What have you done today ?

Chuffer

CCCUK Member
Went to a Delapre Abbey in Northampton today for their Classics on the Lawn event that been running for the the last few years . Not a big show but a nice setting and we were blessed with glorious sunshine after a thunderstorm of biblical proportions in the early hours of last night in the locality . We had four Corvettes lined up together , myself and another local ex club member plus a Thames Valley Region member and a South Central member over from the Cotswolds . Two other C3`s were displayed elsewhere at the show . A good social get together around our cars and lots of public admiring them as the venue is owned by the local council and the grounds and park land are open to the public . The Fiat 500 Club had a great turn out with a long line of original tiny 500`s , not the bloated new models !! DSC_4913.JPGDSC_4914.JPGDSC_4928.JPGDSC_4926.JPGDSC_4925.JPGDSC_4924.JPGDSC_4923.JPGDSC_4920.JPGDSC_4919.JPGDSC_4916.JPG
 

Chuffer

CCCUK Member
This must be my cars long lost cousin that was also at Delapre Abbey yesterday . A 1980 C3 with LDV 581 V plates , mine is LDV 515V and the young guy who owns it lives in a village only a few miles from me . Quite a coincidence I would say ??DSC_4917.JPG
 

Chuffer

CCCUK Member
Despite the less than clement weather for much of the day and an hour and half wet journey across Northamptonshire and Warwickshire , it was still an enjoyable day meeting up with the CCUK Central South gang at Coughton Court near Alcester in Warwickshire . Coughton Court has been in the Throckmorton family since 1409 so you can imagine they are getting on a bit !! 🤣
Mike & Debbie Penn had arranged the visit and reserved display parking in the families private parking area in front of the old stable block and yard for our 17 Corvettes covering all models from C2 to C8 . I think all those Chevy V8 horses were the most the stables had seen in many a year ! We had our own private guided tour of the gardens and grounds by none other than Baroness Imogen Throckmorton herself followed by a guided to of the house and all its long family history . It was at the heart of the famous Guy Faulks `Gun Powder Plot ` back in the day . A leisurely lunch and general chit chat was taken in the Stables cafeteria .
The Corvettes draw admiring looks from the Throckmorton`s and their young children as the few visitors that had braved the dismal weather . Being able to climb to the top of the tower roof provided and great views of the surrounding countryside and a glimpse of out cars down the stable yard entrance . Unfortunately the journey home was equally as wet , but hey ho , can`t win `em all !
 

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Chuffer

CCCUK Member
Had another jolly day out today in the C3 with a 110 mile round trip blast up a very traffic free A5 to near Tamworth and back to join the CCUK Central South gang at Statfold Country Park where we had been invited to display our cars at the Ford Mustang Owners Club national day at the venue . Our nine Corvettes plus a Viper DSC_7589.JPGDSC_7588.JPGDSC_7577.JPGDSC_7566.JPGDSC_7587.JPGDSC_7562.JPGDSC_7561.JPGDSC_7553.JPGDSC_7555.JPGDSC_7595.JPGmade a fine line up a great social picnic under the club gazebo too . Needless to say there was a large of Mustangs to admire including several gorgeous classic `Stangs .
But I was in 7th heaven as Statfold is home to fabulous museum collection of narrow gauge steam and diesel locomotives from around the world with many of them built in Britain when we had a massive locomotive building industry throughout the UK . Many are in working order and operate a passenger train service around the perimeter of the huge park .
I was gob smacked to be reunited with the largest loco in the collection , an articulated design built by the British Garrett Company with a set of pistons and driving wheels at both ends . This loco is Tasmanian Railways Number 1 and I had not seen it since the early 1960`s as a boy when it first arrived in the UK from Tasmania to the Ffestiniog Railway in North Wales in non working order . I have an old black & white photo of me as a boy posing in the cab doorway so just had to pose for another photo today !
Statfold is also home to the national fairground museum collection which was a real trip down down memory lane for us of a certain age . Add to that a museum of steam powered agricultural machines making it a fab day out . Thanks to Mike & Debbie Penn for organising the CCCUK involvement .
 

CaptainK

Administrator
Gotta love the old fairground rides. I am most partial to a set of gallopers. When I went on holiday with wife and child this year, we went on two sets of gallopers. One outside at a steam railway type place, it was nice, but a little jarring. Then went to another museum time place that had a lot of road steam engines inside, organs, fairground rides, the lot. They don't run the fairground rides often, but they did when we were there - but only twice in the day. Managed to go on the gallopers and wow, it was so smooth and just amazing. Got a good video of the child riding it.
 

antijam

CCCUK Member
Last Queen Square breakfast meet of the year at Eastwood Park today, and a bumper turnout - over 250 cars. A cold, dull but dry morning;
I went down in my MG and ended up parked, rather incongruously, between a hybrid BMW and a full-on Pontiac Firebird Trans Am....

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Being something of an oddball among the more exotic machinery, the MG did attract quite a lot of attention.....

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We had the usual eclectic mix; Plenty of Lambo's.....

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....and McLaren's.....

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...as well as more 'traditional' items.....

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A couple of 'Vettes, a C8....

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...and an immaculate C2.....

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Among the more improbable yank transplants was this ......

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.....into this !!!......:eek:

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A great morning - we had deer running across the fields, hot air balloons overhead and some very enjoyable company. :):)(y)
Roll on next year !
 

Chuffer

CCCUK Member
Last Queen Square breakfast meet of the year at Eastwood Park today, and a bumper turnout - over 250 cars. A cold, dull but dry morning;
I went down in my MG and ended up parked, rather incongruously, between a hybrid BMW and a full-on Pontiac Firebird Trans Am....

View attachment 34100

Being something of an oddball among the more exotic machinery, the MG did attract quite a lot of attention.....

View attachment 34101

We had the usual eclectic mix; Plenty of Lambo's.....

View attachment 34102

....and McLaren's.....

View attachment 34103

...as well as more 'traditional' items.....

View attachment 34105
View attachment 34106

A couple of 'Vettes, a C8....

View attachment 34107

...and an immaculate C2.....

View attachment 34108

Among the more improbable yank transplants was this ......

View attachment 34109

.....into this !!!......:eek:

View attachment 34110
A great morning - we had deer running across the fields, hot air balloons overhead and some very enjoyable company. :):)(y)
Roll on next year !
Looks a great event with a good mix of interesting cars . (y)(y)
 

Chuffer

CCCUK Member
My day out today was at another regular Car Natter whole weekend meet at Silverstone Circuit to watch a packed programme of club racing . I just had to be there today as it was the finals of the Derek Bell Trophy HSCC Championship for Formula Atlantic / Formula 2 / Formula 500 that operate out of the workshop facility where I keep my C3 . Mark Mercer is the hot shoe of the outfit and had already clinched the Formula Atlantic class championship on an unassailable points win basis in his March 75B ( car 41 )even before this weekends races had started ! Going for an overall Championship win was within his grasp even competing against the big boys in their Formula 500 cars . This weekend he swapped to his father David`s Ralt F2 car ( Number 14 ) DSC_7713.JPGDSC_7614.JPGDSC_7615.JPGDSC_7624.JPGDSC_7623.JPGDSC_7621.JPGDSC_7619.JPGDSC_7712.JPGDSC_7617.JPGwhich having the power advantage of a 2000cc F2 car over his 1600 Ford Powered 1600 cc Formula Atlantic which should have helped no end in the power / speed on the straights battles . Unfortunately a blown number 3 piston yesterday rained on that parade and had to start Race 1 this morning in his March in 21st place at the back of the grid as he had only qualified in the Ralt and not his March . Half way through the 20 minute race Mark was up to 5th place in this mornings Race 1, a position he maintained to the chequered flag . This afternoons Race 2 thus saw him 5th on grid and pulled up to 4th place behind two Formula 500 `s and an F2 car and a podium finish was on the cards at he steadily reeled the competion in . Unfortunately a rapid exit from Copse corner had him chasing his nearest rival into Maggots had the rival car cut inwards as Mark tried to overtake and clipped the front wheel . The rest is history but that`s racing as they say . To say the guys were gutted is an understatement !
My long time good buddy Trevor came along today for the first time in his stunning Jaguar XFRS which is one of only 120 in the UK and one of only 12 in Azurri Blue . It`s a 5.5 litre Supercharged beast of a car and we soon drew appreciative comments between us parked in front of the Brooklands hospitality suite that we has sole use of all day to watch the racing .
 

Chuffer

CCCUK Member
Other stunning / interesting cars at Silverstone today including a DB5 Superlagerra and period Duple Bodied coach converted to a race car transporter and a rare Gilburn Invader , Gilburn being Wales only home grown car manufacturer back the day .DSC_7625.JPGDSC_7626.JPGDSC_7627.JPGDSC_7629.JPGDSC_7628.JPGDSC_7652.JPGDSC_7656.JPGDSC_7655.JPGDSC_7703.JPG
 

Chuffer

CCCUK Member
Track action today at Silverstone with a varied mix of Historic Road Sports and Saloons , Historic Formula 3 , Alfa Romeo & Italian Intermarque Championship to name just a few . All viewed on a perfect Autumn day from the vantage point of the Brooklands Suite and British Racing Drivers Club `Jim Clark ` grandstand . Another day of petrol head heaven. 😁DSC_7704.JPGDSC_7705.JPGDSC_7637.JPGDSC_7711.JPGDSC_7667.JPGDSC_7668.JPG
 

antijam

CCCUK Member
Other stunning / interesting cars at Silverstone today including a DB5 Superlagerra and period Duple Bodied coach converted to a race car transporter and a rare Gilburn Invader , Gilburn being Wales only home grown car manufacturer back the day .View attachment 34130View attachment 34131View attachment 34132View attachment 34133View attachment 34134View attachment 34135View attachment 34136View attachment 34137View attachment 34138
Some very interesting cars Chuffer - a great day's motorsport. Your piccie of the (very nice) Welsh Gilbern brought back very fond memories of my own Invader Mk 2. Just to be pedantic, Gilbern is not spelt Gilburn as it's a contraction of the names of the founders, Giles Smith, a Welsh butcher and Bernard Friese, a German engineer. All models were good handling cars and many were very successful on hill climbs. Mine was the rare Estate version - just over 100 made. They were expensive when new and the Company folded in 1973. A potential Invader successor designed by Trevor Fiore and using an Austin Maxi drivetrain (?!) was stillborn.
 
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