skip to content

2015 National Rally - A Weekend To Remember

National RowSiddeley DeasyThe weekend of the 5th September was passed most agreeably for Armstrong Siddeley owners and thousands of visitors to the Shackerstone Family Festival in rural Leicestershire, the highlight of course being the collection of around 20 stunning AS cars.

The two-day festival included a whole host of attractions in the main arena, including events as diverse as pig racing and stunt-bike action. Meanwile, the showground was packed with a wide range of ways to part with your money - everything from garage stalls, leatherwear, tombolas and gifts to fairground rides, donkey rides (they didn't have one in my size!), zorbing and go-karts. You could even sign up to a local dentist.

TourerFor those with a more mechanical interest, lawnmower racing displays, vintage tractors and steam traction engines graced the main arena, whilst a diverse range of classic cars gathered in the showground. Once again, the range was impressive running from a pretty collection of MGs all the way to Daimlers, a Jaguar SS, a bright orange Capri and a highly unusual Morris ISIS woody.

Outside the showground, visitors could walk along the canal to investigate the barges moored along the towpath to the Battlefield Line railway station and another fix of steam motive power.

The merry band of Siddeley owners was exceptionally well looked after by Maurice and Hazel, with a continuous supply of coffee, tea and biscuits in our exclusive ASOC hospitality tent. On arrival, the cars were lined up so that visitors could inspect the cars ahead of our trip into the arena. This gave us time to track down the all-important bacon sandwich, engage in bargain hunting and chat with other Siddeley fanatics.

Parachute3After the synchronised parachute jump (a display team, not the Siddeley owners!) and dog handling displays it was our turn to grace the arena with a circuit of the perimeter followed by a line-up of our cars and interviews with the owners over the PA system. This generated much interest in the cars and a flurry of visitors to the Armstrong Siddeley zone once we had returned to our display area.

Spitfire Shot

 

A fly-past of a Spitfire and quad-bike aerial acrobatics rounded off Saturday before the excitement of the judging on Sunday.

 

 Another glorious day presented itself as ordered and a slightly modified range of cars returned for the second day. Judging got underway and nervous owners waited with baited breath for the result, which are listed below. Congratulations to all the winners!

Quad Jump

Thanks must go not only to all the organisers of the event who did an outstanding job arranging everything after the cancellation of the Coventry Motoring Festival, directing everyone on site and answering everyone's queries but also to all the members who brought out their beautiful cars and made the event so enjoyable. I'm looking forward to next year's event, and I hope you are too!

Andy West

 

Judging Results

Cup/Trophy Class Name Car
Star Trophy Star Sapphire John & Jos. Kaberry RGW 693
Lee Bapty Trophy Sapphire 346 Adrian & Liz Sayers PFJ 698
Swainson Trophy Postwar 16/18 Lionel Hudspith GAX 902 '47 Hurricane
Patterson Trophy Prewar over 2.5 Tony Hughes AUL 32 '33 20hp
Parkside Cup Prewar under 2.5 Jim & Lynn Ferguson CXW 127 '36 12hp tourer
Blackburn Trophy Prewar Master Maurice & Ann Smith BYE 280 '35 20hp
Darley Shield Postwar Master Dennis & Sheila Pickering RNE 312 346 mkII
Baxendale Cup Best Overall Prewar Car Maurice & Ann Smith BYE 280 '35 20hp
Selwyn Sharp Plate Best Overall Postwar Car Adrian and Liz Sayers PFJ 698 Sapphire 346
Geoff Harris Trophy Members' Choice Jim and Lynn Ferguson CXW 127 '36 12hp tourer
Bent Spanner Award Most Improved Car Shiela Pinner & Family Work on John's cars, inc. Special
Captain Kampf Trophy Longest Distance Travelled Dennis & Sheila Pickering RNE 312 346 mkII 135 Miles
Tredwell Trophy Outstanding Contribution to ASOC Brian Hayter Recognition of 9 years as head judge at National
John Aird Trophy Practical Endeavour Paul Coombs Continuing overhaul of Stores and storage

 

 Sapphire 346Hurricane

Posted in National on the 8th September 2015 at 10:29am.

Share: