2009

This year’s Barnsley Jogle will take place on 23/24 June which will be the Tuesday and Wednesday prior to the National Rally at Haynes Motor Museum on the 27th and 28th. The idea of this is that when the Jogle Run has been completed, participants can call at the National Rally whilst they are in the South West of the country.

Entry forms can be obtained by ringing Kevan and Gillian Gregory: 0114 2491783.

A Brief History

The idea of the Jogle Run was born at a Barnsley Branch meeting in 1993 when members were discussing the merits of their Minors and wondering if they would be capable of a long distance run. It was suggested that a suitable enterprise would be to see if they could be driven from John O’Groats to Lands End inside 24 hours. The first run was undertaken by just three Barnsley Branch cars who all finished comfortably inside the allotted time. The outing was reported in Minor Matters and there were enquiries if the run would be repeated the following year. The next year, eight cars took part and with increased interest it became an official club event, though retaining its Barnsley Jogle title. Entries rose to a maximum of 32 in 1998 though since then they usually average around the 20 mark. There have now been 14 Jogle runs, over three hundred cars have taken part and thousands of pounds has been raised for a variety of charities.

To maximize the hours of daylight for the run we try to hold the event as near to the 21st June (the longest day) as we can. The run starts from John O’Groats at 11.00am on the Tuesday morning and finishes at 11.00am on the Wednesday morning. The mid-week run was decided on to avoid the weekend holiday traffic.

The event has also evolved somewhat since its inception. The Morris Minor Centre at Oldbury, near Birmingham, stay open for us until the early hours of the morning and there is the opportunity for everyone to stop, have a break and freshen up before the final part of the journey. They don’t do too bad with the sales of spares either! Members of the Shropshire Branch are also there to provide some very welcome refreshments.

The Barnsley Branch “Welcome Crew” will be there at Lands End from 4.00am (no one is expected to arrive before then) to check everyone in and to supply tea, coffee and excellent bacon sandwiches. It is always a joyful occasion on the cliff top as the cars arrive and stories of exploits are exchanged. For those who wish to stay on, there is an opportunity to meet for a meal at a local pub in the evening.

Numbers of entrants fluctuates from year to year, but while ever the interest is there, it is anticipated that the Barnsley Jogle will continue for many years to come.

Entry forms can be obtained by ringing Kevan and Gillian Gregory: 0114 2491783.