The closest show to home

Having missed it last year I was determined to make what has to be the closest classic car show to home this time round. Held all of two miles from home at Bearwood College, the show is a small gathering of around 150 classic, sport and performance cars as well as some bikes. Its laid out in the ground of the school, offering the perfect setting in which to admire some old tin. As we drove up the front drive in our trusty Campervan I was hoping we’d get a good parking spot, we were able to pre book for the event, but never got round to it. Not to worry, the helpful marshals directed us round the front of the main building and off towards the rear of the school “ if you start driving through a wood, you’re getting there!” so we burbled along a leafy wooded track and emerged into the sunlight on the gravel terrace behind the impressive building, picking a spot alongside a modern Porsche who promptly got in and left (I’d like to think he had somewhere else to go to rather than not wanting a distant cousin parking near him)



With Lily safe in her sling and my brother , having left his Caterham in the parking along the main drive in tow we set off.



The show catered for everything from the humble Mini through Group B rally cars and up to the latest offerings from Porsche.





Kim came armed with our new camcorder, bought after Lily was born to capture those precious moments, she did dozens of little clips which I will stitch together when I get a chance and pop on youtube.



Moving along the lower terrace in the sunshine it was nice to see some different cars displayed.





We then headed up the steps to take in level two of the show.









Getting rather warm and a bit hungry it seemed rude not to stop at the ice cream van and get a couple of “99s” Of course, Lily couldn’t be left out.







Suitably refreshed we had a wander round the front courtyard to the school, brimming with all sorts from a line of replica GT40s to a stunning Team Lotus Type 21 Formula One car, more on that in a bit!













Now onto that Formula One car, last year Classic Team Lotus turned up with Nigel Mansells old JPS Lotus and gave it a run down the front drive, apparently this didn’t go down to well with some people so the team decided to bring some thing more sedate. The Type 21, built for the 1961 season and raced by such greats as Moss and Clark it gave the team its first win.



Resplendent in the familiar green with bright yellow rims, the car offered visitors a chance to see how far F1 has come in 50 years, with skinny tyres and limited safety equipment it must have been quite unnerving piloting the Coventry Climax powered cigar tube of a racing car round some of the fastest circuits in the world.













Even better was to come when the owners rolled the car out from under its gazebo and fired it into life for a five minute engine warming session, the throttle being blipped by hand it sounded glorious. All too soon it was over and silent once more, just the tinkle of cooling metal contracting back as it was wheeled under its shelter once more.



And with that we had a final look round as we wandered back to the Camper, the awards were handed out and we fired up the flat four to carry us the five minutes home.



The rest of the photos are here.

Steve.

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