he streak has ended! After many straight years of perfect weather at every tech session / swap meet we held at Glynn Motorsports, be they early Spring or late Fall, it all came to a splashing halt on April 23rd. In times past, any predicted precipitation failed to materialize; this time, we even got more rain than they’d promised.

But did that stop us? Hell, no. Over thirty intrepid Alfisti slogged their way to Rowley on their (approximately) semi-annual pilgrimage to the East Coast version of Alfa Heaven. (This isn’t to say that they all brought Alfas—we got to find out what several of our members drove in foul weather.) The hot coffee that was waiting was well-received—in fact, we finished the urn, something we don’t usually do even with fifty people showing up. Thanks, Peter Walker, for bringing the java plus the assortment of bagels, muffins, and donuts to munch on.

This is always a really nice event for our members. It’s sort of like the old Seinfeld TV show —nothing much actually happens, but despite that it’s always interesting and entertaining. Throughout the day, you’ll see people gathered in small groups, meeting new friends and chatting with old ones. Oftentimes, something about one of the many remarkable cars always in Paul’s shop attracts people’s attention and becomes the focus of a conversation. There were some periods during the day when the rain let up and we were able to go outside in the parking lot and poke around the Alfas the people had brought (or were already there before we arrived).

Naturally, in addition to fielding various questions about all things Alfa, Paul was queried about the pending changes soon to transpire at Glynn Motorsports (see Shake-up Underway at GM in the April issue). We’re well assured that Paul will remain a staunch and loyal supporter of the New England Alfa community.

After the bagels and muffins were well worn off, some excellent roll-up sandwiches miraculously appeared in the luxurious GM Dining Room at around 12:30. Thus fortified, we were able to foray back out into the shop for more automotive immersion. Thanks, Tom Ducibella, for being our miracle-worker.