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SOUTH EAST PAST EVENTS

SUNDAY 25th JUNE 2006 – BROMLEY PAGEANT

Once again it was time for the 2006 Bromley Pageant of Motoring. Our biggest and most prestigious event in the south east. It is renowned as the biggest one day car show in the world with over 3000 cars on display. This year the main sponsors for the show changed to the Classics Monthly magazine but the show was pretty much the some as previous years.

The MR2 Mk1 Club had a special display to celebrate 21 years of the MR2. There were no plans to make our display special, just a collection of the Mk1 model. Mk1As, Coupes T-bars and a Special Edition Supercharger. We had 13 cars on the day, 2 failing to make it at the last minute. The pitch we had been allocated was very tight for space but we were fortunate that the pitch next to ours, occupied by Cadillacs wasn’t full so we helped fill it for them. Also with some friendly negotiation with the Southern Minis club on the pitch behind us we managed to erect our gazebo partially on their pitch so that all our cars were at the front. The long line of MK1 MR2s looked as good as ever. Everyone had made a huge effort to get their cars looking their best. The best collection of Mk1s we have probably ever seen, so well done everybody.

By 9.30am the show was open to the public and the crowds strolled by. As always the cars generated much interest from the public. We spoke to, and handed application forms to prospective new members and also had a coupe of strange enquires. The first was mid morning, a mature gentleman come over to the gazebo where we were sitting and asked for a membership application form saying he had just got his mums Mk1 back on the road. Showing an interest, we asked him what year it was? “1965” he said. “Don’t you mean 1985?” “No, no definitely 65” he replied. After a moments pause we suggested he try the Southern Mini club beside us. A short while later, a rather attractive young woman come over and asked, “Do you know anyone with a Woody for sale?” We all looked at each other in silence, completely dumbfounded. The only Woody I could think of at the time was Woody from Toy Story but surely…… “You know, a Woody!” The woman repeated. “A Countryman!” She shouted. “Oh, why don’t you try the Southern Mini club” we said. Well I suppose that’s what you should expect when your gazebo is sited on somebody else’s club stand.

During the day everyone had a look around the show. The adjoining special displays, club stands, auto jumble, auto mart (where there was an Aston Martin Vantage for sale at £35K) and the one-make parking where you could find every conceivable make and model of classic car including an MR2 Mk1.

By mid afternoon most of us were hanging around our stand when two officials came up to us, handed us a leaflet and said we had won an award which was to be presented in the main arena at 4pm. Of course we were absolutely delighted and everyone congratulated each other. To win an award at such a prestigious event was a fantastic achievement for us. There was some confusion though. The leaflet read as if one person with their car was to be presented with the award but it transpired at the last minute that all the cars on our stand was required, so there was a frantic last minute rush to get everyone into the arena.

A trophy was presented to us for third place in the special display class. When all the presentations had been completed, the cars paraded around the arena.

A great finish to the day and we all went home with a smile on our faces. Well done to everyone!

Marks report:

It was an early start. We were due to meet in a pub car park at 8.30am. Within half an hour we were ready to go up the A21 towards the show. When we got in, people at the gates showed us where our stand was. We had about 15 MR2s, red, blue and white. I helped set up the gazebo and put a table together to put inside the gazebo with some chairs. Then we went to look at some of the other cars I found a Ferrari and a Motor sport Lotus. The end of day we found out that we have won a prize and then went in the arena to pick up our cup.

I thought it was great day. I enjoyed looking at all the cars.