Pick of the month New Year’s Day special!

NEW YEAR’S DAY CLASSIC GATHERING 1 JANUARY

Brooklands plays host to the UK’S biggest New Year’s Day event for classic cars, and offers the perfect way to kick off 2019 in style. The 2018 edition drew more than 1000 cars and nearly 6000 enthusiasts to the historic Surrey circuit, with everything from a slammed Austin Allegro estate to a serene Rolls-royce Phantom VI on show. All are welcome, whether driving a classic or not, and there are plenty of distractions to take your mind off lingering hangovers, with club stands, live music and even a winter barbecue. 01932 857381; www.brooklandsmuseum.com

VINTAGE STONY

1 JANUARY

This friendly event in Stony Stratford near Milton Keynes is now a fixture on the classic-car calendar, and celebrates its 10th running this year. It was certainly beloved of our late and much-missed chief sub editor David Evans: there will be a minute’s noise this year to mark his passing, and that of Barry ‘Whizzo’ Williams. Pre-1940 cars and ’bikes take pride of place in the Market Square, but there’s plenty of room for post-war classics, too. Many of the town’s pubs, cafés and restaurants open for the event, and an awards ceremony further adds to the fun. www.vintagestony.co.uk

SUNDAY SCRAMBLE 6 JANUARY

If you’ve not yet experienced a Scramble at Bicester Heritage, make it your New Year’s resolution to do so in 2019. In just four years, these informal events have gone from coffee ’n’ cars affairs to an essential gathering of thousands of enthusiasts and varied vehicles. Anything goes – you’re just as likely to come across a Lamborghini 400GT as you are a Peugeot 505 – and the Technical Site residents open up for more delights.

01869 327928; www.bicesterheritage.co.uk