The Double LL Club

Its beginning and achievements

In the summer of 1973 a small group of vintage and classic machinery enthusiasts have thoughts of forming their own club.

A meeting was arranged for the 22nd November at the Rake hotel on the Sussex/Hampshire border, to which 32 people attended, and the club was born.

At this meeting 30 names were collected, but the name was not decided until the next meeting on the 13th December in that same year.

The second meeting was held and a committee of 3 was formed, a Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer and it was agreed that the name of the club would be "The Local Locomotion Club", abbreviated to "LL Club", and written as the "Double LL Club". This name still stands today, as sometime after the name had been agreed a rule was made forbidding a change of name.

On the 17th January 1974 the first press report on the club appears, and two more on the 24th and 25th putting the club on the map, covering the areas or Hampshire, Sussex and Surrey, the areas where the club meet.

Many events were attended by the club during 1974, and the November club night was classed as the clubs 1st anniversary and prizes (which had been donated) were awarded to members based on rally attendances and the type of exhibit. At the end of this year membership stood at fifty.

1975 saw a steady growth of members, and events attended. A "good members only" rally was held at Harting cricket club. A bi-monthly newsletter was produced for all members, a single or double sided sheet at first and developed into the magazine "Mechanalia (possibly latin for all things mechanical).

The AGM and club meetings were now held at the Railway Hotel, Liphook and membership stood at 118 (despite a rule limiting membership to 100!).

During the late 70s' the club continued to grow, necessitating changes of the meeting place to The Welcome Inn, Petersfield, and then to The angel Hotel, Midhurst.

As the membership fee has been held quite low, autojumbles were held to subsidise funds. One at Goodwood and several annual ones at Tombs Farm, Westbourne. Many displays were put on at local events for which the club made no charge. St Cuthmans School near Midhurst became a popular venue.

Micheal Sedgewick, a well known motoring historian and writer became the clubs President. A position he graced the club with until his somewhat early demise.

Throughout the 1980s' the club prospered stageing its own autojumbles and vintage shows at Stocklands Equestrian Centre, Near Liphook. Leading on to a large rally at Cowdrey Park, Midhurst and onto the very successful vintage rally and country fair at Stansted House, near Rowlands Castle, Hampshire, and then onto Brinsbury college, near Billingshurst.

The club by now had exceeded its limit of 100 members, and a new rule allowing up to 200 members was written into the club rules. This increase led to another change of venue for the club meetings, and the Grange Centre, Midhurst was chosen for its facilities. Ample free parking and ideal an ideal size for all of the clubs needs including an indoor autojumble, which the club holds twice a year.

The Club continues to attend events throughout Hampshire, Sussex and Surrey and on 1st January 1999 celebrated its 25th anniversary with a party at the Petersfield Community Centre.

In 2002 the wishes expressed at the party of an equally successful next 25 years, are well on the way with A Queens Jubilee year rally, which was held at Pump Bottom Farm, Near Chichester.