02-09-2023, 11:23 PM
(This post was last modified: 03-09-2023, 07:53 PM by Tony Griffiths.)
Although I live close, I'd never been to the huge Chatsworth Country Fair. It's a massive event held in 1000 acres of parkland and with so many events and visiting celebrities that, even if you go for all three days, it's difficult to see everything. This year the day started at 6.30 with a mass launch of hot-air balloons and finished in the early evening with a repeat. The "Vintage" car display had over 80 entries and a most interesting variety of cars including around 25 Austins of various sizes. Three side shows were also present, Morgans, Triumph Stags and (one of my all-time favourites) a group of Alpine cars both classic (A110) and modern.
Attached are a few snaps showing some of the more exciting entries (though a superb Bentley took the premiere prize and there were notably fine examples of RR cars). The yellow Ulster was fresh from the wedding of a young couple; the very well-used red 1931 RL had been driven down from Cumbria by the owner's wife; the brown, 1938 Austin 12 had been used as a staff car by the home Guard in Kent in WW2 and then as a taxi until 1970 - it remains in remarkably good original condition; the blue, 6-cylinder two-seater with dicky had a beautifully smooth-running and quiet engine - the owner said the secret was to exercise it regularly; the unrestored, 1914 Darraque had been driven up from Poole and would continue, under its own steam, to a VCC event in the Orkney Islands. I was surprised to see the comprehensive dashboard of the blue Austin 10 Tourer, a car maintained in splendid running order.
Click the pictures for a higher-resolution copy and click again for even higher (to get more pictures in some are in lower-resolution groups of three).
..and a few more:
Attached are a few snaps showing some of the more exciting entries (though a superb Bentley took the premiere prize and there were notably fine examples of RR cars). The yellow Ulster was fresh from the wedding of a young couple; the very well-used red 1931 RL had been driven down from Cumbria by the owner's wife; the brown, 1938 Austin 12 had been used as a staff car by the home Guard in Kent in WW2 and then as a taxi until 1970 - it remains in remarkably good original condition; the blue, 6-cylinder two-seater with dicky had a beautifully smooth-running and quiet engine - the owner said the secret was to exercise it regularly; the unrestored, 1914 Darraque had been driven up from Poole and would continue, under its own steam, to a VCC event in the Orkney Islands. I was surprised to see the comprehensive dashboard of the blue Austin 10 Tourer, a car maintained in splendid running order.
Click the pictures for a higher-resolution copy and click again for even higher (to get more pictures in some are in lower-resolution groups of three).
..and a few more:
