CLUB MEET: Squires Cafe
Eye-popping 1500-strong Fordmeet.
E xpectations were always going to be high for the 10th anniversary of Fordmeet, a group that began by meeting at a truck stop in Rotherham back in 2008. By 2011 Fordmeet had become so popular, they’d outgrown the small original venue and decided to move location to the huge field located adjacent to the popular Squires cafe, just east of Leeds. And they haven’t looked back since! This time around, the hard working organisers of the bi-annual event were overwhelmed by the sheer number of cars in attendance, especially considering winter had decided to overstay its welcome an extra few months this year! Luckily, the day of the show itself remained dry and the showfield was generally devoid of mud. The atmosphere is always relaxed, friendly and welcoming at Squires, which is probably one of the main reasons people keep coming back and often bringing their friends along too.
With well over 1000 cars in attendance there was bound to be something there for every Ford fan and as attendees arrive and leave throughout the day, the variety of a cars constantly changes. We were pleased to note the classics were well represented amongst the ranks, in fact there were a record number of Granadas this time around, which was a nice surprise. And not just standard Mk2s and Mk3s either — a rare Mk2 two-door saloon made the trip as did an even rarer Mk1 limo coupe. concours Capris, Cosworths, XR2s, XR3s and RS Turbos were well represented as usual, while Mark Ackroyd’s 100E cleverly transplanted on to the chassis of a Fiesta ST created quite a stir.
The show and shine competition was as popular as ever, but the Car Of The Show trophy went to Dale Smith and his jaw-dropping ’34 Ford three-window coupe. The next Fordmeet at Squires takes place on Sunday, September 23.