Cholmondeley pageant of power + British Weather
Discussion
For various reasons I've never been, but by all accounts this is a massive event and maybe Ill be there next year.
A friend of mine has attended/tried to attend twice but on both occassions it was a complete wash-out literally. I think it's rained on them every year since opening.
Now it looks as though they are going to suffer from torrential rain yet again.
I do feel sympathy for them and all other shows that get ruined by the glorious British weather.
A friend of mine has attended/tried to attend twice but on both occassions it was a complete wash-out literally. I think it's rained on them every year since opening.
Now it looks as though they are going to suffer from torrential rain yet again.
I do feel sympathy for them and all other shows that get ruined by the glorious British weather.
I know what you mean but I really don't know why people are surprised like this. Living in the UK is a toss up. Most things are good but the weather is always, always awful.
I can't think of a single time that I've been pleasantly surprised by a fine day when required. Every summer car show is boggy, damp and unpleasant. Every summer kid's birthday party is ruined. Every picnic is pissed on.
People will post on here that this is not true; that they've had lovely days at just the right time in Britain. These people are liars, don't be sucked in.
My wife is going absolutely positively spasticated at the moment. She was away when we had the hot spell in late May and having just looked at the Met Office long view it seems things will be s
t at least until mid/late July.
I can't think of a single time that I've been pleasantly surprised by a fine day when required. Every summer car show is boggy, damp and unpleasant. Every summer kid's birthday party is ruined. Every picnic is pissed on.
People will post on here that this is not true; that they've had lovely days at just the right time in Britain. These people are liars, don't be sucked in.
My wife is going absolutely positively spasticated at the moment. She was away when we had the hot spell in late May and having just looked at the Met Office long view it seems things will be s
t at least until mid/late July.Agree with the above. British weather is poo.
We going tomorrow. I might watch that Top Gear episode again....the one where they (ahem) attempt to make amphibious cars. Or maybe nip down to the Army Surplus and buy and fit some tank tracks to my car. I think that's the only way it's gunna survive the onslaught of sh*tty weather this weekend and probably every other weekend from now until October.
We going tomorrow. I might watch that Top Gear episode again....the one where they (ahem) attempt to make amphibious cars. Or maybe nip down to the Army Surplus and buy and fit some tank tracks to my car. I think that's the only way it's gunna survive the onslaught of sh*tty weather this weekend and probably every other weekend from now until October.
recent weather hasn't been great but if you open up the possiblies by not limiting your options even in the winter there are days or parts of days that are great for driving
it was only a few weeks ago we had nearly a week of hot (or far too hot for me) weather
just because it's poorer weather in one place doesn't mean that only 5 or 10 miles away it's much better
I'm sure on another thread a while back someone posted that it'd been a rainy day and I pointed out that whilst it had been cloudy for most of the day it had only rained for 10 minutes two times during that day leaving x hours 40 minutes of daylight when it hadn't rained and was reasonably warm
good news, we're coming up to the wetter months soon
it was only a few weeks ago we had nearly a week of hot (or far too hot for me) weather
just because it's poorer weather in one place doesn't mean that only 5 or 10 miles away it's much better
I'm sure on another thread a while back someone posted that it'd been a rainy day and I pointed out that whilst it had been cloudy for most of the day it had only rained for 10 minutes two times during that day leaving x hours 40 minutes of daylight when it hadn't rained and was reasonably warm
good news, we're coming up to the wetter months soon
We really are an illogical race aren't we?
Nowhere else in the world is their such a keen following of classic cars. There are whole industries based around them, whether it be for road or race cars. Added to this we buy a disproportionately high number of open-topped cars, both new and old.
Then you look at our climate:
Those who took their cars off the road from October to March would have dusted down their pride and joys just in time for the highest April rainfall since records began. Thereafter hasn't been much better either, with endless events and journeys being ruined by the weather.
For the rest of us who drive our classics during the winter it can be pitch-black at 4.30pm and we end up with salt all over the roads, so opportunities for some winter fun are also pretty limited.
I wonder if it's like that in Southern California?
The rest of the world must think we're utterly insane!
Nowhere else in the world is their such a keen following of classic cars. There are whole industries based around them, whether it be for road or race cars. Added to this we buy a disproportionately high number of open-topped cars, both new and old.
Then you look at our climate:
Those who took their cars off the road from October to March would have dusted down their pride and joys just in time for the highest April rainfall since records began. Thereafter hasn't been much better either, with endless events and journeys being ruined by the weather.
For the rest of us who drive our classics during the winter it can be pitch-black at 4.30pm and we end up with salt all over the roads, so opportunities for some winter fun are also pretty limited.
I wonder if it's like that in Southern California?
The rest of the world must think we're utterly insane!
LotusOmega375D said:
The rest of the world must think we're utterly insane!
I don't think so. I have friends in Australia who think nothing of driving 2,000 miles to a classic meeting - then 2,000 miles back home again and I know someone in Holland building a straight-8 out of two pre-war four cylinder Riley engines. There's insanity (if that's what it is) everywhere. The classic movement is as strong on the continent as in the UK; ever been to Techno Classica?We're no different than classic enthusiasts worldwide. In many respects I've found them far more eager than some of the people I know here - I know people in the UK who don't take their classic further than 40 miles and then only between April and October when the sun's shining.
LotusOmega375D said:
We really are an illogical race aren't we?
Nowhere else in the world is their such a keen following of classic cars. There are whole industries based around them, whether it be for road or race cars. Added to this we buy a disproportionately high number of open-topped cars, both new and old.
Also, what is it about our hood design?Nowhere else in the world is their such a keen following of classic cars. There are whole industries based around them, whether it be for road or race cars. Added to this we buy a disproportionately high number of open-topped cars, both new and old.
Your typical American, French or German convertible will have a powered hardtop (this isn't some modern laziness thing, they've had them for decades). First spatterings of rain and you can pull over, press a button and have a snug, sealed roof in seconds.
Your typical Italian or Japanese sports car has an excellently-designed hood that can be whipped up with one hand in a matter of minutes and secured with a couple of clasps.
But the typical British roadster has something that's part tent, part climbing frame, that you'll have to extract from some special compartment in the boot (having removed anything that was in the boot to start with). Once you've wrestled that out of its cubby-hole, it'll then be pushed and yanked and hammered and sworn at until it fits. Then you throw a vinyl hood over the top, secure it with poppers on one side, go over to the other side, secure some more poppers, go back to the other side, find that the poppers have come undone, tug and stretch and swear at the hood until it finally fits, then get back in the car just in time for it to stop raining, at which point all the water that gathered on the roof and bonnet while you were erecting the hood will find its way into the cockpit and dribble down your legs.
And if you think this is an old-car thing - I give you the Lotus Elise, the Caterham Seven and pretty much all their British rivals.
I think it's like rugby and hiking and camping - there's something ever so British about mixing fun with hardship. The Ariel Atom has to be one of the most British cars there is.
I really hope that all this moaning about the weather is tongue in cheek...
Had a lovely weekend here in N.Wilts, plenty of breeze, some rain, some shine.. the fields are green, the gardens are colourful - much better than some dried out Southern California dustbowl... so was I out and about in my classics? Unfortunately no, having to be a bit careful with the pennies as I've been out of work for ages and current income is dire (three decades at work and I don't qualify for benefits) - hey ho, gives me something to worry about other than the weather...
As for powered hoods, good God you'll be wanting remote controls for the telly next! Can't really see the folk who love the lightweight of an Elise really wanting the added weight of a motor etc...
Rant over, back out in the garden to enjoy the breeze...
In all seriousness I do sympathise with the organisers of events that get rained off but unlike a lot of hobbies, classic car ownership can be enjoyed in pretty much any weather if you approach it with the right attitude.
Had a lovely weekend here in N.Wilts, plenty of breeze, some rain, some shine.. the fields are green, the gardens are colourful - much better than some dried out Southern California dustbowl... so was I out and about in my classics? Unfortunately no, having to be a bit careful with the pennies as I've been out of work for ages and current income is dire (three decades at work and I don't qualify for benefits) - hey ho, gives me something to worry about other than the weather...
As for powered hoods, good God you'll be wanting remote controls for the telly next! Can't really see the folk who love the lightweight of an Elise really wanting the added weight of a motor etc...
Rant over, back out in the garden to enjoy the breeze...
In all seriousness I do sympathise with the organisers of events that get rained off but unlike a lot of hobbies, classic car ownership can be enjoyed in pretty much any weather if you approach it with the right attitude.
LotusOmega375D said:
For the rest of us who drive our classics during the winter it can be pitch-black at 4.30pm and we end up with salt all over the roads, so opportunities for some winter fun are also pretty limited.
no where near as limited as most people would think, many better driving oppitunities in winter than summerpeople remember lets say (and it's well OTT) 13 weeks of not so great weather out of 26 they have the car off the road so they've missed 13 weeks of possible driving oppitunities
lovely warm dry day today here how many classic owners will use their car today - unless of course there's a show to go to - what about using your classic to do an extended commute into work or go for a drive during your luch time or extended drive home from work
if you limit yourself to 2 days out of 7 for 26 out of 52 weeks then yes you have less chance of pleasureable driving of your classic
na said:
o where near as limited as most people would think, many better driving oppitunities in winter than summer
people remember lets say (and it's well OTT) 13 weeks of not so great weather out of 26 they have the car off the road so they've missed 13 weeks of possible driving oppitunities
lovely warm dry day today here how many classic owners will use their car today - unless of course there's a show to go to - what about using your classic to do an extended commute into work or go for a drive during your luch time or extended drive home from work
if you limit yourself to 2 days out of 7 for 26 out of 52 weeks then yes you have less chance of pleasureable driving of your classic
I think it's more of an issue regarding planned events, rather than taking the drop-of-a-hat opportunity to go out and enjoy some good weather, which I also do. Let's face it you're taking a gamble with the weather arranging a family barbecue for the coming weekend, let alone attending a car event whose date was organised a year ago.people remember lets say (and it's well OTT) 13 weeks of not so great weather out of 26 they have the car off the road so they've missed 13 weeks of possible driving oppitunities
lovely warm dry day today here how many classic owners will use their car today - unless of course there's a show to go to - what about using your classic to do an extended commute into work or go for a drive during your luch time or extended drive home from work
if you limit yourself to 2 days out of 7 for 26 out of 52 weeks then yes you have less chance of pleasureable driving of your classic
yes I feel sorry for outdoor show organisers but statitics tell us the potential for heavy rain which is what puts must people of is actually very high ih the summer
this is more of a shame for charity fund raising events than commercial events
especially if it's something like using the classics to give passenger rides, as with the Sporting Bears Dream Rides, so that people can experience the cars as well as looking at shiney static examples
this is more of a shame for charity fund raising events than commercial events
especially if it's something like using the classics to give passenger rides, as with the Sporting Bears Dream Rides, so that people can experience the cars as well as looking at shiney static examples
I didn't realise there were so many masochists in the classic car movement.
I don't mind driving any of my classic cars in wet and/or cold weather but I couldn't say I enjoy it that much.
Different if you're taking part in an event, but not much fun if you're just out for a drive or attending a social gathering.
Two weeks of sunshine in France last year was really enjoyable. Driving the car top-down on undulating country roads was a treat.
But plodging round a muddy field in torrential rain with the poor car owners huddled under their umbrellas is not my idea of a grand day out.
It's not the bad weather that's the problem - it's the lack of good weather !
To end on a positive note - at least I only got soaked once yesterday before setting off to view the Beamish Reliability trial.
I don't mind driving any of my classic cars in wet and/or cold weather but I couldn't say I enjoy it that much.
Different if you're taking part in an event, but not much fun if you're just out for a drive or attending a social gathering.
Two weeks of sunshine in France last year was really enjoyable. Driving the car top-down on undulating country roads was a treat.
But plodging round a muddy field in torrential rain with the poor car owners huddled under their umbrellas is not my idea of a grand day out.
It's not the bad weather that's the problem - it's the lack of good weather !
To end on a positive note - at least I only got soaked once yesterday before setting off to view the Beamish Reliability trial.
mph said:
I didn't realise there were so many masochists in the classic car movement.
I don't mind driving any of my classic cars in wet and/or cold weather but I couldn't say I enjoy it that much.
driving in the rain usually isn't much fun but as Sunday's local PH run there was only 15 minutes of light rain and an hour when it was warmish and no rain some pepole would miss the hour drive and socialising before and after because of the risk of what turned out to be 15 minutes of light rainI don't mind driving any of my classic cars in wet and/or cold weather but I couldn't say I enjoy it that much.
cold is no problem and actually enjoyable, drop the top wear suitable clothes and most well maintained classics have quite reasonable heaters despite what some owners believe
mph said:
Two weeks of sunshine in France last year was really enjoyable. Driving the car top-down on undulating country roads was a treat.
done that repeatedly over many years in the UK and been to France and had very heavy rain on a dispoportionate number of visits mph said:
But plodging round a muddy field in torrential rain with the poor car owners huddled under their umbrellas is not my idea of a grand day out.
totally 100% might as well drive the car such as the Sporting Bears Dream Ridesmph said:
It's not the bad weather that's the problem - it's the lack of good weather !
matter of timing really plenty of good weather but not always exactly at the right timeas I said it’s such a shame for shows that have to be organised 12 months or more in advance but some prima donnas are put off by even the threat or hint of the slightest moisture in the air and can spoil the atmosphere of a show - I’m mot talking about torrential rain and mud swamp fields rather a few minutes of light rain on a warm summers day and they want to and do pack up and take the precious metal to the protective tomb of the garage rather than wait a few minutes for it all to pass to return to the warm pleasant sunny day
It's really very bad luck for them, especially considering that the event was moved forward from July to June to hopefully get better weather.
It didn't seem to put people off, though, and there was a lot going on all weekend. I felt sorry for the staff having to figure out where to put everyone when the club displays and main car parks were too wet to use, but they managed it somehow and were very apologetic about the confusion even though it wasn't their fault.
It didn't seem to put people off, though, and there was a lot going on all weekend. I felt sorry for the staff having to figure out where to put everyone when the club displays and main car parks were too wet to use, but they managed it somehow and were very apologetic about the confusion even though it wasn't their fault.
spoodler said:
I was going to add to this but I think "na" has done a pretty good job.
I'll just leave you with this... fun or masochism?
I think NA has missed the point of my post completely.I'll just leave you with this... fun or masochism?
Regarding your picture - fun - if it's not too often or if you're on the way to an outdoor event.
Personally, I wouldn't trade the British climate for year round sunshine - it's one of the things that keeps me here. I like our changes of weather but it is a fact that it has a detrimental effect on outdoor events - supposed to be going drag racing this weekend but the forecast is three days of rain...
On a slightly off topic aside, "MPH" did you manage to put any miles on that wonderful 1930's style roadster that you termed "just another Jaguar special"? The last I remember you were waiting for some good weather to give it a shakedown...
On a slightly off topic aside, "MPH" did you manage to put any miles on that wonderful 1930's style roadster that you termed "just another Jaguar special"? The last I remember you were waiting for some good weather to give it a shakedown...
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