That’s More Like It

After the last car show shambles it was time for my local Car Show as it were, Cars On the Green at Bury St. Edmunds. This is usually a well run event with a bursting to capacity show. This year they had to restrict the number of entries via pre-booking as exit time last year cause complete gridlock in the town itself. The local plod (police) were not amused and decided to clamp down for the 2017’s show. However, the best part last year was that people were lining the roads to watch the cars leaving – in effect they got to see the cars and hear them too just like a cruise, that’s a bonus I would have said. This year ironically there was no plod to be seen to direct “the traffic” and everything was a smooth departure. I did find them lurking in the same places as last year, sitting on the main roads (eating doughnuts I expect) waiting to catch somebody as an easy target.

Anyway, I arrived in what I thought was good time in the morning, a little before nine when the show was due to start at ten, to find myself sitting in a queue to get in, but at least it was moving. Being as the weather was already scorching hot, the cars were just ticking over there were a couple of cars that had over heating problems and had pulled over to cool down. The queue died down quickly enough when a few more people were brought out to direct the cars in. From what I could see the minor problem was entrants and visitors were using the same queue at the main gate. But, it all sorted itself out and I got in within ten minutes at the most. The show was already busy with visitors looking as the cars were parking and setting up. I even had somebody video me reversing into my parking spot. This show was indeed well organised throughout the whole day, just so much better than the two and a half hours carnage at Duxford! The sun was out and it was getting hotter by the hour, then I (stupidly) started to clean my car. I needed to cool down quickly and sat in the shade for a while and downed a litre bottle of cold water I took with me.

I even decided to put my show board up, I had two people during the day asking if I wanted to sell my pride and joy, the answer was obviously “no”, in fact one bloke looked decidedly annoyed when I said no! Then on the other side of the coin, there was a lovely family who spent ages looking at my car in lots of detail and reading my show board. I went over to say “Hi” to them, the dad explained that his son (I would take a guess his age to be around seven or eight years old), was “Mustang Mad”. Apparently his bedroom was plastered with the Classic Mustangs posters, pictures and models etc. So I did what I don’t normally do; I asked him if he wanted to sit in my car? He little chap turned straight to his dad looking for approval, whose face was now also a picture. The little guy gently climbed in and sat in the seat and held the wheel, the smile he gave to his dad made my day in fact, you can’t buy those sorts of smiles. The dad was taking lots of pictures as the little guy pretended to drive the car, leaning from side to side as if to go around corners. He would have stayed there all day I think unless his dad said it was time to go and “let the man have his car back.” The dad was so grateful and made a huge thank you with the best hand shake of the day. What a fantastic moment that will stay with me for a long, long time. I think it was the nasty “hay fever” that bought a lump to my throat. I just wished I had something to give him to remember it by.

There was a diverse array of cars, but not as many American cars as thought there would be like last year. In fact I only spotted one other Classic Mustang also in a dark blue.

There were some nice old UK Fords on show from the sixties up to the eighties.

Some great looking trucks.

There was lots of cars that were three or four years old on display, Which I didn’t quite understand to be honest. If I wanted to see those sorts of cars I could wait a set of traffic lights to see them go by!

There were some great stalls there selling their goods and some unusual stuff too. Did I mention it was busy and that there were lots of people!

I’m pleased to say that my faith in car show organisation has been fully restored, just like my car in fact! 🙂