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This is usually a mini only event but when we arrived we were pleasantly surprised to see it is now for all classic cars and motors.

Lots of traders and auto jumble also a large flea market which you had to pay extra to go into. There were several places to eat too.

This was my Harrys first show so I had to purchase the photograph of us going into the grounds, Harry got quite a bit of attention from other mini owners.

Nick drove his Mayfair there also.

The weather was very pleasant.

Maybe next year more of us can go as it really was an interesting day out.

Dawn

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Another early start for this again due to changes in the calendar with Castle Combe Action Day being held the day before the proposed Saturday evening stop over in Weymouth couldn't happen.

Nick and Len attended the event organised by Jurassic Coast Mini Club in aid of the RNLI.

The start of the event was once again at The Riviera Hotel where breakfast was available at a very reasonable price of £5.00.

Numbers for the run were slightly down on previous years.

The run took us along Weymouth sea front and around the old harbour before heading out across Chesil Bank to Portland, after a short break we headed out on the coast run through Lyme Regis and Seaton before making the mid-run stop at Sidmouth Donkey Sanctury.

From Sidmouth the run continued on to Exmouth sea front where the minis were parked up on the life boat ramp where the charity raffle and BBQ took place.

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This year saw a great club turnout for another fine day at Combe. The day started early with arrival at 8:30, but by 10 the gazebo and the display boards were up and the kettle was boiling.  Then it was BBQ out and a tart on breakfasts mostly consisting of bacon butties.

Unlike previous years the show seemed smaller than normal with less traders and auto jumble about, but there were still some bargains to be had!  There was also the opportunity to sell on some of those old bits that have been hanging around the garage for a few years. 

With the sun out and a cool breeze it was a perfect day to walk around the club stands and catch up with friends.  Or you could grab a bite to eat and chill out by the track and enjoy the action day fun.

Dawn treated herself by purchasing an addition to her family and a friend for ‘Thomas’, a Mayfair which she has named ‘Harry’.

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As every year, The Six Ex MOC support this annual event which whilst having fun raises much needed money for the Little Big House Charity, the South West’s Hospice for chronically ill children.

August 2016 saw club members heading towards North Devon for this 21st year event which included Steve, Rachel, Dave, Alix, Len, Luke, Dawn, Nick and myself. We camped this year away from the main group of event attendee’s at a quiet farm which offered more in the way of “the comforts of home”.

The Legendary Grand Tour is unlike any other motoring event in the country because it is not confined to a field but let loose on the roads of North Devon. What makes our event so special is that the Mini cars, which are at the heart of this event, do not drive off in groups of 20, or 1 every 3 minutes, but in a convoy one after the other. You could never call the LGT the biggest motoring event in the country, because it is restricted to 250 Minis, but when it is out on the open road in a convoy travelling at 30 mph, it is nearly 10 miles long and can take 15 to 20 minutes to pass, so it must be one of the longest.

The convoy visits many different towns and villages across North Devon, in fact, it joins some of the towns and villages together.  It brings thousands of people out into the streets to watch the mini’s go by invading housing estates where people are sitting on their front lawns drinking tea and sipping glasses of wine and waving flags from behind homemade banners. The spectators will fill lay-bys and they will be standing on bridges laughing and smiling and waving as the convoy goes by. Over the past 20 years, the Minis have been taken into the hearts of the people of North Devon and that’s how the event can do what we does and get away with it. There is an incredible reaction from the children who drag their parents out to watch it year after year. They cheer and dance when they hear the mini’s coming, their Mum’s and Dad’s, Nan’s and Grandad’s smile and wave as they go by. Maybe it brings back a few memories of a time when they had a Mini and how the whole family squeezed into one to go on holiday. It is amazing to think some of those children who originally waved at the convoy all those years ago now have children of their own who come out and watch as it goes by.

This year the Six Ex Members raised £400.00 towards the charity whilst dressing up at “Cardinals” in their minis. Some of the reactions we got was amazing including one group of ladies coming up to Steve’s Car, just as if it had two “Popes” inside, out in the his open top car!

We all had a great weekend and look forward to attending the event next year on the Summer Bank Holiday in August. We look forward to seeing you there!

Rich Clark.

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Where to start. Myself, Rachel and David were the only members to attend this event.  The weather was ok, dry and perfect for camping overnight.

The entertainment for the Saturday evening was good although after several beers to celebrate just being at this event we can’t remember what it was, a tribute band of some description was the best guess. There was also some fun fair rides to go on, which David and Alex decided to do after a few drinks on the way back from the bar, I tried to take a photo but my fingers wouldn’t work the camera!!!

When I say ‘celebrate just being there’ that probably needs explaining, the problem was that we felt like frauds, I was unable to take my mini as had been in hospital a few days before and restricted from driving, never mind we can take Rachel’s Mini thought I, no such luck, her car was being bodged by a garage in Wootton Bassett so we ended up arriving in a loan focus, oh joy.

The show on the Sunday was the normal traders and club stands. A slow wander around and bought a few things, well mainly Rachel did, she had luckily looked on the websites before the show but thought she would wait until the show to see if she could get a discount but oh no, the price on the stand was actually more for one of the things she bought so it was challenge time and an even bigger discount for the mistake!!!  Then we headed to the stands to watch the mini’s going up Santa Pod’s drag strip.  As normal some of the more highly tuned Mini’s were doing the ¼ mile in around ten seconds.  David did take his car up the strip after doing some performance mods to his engine, wow did he take it serious, car unloaded and all his bits put in our tent and even worked it out to have minimal fuel in his car, he didn’t say no to a couple of bacon butties though.  Three runs up the strip and bettering his time every run, the best being 17 seconds although I think we all agreed that his best run was when he beat a new BMW Bini over ¼ mile.  Well done Dave a moral victory for all real mini owners.

The weekend finished with a steady run home and lots of mini fun to talk about. We’re all looking forward to doing it again in 2017 and hope that this time we’re in minis and the weather is good.  Oh yeah and we’ll try and remember what band are playing but I’m not making any promises.

Steve

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Myself and Steve arrived about 5.30pm on the Friday evening and began setting up camp, soon after Nick arrived and set up camp and then called to get a taxi home to pick up another car only to be told by the taxi firm it would cost him £50.00, so he called Kev to come and give him a lift. Finally about 8pm Steve and I fired up the BBQ to have something to eat just as David arrived, we were going to wait for Nick to return but it was a good job we didn’t as he didn’t arrive back until about 10pm.  After a few drinks we retired for an early (ish) start on Saturday to set up the gazeebo and the display boards.  Nick had gone down to the bar and had an extensive tour of the camp site on his way back, allegedly he walked out of the main gate 3 times!!!

Saturday morning we took the cars up to the club stand to see that Dawn and Rich Clark had already arrived. After setting up the stand the stove was on for the well needed cuppa and the BBQ fired up once more and Steve and myself had a full breakfast whilst everyone else had settled for butties of some description.

After breakfast it was time for a wander to see what the show had to offer. A lot of traders, club stands of classic cars, motorbikes, tractors, military vehicles and steam engines, with the small steam engines running to show their capabilities, craft tent and lots lots more.

Steve’s youngest arrived with his girlfriend and the dog around lunch time, Rich Clarke was having his lunch, he took his eyes off his plate for one second and the dog nicked his sausage, a very funny moment for everybody but Rich.

Another mosey around and then back to the camp site for a BBQ and more drinks and a trip to the bar. We retired a bit weary and light headed so to speak.

After a very windy night we arrived on the club stand to find that the gazebo had received a battering. Stove on for a cuppa and BBQ fired up for butties.  A wander around the show and watch some of the vehicles going around the arena and the air display.  Due to the sheer size of the show we could not do it all justice.  Back to the stand for lunch and a rest and a chat.  A sunny but very windy day which saw the end of the gazebos life as the wind was too strong and it began ripping at the seams in a number of places leaving it unrepairable!!!  Around 3.30pm it was time to pack up the boards and the gazeebo and venture home.

This year the BBQ was held at Carenza's place in Bath.  The weather was not as hot and dry as we hoped and the time was changed several times in the end settling on an early evening start.  The swimming pool was available but no one ventured in.

Carenza made lots of different salads and there was quite a bit left over so let’s hope for more people next time.

The BBQs are outside under a covered space between the conservatory and the garage so there was plenty of shelter for the cooking.  Carenza was the only veggie so went first so that the meat eaters could follow.

Len entertained us be almost falling off a chair.

It was a small gathering but we all enjoyed ourselves.

An over cast day but it was looking good.

8am off to Weymouth, a good run dawn for a change, I went Wareham Crossing way for a change.

Arrived in Weymouth at 9.30am to find that it was a classic car do and not the mini show I was told.

Nick was already there with his Elf, mini was the only mini there but we were made very welcome.

The sun came out in the afternoon and it was very hot. Lots of cars and people, a good family day out.  We were parked on the sea front for free right under the clock.

Next year maybe the club could make it for a day out, £15.00 for fuel makes it a good cheap day out.

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A good day out attended by Rachel, Steve, Nick, Dawn and Len. We shared a pitch with the newly formed Gert Lush Mini Owners Club run by Dave Goodfield so a good attendance for this popular show.

There were less traders this year but the main event of Show N Shine was well supported.

This event attracts lots of people as it is set in the New Forest.

And of course there is the Motor museum to wander around.

We met up with lots of other old friends there and will be going again next year.

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Nick attended in the Elf, a first visit to this event, hosted by ‘Newport Mini Owners Club’.

An early start for this show and a long drive to the West Wales coast, minis attending just for the Sunday show met outside the town to await the arrival of the rest of the cars that had been on the mini run from Cardiff that had started on the Saturday morning.

Approximately 50 minis attended on the Sunday convoying in to town to be parked up on the harbour side where a show and shine competition, charity raffle and tombola were being held.

The minis attracted a lot of interest during the course of the day.