS, LETTERS, ARTICLES AND PHOTOS REQUESTED
Send your copy for the March issue to Andy Dutton at andydutton66@googlemail.com in e-mail format with attached jpeg photos by 15th February 2011, please, and he will collate for our editor Suzi. Thanks.
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It’s time to pay our £18 subs. for 2011 for the Teal Owners’ Club to Membership Secretary Dot Massey – and the very first to put his contribution in was Stuart Whitworth. There’s a suggestion he could be named Tealer of the Month…
Stuart with his friend Baguette from Angouleme
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Transferred from Page 1 on 25th Feb 2011
(some Tealers prefer not to lose the pictures – so I don’t delete them)
Above: 1929 – Targa Florio: Albert Divo at speed in Bugatti Type 35 in Sicily.
Below: 2009 – Teals at speed in the Scottish Borders (Dot and Phil Massey;Ian and Lavinia Alecock; Neil Ramsey; Ron and Sheila Stamp; Rupert).
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I wondered below what Tealers do all winter. Roger de Havilland tells us that he keeps his fine scarlet Teal on the road, extracting as much fun as he can from his lovely Gigi. And Colin Andrews has let us know that he hasn’t been totally idle: as well as building a prison in his garden (all should soon be explained), he’s also been concentrating on designing and constructing footrests to ensure a dignified entrance to his classic Teal ‘Puddle Jumper’ , and then helping to solve the shortage of storage on his Type 35 with the neat results shown below…
…and doesn’t Colin’s handbrake fitting look both functional and stylish?
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On Sat 12th Feb I drove over to Shepton Mallet, Somerset for a delightful car show. The sky was blue, the air was mild, the MG hummed, the wind whistled in the folded hood, and there were some lovely pre-war cars to view, a classics auction, and lots of autojumble to browse….
Has winter loosened its grip? Will the Teal season soon start? I wonder what percentage of Tealers run their cars through the winter, and what percentage view the real season as April-September. 30%-70%? Let us know what you do with your Teal in the winter on the Discussion Forum, please….. thanks, Brian
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Not driven your Teal over the long winter months? Missing the open-air motoring? Get yourself back in shape for your Teal by taking a one-minute ride in the driver’s seat of a Bugatti Type 35. Here’s the link:
To have a full, wide-screen view, click the four little arrows at bottom right of the picture.
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If you’d enjoy watching Bugattis racing in the early 1930s against Alfas, Bentleys, Maseratis and Mercedes, then here’s a terrific link:
highly recommended – especially in full screen
Warning: fourteen minutes long, and highly addictive…
End of 25 Feb 2011 transfer from Page 1
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15 March 2011 Transfer from Page 1:
HMS Cumberland in Grand Harbour with Fort St Angelo beyond
I’m just back from Malta, where much of the evacuation work for British and other refugees from Libya is centred. At Luqa airport there were RAF Hercules and Chinooks fresh from the desert, and two Libyan Mirages, whose pilots had asked for asylum in Malta. In Grand Harbour, Valletta, the Royal Navy was back, with HMS York and HMS Cumberland, the latter having made four trips into Benghazi to rescue regugees. And at the Qawra Car Museum, The handsome Teal was bringing in the tourists….
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From Page 1, March 29th 2011:
Is this
THE FINEST TEAL EVER BUILT ?
A Rather Special Teal
This Teal Type 59 is owned by Chris Marshall in Scotland, who has kindly agreed that we may use the enclosed photos. He comments that the Teal is powered by a supercharged Jaguar 4.2 litre motor, that this Type 59 was built by himself and completed just over 10 years ago, that the parts were sourced from Bob Jones, but she was completely reworked by Chris, who discarded many components in favour of his own. She handles OK, but is a bit twitchy at speed. Chris uses his lovely Teal locally in Scotland. The car is a total beauty to look at; Tealers will look forward to seeing this fine machine on the road. Chris comments further: ‘It may not be obvious but this car is about 2″ lower than the others. The original Teal design was much taller than the prototype, and still taller than the T35 and derivitives without the double reduction gear in the diff. The reason for the blower was to prevent the SU carbs from going outwith the bonnet line. All the other 59s have the unsightly bulge or holes cut in the RHS bonnet and I was determined to avoid that. The blower, being relatively modest does improve fuel economy at light loads and give very good torque at low engine speeds. Makes for smooth top gear acceleration from tick-over. ‘
What’s your opinion – is this the finest Teal ever built? Which are your favourites? How about the delightful Type 35 below? Or your own Teal?
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TEAL SPIEL IS HERE:
The March 2011 Teal Spiel Magazine has arrived for Teal Owners’ Club members, and it’s a cracker: in new format with double colour cover inside and out, back and front, and Teal articles by Captain Sensible (Glen Ibbotson), Rupert Quested, Puddle Jumper (Colin Andrews), Gigi (Roger de Havilland), Chris Kemp, Grasshopper (Peter Wright), Tony Higgins (Batmobile),Brian Crook in the stocks (at last), Dates for Your Diary, excellent news about the Club from Pat Elwell and Dot Massey, plus items on number plates, an Austin 7 in Oz, The Jesey Show, safeguarding your classic, the Preston Festival of Transport, Bugatti items for Sale, a Teal crossword, cartoons and jokes, and best of all news and hugs from our Editor, Suzi! Thanks Suzi for a super mag.
If you’re not a member, and would like to join (and get the mags), drop a note with an £18 cheque made out to TOC to our Membership Secretary Dot Massey to 26 Farriers Way, Poulton-Le-Fylde, Wyre, Lancs FY6 7AN.
You’ll be very welcome.
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Lavinia and Ian from Cumbria enjoy their Teal in Scottish Border country
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e-mail received by the Teal website, which may well be of interest to many Tealers:
Dear Sirs.
We are producing some wire wheel splined hubs to suit a Teal Bugatti Replica. The wheels are being produced by Motor Wheel Services.
We will be producing these in the next 6-8 weeks and wondered if any of your Teal drivers were interested in having a set produced at the same time.
Best Regards
Dave Wood (aerospacedirect@talktalk.net)
We are producing some wire wheel splined hubs to suit a Teal Bugatti Replica. The wheels are being produced by Motor Wheel Services.
We will be producing these in the next 6-8 weeks and wondered if any of your Teal drivers were interested in having a set produced at the same time.
Best Regards
Dave Wood (aerospacedirect@talktalk.net)
Best Regards
Dave Wood
Orson Equipment
01384 241717
AT ORSON EQUIPMENT WE MANUFACTURE ALL OUR OWN PRODUCTS IN OUR UK BASED MANUFACTURING FACILITY.
We are currently producing a number of Aluminium wheel spacer plates for a number of cars. These can be ordered in the 10 mm, 20 mm or 30 mm width. Drilling can be ordered on a 4 or 5 stud pattern and available in a self colour or anodised finish. All that is needed is the hole pattern (PCD), number and diameter of the studs, overall diameter of the spacer. Price and delivery available on request.
For Prices see Teal Discussion Forum on this website
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Teal Owners’ Club News
Route briefing by Neil Ramsey beforethe start of a ten-car Teal Lake District summer rally
Calling All Tealers – it’s that time of year again when our Teal Owners’ Club membership dues of £18 should be sent to our Club Treasurer/Membership Secretary, Dot Massey.
Our fees pay for the printing and posting of our Teal Spiel club magazine four times a year (the new one’s out in March – Suzi edits for free – thanks, Suzi), for printing membership cards, public liability insurance for Tealers at various shows and rallies, our membership of the Historic Vehicle Society (which keeps us up to date on how legislation in Britain and Brussels affects the Teal, and fights for old car rights), subsidies to our Teal Christmas lunches and other social events, and this year, splendidly, our purchase of the name TEAL, the building bucks for the horseshoe radiator, bonnet, wings and boat tail and construction rights to build the Teal Type 35 – pretty good value, all for £18 each.
So if you haven’t done so already, please sent a cheque for £18 made out to Teal Owners Club to Dot Massey at 26 Farriers Way, Poulton-Le-Fylde, Wyre, Lancashire FY6 7AN
Thank you.
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Teal Owners’ Club – The President’s Trophy in memory of John Elwell
This Sunday – 10th April!
TEAL OWNERS’ CLUB ANNUAL MEETING
SUNDAY 10th APRIL
Ramada Hotel, Watling Street, Bridgtown, Cannock, Staffs WS11 0DQ
Start at 1330
The Teal Owner of the Year (TOOTY) Trophy – presented by Cliff Sedman
The Teal Owners’ Club is happily endowed with many trophies, awarded each year at the Annual General Meeting . These include The President’s Trophy, above top, presented by the Elwell family in memory of John, our Club’s founder, the Kit Wallis Cup, the Navigator of the Year Piston and Plug Trophy, the Best Supporting Lady Cup, The Teal Owner of the Year (TOOTY) Trophy, presented to the club by Cliff and Jan Sedman, and the Adrian Flux prize. It’s another good reason to come to the Teal meeting on the 10th April – it could be you!
Some of the Tealers at last year’s meeting, including Peter Wright with his lovely Teal Grasshopper and Stu Whitworth with his fine Rolls Royce (he’s out of the photo taking a picture of us all).
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IS THIS A TEAL?
OR A BUGATTI?
OR BOTH?
In the early 1990s Bob Jones, owner and designer of Teal Cars, was asked to re-body a number of Bugattis. One owner asked him to design, build and fit a new body to his Bugatti Type 73 in the style of a pre-war German racing car. Bob’s striking design in polished aluminium is shown top above, installed on the T73 Bugatti chassis, suspension, motor and drive train.
The photo immediately above shows on the left the Bugatti Type 73 with Teal body, a brand new Teal Type 59 on trade plates, and on the right a Bugatti Type 49 rebodied at the Teal works at the Atlantic Business Centre.
All photos: Bob Jones – thanks, Bob
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CONTINENTAL TEALERS
The Van Dijk Teal Type 35
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TEALSPIEL – Stop Press, 20th June : Suzi is putting the finishing touches to Teal Spiel for posting out this week. There has been a slight delay, and Suzi apologizes, but a death in the family and also the loss of Rooney, who many will remember from Welshpool, has caused a pretty miserable week for Suzi and her family. Sorry for the delay, but you’ll be enjoying the June TealSpiel within days.
The Latest: All TealSpiels posted to Teal Owners’ Club members by Suzi on Monday 20th June.
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Colin Andrews returning through the Chilterns after a round of golf; Colin finds that the few clubs which he needs to blaze a round of 70 fit cosily in the footwell beside his spare cap and plus fours.
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CAR INSURANCE FOR YOUR TEAL? SEE FOOT OF PAGE 1
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NEED AN ENGINE FOR YOUR TEAL?
1800cc MGB GT Engine, twin carbs, exhaust, new clutch all for £140 from Teal Owners Club member – see TEALS FOR SALE page for details
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TEALS AT WELSHPOOL
20-22 May 2011
Eighteen Tealers had a wizard time at Moors Farm, Welshpool from Friday 20th May to Sunday 22 May – full details will be in the June TealSpiel, even now being created by our Editor, Suzi. There was rugged driving, happy eating, cheerful singing, a quiz, a dog, a birthday, and Dot was kissed in her Teal by a red Welsh dragon. Read the mag for more, but here are a few snaps as tasters….
Neil Bridges’ good-looking ‘new’ Teal – he’s looking pretty good too!
Roger de Havilland and Keith prepare for the Welsh hills….
Lots more in TealSpiel – June 15th publication
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TEAL TOURING
Jeff and Mary Turner in their fine Teal enjoying the Backbone of England Tour in Lancashire and Yorkshire last summer
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FOR SALE
Classic brass Lucas ‘King of the Road’ horn air trumpet No 38. 19 1/2 inches long (49cm) with new rubber air bulb. Marked with ‘King of the Road’ seal (see below), functioning, with new rubber air bulb. A quality classic for a classic car: £75 or £55 to Teal Owners’ Club member.
Also Pyrene heavy brass hand-operated pump-type ‘fire extinguisher’ (not charged), solid, stylish, with black metal mounting bracket with five fixing holes, 14 in (36cm) long, with full operating instructions in black rivetted on brass plate on the back of extinguisher . Type P1. One Quart.
£30, or £20 to member of Teal Owners’ Club.
Also ‘Beacon’ brass hand pump with detachable brass rose screwed to side, 23 inches (59 cm) long when closed. (could be adapted to make Bugatti-style fuel primer?) £20 or £12 to member of the Teal Owners’ Club.
Also vintage oil can in red, functioning, £12 or £8 to member of the Teal Owners’ Club.
I will bring items to Chester. E-mail me onbrncrook@aol.comif you definitely want to reserve one or all items. Thanks, Brian.
(ps: Francesca: what was that you were doing in the shed, Brian? Me: I was testing the old brass car hooter. F: Oh, it sounded like a duck. Suitable for a Teal, maybe?)
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TEAL RESTORED
In February Neil Bridges bought a Teal in Wales that had not been driven for at least 10 years. When he brought it home to Yorkshire, he found that it was in very poor condition – engine, suspension, drive, pedals, fuel tank and fuel system, clutch, brakes, dashboard and trim all needed major re-construction work. For four months Neil worked day and night (!) bringing his Teal Type 35 Boat Tail back to life – and then joined Teal summer rallies in Welshpool and Chester and is just off in early September to tour Normandy with a group of five Teals led by Glen Ibbotson. The photo story of the resurrection of Neil’s fine Teal is shown at his You Tube link below – well worth a look. Congratulations, Neil. Click here:
OLD MODELS SPOTTED AT LONGSTONE TYRES
Two classic old models
photo by Neil Bridges – thanks
Caption suggestions welcomed….
1. ‘ I didn’t know Dustin Hoffman enjoys classic cars…’
2. ‘Honest, Dot, I only came in to buy an inner tube.’
3. ‘Do you think our Teal would look good battleship grey, Dot? With a collander on the bonnet?’
4. ‘Cosy seating arrangements, eh, Dot?’
5. ‘Frazer Nash? Is he a Club member?’
6. ‘ You’re right, Neil – it’s harder than a Teal to get your leg over.‘
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Bavarian Teal Trip
Ulrike (right) and Rainer in their Teal Type 35 and Michelotti Type 35 replicas enjoy the hottest day of the year in Bavaria on the historic Kesselburgstrasse – Ulrike enjoys the way that people respond to the Teal (and Michelotti), all ages waving and wanting to take photo of these fine-looking ‘old timers’ – that sounds familiar !
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Just back from France, and the Schlumpf Museum at Mulhouse – photos to come – the beauty of the two hundred Bugattis there left me simply speechless, as many Tealers before me.
b.c.
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LEADER OF THE PACK
Bob Mills, pictured above leading the Teal Backbone run, celebrates many anniversaries this year: 21 years of marriage to lovely Tracy; 25 years marriage to the Teal Owners’ Club, of which he was a founder member; and his own 60th birthday on Saturday 17th September. Bob built in the 1980s his handsome Teal Type 35 4-seater the splendid‘Red Baron’, and has been a regular Teal rally member through the decades in Europe and UK. He wasn’t always the mature, well-balanced Tealer we now know – here he is topless in rather short shorts with bearded John Elwell (TOC Founder) on a classic Teal run to cement relations with an ‘Old Timers’ club in Germany more than 20 years ago:
Bob is a skilled and knowledgable engineer, who works in his ‘spare’ time with Keith Lidgerwood to restore and repair ailing Teals and put them back on the road, with considerable success. We salute our warm and cheerful friend and colleague Bob Mills in this multi-anniversary year , and wish him a great 60th on 17th September, and happy Tealing for another 25 years….
Bob cheerfully getting down and dirty with a Teal which required restoration, and is now happily back on the road.
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Glen was visiting Longstone’s to buy some new tyres for his Teal, and spotted this very original Bugatti Type 35B (approx 1927). With permission Glen and his grandson tried the cockpit for size (below). This Type 35B has won at Angouleme and been fastest up the Bugatti Owners’ Club Prescott hillclimb. Not bad for an 80-year old.
Photos by kind permission of the owner – thank you. Thanks also to Glen Ibbotson, who is leading the 10-Tealer run to Dieppe this September.
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Tealer Andrew Smith, with his finger on the pulse, advises that a film of the Hemingway book “The Garden of Eden” has been released starring two beauties: Mena Suvari and this fine Teal Type 35 boat tail, or Bugatti 35 for the purposes of the movie. Here’s another photo of the Teal below – anyone recognize the numberplate BDZ 895? And don’t black wires look good on a Teal?
PS: What do you think of the luggage arrangements, touring Tealers? First corner? First braking? Stylish, though.
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NEW TEAL VIDEO ON YOU TUBE
Stop Press: There’s a delightful new video of a fine Teal Type 35 Boat Tail on You Tube – the first Teal video on line, I believe – have a look for yourself, and please give us your comments on the video on the Sky Blue Teal Discussion Forum. Click on this link to the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYV0Bb997KA&feature=channel_video_title
The elegant Teal Type 35 filmed in May sunshine belongs to and is driven by Andrew Smith, the video was filmed and edited by Ollie Hutchings-Smith, and Steve Slater was driving the Austin Seven – our sincere thanks to all three.
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WELCOME, DRES!
There’s another new member of The Teal Owners’ Club (TOC): Wolfgang ‘Dres’ Knupfer. We welcome him to the TOC, and admire his fine Teal Type 35 pictured here above Lake Constanz on a lovely day during the annual 100km run of Dres’s local car club. Wilkommen!
November 2011
Brian Crook’s new Teal
Brian sold his sky blue Teal Type 35 in September 2009; he missed Tealing greatly, and this is his ‘new’ Teal acquired this month. She’s a very dark blue-violet in sunlight, and looks nearly black in cloudy conditions (ie most of the time). She’s fitted with a Triumph six-cylinder 2.5 engine. Brian’s rather pleased, and isn’t thinking of changing the name of our website…
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Last Updated on 5 months by David Brown
