Drive it Day and Stondon Museum

[seth]

We went on a Cambridge-Oxford OC run in Bedfordshite on Sunday. A nice little convoy meandered its way down some winding back roads and though some pretty villages ending up at the Stondon museum not far from Poggleswade. I'm fairly sure Stondon has been mentioned before on here but I'd never been - what an amazing place! Would be a perfect venue for a shiter gathering later in the year?

 

Here's some photos. I did a little piece for RSM so the museum photos are all in the RSM Flickr gallery.

 

Spot on the way. Looked very clean!

 

 

Pub car park starting point.

 

 

 

Driving photos by Mrs_Seth

 

 

 

 

 

The route directions that had been prepared pointed out a few things to look for. These are huge airship hangers - the R101 was built here and left for its final journey from here too.

 

 

 

 

Stondon car park shite

 

 

A heavy, lumbering old 60's vehicle parked next to a Road Roller

 

 

These two Westminsters have been parked together at shows and even worked on together frequently in the last few years as the owners live quite close each other. It was only a couple of weeks ago that a chance glance at the chassis numbers resulted in finding they were one ofter the other on the assembly line! One initally stayed south the other going up to Merseyside until the current owner brought it back down this way.

 

 

SOme other folk rolled in too.

 

 

 

Beautiful early Amazon.

 

 

Here's a few museum photos. There's a hundred or so in total if you follow the link at the top

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rocket88]

Stondon's an amazing place. In there is a De Tomaso Deauville that I used to own. Luxury shite indeed! Swapped a Buick Riveira boatail for it, biggest mistake I ever made. it was horrible. We collected it in the middle of August, and discovered the aircon didn't work, or none of the electric windows ........it went like the clappers, but broke down with boring regularity....in the end I swapped it at the museum for a Trans Am

[michiel]

Nice pics & words Seth! If I'm ever in that 'hood...

[jjp666]

Seth, any better pics of the Austin hearse at all?

[bones96]

i bet the convoy going though that litte town wound back the years for a few old dears it must of been a good sight even better pics

[reallyloud]

I've always wondered about this place, thought about doing a double with the Vauxhall museum when I drop the missus of at Luton airport in a couple of weeks. I do like these kind of places - quirky but friendly staff, enthusiastic hard work to keep the place going and the odd smell of milk/infant school/lead paint/biscuits. I think.

[seth]

Seth, any better pics of the Austin hearse at all?

Sorry, that's pretty much all my photos from the museum in the Flickr gallery. Reallyloud, very much worth a visit!

[Spottedlaurel]

Nice pic's Seth.I've been in one of those airship hangars at Cardington, for work a few years back. They are impressive!

[Guest]

Is the 'Mean Machine' a Stimson Scorcher?Mate of a mate of a mate's dad used to work for Noovoh Concepts who sold the kits.

[pogweasel]

MEGA!I was gutted to miss this when I heard about it as it's right on the doorstep. I'd already promised the old folks we would consume vast quantities of sunday roast at their house and it was a bit late to cancel!It's a really good venue (loved the theoretical summary Darren - spot on!)Re the Hangars, I guess I am almost blind to them now as I have seen them a million times from every possible angle. They are truly vast though and amazing structures. One was restored a few years back but the other is in big trouble and needs huge cash spending to stop it deteriorating further. One interesting point is that they are possibly the only structure in the UK where it can rain indoors

[wuvvum]

Like a twat, I completely forgot about it being Drive It Day. In fact Sunday was probably the first Sunday in months where I haven't got behind the wheel of anything that could vaguely be described as classic - only vehicles I used that day were the Camry and the Transit. I did see plenty of old motors out and about though, including a spotless early MO Oxford which was nice.Never been to Stondon - it's one of those places that's been on my list for years but still not got round to, kind of like Goodwood or the Beaulieu autojumble. I would love one of those hangars - if I won the lottery I'd buy one and install 15 floors which I'd cram full of shite. Including a Metro Scout.

[pogweasel]

Even a 'euromillions' win wouldn't get you one of those hangars!Oh and if anyone else in the locale is vaguely interested, there's a classic show at Shuttleworth this weekend coming.

[seth]

One interesting point is that they are possibly the only structure in the UK where it can rain indoors

That is interesting. No really! I presume because of both girth and height? I can't think of any reason why a modern big structure would be so tall. Shame you couldn't make it down Pog.

[Ratdat]

Oh and if anyone else in the locale is vaguely interested, there's a classic show at Shuttleworth this weekend coming.

I'll be there!

[andrew e]

Oh balls wasn't luton open Sunday for the VX heritage collection

[seth]

Pog, I knew the Cardington name was familiar but couldn't remember why until I mentioned to my mum that we went past. When I were a nipper my dad worked for Fire Research labs (Possible govt funded civl service?) and they used to build houses inside one of the hangars and set fire to them as it was the only suitable indoors and environmentally controllable place they could do it.

[pogweasel]

Yes, you are right Seth, later named the Building Research Establishment or somesuch they had fully built houses inside shed 2, sometimes you could see them from the bus if the hangar doors were open - they look microscopic in comparison. They also use #2 for film sets as well. #1 is now disused I think as the last airship built there was in about 1986

 

Some factual inaccuracies can be found on Wikipedia