The sun shone down on Abbotsholme School, near Rocester, as it played host to a quintessentially English event, theHistoric Rally Car Register’s second Derbyshire Dales Drive on Sunday 1st June.
Abbotsholme is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year, with its founder Cecil Reddie opening ‘The New School’ only three years after the birth of the modern automobile.
The day showcased some fantastic historic cars, which started to arrive at 8.00am to register for the day’s 130-mile journey and have breakfast of bacon baps and Staffordshire oakcakesin the School’s dining room.
Group organisers were delighted when Bryan Wolfe turned up to the event in his original AA Minivan and in his original AA uniform from the 1950’s during the day to add that extra authenticity to the historic car event.
At 10.01am, fifty-two cars were flagged away in one minute intervals by Abbotsholme’s Headmaster Steve Fairclough as the drivers and navigators left Abbotsholme behind to begin the day’s drive.
The colourful and fantastic line of cars enjoyed a summer Sunday morning in Ellastone, Stramshall, Church Leigh, Fradswell, Milwich and Sandon before crossing the Trent and driving through Weston and past Chartley Castle to arrive at the Blythe Inn near for a pit stop (coffee break)! Cars then wended their way to Abbotsholme by way of the Blithfield Reservoir, Colton, Hoar Cross, Newborough and Marchington Cliff before crossing the River Dove near Sudbury, via Doveridge and Marston Montgomery before a lovely warm Sunday morning became afternoon as cars, drivers and navigators returned for their lunch stop and a chance to catch up with friends and acquaintances, most relaxing on picnic blankets on the front lawn in the sunshine.
The cars lined up in the car park – which included a Triumph TR4, Austin Healey 100/6, MGB and Jaguar E-Type, as well as saloons with rallying pedigrees from Ford Escorts, a Volvo Amazon, a Sunbeam Rapier and to Porsches – and also got a chance to have a break between drives.
Fuelled by what a person might call a ‘proper’ Sunday lunch and picnic food of coronation chicken, quiche, salad, and brownies and cream, the afternoon’s run started at 2.00pm, and proceeded through Snelston and Clifton before going on to Morridge and the Roaches by way of Stanton and the Weaver Hills. Meerbrook and Rudyard were then visited, as well as the Churnet Valley Railway at Cheddleton and Froghall. The route then passed through Threapwood, Great Gate and Stubwood before crossing the Dove at Ellastone once again. The first car returned to Abbotsholme about 4.15pm with waves of cars before the final one at 5.30pm. Everyone involved was given a congratulatory bottle of refreshing bucks fizz to enjoy with a barbecue and strawberries and cream provided by Abbotsholme in the Roseyard.
Once again, Members of the Rocester and District Camera Club provided the photographic servicesthroughout the day for drivers to spot their vehicles on the rolling presentation in the evening.
Last year the inaugural tour contributed towards the Midlands Region being awarded the Don Pither Memorial Trophy for being the HRCR’s ‘Area of the Year’.This year’s event certainly met the same standard, enjoying one of those wonderful summers’ days of warm sunshine, beautiful classic cars, great scenery, easy comradeship, picnics on the lawn, bucks fizz and strawberries and cream.
What a fantastic way to spend a Sunday!