Welcome from Wolseley Register Chairman Graham Ryder
I joined the Wolseley Register in 1995 when I owned a Morris Minor but had already begun to attend the Midlands Region Wolseley meetings. My friend had owned a Wolseley since the late 1960s and having shown Stationary Engines at local Shows and Steam Fairs, the progression to cars seemed inevitable. Even earlier, Jenny and I had attended a Wolseley wedding as part of the Manneken Pis Rally to Brussels, organised by the Morris Register. This was quite a spectacle and I aspired to one day own a car to be able to fully take part in such an event.
I bought my first Wolseley 1500 in 1999 and soon began to travel to local shows and venture further afield, attending events in York and Scotland. These journeys involved meeting many enthusiastic members of the Wolseley Register.
Also in 1999 I had my first involvement with events at the November NEC Classic Car Show, having already helped to stage Club displays at smaller shows. After supporting Derek Lilley for several years, Jenny and I went on to become the main organisers of the now twice-yearly Wolseley Register stands at the NEC, as well as the club stand at the Beaulieu International AutoJumble and Wolseley National Rallies since 2006.
My first Regional committee position was that of Treasurer for the Midlands in 1998. By 2000, I had progressed to Midlands Chairman, which I have held the position of ever since. Soon afterwards, I started to attend National committee meetings as the Regional Representative. I can say that during the 21 years since then, I have missed only a handful of meetings.
By now you will realise that the Wolseley Register and indeed the Classic Car Movement mean a lot to me. I have always been keen on networking with other clubs to work together to serve all our members. I was extremely pleased when, in 2013 the Morris Vehicle Association (MVA) was formed with the Register being one of the founder members. There is now an annual event where all the MVA member groups meet to celebrate our shared heritage.
My greatest wish is for all Wolseley Register members to use and enjoy their cars. To this end, I actively support members with their car restorations by advising, or even making parts to complete their projects, especially where they have invested time and money to keep their vehicles on the road.
Jenny and I current own several Wolseley 1500s and a 1946 Wolseley Eight as well as the Series II Morris Minor we started out with. We look forward to meeting many local members by attending Regional events celebrating the forthcoming 60th anniversary of the Wolseley Register.
Graham Ryder
Chairman, Wolseley Register
