Raby Castle: Classic In The Park
Crewe classics lead the club displays at North East’s 650-strong show
Club displays packed with classic Rolls-Royces, Jaguars and Aston Martins took pride of place in front of the Grade I-listed Raby Castle at this busy one-day event.
By far the largest display was given over to the Jaguar Drivers’ Club, which brought along more than 100 cars, but the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club, Aston-Martin Owners’ Club and TR Register all put together impressive displays, while Sporting Bears provided showgoers with rides on the roads in the picturesque Durham countryside to raise cash for charity.
Inclement weather, particularly at the start of the event, meant that overall numbers were slightly down on 2017’s event. However the variety of cars on show more than made up for it, with entrants including the only DAF 750 still believed to be on the UK’s roads.
Mark Woodward, event organiser, said: ‘Despite the bad weather we’ve had some superb cars here today – and it’s only the second time we’ve held the event in the grounds immediately outside the castle rather than the fields nearby, which just shows how this show’s grown from a 50-car meet-up right at the beginning.
‘For me the highlight is definitely the superb stand displays, including the Jaguar Driver’s Club and Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club. It’s also worth mentioning the tractor display too, which you don’t often get at classic shows and is all made up of people who’ve driven them in from the local area to take part.’
And Les Clayson, show commentator, said: ‘It’s not a concours event, and while we do take things seriously the emphasis is much more on getting everyone here to get involved and enjoy their cars – the beautiful MGB that won the Sports Car category was just as interesting as the chap who’d built a three-wheeler around Peugeot 206 running gear.
‘There are a very few classic car shows that have such an impressive backdrop, which is one of the things that really sets Raby Castle apart from other events.’