Let me prefix this by saying that I usually do my RRG thread earlier in the year, like before Christmas or something, but this year I thought I'd save it for these particularly long nights before the new year meets start and cars are awoken from their winter hibernations.
This is as much for my benefit as all of yours, I enjoy writing these threads and I know folks like a little call back to a glorious summer weekend spent enveloped in the presence of greatness, both automotive and in community spirit.
The Gathering is the show of the year, as anybody who has attended will testify. The amount and calibre of cars, people and automotive unicorns on display is simply astonishing.
I have no idea how HoTWire, rmad and the rest of the under appreciated team do it. Every year it is bigger, better attended and organised slicker. Yeah there were teething problems at this new venue but, those aside, the whole weekend is a credit to EVERYONE involved.
So, anyway, on with the pictures.
I neglected to take any snaps in the services where I met stealthstylz, morrisoxide and WillCarter. I did however grab a couple on the motorway.
Unusually for me that is all I got of the convoy down, I was just too busy enjoying driving again after a 18month hiatus and having to do RRG13 in the passenger seat.
Also, the convoy got split up near the venue, but once we'd arrived I got the camera out in time to see this image of rolling ridicule.
Once we'd scraped and graunched onto the site we appropriated ourselves a tidy spot, I made sure I had cold beer and some scram in me then went for a little wander around the site. No pictures of the Friday evening, far too much drinking and catching up being done to be documenting.
Saturday came quick and bright, washing light over some seriously thick heads. The campsite had really filled up the previous evening (whilst I and many others were busying ourselves with the bottom of a beer bottle no doubt). I made a mental note that once I'd been and found some sort of breakfast I would come back and take some pictures.
So, after what seemed like a hour of traipsing around the site seeing who wanted to take a run to the nearest 'town' we got underway. Bromyard was the destination. A nice little town though parking is atrocious, but once parked up and was food bought a tat shop was found and all was well. It was around this point that kevfromwales asked the tat shopkeeper if there was any local scrappys. We didn't hold much hope on a Saturday afternoon in the bum-end of nowhere. How wrong we were.
Some very sketchy directions later we were loaded back into the cars and heading out into the countryside. I can't recall exactly but I seem to remember the directions included a Methodist church and something to do with a chicken factory. As doubtful as I was we soon found ourselves leaving witness marks with the underside of the LOLvo on a narrow and steep access road.
And at the bottom? A proper, cars-stacked-up-tat-everywhere-been-here-for-years breakers yard. Lovely.
Senny-stretch was rough but not terminal
This A40 however...
3xx series Volvo was bodily rough, but mint inside. Seat covers looked to have been fitted from new so the seats were factory fresh!
We've not yet actually entered the yard, Kev went and asked if it was ok for us to have a wander around (bearing in mind that there was 8 or 9 or us!) and the yard manager very kindly gave up one of his staff to show us around. Customer service like that is severely lacking nowadays.
This P4 was the first bit of tat I saw as we dropped down on the access road, perched behind the more modern stuff it looked to be saveable for the most part.
Mk4 'scrot was seriously too nice to have ended up on this stack!
MmmmMMmm tat...
Little Subaru is a rarity, I wonder what it was binned for.
Ultimate Hoodride? This thing was HANGING.
Little 205 had some impressive home repairs, what even is that? Pog and dulux?
I would hazard a guess that this little 'zuki had lead an interesting life.
Who lets a GTV get into this state? Though, I don't doubt they can be expensive to put right when it inevitably goes wrong.
Another seemingly tidy example. This time a nice early 205.
One step away from crafting the entire bumper from gaffer.
I took this picture almost exclusively for Rich and jrevillug
An old luton box full of old wheeltrims, you know, just incase.
And back out to the cars, a couple of us had bought tat so I had to make some room. I'm looking at you Dez
Lets just say it was an interesting drive back to the campsite. The bike didn't weight much but it was cumbersome and didn't really fit in the back on the 940, but that is all part of the fun isn't it?
So, back on the site, it was time to take a wonder, see what everyone else had been upto and what folks had brought to the show with them.
The Morrisoxide Morris and Stealthstylz tat.
How did he get that up there? That hill was damn steep, it was hard enough to walk up!
The Dez-Rod and Case-mobile. With bonus Dave and Robin.
Speaking of Dave, he had the pleasure of piloting Bruces' old girl for the weekend.
And speaking or Bruce. The man himself and *THAT* LandRover.
The view from up that hill, it looks quite sparse from up here!
This Calibra was running flocked wheel centres, dude must've been mad to then take it on mud.
Proof (if it were needed) that clean, polished bodywork and timeless wheels can, and do, make a car.
KFW and tippers mobile tyre fitting at your service...
Some infamous/notorious cars were to be found strewn about the place...
THAT Imp. It's difficult to describe/capture just how perfect this thing is.
This was deeply cool, not just because of the PitCrew Racing bodykit (??) but just the whole attitude of the thing. Super stuff.
I wonder how many hot hatches this little Rover 100 has scalped.
Nath's beautifully turned out MXBGT.
When banded steels work. Just perfection.
I was going to say how this is a mismatched pair, but thinking on they are both big GM brutes.
And another GM bruiser
As much as my Mk2 GTi was financial suicide, I still love them and even moreso on those wheels. Anybody else think that looks like a tiny person in the driver seat?
When we were at the scrappy earlier Matt had showed me a picture of this, I didn't however expect to see it camping down the field from us. What a good looking machine, that wheel fitment is legendary!
But this next to it was even more my cup of tea.
Big drifty Datsun.
There were some damn low motors knocking about the place.
Absolutely stunning Lada left me wondering how I could go about building such a rounded package. Everything was just 'so'.
Brown cars and gold wheels are a winning combo.
A 626 like you've never seen before.
Hillman Hunter madness. I have love for this old crate...
I always forget how tiny these are, Midgets for a reason I guess.
I had been waiting all year to finally see this old Ford. It is thunderous and beautiful and made me get my want face on.
Another shot of the Dez-Rod. This thing got every bit of attention it deserved.
And the LR again, as it just so chuffing photogenic!
The Jawa again, after a Saturday afternoon stripdown/tinker.
A very pretty Datsun wagon
And before it got too dark/I got too drunk to take any pictures, I pointed the lens to the sky and captured this.
And suddenly it was Sunday morning. Waking up to the smell of unburnt unleaded (or chipfat in the case of the Granada) and the sound of mostly unsilenced engines. The hangover probably didn't help.
A brew was secured, drunk and before I knew what was what I was stood on the showfield. My first shot of the day was this cracker...
...the one, the only...
I think just about everyone took a version of this picture.
Mr Holmes' gorgeous HotRod resting in the paddock.
Serious 70's feel Viva
I fell for this Falcon. I would take one of these over a Mustang any day...
How does a 944 get this low? It looks the business.
If this isn't gangster, I don't know what is.
I've seen this Torslander about and gorgeous it is too. Those wheels, those decals!
Heavily loved S3 XKE. This has had an interesting life by the looks of it.
Now, this Husky. I had to walk around this 3 or 4 times just to make sure I had the pictures I wanted. Perhaps my car of the show. I love this thing.
Our very own Mr Wheelers Monza, that it looks so hard on these wheels and with that stance.
E21 porn. Another wheel design that I have much love for.
I'm kicking myself that I cropped the RR Europe sign, that would've been a cracking pic. Alas, nevermind. It doesn't detract that lovely 601 Break.
You know you're at a special show when you're faced with not one but two beautifully and skilfully modified Loti.
Possibly the rarest car in attendance? I think it might've been.
Another example of making the ordinary, extraordinary!
A matching pair! Mine needs to be both lower and quicker. I should try and get the new box in before summer too.
And it was around that point I walked up the hill to watch some of the runs. I did try to get some pictures but my camera is simply not upto the task.
I had another couple of walks around, but it had been a long weekend so we gathered our things and made a move home.
I did manage to grab some pics of the convoy home...
The driver of this was involved in some sort of dodgy deal in the services, but I had to take a pic of his down-at-heel Rolls. Lovely.
and finally, less than a mile from my house.
So that is your lot! As always, it was the best show of the year and now we're into 2015 the countdown can begin in earnest. I wonder what I'll be bringing along?!
This is as much for my benefit as all of yours, I enjoy writing these threads and I know folks like a little call back to a glorious summer weekend spent enveloped in the presence of greatness, both automotive and in community spirit.
The Gathering is the show of the year, as anybody who has attended will testify. The amount and calibre of cars, people and automotive unicorns on display is simply astonishing.
I have no idea how HoTWire, rmad and the rest of the under appreciated team do it. Every year it is bigger, better attended and organised slicker. Yeah there were teething problems at this new venue but, those aside, the whole weekend is a credit to EVERYONE involved.
So, anyway, on with the pictures.
I neglected to take any snaps in the services where I met stealthstylz, morrisoxide and WillCarter. I did however grab a couple on the motorway.
Unusually for me that is all I got of the convoy down, I was just too busy enjoying driving again after a 18month hiatus and having to do RRG13 in the passenger seat.
Also, the convoy got split up near the venue, but once we'd arrived I got the camera out in time to see this image of rolling ridicule.
Once we'd scraped and graunched onto the site we appropriated ourselves a tidy spot, I made sure I had cold beer and some scram in me then went for a little wander around the site. No pictures of the Friday evening, far too much drinking and catching up being done to be documenting.
Saturday came quick and bright, washing light over some seriously thick heads. The campsite had really filled up the previous evening (whilst I and many others were busying ourselves with the bottom of a beer bottle no doubt). I made a mental note that once I'd been and found some sort of breakfast I would come back and take some pictures.
So, after what seemed like a hour of traipsing around the site seeing who wanted to take a run to the nearest 'town' we got underway. Bromyard was the destination. A nice little town though parking is atrocious, but once parked up and was food bought a tat shop was found and all was well. It was around this point that kevfromwales asked the tat shopkeeper if there was any local scrappys. We didn't hold much hope on a Saturday afternoon in the bum-end of nowhere. How wrong we were.
Some very sketchy directions later we were loaded back into the cars and heading out into the countryside. I can't recall exactly but I seem to remember the directions included a Methodist church and something to do with a chicken factory. As doubtful as I was we soon found ourselves leaving witness marks with the underside of the LOLvo on a narrow and steep access road.
And at the bottom? A proper, cars-stacked-up-tat-everywhere-been-here-for-years breakers yard. Lovely.
Senny-stretch was rough but not terminal
This A40 however...
3xx series Volvo was bodily rough, but mint inside. Seat covers looked to have been fitted from new so the seats were factory fresh!
We've not yet actually entered the yard, Kev went and asked if it was ok for us to have a wander around (bearing in mind that there was 8 or 9 or us!) and the yard manager very kindly gave up one of his staff to show us around. Customer service like that is severely lacking nowadays.
This P4 was the first bit of tat I saw as we dropped down on the access road, perched behind the more modern stuff it looked to be saveable for the most part.
Mk4 'scrot was seriously too nice to have ended up on this stack!
MmmmMMmm tat...
Little Subaru is a rarity, I wonder what it was binned for.
Ultimate Hoodride? This thing was HANGING.
Little 205 had some impressive home repairs, what even is that? Pog and dulux?
I would hazard a guess that this little 'zuki had lead an interesting life.
Who lets a GTV get into this state? Though, I don't doubt they can be expensive to put right when it inevitably goes wrong.
Another seemingly tidy example. This time a nice early 205.
One step away from crafting the entire bumper from gaffer.
I took this picture almost exclusively for Rich and jrevillug
An old luton box full of old wheeltrims, you know, just incase.
And back out to the cars, a couple of us had bought tat so I had to make some room. I'm looking at you Dez
Lets just say it was an interesting drive back to the campsite. The bike didn't weight much but it was cumbersome and didn't really fit in the back on the 940, but that is all part of the fun isn't it?
So, back on the site, it was time to take a wonder, see what everyone else had been upto and what folks had brought to the show with them.
The Morrisoxide Morris and Stealthstylz tat.
How did he get that up there? That hill was damn steep, it was hard enough to walk up!
The Dez-Rod and Case-mobile. With bonus Dave and Robin.
Speaking of Dave, he had the pleasure of piloting Bruces' old girl for the weekend.
And speaking or Bruce. The man himself and *THAT* LandRover.
The view from up that hill, it looks quite sparse from up here!
This Calibra was running flocked wheel centres, dude must've been mad to then take it on mud.
Proof (if it were needed) that clean, polished bodywork and timeless wheels can, and do, make a car.
KFW and tippers mobile tyre fitting at your service...
Some infamous/notorious cars were to be found strewn about the place...
THAT Imp. It's difficult to describe/capture just how perfect this thing is.
This was deeply cool, not just because of the PitCrew Racing bodykit (??) but just the whole attitude of the thing. Super stuff.
I wonder how many hot hatches this little Rover 100 has scalped.
Nath's beautifully turned out MXBGT.
When banded steels work. Just perfection.
I was going to say how this is a mismatched pair, but thinking on they are both big GM brutes.
And another GM bruiser
As much as my Mk2 GTi was financial suicide, I still love them and even moreso on those wheels. Anybody else think that looks like a tiny person in the driver seat?
When we were at the scrappy earlier Matt had showed me a picture of this, I didn't however expect to see it camping down the field from us. What a good looking machine, that wheel fitment is legendary!
But this next to it was even more my cup of tea.
Big drifty Datsun.
There were some damn low motors knocking about the place.
Absolutely stunning Lada left me wondering how I could go about building such a rounded package. Everything was just 'so'.
Brown cars and gold wheels are a winning combo.
A 626 like you've never seen before.
Hillman Hunter madness. I have love for this old crate...
I always forget how tiny these are, Midgets for a reason I guess.
I had been waiting all year to finally see this old Ford. It is thunderous and beautiful and made me get my want face on.
Another shot of the Dez-Rod. This thing got every bit of attention it deserved.
And the LR again, as it just so chuffing photogenic!
The Jawa again, after a Saturday afternoon stripdown/tinker.
A very pretty Datsun wagon
And before it got too dark/I got too drunk to take any pictures, I pointed the lens to the sky and captured this.
And suddenly it was Sunday morning. Waking up to the smell of unburnt unleaded (or chipfat in the case of the Granada) and the sound of mostly unsilenced engines. The hangover probably didn't help.
A brew was secured, drunk and before I knew what was what I was stood on the showfield. My first shot of the day was this cracker...
...the one, the only...
I think just about everyone took a version of this picture.
Mr Holmes' gorgeous HotRod resting in the paddock.
Serious 70's feel Viva
I fell for this Falcon. I would take one of these over a Mustang any day...
How does a 944 get this low? It looks the business.
If this isn't gangster, I don't know what is.
I've seen this Torslander about and gorgeous it is too. Those wheels, those decals!
Heavily loved S3 XKE. This has had an interesting life by the looks of it.
Now, this Husky. I had to walk around this 3 or 4 times just to make sure I had the pictures I wanted. Perhaps my car of the show. I love this thing.
Our very own Mr Wheelers Monza, that it looks so hard on these wheels and with that stance.
E21 porn. Another wheel design that I have much love for.
I'm kicking myself that I cropped the RR Europe sign, that would've been a cracking pic. Alas, nevermind. It doesn't detract that lovely 601 Break.
You know you're at a special show when you're faced with not one but two beautifully and skilfully modified Loti.
Possibly the rarest car in attendance? I think it might've been.
Another example of making the ordinary, extraordinary!
A matching pair! Mine needs to be both lower and quicker. I should try and get the new box in before summer too.
And it was around that point I walked up the hill to watch some of the runs. I did try to get some pictures but my camera is simply not upto the task.
I had another couple of walks around, but it had been a long weekend so we gathered our things and made a move home.
I did manage to grab some pics of the convoy home...
The driver of this was involved in some sort of dodgy deal in the services, but I had to take a pic of his down-at-heel Rolls. Lovely.
and finally, less than a mile from my house.
So that is your lot! As always, it was the best show of the year and now we're into 2015 the countdown can begin in earnest. I wonder what I'll be bringing along?!
Hope to make this Year one what date is it ?? 
