This special event was to celebrate the 40th year of the Austin Ten Drivers Club. It was organized by the committee and while some of the weekend events were limited by numbers nobody was turned away. The event started on Saturday 28th May 2005 with members arriving and parking up on the rally site opposite Alderton Garage, near Tewkesbury Gloucestershire. This is the home for the clubs spares operation. Tea or coffee on arrival before setting off to explore Tewkesbury, a little shopping and some lunch before we all met up for a two hour river cruise on the Pride of Avon. The evening gathering was at the Hobnails Inn where a BBQ had been arranged, suitably washed down with some local brew. Sunday, the highlight of the weekend started at the rally site with a fantastic turnout of, would you believe 40 Austins. Plus a couple of other members splendid cars. Instructions and questions were handed out for the celebration run, and we were off across some of the most pleasant countryside you could wish for. Some clues were easy enough but others were set to tease. The final destination for the run was at the Gloucester and Warwickshire Railway at Toddington. We were treated to a two hour ride under full steam to Cheltenham Race Course and back. The Grand finale for the event was the Gala Dinner held at the Pheasant Inn, the Mayor and Mayoress of Tewkesbury were guests of honor. The meal was fantastic the speeches short and sweet. The Mayor cut the celebration cake and we all agreed that the weekend had been a resounding success. Cheers!
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Time to talk and make
new friends |
Austins on parade all
shapes and sizes. |
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Tewkesbury
High Street |
One of many
delightful passages |
Plenty of
time to admire the timbered buildings |
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Tewkesbury Cathedral |
The Pride of Avon |
Cruising up the Avon |
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Cowled rads lined up to attention in the car park reserved for the river boat cruise . Plenty of time to chat with friends and take in the delightful scenery along the Avon. Home made cake and a cup of tea was served on board very civilized. |
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Austins Austins everywhere.
The car park at Ye Olde Hobnails Inn . BBQ evening. |
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BBQ Al fresco as in very
fresh-cold. |
So that's what running
boards were designed for!! |
Grub up - very welcome
and plentiful |
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Day
2 The Main Event |
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All present and correct
and itching to get on the road. |
Harry gives instructions
for the celebration run. |
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Barbara gives us the royal
wave and were off. |
Alan is smiling now but
just wait till he reads the clues. |
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The Celebration Run Harry gathered us all together and set us off on the celebration run. Some set off intent to find the treasure hunt clues while others relaxed and enjoyed the pleasant views around the route. At first all went well, clues seemed relatively easy, a couple of weather vanes on Marks garage roof, one a car the other a motorcycle. Count some boulders beside a wall, check the height under a railway bridge or the maximum height of water under the bridge. Then the fun started, “Who was the king who hid in the tree?” A pub sign soon appeared but no answer was to be found. Ask the landlord I thought – was Australian, didn’t have a clue!! On to the next, a statue – who was it – nice and easy, George and the Dragon. Next came the fun. We rounded a corner and into Stanton, the most impressive carved sandstone gate house you have ever seen, next to the village church and around the corner was a splendid thatched cricket pavilion. The place was not open to the public, no body around to ask and we had to find the name of the Lord and Lady of the manor. Oh $#!?. By now most of the rally cars had parked up and much scratching of heads ensued. We had arrived early and were last to leave, still without the answer. Some way along the road a rather aristocratic looking gent riding a splendid horse approached. We stopped to let him pass and asked if he knew the name we were looking for, of course I do it’s Neapath he said and trotted on. He was probably the Lord! From then we rushed around the rest of the rally answering the clues as best we could. The final question was to name the GWR railway. We were due to take the train trip and only just arrived in time. Fortunately the GWR, not Great Western, but the Gloucester and Warwickshire railway. 5 minutes to spare we handed our sheet in and boarded the train. |
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Oh the joy of motoring
- A convoy of Austins. |
The Cotswold's at their
best - views to die for. |
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Steam Train Trip to Cheltenham
Race Course Station and back . |
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Our engine arrives for
the trip. |
All fired up and ready
for the off. |
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All Aboard. |
We all enjoy a pleasant
and nostalgic trip. |
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Winchcombe Station Platform |
Train approaching full
steam ahead. |
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One of these could lift
the Austin off the engine! |
Who said these engines were not clockwork. |
Good old fashioned ice
cream. |
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The end to
a perfect day and the climax of the 40th Birthday Celebration Weekend. We all gathered at the Pheasant Inn Toddington for our Celebration Dinner which was hosted by the Mayor and Mayoress of Tewkesbury, Councilor Paul Ockelton and Mrs Angela Ockelton. The Mayor is seen here, with El Presidente Robin Lawton, discussing the finer points, or is it pints, of the Austin Ten Drivers Club. |
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Take your seats for dinner |
Roast Lamb and all the
trimmings, fit for a king. |
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The Mayor welcomes our
club to Tewkesbury. |
Harry tells a joke. |
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Celebration Birthday cake
thanks to Mrs Greening. |
The mayor makes a wish.
That he could strangle the joker who supplied the trick candles |
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Celebration Run Trophy.
Hand crafted for the occasion. |
Presentation of prizes |
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Celebration Birthday Card |
Event Programme |
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Mark turns up in his unrestored
1926 12/4 Holden Tourer. |
Engine bay completely
original and untouched. |
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View from the back seat
of the Holden Tourer. |
Greenings Garage. Home
of the club spares. |
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Graham Thomas arrives
in his splendid 1949 16 BS1 Saloon. |
What a magnificent Beast,
the car that is. |
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JR at Snowshill. Just
like times past. |
Taffy the baby engine
pulls the narrow guage train. |
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Rupert says STOP but how
long will that take in an Austin. |
How's this for a go faster
conversion 35mpg 0-60?? |
