My anouncement re the MK1 site.

[Pandora]

I use the forum more than the main Mk1 website, but either would be a big loss. The forum is a generally convivial place, and the website an amazing resource, making a wealth of info available for FREE. How rare in this day and age.

I saw Marks post and immediately thought, as I've acted as moderator for the last year or so, "well, I'll take it on for the good of everyone" but then very quickly thought "actually, I can imagine the time it'll consume. I'm already selling my project 'cause I don't have time, and spend too long at the computer as it is......"

So, if that's my attitude (and I'm sure it is one shared by many others) it makes it all to easy to understand Marks thoughts. This is a hobby, and that shouldn't give you grief. When Mark has put so much in to it it is a kick in the teeth for it to become a burden, and who wants a kick in the teeth?

I'm just glad it's lasted so long, but with a heavy heart, I won't be the one to take it forward.

Thank you Mark,

Cheers
Al

[COOPERCO]

Mark, it's got to be almost exactly 10 years since we had our two cars (& fuel tank) on your stand at Silverstone. What a great day that was with like minded MK1 Performance people, others just couldn't get their heads around the fact that nothing was for sale! The forum & website continued to spread the knowledge & is probably the best resource on the net. I also am very glad to have seen you on a high with the Sprint at the Brooklands 12/12, another great weekend. I fully understand your feelings & along with the other posters here thank you for all the time & effort you have spent on our behalves over the years. I do hope someone takes up the running as for it all to end would be a great loss to the mini community & all of your previous effort.

I wish you well with whatever direction/hobby you put your efforts into.

Many thanks,

Mike (& Barbara).

[morris-miner]

I too am a non to frequent poster on the fantastic site and forum, much more a browser and observer getting ever more jealous of the wonderful projects and collections you guys have.
It will be a very sad day indeed should it ever end, I truly wish I had the skills, knowledge and dedication Mark has shown over the years to give us Mini mined addicts our fix.
Having been in a similar situation where a dedicated hobby becomes too much of a slog to really carry on, to this end I thank Mark deeply for all his passion, time,energy and humor.
When my MK2 does get finished it will display its Forum sticker with pride.

THANY YOU Mark.

[mab01uk]

Sad to hear this news, great forum, great website resource and Mark is a great guy, devoting much time creating and maintaining it for all of us for so long........I really hope someone will takeover the reins and carry it on successfully into the future (without too much drastic change) and that Mark can join the forum as a regular member to contribute without all the added hassle of running things in the background.
Martin B

[LDR209H]

Your decision Mark,i can totally see your viewpoint. It started as a hobby now everything is £££
Thanks for your endeavours and hard work with the site.
Maybe,hopefully,someone will take it on.

[Austin Costin]

Thank you very much for the time and dedication that you have put into the Mk1 for all of us, you are an amazing and un selfish man
that has shared his vast knowledge and amazing collection of parts, memrobilia and information and not to forget the total enthusiasm for all things Mk1 and mini.

To be honest I am absolutly gutted to lose you and all the great posters on the Mk1 and sincearly hope you can find your mojo in what ever you decide to do next.

Cheers Paul.

[pad4]

BIG respect to Mark for running the MK1 forum and Site - Im on it almost every night , quick look whats happening around the world of minis and theres some really interesting stuff all the time - which will be a shame to loose.

Ive been on since the first proper forum came about (i think) so it has been a part of my life for a long time now.

Thanks Mark , thoroughly enjoyed it.

I wouldn't know where to start

Pad

[Vegard]

I'm glad this forum closes Mark. Now both me and Rich can get something done at work!!

[foxy52]

That's the key as per Pete,s comments !!! we don't have to like one another its just a forum for individuals to air their views,make a point,give advise,constructive comment..etc etc..some of it is brill some of it is ill informed crap who cares ?! some are right some are wrong !!!....the important thing is respect for everyone..nothing should ever get personal !.. I have rhino skin so I would shrug it off... I am sure Mark that having read the above comments and prob more to be made by members yet that if I were you I would probably have been brought to tears by the amount of respect others have shown you...?!.. I like all other keen mini fans hope u reflect and reconsider..once again,. best rgds foxy52

[Tedwong]

Came through all these generations of MK1 Forum, met some friends here, learnt alot, just want to say thank you so much!
Whatever your decision, respect!
Only wish next time I come to UK, I can still come round to see you and your collections!

Ted

[Old English White]

Mark, I can only echo what others have already said. I will certainly miss this forum if it can't be saved and have gained a good deal of help and knowledge given freely by yourself and other enthusiastic members. I can only guess at the amount of time you have devoted to running it and the crap that you have sometimes had to put up with, which simply isn't fair. Once an enjoyable hobby stops being fun it is indeed time to consider your options and if your decision is to call it a day then none of us can blame you. We all need a break sometime and normal family life is so much more important than keeping us lot entertained!

Many thanks Mark for what you've given up to now, I fully respect your position and hope that, whatever happens to the forum, at some time in the future you'll regain some enthusiasm for your own great collection of Minis and enjoy them again in some way

Good luck for the future what ever you decide, and enjoy a bit of a rest Richard.

[36inter]

Bugger.

Sorry about that, its the first words that came out when I read Mark's post.

I agree with everything that has been said Mark and wish you all the best, but, Damn, thats a blow.

Pete

[pad4]

I'm glad this forum closes Mark. Now both me and Rich can get something done at work!!

You have a good point here Vegard - Ill do some work as well

[surfblue63]

Cheers Mark.

It was great whilst it lasted, just a shame some had ill conceived ideas about what they should or should not post.

I hope the archive is not lost as it is a great resource of information for restorers and researchers of early Minis.

Thanks

Stuart

[Frogeye61]

Darn shame.
Here I found a site that had the laid-back no-nonsense chat, in a core interest, that I wanted.
I will miss the site very much.

[UHR850]

Well what can I say after al those word from other members, Marc please think it over again.
There is no forum like this anywere with all the knowlege from all over the world to make this Mk1
hobby so nice to have.

Kees
UHR850

[guru_1071]

such a shame,

I've know Mark for many years, and I've seen him get more and more fed up with minis thanks to the actions of a very few people, who seem to take a pleasure in either deliberately upsetting people or trying to use Mark as a conduit for their own motives/agendas.

its such a shame that this forum has got so polluted by the actions of these people.

I can remember when people where genuinely enthusiastic about minis, and envy of what other people did or didn't have never even featured, all people wanted to do was enjoy what they had.

Mark, like me has been threatened with violence, pathetic legal actions, bullying, unjust accusations and has just got sick of it all. its a hobby after all, not a matter of life and death

I've kept fairly quite on the subject that 'turned' me off minis and ruined my enjoyment of them, but I've been pretty fed up for a couple of years as well, thanks to some underhand tactics of a so called mini enthusiast.

I never thought that me and Mark would be able to go to the pub and not discuss minis, but that's how bad it got for both of us, and the frustrations that Mark voiced this week to me at the actions of some of the people on here made it obvious that he had reached the end of his tether with it all.

lets hope that someone else with very thick skin will step up and agree to run this excellent forum, which 99% of the time is a great place to be, but I think that anyone sensible will see what Mark has had to put up with and run a mile........

the sad thing is that the vocal minority has finally won...

[foxy52]

such a shame,

I've know Mark for many years, and I've seen him get more and more fed up with minis thanks to the actions of a very few people, who seem to take a pleasure in either deliberately upsetting people or trying to use Mark as a conduit for their own motives/agendas.

its such a shame that this forum has got so polluted by the actions of these people.

I can remember when people where genuinely enthusiastic about minis, and envy of what other people did or didn't have never even featured, all people wanted to do was enjoy what they had.

Mark, like me has been threatened with violence, pathetic legal actions, bullying, unjust accusations and has just got sick of it all. its a hobby after all, not a matter of life and death

I've kept fairly quite on the subject that 'turned' me off minis and ruined my enjoyment of them, but I've been pretty fed up for a couple of years as well, thanks to some underhand tactics of a so called mini enthusiast.

I never thought that me and Mark would be able to go to the pub and not discuss minis, but that's how bad it got for both of us, and the frustrations that Mark voiced this week to me at the actions of some of the people on here made it obvious that he had reached the end of his tether with it all.

lets hope that someone else with very thick skin will step up and agree to run this excellent forum, which 99% of the time is a great place to be, but I think that anyone sensible will see what Mark has had to put up with and run a mile........

the sad thing is that the vocal minority has finally won...

...Its daft isn't it ?.. I made the mistake on replying to one other that I had a car that achieved 98 bhp using a Piper 255 billet,it was rolling roaded by Peter Baldwin..others posted not the right choice of cam..and went on and on sarky bunch !!...but he-ho..with h4,s,janspeed inlet manifold,high lift roller rockers,highly modified cyl head,top spec crank all lightened and balanced etc etc etc..I could go one...I just wanted a smooth fast car not a racer... but doubting Thomas,s rear their heads and have to say "U don't wanna do that ".. if my engine/ gear box builder Pat Howe can achieve that ...after all the Kirkpatrick boys and Pat Ford amongst many other top mini racers use my man to ??!!.....6 years on and its faultless and fast !!!.....foxy52..ps..no replies will be given on this post tks !!

[ManyMiniCoopers]

Hi all.
I'm a pretty quiet forum member, but a day doesn't go by when I'm not checking for new stories or project updates on here. It's the best source of early mini info i have found, and has kept my interest in minis very high despite me being in the USA and my cars in England.

I however, have seen and received negative remarks from people in forums, not here thankfully, and its pretty disheartening to read it. So for Mark, with what has been said you've received, I don't blame you for letting this go.
Go and rekindle your enjoyment for these cars again, and for anything in life you may enjoy. The mini scene doesn't do it for me tbh. There is some great cars around and I love them, but the shows have been a let down for me, personally, for years. I prefer either just driving or classic shows for some variety.
So, thankyou for the resource, but when it's time, its time.

Mmc

[Andrew1967]

Sorry to read about all of this Mark, but I am not surprised, having read some of the comments posted in the past.

It will be a real shame if the forum and website ceases to exist later in the year.

As usual an extremely small minority has spoilt it for the rest of us. Thanks a lot to all concerned.

Thanks Mark for all your hard work and enthusiasm over the years and I hope you get some of it back once you have a break.