How to have a shite day out...

[scaryoldcortina]

but still have some fun

 

I've been meaning to have a run to a classic show for a while now, used to be a good day out but I haven't been to any for a few years, so when a random visitor to the yard mentioned a fairly local show happening today I took some notice and this morning made a spur of the moment decision to take my son out and do something different for a change.

 

So, quick tidy up of the cortina (remove hi-viz, ratchet straps, random rubbish, find and replace back seat, that sort of stuff) and off we go. Show is in the grounds of a stately home about 25 miles away, and it is back roads or single carriage A road all the way brrrrrrmmmm... we are already having fun, sun shining, exhaust burbling away, not a care in the world. There was one idiot, driving an Omega 3.0 at 35 for 5 miles who decided to put his foot down on the only safe overtaking bit on the whole road (after I already commited to the move and was alongside) but he lost.. it just annoyed me as a safety issue. He tailgated me for the next 10 miles too. Anyway. We got to the show, and were asked for £12 at the gate (2 adult tickets) which was a surprise, normally at this sort of thing you can put eligable cars in the show and get reduced/free admission but no. Next surprise was being marshalled into the general car park instead of the show field... oh well, we are here I suppose, lets have a look around. We only stayed about 20 mins, because we ran out of things to look at! I've been to better shows on a village green on a wednesday evening, honestly.

We walked up to the castle, it was shut.

I met the guy who recommended the show, he told me you have to pre-book and pay £3, they don't allow on-the day cars (could have told me that last week...)

Final straw was the pride of place (in front of the endlessly wittering commentators tent) given to 3 ferrari REPLICAS (2 mr2s and a 407) and a toyota starlet (which was nice) so we joined a capri, a vx4/90 and a v12 E type coupe on the path to the exit.

 

What to do? hang on, while I've been waiting to turn out 4 transporters with banger cars have past (and there is a raceway 2 miles up the road) so spur of the moment decision, lets watch the bangers instead. Err, no. they want £24 entrance money, no chance.

 

After we left, we saw a mk2 cortina 1600E (flash and wave) a mk3 cortina GT (parked at a pub) several capris (flash and wave) some minis including a very tidy van,and a total hero in a yugo 45 (blue smoke and all) as we crossed the county from SW to NE up to the metrocentre, where we spent the rest of the trip money on video games.

 

I think next time we will just plan for a random drive instead. The driving was fun

[trigger]

I had the same experience yesterday at the show i went to, I was expecting some kind of discount at least for turning up in my BMW but no chance, i had to pay the £18 for me and my wife to get in, and there wasn't hardly any cars in the show so you would of thought they grateful of another.

 

I go to a lot of shows over the year and I'd hate to think how much i spend going to them all, There's two on next weekend I'd quite fancy going to.

[Father Ted]

Wasnt Hoghton Tower was it?

 

I normally go, but last year was a bit shit so I opted to work an early shift as overtime instead.

[scaryoldcortina]

Yeah, that's what had me baffled too.. half empty show field, loads of classic/interesting in the general car park or queing for the out gate (at 12 o clock..) but I suppose they had our entrance money by then!

 

One of my mates had a completely different experience on saturday, at another local show. Turned up at random in his Rapier, free entrance onto the show field and a free horse brass "entry 2010" token too.

[autofive]

but still have some fun

 

lets watch the bangers instead. Err, no. they want £24 entrance money, no chance.

24 quid?

 

WTF?

 

dont they want spectators or something?

[Cavcraft]

but still have some fun

 

lets watch the bangers instead. Err, no. they want £24 entrance money, no chance.

24 quid?

 

WTF?

 

dont they want spectators or something?

Probably trying to scare off the real owners of the cars from coming along

[brammy777]

I went to a show today and it wasnt cheap but I havent been to one for over a month, car shows arent that numerous round here.... aside from Brooklands. The cars inside more than made up for it, despite the lack of Renaults. We did get lost beforehand though, thank god for Sat Nav. Farnham itself has to be the most boring place in the world, and the heat was intense. I generally tend to avoid the stereotypical classic car shows as its always the same. Kind of want to go see banger racing just the once, anyone know how much Rushmoor arena is?

[Mr Lobster]

Wasnt Hoghton Tower was it?

 

I normally go, but last year was a bit shit so I opted to work an early shift as overtime instead.

I went there today and wherever SOC went sounds very similar.

 

It was ok, but only 'ok'. £6 each to get in which struck me as a bit too much considering. Not a bad selection of cars but nothing that interesting. Didn't detain us for longer than about 40 minutes.

[scaryoldcortina]

It was Raby Castle, near Bishop Auckland. Biggest disapointment was probably discovering that the castle itself was shut (after walking 1/4 mile up the drive....)

[myglaren]

It was Raby Castle, near Bishop Auckland. Biggest disapointment was probably discovering that the castle itself was shut (after walking 1/4 mile up the drive....)

Had I known I might have gone. Went to IKEA instead and probably just as well, nice an quiet as the football kept the crowds away.

[Albert Ross]

A couple of years ago, I went to a local Tractor/Steam rally in my then new to me 89 Sapphire. As I paid my £2 at the gate, the kid in the Hi-Vis said not to park near the classics, (sniggering to his mate in the process) I asked why. He told me that mine wasn't the sort of car they wanted with the display. I told him to bollocks and parked between a minty Mk1 Sierra Ghia Estate in Jewish Racing Gold, and a 1982 Cortina in Russet Brown. Both owners were chuffed to bits to see a Mk2 in the Ford line up..... kid in the vest was none too pleased, especially when I left, kicking up a shower of shit from the field we were driving on...................all over the ponce. Turns out he was eldest offspring of the stuck up field owner. I never did go back to that venue.

[Lukas]

The "kid in the vest" at a local Oldtimer-meeting said I was not allowed to park at the classic-car-field because my 1988 Camry isnt a classic car and it´s too new. But there was a Porsche 911 964 from the early 90s at the classic-car-field and two Mercedes-Benz SL R129 from the mid-90s too! I was grumpy, definately!

[autofive]

i dismantled a 3 litre essex with no oil pressure today

 

it was very entertaining, i got to drive a scimitar, a cortina, and a volkswagen.

 

There was a whole range of classic cars on display. No queues, no admission fees or roping off or cones. The drinks were free. Toilet facilities were a bit sparce, but overall it was a fun day out

 

so fun, im going back tomorrow