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SOUTH EAST PAST EVENTS

SUNDAY 26th JUNE 2005 – BROMLEY PAGEANT OF MOTORING

We had a combined special display with the Drivers Club at the show this year. The idea for the special display began during last years show when the Drivers Club, who also have a regular club stand at the show, suggested a combined club display to celebrate 20 years of the MR2. As we’ve said before ordinary club stands are limited to just three cars but with a special display up to 15 cars are permitted on a stand.

After a few calls early in the year to the show’s organizers it was agreed we could have the special display stand. The theme of the display was to be “20 years of the MR2 with a display of three generations of the MR2 plus the MK1 Clubs 10th anniversary”. Both clubs advertised the event in the clubs magazine and web sites. The response from members of both clubs was very quick and soon we had at least 10 cars provisionally booked for the show including one from the North East, regional organizer Mike Sheavills who said he arrange to come to the show on his return journey from Le Mans. Only problem was, the DC also had 10 cars booked. After another few calls to the show’s organizers and a bit of blarney, the organizers confirmed that the pitch we were allocated would hold 20 cars and agreed that we could display all the cars. Yippee! As the details from the DC later emerged, we discovered that they had only MK2 MR2s booked which obviously meant no MK3 which was essential to our display theme. I think the DC lost the plot!!. Thankfully we were able to call on Ian Royal who joined the club last year, a Toyota mechanic who works for Beadles Toyota in Maidstone. We asked him whether his dealership would be willing to lend us a MK3 demonstrator to put on the stand. Another few telephone calls later and gratefully the sales manager agreed. So that meant nine tickets for the DC then.

At last, the day of the show came. Most had agreed to meet in a nearby car park at 8.30am. Including the DC and drive to the show together. Others had also arranged to meet before hand at a nearby Little Chef to have breakfast which meant a very early start for some who left home at 5.30am! By 8.30am everyone had arrived at the pub car park, including Mike Sheavills and fiancee Joanne Thom, and we left in convoy towards the show. Within a mile of the show on the A21 we joined a long queue for the show. Progress was very slow. It took us an hour and a half to complete what is normally a 10 minute journey!

Once inside the show, we found the pitch located in good company with the other special displays. On one side was the TR club with a range of TR2s to TR6s. Opposite were TVRs of all ages and opposite and slightly to our left, the Jaguar club with an impressive display of cars including an XJ220. The MR2 cars were set out so that the MK1s were on one side with the MK2s on the other and the MK3 somewhere in the middle. It was a bit of a tight squeeze with 20 cars but we managed to pinch a bit of room from the Vauxhall club behind us as they didn’t have many cars on their pitch. This was quite handy actually. I asked them whether they minded if I left our Omega on their stand and I think they were quite grateful actually as it made up their numbers!

Mike and Joanne spent an hour cleaning their car which was quite clean considering they had just completed 1700 miles in it over the past week! We were all amazed to see Jo getting stuck in with the sponge and cloths and asked Mike whether this is a common northern ritual that girls clean cars? But alas apparently not as this was the first time Mike had seen Jo cleaning the car also and was as surprised as we were. Once the cleaning was complete, Mike’s car was gleaming, one of the best on the display.

During the early afternoon a white over silver coupe arrived at the show and was able to join us. This was the car owned by Lap. We recognised the car from it’s previous owner Burt Davis from Catford who had owned it from new having covered only 26,000 miles until he sold it a few years ago. The car has now covered just 32,000 miles and was up for sale again. It attracted a lot of attention, including Mike, but unfortunately the car was poorly presented and in need of a good clean so it didn’t give the right impression that the car deserved for such a low mileage example. I’m sure it will find a new home soon though.

The afternoon quickly passed, the cars attracted the attention they usually do, especially the kids who seem to be our biggest fans, Karl overheard one say to his mum he liked them better than the TVRs opposite. (That boy will go far!). We also picked up a few contacts so hopefully they will be filling out the application forms and joining the club soon.

It was really nice to see Mike and Joanne in Bromley and hopefully we can return the compliment and travel north to take part in one of their shows in the future.

We would like to thank Ian Royal and his sales manager Nigel Fowler of Beadles Toyota, Maidstone for the loan of their Mk3.

ALAN CAYZER