Blenheim Palace Classic Show

[seth]

We were camping in Standlake (opposite the banger track!) for the long weekend with my in-laws and my brother in law, his wife and their two sprogs. By Friday evening, sorry, by Sunday we were ready to escape and headed up some little roads to Blenheim Palace as we'd never been there and there happened to be a Classic show on too, even if it was one of the "Greenwood" ones famous for their little arena and monotonous commentry. There was supposed to be a big Rootes gathering too. I'm not a member of any Rootes clubs so I drove past their bit to line up with the rest of the cars but it was funny to watch some reactions as we did.

 

On with the show. Photos in chronological order and since I tend to wonder here and there at this sort of event they will appear to be in no order whatsoever.

 

Not a Rapier but an Alpine.

 

 

Stunning early arrow.

 

 

 

This Escort very much reminded me of my grandparents one, who lived about a mile from where we were camping.

 

 

There was a very heavy MG (mostly showing. And most of them had chairs.

 

 

I parked next to this monster of supercar shite.

 

 

Courier with windows.

 

 

I know these are anti-shite but a nice early split, cheese-grater Traveller is a pretty thing.

 

 

Into the Rootes depths. There were some interesting cars but fewer than I'd anticipated.

 

 

 

 

Stunning Minx convertible. Surely a rarity as I think I've only ever seen Singer or Sunbeam convertibles of this shape.

 

 

 

Rally Support spec Avenger wagon.

 

 

Autoshite Dog Support spec Avenger wagon.

 

 

 

 

 

This is when my OMG fell out.

 

 

"D'you remember our one Doris?"

 

 

Interesting Riley boat tail-ish raodster.

 

 

 

 

 

We followed this out at the end of the day. It struck me that it must be a 2.5 V6 powered machine and fairly rapid. Lovely understated tiddly twin exhaust.

 

 

This Mini was one of my favourite cars. Totally unmessed with and a '59 I think.

 

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa65/sethke/Classics%2010/Blenheim%20Palace/Blenheimpalace_042.jpg

 

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa65/sethke/Classics%2010/Blenheim%20Palace/Blenheimpalace_043.jpg

 

Yeah, dull skies meant rain showers.

 

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa65/sethke/Classics%2010/Blenheim%20Palace/Blenheimpalace_046.jpg

 

How to ruin your car at a show. Lean various random boards against it that don't really even have anything to do with it. WOrse than even plaques I reckon.

 

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa65/sethke/Classics%2010/Blenheim%20Palace/Blenheimpalace_051.jpg

 

ANti-shite favourite #2. So rarely see lowlights.

 

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa65/sethke/Classics%2010/Blenheim%20Palace/Blenheimpalace_052.jpg

 

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa65/sethke/Classics%2010/Blenheim%20Palace/Blenheimpalace_053.jpg

 

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa65/sethke/Classics%2010/Blenheim%20Palace/Blenheimpalace_054.jpg

 

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa65/sethke/Classics%2010/Blenheim%20Palace/Blenheimpalace_056.jpg

 

A quality line up by a local club.

 

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa65/sethke/Classics%2010/Blenheim%20Palace/Blenheimpalace_059.jpg

 

A local mini club turned up too. I preferred the underdog Clubmans.

 

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa65/sethke/Classics%2010/Blenheim%20Palace/Blenheimpalace_060.jpg

 

A cool caravan.

 

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa65/sethke/Classics%2010/Blenheim%20Palace/Blenheimpalace_064.jpg

 

A nice backdrop. We went round the house in the afternoon. 'Twas very busy. Nice though. Mrs_Seth noticed a copy of a modern book Classic Interior Design" in the long library.

 

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa65/sethke/Classics%2010/Blenheim%20Palace/Blenheimpalace_067.jpg

 

More MGs and folding chairs.

 

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa65/sethke/Classics%2010/Blenheim%20Palace/Blenheimpalace_068.jpg

 

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa65/sethke/Classics%2010/Blenheim%20Palace/Blenheimpalace_070.jpg

 

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa65/sethke/Classics%2010/Blenheim%20Palace/Blenheimpalace_071.jpg

 

Hobnobs!

 

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa65/sethke/Classics%2010/Blenheim%20Palace/Blenheimpalace_074.jpg

 

Harrington Alpine

 

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa65/sethke/Classics%2010/Blenheim%20Palace/Blenheimpalace_076.jpg

 

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa65/sethke/Classics%2010/Blenheim%20Palace/Blenheimpalace_079.jpg

 

Effects copyright help by Watanabe

 

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa65/sethke/Classics%2010/Blenheim%20Palace/Blenheimpalace_086.jpg

 

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa65/sethke/Classics%2010/Blenheim%20Palace/Blenheimpalace_087.jpg

 

I'll finish on this P6.

 

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa65/sethke/Classics%2010/Blenheim%20Palace/Blenheimpalace_088.jpg

 

As we unhitched the trailer on the campsite on Friday this drove in. The chap stopped and I wondered over to say hello. He said "That car looks familiar. Is your name Seth?" His partners eyes rolled in that disbelieving fashion that the internet had drawn car freaks together. He's a lurker on R-R.....

[brammy777]

Great pictures Seth! Looks like it was a pretty good show, I never seem to see any Rootes stuff (bar Imps and Minx models) at any events, so thats a good turnout?

[trigger]

I really must start taking photos of people at shows, the one i went to today had lots of clicky types, the MG owners had about 10 chairs in a circle all chatting about there club and the Rolls Royce owners had their wine and cheese boards out, I find it quite comical myself.

 

GR8 photos btw yet again Seth.

[reallyloud]

Love those snaps Seth, that Alfa is one of those cars that would have made my day. I went up today for the afternoon but left largely disappointed - it was a pain to into the venue - not the organisers fault but Blenheim's opportunity to grab as much cash as they could without considering the tailbacks created, it was expensive for what it was and the variety of cars were fairly ordinary - a few exceptions granted - I thought the Rootes turn out was pretty low key today. The only thing that redeemed the event for me where the friendly owners who I got chatting to.

[dollywobbler]

I think I saw that DS on my way home - came up the A34 and there were classics all over the place.

 

Vauxhall Ventora belongs to the editor of CCW and is much droolworthy.

[seth]

Thanks peeps. Dolly, I had a a chat with Dave. Didn't realise that was his car

 

Trigger, I'm a bit of a weed with the people shots and tend to take them with my long lens. I find it can be quite hit and miss, getting that just right expression seems more through luck than judgement. It can be pretty liberating though. Most people assume that you are just taking a photo of the car anyway.

 

RL, Brammy. I thought the Rootes turn out was lower than it ought to have been. Those two Arrows in my pictures and my estate were the only representatives of the Hunter range of cars. It was really justa smattering of various cars with no big turnout of those with decent following. Imagine if the Imp Club, Commervanfan, Rapier OC and Sunbeam Alpine/Tiger OCs had managed to gather a dozen or so vehicles each. Would have been a much stronger showing.

 

Apparently the whole show was much smaller than usual. The showery weather on Sunday might well have put people off but the cost of getting into these "posh" places is not exactly insignificant either. We had Tesco vouchers again so had " free" entry, hence why we made the best of them and went into the house too. Had we paid over a tenner each, plus a fiver for ickle_Seth we would have felt a bit hard done by. I also noted the very "ordinary" turnout. Many MGs, Minors and Jags. If those hadn't come then there would hardly have been a show at all.

[michiel]

Great pics! That Minx Convertible is a beauty.