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Welsh, South Wales Area news
S.Wales June News
UP COMING EVENTS
Berkeley Castle Classic Car Show Sunday 2nd June
Barry Festival of Transport Sunday 9th June
Brynmawr Classic Car Show Sunday 16th June
Bristol classic Car Show Sat 22nd and Sun 23rd June
Bridgend Dogs Trust Show Sunday 23rd June
Al
WESTON SUPER MARE SHOW SUN 21st April 2019
The sun was just coming up as I turned the key in my Spit 1500 roof down in expectation of another brilliant day of wall to wall sunshine, and we were not to be disappointed. We were in the middle of the annual spring heatwave which probably meant that the summer monsoon and hurricane was due in July and August as normal. The Spit started and spluttered a bit as it never starts well on a cold morning after sitting out overnight. I had carried out a super quick maintenance on the car the previous day and was going through the list of bits I had put in the boot in case of any sort of mechanical or electrical trouble. I was soon on my way to Cardiff Gate J30 on the M4. I pulled up and left the engine running and the heater on as I gave the windscreen a clean. I was soon joined by Bern and Jack in the TR4A and Rob in his Herald Convertible. It looked like we were the only punters at this meeting point so we headed east on the M4 to Magor services where the Monmouth Mafia, John Heather and Mike in their beautifully presented Acclaims. Gwyn and Babs were out in the Dolly 1500 and Tim in the Spit 1500. It was great to see Paul Chanza in his Red Herald 13/60 out with us. Paul G and Dotty soon arrived in their Vitesse Convertible and after a quick tea and chat we were on our way towards Bristol and south on the M5 to Weston Super Mare. Bern and Jack were leading as he always knows where he is going where chips are involved and it meant a good pace was being maintained along the M4 and M5 in the blistering sunshine.
The trip to Weston Super Mare was fairly uneventful and we were soon in the town centre and heading for the sea front and the pier which provides a good landmark for the sea front parking and display area. We had managed to arrive together which had the bonus that we could park together and we got ourselves organised and Paul and Dotty got the kettles on and a cup of tea or coffee was welcomed all round. The temperature was climbing towards the mid 20's and with a huge attendance of 500 or more classics and retro cars we had a lot to look at. There were lots of classics out and many Triumphs seeing the light of day for the first time this year. Bern, Jack, Rob and I went for a long stroll along the Weston sea front to look at the cars and the crowds. We treated ourselves to a walk along the sea lagoon which if viewed from the land towards the sea gives the impression that you are walking on water. Bern pointed out that as a loyal Arsenal fan he and the team can walk on water anyway. I pointed out at the half way point that due to the lack of a public life belt every 50m or so if we fell in we would have to walk on water to survive! We headed back to the direction the aroma of lunch was coming from and a well-earned fish and chip lunch on the sea wall was in order.
We all assembled back at Dotty's mobile CafÈ for a coffee after lunch and had a chat and catch up on the highlights of the day. The Sea cadets had done a great job as usual with their many forms of creative fund raising which keeps this show on track each year. At around 3pm we decided to make tracks for home to beat the traffic and Bern lead us back on the road to S Wales. As we pulled off at our various turn offs and horns were peeped and friendly waves exchanged I thought "Another great day out and what we lacked in Sun Hats and Factor 100 was more than made up for with the quality of members who made the effort to sample Weston's marvellous Fish and Chips"
Al
Gwyn's drive It Day Tour of The South Wales Tyrol Sun 28th April 2019
This year's TSSC South Wales Drive It Day run was left in the very capable hands of Gwyn our resident Dolomite and Spitfire expert ably assisted by son Tim and Babs on sandwiches and flask. We met up at J33 of the M4 with Mike and John in the white Mafia Acclaim, Tony Pontin in his immaculate MkIV Spitfire and Bern and Jack in the superb TR4a. Gwyn and Babs arrived in their recently upgraded 1500 Dolomite and Tim in the 1500 Spitfire hood down as always. I had already been parked up in my 1500 Spitfire and was defending our parking spaces which had now been overrun by cars from various other less worthy marks also out for Drive It Day. One chap in a scabby MG made the mistake of remarking that he had not heard of South Wales TSSC and Mafia John was seen returning from the undergrowth wiping his hands a few minutes later. Mike the Cake arrived with Eddy in his new toy an Auto Union 4 ringed circus car with sporting potential.
Gwyn gathered us all round and handed out his route map for the day and those of us without passengers or navigators chose a friendly boot lid to become over familiar with for the day. We were soon off in the general direction of north towards the hills and severe brake testing descents of the Welsh Valleys roads. Gwyn had been right when he said that anyone attending the run better have good gearboxes and brakes. We wound through various lanes and B roads and steadily climbed up the mountain roads until we made it to the viewing point and car park on the Rhigos Mountain where we stopped to take a few pictures and let the brakes cool down. We set off again and parts of Gwyn's route barely clung onto the mountains as the sheep looked on with admiration of our classics making up and down the B roads and sheep tracks. We eventually made it back to civilisation and Dare Country Park where we stopped for a late breakfast in the Café.
Steady Eddy Edwards and his crew from the Cardiff Mini Club had set up an impromptu park up and display of cars which we joined unwittingly. It was entertaining watching their marshals trying to park us up unaware that we were nothing to do with their event. The Mafia had a word and we parked where ever we wanted, it's amazing what one of Johns stern looks can achieve. Paul and Dotty joined us in their Vitesse convertible having come from Newport directly cutting out the hilly bits we had just completed. We were soon back on the road with Gwyn and Tim in the lead and carrying on the grand tour of the South Wales Tyrol. We headed west towards Port Talbot and eventually returned to Cardiff via the old A48 which was the original road to Cardiff and Swansea before the M4 was built and it is a nice route rather than motorway. At the car park prior to making our separate ways home we had a chat about the days motoring and we all agreed that Gwyn had provided us with an excellent days driving if a little challenging for some of the cars.
As we left for home I heard Tim say " Well what we lacked in remaining brake pads at the end of the run was certainly made up for by the wide grins and sheer fun that we all had taking our Triumphs to the limit and back"
Al