Waldron Show
Or, to give it its full title, Waldron Classic Car & Bike Show, was put on by Heathfield & Waldron Rotary Club. It was my first post-lockdowns show, being on Sunday 15 August 2021. I didn’t expect much other than crowds, but I was pleasantly surprised on both counts.
There were some traffic hold-ups early on, around 9.30 or so – it started at 10, and given the narrow access roads it wasn’t too bad. The main cause seemed to be a bit of impatience by drivers. Who’d have guessed, eh?
The phrase eclectic mix was made for the range of cars on display, and it was all the better for it.
One of the Massey Ferguson tractors could have done with a little cleaning, but they did create a bit of interest. The Rover, on the other hand, had obviously been the subject of considerable fettling. If it’s a Rover 12, then a friend had one of these around 1968, and it still had an air of elegance after 30 years. Loved it.
The blue Bugatti pastiche was on a VW Beetle chassis. The suspension is a bit of a give-away, as would be the sound if it still had an aircooled flat 4. The JBA Falcon (I think) is a more generic recreation of a 30s sports car. It was smart.
There were quite a few kit cars on display. The bright yellow one, a Lomax, is based on a 2CV chassis. The Marlin, in bright white, was aimed at an altogether different market. They were genuine sports cars, with plenty of grip, grunt and, despite its diminutive size, presence. I always fancied one. There’s space left for a supercharger.
I know it’s not a competition, but the car, actually two cars, that got my attention and admiration were the Sprite/Midget-based two seaters. Both were imacculantly prepared. The owner bought the full size one nearly completed, but had built the child’s replica himself. Brilliant and impressive. The Midget source can be seen in the one in the foreground above. It was my ‘Best in show’.
I thought the green van above was a VW T1, like the brown one. As I got nearer I saw that it was based on a different vehicle, or else someone had stolen the engine.
It was a good day, or at least morning for me. Quality bands playing, lots of home-made cakes and crafts and the usual vans. It was free, and the programmes weren’t sold by intimidation. The crowd was friendly, the owners of the displayed vehicles were chatty, and the volunteers were universally friendly, even to the drivers who didn’t understand what turn left here meant.
Well done to all.
