The Lancashire Automobile Club Ltd

Martin and I seldom get to actually take part in an event. We are normally part of the organizational team either as course car or marshalling somewhere along the route. It therefore came as a welcome change to be a normal entrant with the opportunity to follow the route without any pressure and in our own time.

We arrived at the black Bull in Old Langho for the start a little early but found many cars were already parked up ready for the day’s proceedings. Now we had expected around 30 entries but it soon became apparent that the final total would be at least twice that. The car park and pub were both full to capacity with many of the later arrivals having a fair old walk from where they had to park to signing on in the Black Bull.

David Bell and Alwyn Davis as prime movers of the event were resplendent in suits and bowler hats. Some said they strongly resembled Laurel and Hardy. (Others said they looked more like Hardy and Hardy!)

Alwyn was signing people on and David doing his Clerk of Course stuff.

We quickly got signed on and went to look at the entry. There was an incredible range of cars and ages. From little Austin Seven Chummies through classic British sports cars to vintage Rolls Royce. The best of British was on display. As part of ‘Drive it Day’ we would be putting classic cars on display in the Ribble Valley. It was even more impressive when you think of the thousands of similar events right across the land that we had mustered such a turn out.

By the time we left the start some had already ‘jumped the gun’ and were well on their way but we left bang on time as car 1 closely followed by Neville and Tony in Neville’s wonderful red Cooper. Martin had no difficulty with the route instructions as we made our way through Ribchester and Longridge. A short diversion was made due to roadworks by United Utilities, essential works I am assured, and we made our way up the Hodder Valley towards Dunsop Bridge.

We had a short halt for mwe to take photographs before again following the route which seemed to involve a lot of Black Bull pubs. The route then swung into the Ribble Valley and on to Gisburn. The weather, and by now crowds, warming as the day went on.

Another stop for pictures led to a long wait with no cars, could we be a) lost or b) last? The whine of a transmission and squeal of brakes indicated neither applied as Mike Wood crested the brow of the hill behind us in David Bells MkII Cortina. Whoops sorry promised not to say that – correction Mike Wood gently and sedately came into view.

With some pictures duly taken we followed the route home through Waddington and on to the Moorcock where we found another group of enthusiast at the end of their own run from deepest darkest Yorkshire.

The event included an optional buffet which was one of the best I’ve had on a motoring event (usually we don’t get one as we are running the final control and all the entrants have scoffed the best bits by the time we get near the food. Marshalling isn’t all fun you know.

All in all it was a great day both for the participants and the Club. Here’s to 2009.

Chris Lee

This event is in support of the FBHVC Drive it day.

FBHVC urges all owners of licensed historic vehicles to use them on 23 April – every year. This will be a truly national annual event and one that all enthusiasts can take part in wherever they live. It’s absolutely free of entry forms, fees and red tape*. Do make sure your members know about it!

It’s not necessary for owners to go to a show or to take part in an event, FBHVC just wants owners to get their vehicles out so they can be seen by the public. If the vehicle is suitable, it could be used instead of modern transport for daily activity. Owners could use them to go to work take a trip to the seaside, enjoy a day out in the country, visit a stately home or just go shopping.

For those with unlicensed, older, larger or slower vehicles for which such use would be impossible, impractical or inappropriate, owners could at least get them out and park them on the drive where they can be seen.

FBHVC exists to uphold the freedom to use old vehicles. Drive It Day is part of an ongoing campaign to raise public awareness of the historic vehicle movement. “After all,” Tony Beadle (the committee member who came up with the idea) asks, “what’s the point in fighting for a freedom if we don’t make the best possible use of it? “I thought 23rd April would be a singularly appropriate day to choose to celebrate the glorious variety of mechanised road transport heritage that we have in this country because on that day in 1900, 64 cars set out from London on the first day of the famous Thousand Mile Trial – an incredible undertaking by those early motor cars and their pioneering drivers, and one which deserves annual celebration.”