Footman James Manchester Classic Car Show 2016

September 2016
Welcome to the Cavalier and Chevette Club
Your friendly Vauxhall - Opel Club since 1994
© Cavalier and Chevette Club 2023 We acknowledgement to Vauxhall Motors Ltd
Beth Watt and I had an early start to get to this event. Once Beth arrived at my house we headed up the M1 and M6 to Manchester and EventCity. We arrived to find Jack Dawson, Phil Scaife and Peter Norrish waiting in the car park ready to enter the hall, Jack only living up the road and Peter having stayed overnight. Phil, like us, had travelled that morning to the event, arriving so early that the car park was empty. Had a sleep in his car and a couple of hours later awoke to a car park full of cars!We proceeded to enter the hall, which all went very smoothly. We then set up our stand (we were next to the FD Register, with the Viva Drivers' Club behind us). Jack brought with him an ex-dealer sign and I had printed a picture out to go in this. Once set up, Jack headed back home as he lives nearby. For those of you who do not know where EventCity is located, it is next to the Trafford Centre on the western edge of Manchester, near Salford Quays and Urmston. Peter, Beth, Phil and I headed to our accommodation before going over to the Trafford Centre for a walk around and then a bite to eat. Friday night was an interesting evening in more ways than one. (By the way, Peter, it's buses 22 or 23.) We then went back to the Hotel ready for the first day of the show. Saturday arrived, and the queue for the show was one of the longest I have seen for this event. We went to the Club stand, and not long after that Jack and Irene Dawson arrived. Club member Karl Hobbs was on the FD Register stand next to us and Club members John Jones and Richard Gelder were on the Austin Rover Stand nearly opposite. We had a very good flow of people coming to the stand during Saturday, this event seems to get busier every year. There is also a Live Rally stage at this event, which I went and had a look at. There was a variety of rally cars taking part, from a Mini right through to an Opel Manta and a Group B Ford RS2000. [ I believe it was ex-Club member Ian Hill's Manta - Ed] Right at the end of the day we had a surprise visitor on the stand - The Stig! We're lead to believe this was an Official Real Stig as he had two BBC Minders with him who had official BBC clothing on. He came over and shook hands with all of us, had a look over the cars and was particularly interested in Peter's Chevette. Some say he passed his Driving Test in a Chevette...The Show soon came to an end; Jack and Irene headed home and we went back to the hotel, then out to the Trafford Centre for something to eat. Saturday evening, though interesting, was not a patch on Friday evening. As on Friday night, we had a few games of pool and Phil had a go at a Star Wars game in the arcade in the Trafford Centre. Sunday arrived and we headed back to the show to meet Jack and Irene on the stand; the queue for the event on Sunday was even longer than the queue for Saturday. I had a look around the Autojumble on Sunday and meet up with a friend of mine who sells car brochures. Phil also managed to pick up a few tools and dashboard camera from the autojumble. I also took a bit of time out to go with Jack to look at his son Michael Dawson's Ford Cortina that was on display in another part of the hall and to have a word with Trevor and Brian Ford from the Morris Marina Club, who are friends of our Club. We were joined by Jane Miller mid-morning. David Simister from Classic Car Weekly visited the stand on the Sunday and looked over all the cars and took a photo of all of us on the stand. This was published in Classic Car Weekly the following week. The very end of the show soon arrived and we packed up the stand into Phil's car; then we all drove out to the car park, where we transferred the Club stand into my car and said our goodbyes. Phil and Peter were travelling back to their homes that evening and Jack and Irene hadn't far to go. Beth and It travelled back on the Monday morning. The Footman James Manchester Classic Car Show 2016 has to be the best one we have had in the short time this show has been going. Our application is in for 2017, so if you are interested in exhibiting, please get in touch. Kevin Bricknall (602)