MG
Show at Stoneleigh quieter than usual, but worthwhile
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Posted
21.2.10
Updated 27.2.10 |
MG
Show at Stoneleigh was quieter than usual, but worthwhile
A heavy snowstorm across the centre of England early
on Sunday morning greeted many MG enthusiasts setting off for
Stoneleigh for the annual MG Show. Amongst their number was
a contingent who had enjoyed the V8 Curry evening the night
before in Cambridge setting off from various B&Bs, motels
and hotels in the area. At 7am there was a blizzard with the
outside lane on the A14 out of use with snow lying in that lane.
On arriving at Stoneleigh the snow had abated and the queue
to get into the exhibition hall was short as clearly many enthusiasts
had either delayed or even abandoned their journey to Stoneleigh.
Inside was a warm and friendly display with all the well known
MG spares and service specialists there including:
Brown & Gammons with a splendid display of parts.
Clive Wheatley mgparts just inside the front door with
useful MGV8 parts.
EZ Power Steering with a display of their new EPAS retrofit
for MGBs, V8s and RV8s.
Footman James with their classic car insurance desk.
Hagerty an classic car insurer with an interesting stand.
Hall's Garage with Steve Hall helping many visitors on
his stand.
Hoyle Engineering with
John Hoyle's well engineered IRS units for MGBs, V8s and RV8s
on display.
Peter Best Insurance Services with their 25th anniversary
coming up.
But in addition to these stalwarts there were many stands with
useful new and secondhand spares and necessary consumables -
like replacement rear lamps for the MGBGTV8, MGB Special Tuning
handbooks, electronic ignition kits, large wash leathers, large
bundles of polishing dusters for a fiver that keep you going
for another couple of years, a number plate fabrication service,
several classic car traders and of course the MG Car Club stand.
The Club's stand this year was very welcoming with cheerful
staff and a good display.
The gathering of V8 enthusiasts at Clive Wheatley's stand at
noon saw Victor Rodrigues (the V8 Register Switzerland contact)
with five fellow Swiss V8 enthusiasts over the the weekend,
Walter and Brigitte Kallenberg over from Essen with several
fellow members from Germany and John Targett over from Ohio,
together with many UK members - for example John Taylor (RV8
from West London), Pete Jevons (RV8 from Berkshire), David Waterton
(V8 Roadster from Berkshire), Tony Lake (MGBGTV8 from Northamptonshire),
Rob Lewis (RV8 from Somerset), John Yea (RV8 from Warwickshire),
Ian Quarrington (RV8 from Cambridgeshire), John Bolt (RV8 Historian
from Buckinghamshire), Jim Gibson (MGBGTV8 from Northamptonshire),
Gordon Hesketh-Jones (MGBGTV8 from Cornwall) and Howard Gosling
(MGBGTV8 from Dorset)
A few people felt the number of both exhibitors and visitors
was slightly lower this year compared with 2009, no doubt because
of the tough economic times and the weather respectively, but
it did mean you could get round the exhibition halls in comfort
without the usual crush and you could see the stands easily. |
