Car Shows

DALEMAIN CLASSIC CAR SHOW. AUGUST 1998.

I thoroughly enjoyed the car that year and was the envy of many who couldn’t understand how I could afford such a car. But, I kept her gleaming and even entered her in the local classic car show in the grounds of Dalemain House in the Lake District.

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This was not because I thought that I would win, just that it only cost Ł3.00 to enter a car, including a driver and passenger but was Ł5.00 each, public admission, pure economics. I received some nice complements at the show and had a splendid time, finishing the day with a drive to Keswick for a Barbecue with friends who were up at their holiday home.

HAREWOOD HOUSE ENTHUSIASTS' RALLY. JULY 2000.

Several Solway club members attended the Jaguar Enthusiast’s National Northern Day at Harewood House, near Leeds which was on Sunday 9th July. Some of us met in a layby just outside the gates, so that we could drive in and park together. Alex Boswell came with his Mark I saloon, Ron Palmer with his E Type coupe, two XJ-S coupes belonging to Brian Green and Andrew Jardine and an XJ 40 Sovereign owned by Ken Jardine. During the day Richard Polyblank and Geoff Proud joined the main group, so all in all a very good turnout for this annual event in our founding year.

The drive down was splendid. The weather on the other hand, teased us with sunny intervals, followed by buckets of rain, during which we all fled, either for our cars, the marquee or the House it’s self. The setting was magnificent, on the front lawns of the house, what a beautiful backdrop to a tapestry of Jaguars. Time was spent milling around the numerous trade stands, stalls, auto jumbles and many hundreds of cars (reported to be 1100) which were parked in neatly marshaled lines. Alternately, those who accompanied the drivers but were less interested in the cars found that their ticket admitted them to the house and it’s gardens which are a delight on their own and well worth the visit. Virtually every model was on show, from early XK’s to modern XKR’s, with a special exhibition of mark VII to IX’s to celebrate their fiftieth anniversary. Also, in tribute to their twenty-fifth anniversary, the very first and last produced XJ-S’s, to compliment the presence of our own fine examples, of course !

Despite problems with the announcement system the national club officials kept us up to date with things going on in the arena, which included a parade of the Mark VII to IX’s and various members cars for sale. The day ended with the presentation of the concourse awards, one of which was given to a couple who live, and had driven their Mark II all the way from Switzerland. Solway members disbanded after leaving the estate grounds at time around 5.00pm and made their own ways back home to Cumbria and the Borders.