Cholmondeley Pageant of Power - 17th & 18th July 2010

[uk kiwis]

Always the same in the short summer season, too many events to choose from!

So, we missed Kimbolton, it looked a great day and a good turn out for SmS.

We were up for the Cholmondeley 'F' register attending show just south of Liverpool. Think Goodwood hill climb Festival of speed. Several 'F' attendees camped ( along with six hundred other tents) It was in a field but showers and toilets were on hand. The two days were filled with many interesting exhibits and a narrow, straw baled mile and a half track entertained us passing as it did just in front of the 'F' reg gazebo.

Tom Wheatcroft (sadly deseased now) had his son Ken bring along a vast array of georgeous ex Grand Prix cars from down the years. TheTasman series two and a half litre Cooper, was a delight to see for us. Then an array of single seater Ferarris, Mazers' and the 1939 rear engined Auto Union in traditional silver. Literally priceless and from the museum. (There is another in private hands so who knows? if you are in the market for a thirty million pound car) The one and a half litre, yes one and a half litre Vee 16 cylinder BRM is always riveting, stunning, awsome to watch with its 16 tiny vee arranged cylinders flying around and sounding much the same as the modern Grand Prix engine, remarkable engineering. Oh so much wonderful machinery on hand. The past drivers names drifting out of the past.....Nuvolari, Bira, Trantiniant, Collins, Moss,
Hawthorn, Brabham and Alan Jones to name a few. The commentary kept up all weekend with a bewildering content, absolutely captivating. Motor bikes too. Did you know? Triumph have the most modern factory in the world, yes more so than Japan! they sold forty seven thousand last year. Why oh why does Britain not return to manufacturing,? the market just loves 'Made in England' to this day.

The spectacular Auto Technik Museum, Sinsheim Frankfurt Germany brought over 'Brutus, a 46 litre aero engined huge Grand Prix car. It spat flames yards long from great exhausts. If you ever get the chance, go there. Sixty aircraft, 20 steam engines 300 hundred cars and so on. The hotel on site would be esential for a two day stay to see it all. www.technik-museum.de

We rode atop an Abbot tank....in the rain...now that was exciting. The Army had the latest bridge building heavy tank affair and Challenger tank and the most spectacular mine clearer, think Tank and bulldozer combined digging ten feet deep and providing cover beneath the trench left in its wake. The forty minute mock battle tells a different story of modern equipment that the British Army has on hand.

Show tents holding a vast array of food and 'Goodies' also kept us amused and the Bentley sponsor showed off their latest creation. Another manufacturing success story with thousands sold now in China, India and the middle East.

This is the third showing for the Chomondeley pagent and looks to be a permanent fixture, 'F' register also looks set to attend again.......pencil in for this one folks.