Events

From this year, the Club’s main annual event is the rally held in June based at Broughton Castle near Banbury, with a run and a dinner on the Saturday and an assembly with a concours and a driving test on the Sunday, at which the annual trophies are also presented (see below).

In recent years longer trips have been organised, with attractive tours in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Yorkshire and the Lake District, which have given us the opportunity to meet up with members in other areas and drive our cars in some splendid scenery. We have a number of very friendly social meetings (see below), and patronise other local events alone or in groups. The more sporting element among vintage owners in particular compete, often with great success, in other clubs’ events, especially VSCC navigational rallies, trials and speed events. Click here for more detail.

The Club is registered with the RACMSA for the purpose of holding competitions, and is a founder member of the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs.

Events in 2010

Saturday September 25th/Sunday September 26th/Monday September 27th: Lakeland Tour

One of the best events the Club has ever put on, from all points of view, much enjoyed by all participants. All three days took us through wonderful scenery in fine weather. The Lea-Francis entry made up for its relatively small number with its high quality, and we were glad to welcome vistors from the USA, Australia and New Zealand.

Events in 2011

Friday September 30th to Sunday October 2nd 2011: Yorkshire Dales Tour

Building on the success of the superb Lakeland Tour last year, we ran a memorable event in the Yorkshire Dales, based at the Harefield Hall Hotel in Pateley Bridge, with a baking hot dry Saturday and not so hot or dry Sunday. Two runs through stunning scenery were devised by organisers John and Mary Follows. On Saturday we drove via Kettlewell to medieval Castle Bolton followed by a conducted tour of the Black Sheep Brewery in Masham, then Fountains Abbey and/or Brimham Rocks. On Sunday our route took us via Burnsall and Malham, past all three Yorkshire Peaks, Pen-y-ghent, Ingleborough & Whernside, through the cobbled streets of Dent village for lunch at the Hawes Creamery, and finally over the moors to Grassington.
Thirteen Lea-Francis cars attended, plus four modern cars. Two local members brought their cars to meet us at Kettlewell and Hawes respectively.

On the second Monday of every month starting about 8pm at:


The Peacock

Bolter End

near Stokenchurch, Bucks

Organising member

Gordon Vipond, Tel: 01628 410878

On the second Tuesday of February, April, June, August, October and December starting about 8pm (although members often arrive earlier if they want to eat) at:

The Cat and Custard Pot

Shipton Moyne

near Malmesbury

Wiltshire

Organising member

Peter Povey Tel: 01454 884572 or mobile 07979 795525

The December meeting is our Christmas Dinner, pictured below.

Lunchtime meet and Museum in the Park visit

Cat & Custard Pot & Stratford Park Museum, Thursday June 23rd 2011

This successful event for Bristol area and Gloucestershire members attracted nine Lea-Francis cars, including four 14hp Sports, for a lunch at the Cat & Custard Pot in Shipton Moyne near Malmesbury, followed by a short run to the local history Museum in Stratford Park, Stroud, where parking was arranged for us directly outside.

New Year Meeting

Shardlow, early February

Above: This now traditional New Year gathering at the Clock Warehouse, Shardlow, Derbyshire, has proved popular with North Midlands members. In 2012, held slightly earlier than usual on Saturday 21st January, 18 members came, bringing 5 LeaFs.

Our 2011 Annual Rally Weekend was based in Banbury, visiting Bletchley Park for a tour of the World War II code-breaking centre on Saturday, and on the Sunday we went to Broughton Castle for our main assembly with Gymkhana and Concours . Despite non-stop rain, we had 34 Lea-Francis cars and one Connaught, one Unihorse tractor, one motorcycle and one bicycle. Prize-winning cars lined up in front of the Castle are, from left to right, two 1948 14hp Sports (Barny & Gillian Creaser and Ronnie & Jenny Ramsay, who had driven from Irvine in Scotland); 1952 14hp four-light saloon (Jonathan & Kate Bowskill); 1949 14/70 six-light saloon (Per-Eric & Margareta Ericsson from Sweden); 1950 2 1/2 litre Sports (Anna Saleh); another 1948 14hp Sports (John Blundell); 1928 P type 4 seater (Nigel & Merry Wadlow); 1925 K type 2 seater & dickey (Stephen Chittock); 1929 V type 4 seater (Graham & Ann White from North Devon, winning the Vintage Long Haul award); and the 1927 1LFS 14/40 4 seater of John Follows. Photo: Jim Jenkins

 

Above: Nigel Wadlow’s 1928 P type 4 seater fronts the parking at Bletchley Park. We had 18 Lea-Francis cars and 41 people for this visit. Photo: John Blundell

Above: Line up of mostly Much Park Street cars at the Banbury House Hotel. From left to right, 1948 14hp Sports, 1929 P type, 1949 14hp Sports, 14hp 4-light saloon, 1950 2 1/2litre Sports, 12.9hp drophead, 1948 14hp 4-light saloon. We had 50 people for dinner on the Saturday. Photo: John Blundell

Above: Lord Saye flanked by Per-Eric & Margareta Ericsson who had driven from Almhult in Sweden. Per-Eric’s lovely 14hp 6-light saloon won the 2nd Post-vintage Concours. Photo: John Blundell

Above: Line up of Much Park Street cars and the L3/SR Connaught of Clive Sherriff. Photo: Robin Sawers

Above: This line up includes two Woodies, and centre, the 1952 14hp 4-light saloon of Jonathan & Kate Bowskill, which won the Directors Trophy for best car overall in the concours. Photo: Allan Lupton

Above: The GT Andrews Trophy for the best restoration was awarded to the fabulous 1949 14hp Sports of Malcolm Hall. Photo: Jim Jenkins

Above: The 1927 1LFS of John Follows. This car came 2nd in the Vintage Concours. Photo: Colin Poynter

Above: The black & white 14/70 6-light show. Malcolm Hall’s on left and the Ericsson’s on the right. Photo: Robin Sawers

Above: Collin Bullock negotiates the driving test in his P type Cirrus III. Photo: Robin Sawers

Lea-Francis drivers have enjoyed considerable success in recent years in all types of competition, especially trials, navigational rallies and speed events.

Trials

Graham White and his 1929 P type trials car, now supercharged, have been the most successful Lea-Francis combination recently. They are seen here on the 2009 Welsh Trial.

Navigational Rallies

Members are often to the fore in VSCC rallies. Here Allan Lupton (1938 12.9hp Corsica) is on his way to winning the VSCC Northern Rally in 2007.

Speed Events

Above: The famous supercharged Hypers feature prominently in vintage speed events. Here is Jeremy Brewster’s very fast example on its way to yet another class record at the Vintage Prescott meeting.
Below: In 2011, nine Lea-Francis cars competed at this wonderful event, with another dozen LeaFs brought by spectators. Pictured are the six competing supercharged Hypers and, further down, Steve Jones in his standard 1928 P Type tourer and Ken Hawes in his recently acquired 1930 Hyper, chassis no. 14187, the last TT Replica and last Hyper but one.
Both actions shots by Eric Sawyer