HORNFALCON SHOW SUN 19th August 2018
Thornfalcon is a show that we all look forward to and this year was no exception as I arrived at Area Navigator Ant’s house in my Spit 1500 at stupid o’clock on a Sunday morning. Ant loaded his bag of maps charts sextants load stones and life raft complete with flares ready to navigate us to deepest Norfolk where he had estimated Thornfalcon had been last seen. As we pulled away Sally Sat Nav sniggered into life. With a reasonable day forecast we drove the few miles to the first meeting point of the day and met up with Mike the Cake in the pilot seat of Eddy’s Herald 13/60 and Bern and Jack in his immaculately presented TR4a. We were soon off in the direction of Magor services just beyond Newport on the M4 to meet up with The Monmouth Mafia, John and Mike in their pristine Triumph Blue Oval Cortina getaway car and Paul G and Dotty in their Vitesse convertible. John and Mike then arrived in the Monmouth Mafia getaway car their Triumph Cortina. We said our various good mornings and caught up on what had fallen off each other’s vehicles in the last week or so and had our first breakfast of the day from the Two Arches Café and soon we were on our way towards Bristol and south towards Taunton on the M5 in our procession of Triumphs. August on the M5 is like a the mobile version of the Caravan and Motorhome Show, “exactly why people who own perfectly serviceable houses in the home counties feel the need to up sticks and opt for the trailer park lifestyle is beyond me” said Ant. As we passed one of the more well-presented motor homes a lady peered over her copy of the Sunday Times from the passenger sofa and said “exactly why people who own perfectly serviceable modern vehicles in the South of Wales feel the need to up sticks drive around on the weekend in clapped out 60’s bone shakers is beyond me……mother used to have one of those Triumph Heralds before she got the Jag…..Charles are you listening? ” I laughed at the thought of Britain’s various pass times clogging up the roads at the weekend. We were soon at our turn off and into the car-park of the Toby Carvery and an AA 20% off full English breakfast number two. Having got fully fueled up for the day we headed the mile or so to the Thornfalcon venue and were soon marshaled into position among the 300 or more vehicles on display.
Paul and Dotty soon had the mobile tea urn and coffee emporium operational and thirsts were being quenched very efficiently as usual. Bern, Ant, Jack and I went for our usual inspection of the assembled cars to spot the unusual and admire the restoration and polishing work that so many people put into their classics for the show. On strolling around the show it was clear the well healed were out in force with Bentleys and up market Jags amongst well sorted Healey’s and DB’s being displayed. There were lots of interesting cars at the meet and a real cross section of the inhabitants of garages and barns across the south west of England and Wales. Thornfalcon Classics had a few nice classics for sale including a very original Herald 1200 saloon. We had many a good chat with all sorts of owners. That is what makes this show a little different in that it is not club orientated and tends to be individual owner drivers. As it always does the clock ticked onward and it was soon time to plan our escape and head for home. We had a last coffee and packed up the gear as Ant took a final bearing before pointing towards the exit gate. We were soon on the M5 north in the afternoon hazy sunshine weaving our way in and out of caravans and motor homes making their way back to civilisation from the land of Poldark and clotted cream teas. I was keeping a close eye on the gauges but all seemed well and I still had half a tank of fuel amazingly! Bern and Jack passed me a few times but I had John and Mike in the getaway Cortina in my mirror until we bade farewell at the junction to the Severn Bridge. I was glad to see the signs for Cardiff again and thought to myself what a good day out we had even if our numbers were down a bit. “What we had lacked in lunch time menu was sure made up by our bagging a total of two breakfasts!” I said to Ant. “Norfolk isn’t as far away as I thought” he replied.
Al
PORTHCAWL SHOW Sat 4th August 2018
I recon classic cars know when you are in a hurry, my Spit does anyway, just as I was getting all the gear ready the driver’s door handle decided to become a shiny chrome ornament and not function as a means of entry. Luckily the inner handle was still functioning as it crossed my mind that giving up parachuting had been a good call; at least the reserve handle was working! I was soon on the M4 and cruising west towards Bridgend on a beautiful summer’s morning and the planned stop at Pencoed services. Mikey J was there with his show stopping GT6 and Paul Watson and son Neil in their period Spitfire 1500. The temptation for a Two Arches Café breakfast roll was great and washed down with a cup of their finest coffee was a good call. Rob the Spam Grant arrived with Pete in their immaculate 13/60 convertible. Bern cruised in at the wheel of his Standard Vanguard Vignale with all the family Michelle, Jack and Emma. Then young Eddy and even younger Mo arrived in their well-travelled 13/60 saloon followed by Paul G and Dotty in their Vitesse and Mike the Cake in his Triumph Blue Oval boy racer mobile looking very black and shiny. We were also joined by Mike’s Mum and Dad Andrew and Louise in their mobile caravanette. I set up Sally Satnav and we were on our way towards Porthcawl and the world of sea sandcastles and rapidly melting ice creams. We arrived at the Lions Rugby Ground and parked up as directed by the ever helpful marshals who pointed in the general direction of the club house. We got to work on erecting the events shelter when a barrage of abuse suggested that I had forgotten the ground pegs. Not to be put off Andrew found two and a couple of screwdrivers which were duly returned when Mikey J returned from negotiations with Glamorgan CC Club who kindly lent us the required 8 and a hammer. We soon had some shade in place in the 30 degree heat and Paul and Dotty added to it with the kettles and a very welcome coffee.
As the (up to 300) classics arrived for the mid-day opening time we decided to head off to bag some fish and chips for a traditional Porthcawl style lunch on the sea front. Crazy George was on his way so Bern was busy working out which one way street he would drive up to get to the venue so the towns folk could be pre warned. We had time to stroll over to the amusements and treat ourselves to one of the famous Italian ice creams which we all agreed made the walk worthwhile. Returning to the show I welcomed potential new member John who had a problem with the injection system on his Triumph 2.5PI. Having recommended he should talk to Spiro one of our local TR restorers we continued our afternoon with the rugby club PA system blasting us with hits from the past. Then Crazy George arrived in his newly ‘preparated’ and completed 13/60 convertible project which is fantastic and all his own work apart from most of it which Bern did a brilliant job on at GB Classics.
George soon a crowd of admirers all keen to have a look at his latest masterpiece in baby blue complete with carbon fibre dash and bespoke matching blue interior. To be fair he has done a ‘Fantastic’ job and although he is keeping the car, like all the others it is for sale to the highest bidder. The afternoon meandered on and we were soon watching various cars making an early getaway to avoid to holiday traffic, although camper vans caravans and trailer tents are technically traffic calming measures just like mobile speed bumps. Feeling somewhat deflated we let the air out of the event shelter and proceeded to wrestle its lifeless corpse back into its bag to the music of Dotty rattling the kettles. We were soon packed up and our group headed for the exit and home towards Cardiff. I headed east through the countryside as I did not need to go on the motorway and enjoyed a top down blast home with my Spit running really well. Another excellent day out with a triumphant bunch of people at an incredible location.
Al