Tatton park this weekend, anybody go?
Discussion
We went as usual on the Saturday and it was a real let down, the weather was not brilliant, just about stayed dry, perhaps this is what kept people away. Entrance fee is quite steep £7 into the park then £9 each into the show.
I met a woman who as been involved in the classic car scene for years and she said the running of it has changed hands to a company in London.
Highlight for me was plucking up the courage to ask a chap if I could sit in his E-type (big kid me).
MK2 Escort disgraced itself queueing to get in, it died in a cloud of blue smoke. My wife was most impressed with a late 80's Daimler, she could not get over how nice the interior was with it's beige leather and walnut picnic tables.
We get there early for the auto jumble but it seemed to be very sparse, mainly new stuff.
I met a woman who as been involved in the classic car scene for years and she said the running of it has changed hands to a company in London.
Highlight for me was plucking up the courage to ask a chap if I could sit in his E-type (big kid me).
MK2 Escort disgraced itself queueing to get in, it died in a cloud of blue smoke. My wife was most impressed with a late 80's Daimler, she could not get over how nice the interior was with it's beige leather and walnut picnic tables.
We get there early for the auto jumble but it seemed to be very sparse, mainly new stuff.
I've been there both days, in fact I was behind that blue Escort in the queue to get in yesterday morning. It was running with a lot of smoke and the kind of noises that would have me switching it off, then it stopped and was pushed to one side, then after I'd got on to our stand it was being pushed up to the stand. I hope it wasn't anything too serious.
Saturday to be fair wasn't a great day to go. It was very fine rain for a lot of the morning, a bit of a shower but then dried up. The trouble is, this stops a lot of the autojumble people laying their stuff out, so it doesn't get wet. Today was like a different show, many more people about, more in the autojumble.
But I'd agree the a/j did seem to have gone downhill a bit, with more of the stands that I describe as "putting the 'tat' in 'Tatton Park'" - whether that's a conscious effort to appeal to non-car-enthusiasts as well, or a reflection of the stand cost, I don't know.
I don't spend a lot of time looking around the cars, so I can't comment on how that compared to other years. There has been a change in organisation of the show, with Stuart Holmes helping one last year until it's all handed over. I suspect next year will be the time to judge it, when it's all being run by the new company. I can't comment on the entrance charges, as I was displaying a car it's one of the few major classic shows that doesn't charge exhibitors.
I enjoyed the weekend, though.
Saturday to be fair wasn't a great day to go. It was very fine rain for a lot of the morning, a bit of a shower but then dried up. The trouble is, this stops a lot of the autojumble people laying their stuff out, so it doesn't get wet. Today was like a different show, many more people about, more in the autojumble.
But I'd agree the a/j did seem to have gone downhill a bit, with more of the stands that I describe as "putting the 'tat' in 'Tatton Park'" - whether that's a conscious effort to appeal to non-car-enthusiasts as well, or a reflection of the stand cost, I don't know.
I don't spend a lot of time looking around the cars, so I can't comment on how that compared to other years. There has been a change in organisation of the show, with Stuart Holmes helping one last year until it's all handed over. I suspect next year will be the time to judge it, when it's all being run by the new company. I can't comment on the entrance charges, as I was displaying a car it's one of the few major classic shows that doesn't charge exhibitors.
I enjoyed the weekend, though.
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