Speedman's already done one, but here's a few of my pics of stuff from this year. Always nice to go back through the photo folders, re-live a few of the memories and dig out some pick of the pops.
As with Speedy, first of Jan usually finds us at the Pheonix.
Feb is normally a pretty lean month but early March saw me getting wet at the first Goodwood breakfast club of the year. Not as wet as the crew of this Bugatti would have got though.
A week later and I was at the Austin/Morris day at Brooklands for the first time. Variety was perhaps slightly better than this photo would indicate.
When this opportunity presented itself I think it gave me one of my favourite photos of the whole year.
It was also a highlight to see the Sun-Tor I had saved from long term storage some years ago out and about and looking in fine fettle.
Into April and I'm not sure where I saw this posted (maybe on here?) but it was a real change for me to go to such a VW/'scene' heavy event, at the Type 2 Detectives/Stanceworks breakfast. Not a big do by any means but its enjoyable to mix it up from time to time and the Hillman went down well though most didn't know what it was.
I really liked this Type 3.
A real change of pace a couple of weeks later as once again 'Drive it Day' saw me popping into the Luton Vauxhall Heritage Collection for a bit.....
...on my way to the Borgward club AGM.
I'm at the Ace most months for the Classic night and occasionally for the American/Rod nights. The May episodes threw up a couple of really cool machines I'd not seen before.
Also in May there was a Spring show at Gaydon which brought out a whole heap of Rover P4s and Metros but also plenty of others including this Spridget wearing a crossflow head and four Amals.
I'd been inside Gaydon plenty of times before but hadn't come across this picture before that made me want to do things with a Dolomite and a camper van of some sort.
Enfield Pageant was an odd one as it stuck to its normal weekend when the Bank Holiday moved for the Queens Jubilee. As a result the Friday was spectacularly quiet but also spectacularly sunny.
May and June also saw me undertake my first ever complete engine re-build which was an enjoyable if nerve-racking experience. Fortunatly I was blessed with good weather for the couple of weeks it was on a stand in the back garden.
The extra long bank holiday weekend in June saw us visit Brands Hatch for an Aston Martin OC meeting, with lots of muscle other than AMs too.
Another couple of Ace events came along...
And then the Nostalgia Drags at Avon Park. (Shakey if you wish). This was used as a shakedown run for the Hillman's engine so it took a while to get there and back on the A roads.
I was trying to cram in the miles in a short space of about two weeks between the engine being fired up and using the car to tow the trailer tent down to Sussex for the Goodwood Festival of Speed weekend. Another stonking time was had.
I think this was the best set of wheels I saw this year.
Zackspeed Capri!!!
The rally stage was not dusty this year but solid packed, damp and very slippery.
We made it to the jump section for the first time though.
Bastos SD1!!!
V8 Rollerskate!!!
956 at full bore!!!
Ickle_Seth had a good time too, wrote a piece about the show for school which Mrs_Seth then sent in to Classic and Sports Car where it was published in full!
So C&SC arranged a couple of personally signed photos, made out to her of this gentlemen, Jaguar legend Norman Dewis, which we've framed for her bedroom.
After all of that excitement I was still trying to add some miles to the engine before our summer holiday and so popped along to the Atwell Wilson museum to meet up with some members of a beige forum. There was an impressive line up of Armstrong Siddeleys and Bristols who's owners clubs were having a bit of a do.
Couldn't resist stopping off at the 'Olden Arrow Service Station' for a quick photo op on the way home.
Event of the Year for me involved no driving on my part, nor of the vehicles on show. I may never get to see these cars again so to see them all in one slightly odd (if natural - for cars) setting was brilliant.
We're up to the end of July now and Classics on the Common at Harpenden which is basically unmissable as far as I am concerned.
Then a week later the similarly (un) themed Croxley Green event.
A lovely Alfa at the Ace in early August.
Then we get to the Gathering which this year was quite an achievement and a relief for us as a family as life had been tricky in the run up.
Within a matter of days we were then on a new adventure, taking our own car across the water to go driving on teh wrong side of the road for the first time.
A visit to Reims will stick in my memory for a long time after so many years of seeing photos of the place.
The Hillman's engine did us proud and the only problem encountered was a loose pipe on one of the rear air shocks.
Into September and a suprise phone call for which I am very grateful (and an understanding wife for which I am also grateful!) meant I got to spend barely half a day at the Goodwood Revival. A real treat and not something I was expecting to do this year having only been once before a few years ago.
The first 'sound' was the magnificent roar being produced by this split Weber fed B series in a Nash Metropolitan.
Everywhere you look are just incredible sights.
Even on qualifying day the track action was pretty serious.
The Silver Arrows display was another amazing experience.
And the car park is second to none.
Almost done now. I got an invite to be a passenger on a Halloween tunnel run which was pretty cool.
A final fling for the last Goodwood Breakfast Club of the year.
and later the same day watching the L-B veterans as they entered Brighton in the sun, having endured dreadful weather earlier in the day. First time I'd seen them anywhere other than within a mile of the start in Hyde Park so that was a new experience too.
Here's hoping '13 will be just as petrol-fueled, with perhaps a continental trip further afield too.
As with Speedy, first of Jan usually finds us at the Pheonix.
Feb is normally a pretty lean month but early March saw me getting wet at the first Goodwood breakfast club of the year. Not as wet as the crew of this Bugatti would have got though.
A week later and I was at the Austin/Morris day at Brooklands for the first time. Variety was perhaps slightly better than this photo would indicate.
When this opportunity presented itself I think it gave me one of my favourite photos of the whole year.
It was also a highlight to see the Sun-Tor I had saved from long term storage some years ago out and about and looking in fine fettle.
Into April and I'm not sure where I saw this posted (maybe on here?) but it was a real change for me to go to such a VW/'scene' heavy event, at the Type 2 Detectives/Stanceworks breakfast. Not a big do by any means but its enjoyable to mix it up from time to time and the Hillman went down well though most didn't know what it was.
I really liked this Type 3.
A real change of pace a couple of weeks later as once again 'Drive it Day' saw me popping into the Luton Vauxhall Heritage Collection for a bit.....
...on my way to the Borgward club AGM.
I'm at the Ace most months for the Classic night and occasionally for the American/Rod nights. The May episodes threw up a couple of really cool machines I'd not seen before.
Also in May there was a Spring show at Gaydon which brought out a whole heap of Rover P4s and Metros but also plenty of others including this Spridget wearing a crossflow head and four Amals.
I'd been inside Gaydon plenty of times before but hadn't come across this picture before that made me want to do things with a Dolomite and a camper van of some sort.
Enfield Pageant was an odd one as it stuck to its normal weekend when the Bank Holiday moved for the Queens Jubilee. As a result the Friday was spectacularly quiet but also spectacularly sunny.
May and June also saw me undertake my first ever complete engine re-build which was an enjoyable if nerve-racking experience. Fortunatly I was blessed with good weather for the couple of weeks it was on a stand in the back garden.
The extra long bank holiday weekend in June saw us visit Brands Hatch for an Aston Martin OC meeting, with lots of muscle other than AMs too.
Another couple of Ace events came along...
And then the Nostalgia Drags at Avon Park. (Shakey if you wish). This was used as a shakedown run for the Hillman's engine so it took a while to get there and back on the A roads.
I was trying to cram in the miles in a short space of about two weeks between the engine being fired up and using the car to tow the trailer tent down to Sussex for the Goodwood Festival of Speed weekend. Another stonking time was had.
I think this was the best set of wheels I saw this year.
Zackspeed Capri!!!
The rally stage was not dusty this year but solid packed, damp and very slippery.
We made it to the jump section for the first time though.
Bastos SD1!!!
V8 Rollerskate!!!
956 at full bore!!!
Ickle_Seth had a good time too, wrote a piece about the show for school which Mrs_Seth then sent in to Classic and Sports Car where it was published in full!
So C&SC arranged a couple of personally signed photos, made out to her of this gentlemen, Jaguar legend Norman Dewis, which we've framed for her bedroom.
After all of that excitement I was still trying to add some miles to the engine before our summer holiday and so popped along to the Atwell Wilson museum to meet up with some members of a beige forum. There was an impressive line up of Armstrong Siddeleys and Bristols who's owners clubs were having a bit of a do.
Couldn't resist stopping off at the 'Olden Arrow Service Station' for a quick photo op on the way home.
Event of the Year for me involved no driving on my part, nor of the vehicles on show. I may never get to see these cars again so to see them all in one slightly odd (if natural - for cars) setting was brilliant.
We're up to the end of July now and Classics on the Common at Harpenden which is basically unmissable as far as I am concerned.
Then a week later the similarly (un) themed Croxley Green event.
A lovely Alfa at the Ace in early August.
Then we get to the Gathering which this year was quite an achievement and a relief for us as a family as life had been tricky in the run up.
Within a matter of days we were then on a new adventure, taking our own car across the water to go driving on teh wrong side of the road for the first time.
A visit to Reims will stick in my memory for a long time after so many years of seeing photos of the place.
The Hillman's engine did us proud and the only problem encountered was a loose pipe on one of the rear air shocks.
Into September and a suprise phone call for which I am very grateful (and an understanding wife for which I am also grateful!) meant I got to spend barely half a day at the Goodwood Revival. A real treat and not something I was expecting to do this year having only been once before a few years ago.
The first 'sound' was the magnificent roar being produced by this split Weber fed B series in a Nash Metropolitan.
Everywhere you look are just incredible sights.
Even on qualifying day the track action was pretty serious.
The Silver Arrows display was another amazing experience.
And the car park is second to none.
Almost done now. I got an invite to be a passenger on a Halloween tunnel run which was pretty cool.
A final fling for the last Goodwood Breakfast Club of the year.
and later the same day watching the L-B veterans as they entered Brighton in the sun, having endured dreadful weather earlier in the day. First time I'd seen them anywhere other than within a mile of the start in Hyde Park so that was a new experience too.
Here's hoping '13 will be just as petrol-fueled, with perhaps a continental trip further afield too.