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Sefton Branch is one of the 65 branches affiliated to the Morris Minors Owners Club. The Branch was formed in 1998, the 50th anniversary year of the Morris Minor, following an idea by Keith Sartain, who is still the Secretary of the Branch, and his daughter, Helen. This was followed by an article in the Crosby Herald. The initial meeting place was the car park at Crosby coast guard station on St Valentines Day, 14th February 1998. 11 people (including partners) responded to the article and turned up, and 3 are still members of the Branch.

At the very first meeting we welcomed 20 people, including all but one who had joined us at the car park.

At this point we then had to obtain approval for the formation of the Branch from the National MMOC. Following a number of meetings, we eventually received approval together with our Branch Certificate in September 1998.

Our first venue was The Grapes in Thornton. That seemed to work fairly well, but there was not really a separated area. We then moved to the Cheshire Lines ‘Fitness’ club in Magull. That was OK, but the ambience was not there for most meetings because we were lost in the vast room. Also the speed humps were some of the most vicious I have come across. Towards the end, the availability of the bar was getting more and more inconsistent, so another venue was looked for.

We then moved our meetings to the Golf Links Hotel in Southport. Initially some of us had reservations about the layout of the room, but it actually worked out OK. The unexpected bonus was that 1 or 2 members of Lancashire Branch and NE Lancashire Branch joined Sefton Branch as their ‘secondary’ Branch. The problems started when we resumed our meetings after the summer break in 2004, and our booking had been lost. The hunt was on for another venue, and then one of our members suggested the Blue Bell at Barton, and this is where we currently meet.

The branch membership has grown steadily from the initial 16 who paid subscriptions in 1998, and has now stands at 23. At typical meeting there will be around 10 or 12 attending.

We have a monthly newsletter, which initially was just single sided, produced on an old Acorn computer and posted out to everybody. It has but now been developed to cover 4 pages and is produced in “word” on a PC. This either delivered by e-mail or posted via snailmail as appropriate to individual members.

In the last year the Branch has seen some changes, with the many of the meetings now having a central theme or speaker, with time for socialising afterwards.

This Web site is a very recent innovation.

For further information please contact Keith Sartain on 0151 931 2557