|
North West Bears - 2010 - Cholmondeley Pageant of Power |
|
|
2010 has certainly been a year for North West Bears, from new members joining and getting involved to longstanding members finding new events to attend and raise the profile. The basis for the North West Events Calendar has to be the Cholmondeley Pageant of Power, however this year saw several additions to the events calendar to compliment all enthusiasts of all things petrol and wheels. |
|
|
|
|
|
May 9th started at Cholmondeley Castle in sunshine at the first of four Andrew Greenwood Classic car shows where we are supporting Claire House Children’s Hospice on the Wirral. In stunning sunshine we had four cars offering Dream Rides from local members and plenty of help. Andrew brought his fabulous Porsche 993 Targa, Roger and Danny with an Austin Healey and the two Steve’s with Nissan GTR35 and Audi R8. With Colin and Graham helping from Preston, Kate Harvey provided a stand and booking desk all day and Graham Jones ran the garage to raise £185 and we started the year in sunshine!
Then over three days (22nd, 23rd and 29th May) at Liverpool One Pageant of Power we managed to break out a new Bears Stand to promote both CPoP 2010 and what the Bears do best, have fun and put smiles on faces as they donate. The first weekend saw support from Liverpool Audi with a V10 powered R8 and Chester Porsche came along with their Rothmans 911 Rally Car and the four door Panamera. Alan Swaisland displayed a classic Mercedes 230SL to keep interest while the other cars were out. New drivers Mike in Imprezza, Ben in 964 Turbo helped with regulars to the North West Drew in his Aston Martin and Mike Webber transformed the Dino for a Jaguar XK on his way – dedicated in Scotland I think. We suffered – YES – suffered 27degree heat wave but was I to regret saying that. The following Saturday was forecast rain all day and it did rain, in true Cholmondeley fashion. The Audi R8 tested the V10 delivering through its Quattro drive and Steve Price brought his sensible family car, the Nissan GTR35 and before I could say hello his family had spotted John Lewis and were off shopping (sorry for getting the Bears involved in a shopping complex!). Andrew Clarke braved the trip across country in his Ultima GTR and yes the LS7 engine was truly tested in rain made for arks not cars. Over all three L1PoP days we had super help from new faces Kate and Steve Harvey and Hannah Young preparing themselves for CPoP. Here we raised £1,310.32 in a brand new concept for the North West Bears which with 3-4 cars each day was a great credit to the drivers and helpers, especially the wet ones on the last day.
With the rain still ringing in my ears I packed ready for the second Andrew Greenwood classic show at Capesthorne Hall in Macclesfield, May 30th and 31st next to the splendid Jacobean House. Set up the stand and enjoy two days of sunshine with Roger and Danny in the Healy and Mini Cooper, Steve Bell travels the distance with his Imprezza and Jay and Poly Hale arrive in the popular GT3. On Bank Holiday Monday we have Jay and Polly again and Steve brings the R8 to keep the GT3 on its toes. Polly is a star and always manages to promote the Bears with confidence and the Ladies from Claire House enjoyed her energy. Here we set up a surprise for an 80year young lady to go in the GT3 and watched her son in tears of joy as they set off on her Dream Ride, so sometimes it is not just the kids who Dream. Another £380 in the fund on some great driving roads and I think Roger persuaded a passenger to buy a Healey over a Jag with his love for his car. |
|
|
Over the year we have started to build support from CES UK Limited who have purchased a 4m flag and pole, printed high vis jackets and added an A-Board with print and loan vans to aid the Bears look professional in the North West. Because of this I agreed to show Dream Rides at Chester Motor Show sponsored by CES and promoted as a free to enter show by Dee Radio in Chester. It was finalised for 6th June when I had planned to visit Thirlestane with the Polars, maybe next year Fiona? As a local event Claire House were chosen and as always sent a couple of people to support our presence and shake buckets to save the loose change dropping out in the cars. Alan brought a great Sunbeam Alpine to show, which only as he drove out did I realise it was LHD. Keith of CPoP R8 fame (see the white R8 picture from last year facing the field of mud!) brought his sprint car, Peugeot 306 to compete with an Exidge, Westfield, 997 twin turbo and a 100octane powered Evo9 fellow bear James Devlin popped across with. While all cars looked great we decide as a promo to send every car out at £10 and rides started busy and a few people were convinced to ride with Keirh after trying the other cars and all came back with smiles and exclamations that he can drive. Later Gerry Simpson, a new member had just finished the Three Castles Rally in Wales when he managed to transform his Rally Mini Cooper 998 to a Porsche 993 thanks to tearing his exhaust off on the final stages. It was a little amusing to watch our cars returning to the exclusive gate we had, to watch an owner of CES UK Ltd be turned away in his vintage Rally Porsche to the other car park being told Sporting Bears only when they have sponsored the event and supported the Bears, but I guess if your names not down!!!! £285.00 later we packed away with a whole month to realx before the BIG ONE, CPoP 2010 in July but as a holiday Graham Jones and myself popped down to Gaydon Super Car Sunday and after the football that day we were glad we helped as it sounded better on the radio on the M5 home. |
|
Cholmondeley Pageant of Power
Well, with all these pre events to promote CPoP Dream Rides, a great list of cars, the new Bears Stand, the flag, A-board and jackets from CES, helpers ready what could go wrong even if it rained. Thursday rope out the area to receive a call from the Event Director, “ah Max, we might have a problem” - 3 hours later I have finished negotiating with the CAA as they are not happy about our area and the flight exclusion zone. We finalise where, what and when we can offer Dream Rides and I accept I have just lost half of my car area. |
 |
 |
Onwards and upwards, Friday morning Speedy Hire drop off 50 fences which Steve Harvey with Sarah start setting blocks and bolts, Janet (membership) arrives with a kindly donated Race Truck (thank you Stuart and Mark) with awning to keep us all dry and an electric kettle – by eck get us up North eh!!! Pre loaded are the Sitelink Radios and at lunchtime I return to Chester to collect the CES van and load up the next lot. While here Ceri jones collects the tables from our local primary school and somewhere through Friday the first drivers start to appear. We have set up camp nearby with Graham Moss who have brought a classic car display to give the third point of Bears exposure on site. |
|
Saturday morning, 5.30, up to the gate entrance and politely introduce our activity to the gate marshalls who also help putting a couple of banners up for us. Speaking to Evie, her first words were have you got a Muira, so this is a young girl who knows cars and a promise of a ride out in one of the cars on her break nearly gets a marriage proposal. Janet brews up and the troops arrive to set up followed by a breakfast butty. Cars start to fill up and at 10.30 I have the pleasure of the Event Police Controller attending to listen to our drivers briefing and then tells us to say hello to one of his drivers who is on leaflet duty this weekend for rolling a car on Thursday. |
 |
 |
Bookings are starting slowly and we soon realise the lull will be till after Lunch as we are between the full Military display area and Lodge corner. New driver Robert Mee arrives in a red Maserati QP and can’t believe the excitement people show to his car and the reward he feels for taking the out smiling all the way. This has to be the greatest reward for any driver. A Passenger last year at CPoP meant Jon this year had enjoyed it so much he bought one and joined us both days to offer very popular Dream Rides. Jane has the XJ220 again to see if last years rain was a one off at CPoP and while it rained a little in the morning it was sunny afternoons all round. As always we have cars that transform en route to Dream Rides and Simon Mitchel intended to stretch his Masa from London and then to Kimbolton but a puncture and phone call ended arriving in his Westfield, which complimented Simon Parish in his TVR. Both cars were then off to Kimbolton on Sunday in true Bears style, a full weekend. We enjoyed seeing who could chose the real Dino from the Replica and I am sure a couple of Dream Rides may have gone in the other without trealising but all enjoyed and thank you to Gerry for bringing his Ferrari 275GTB Alloy across, with the tag line “just under £1,000,000 at auction. These celebrated cars were compared to the Mugen Type R offered by new Bear Member Paul Hawkins, car No4 of only 20 in the UK. |
 |
Away from the garage area we had our Bears stand and again a new driver managed to bring a static Porsche to leave displayed and then drove his 996 in the mornings. Porsche were further represented when Mark Caplan added his Boxter and returns from Chester Porsche in the classic 911 Rally car, Ben had shotgun Mike so two drivers in the 964 turbo and Bryn again brought his Japanese racing 993.
Mike and Helen Webber brought the Dino replica (I still can’t tell) and Jag XK which did have the roof down all the way from Scotland for a second year. Other Bears travelled up from Kent and London and one experienced Bear thought he had a Diesel V8 (I promised not to name so let’s call him Tony - I mean there must be loads of Bears called Tony who drive a Marcos!) so he was a little late. |
| Aston Martin had sent loads of goodies so once the AM drivers were reserved a little something, we gave away the brochures and sold the DBS pin badges. By Saturday we had raised the same as the whole CPoP 2009 figure, so with high spirits we bid farewell to Saturday drivers and helpers (thanks Adam, Kim, Boo and David too) Andy parked the Ultima and grabbed the taxi (Corvette Pace Car driven by Phil Bennett) to the campsite, prepared to relax in the concert and firework display. Walking half way up the crowd we stopped and settled with Grahams homebrew wine to be greeted by Mark (Lola) one side and Drew (Aston) the other – you can’t go anywhere without meeting Bears. The fireworks and guns were great and we returned to camp for Caravanokie, who mentioned they have a karaoke machine in a caravan, some have never been so glad to hear a generator splutter out of fuel. |
 |
 |
Sunday was a later start and a new batch of cars to tempt the public purse. First to arrive was Steve Price with his Sensible Family Car (I think Nissan have missed a marketing trick with the GTR35) and soon joined by others to hear my briefing with two officers listening to check my accuracy. Jon returned with his Atom and we had a compliment of DB7, F355, Masa and R8 to give a poster line up. Although quieter on Sunday we enjoyed the day with busy rides and people enjoying the cars. As you meet people from CPoP ask what the rest of the event was like, it is very surreal to see a 1,000 HP JCB with flashing lights sounding better than the Bentley Napier roaring down the straight. Reports of car club displays, dealer displays and paddock displays were coming in all the time with a 47L engine spitting flames. The tank rides that had been busy both days, ariel displays from the Brietling wing walkers and the Helicopters were fascinating, the mock battle was load and smokey but all were supassed when Hannah and Rachel screamed past in the MAIN BATTLE TANK they had charmed a lift to the campsite in – sorry Phil I think this beats your Corvette! |
|
If you were there please write a more interesting account, but to finish I would like to thank Graham Jones and Steve Harvey for setting up, Adam and David for promoting all day Saturday, Kim and Boo, Kate and Hannah, Janet and Helen and everybody at the event for making it BRILL.
We operated because Hobs Repro in Chester supported the Bears with printing booking sheets, tickets and all years have been laminating photos (Kim I know but it’s how we do it) , CES UK Limited for a fuelled van, Flag, High-Vis Vests, A-Board and posters, Sitelink for Radios and finally Speedy hire for fencing.
|
 |
 |
Cars we had over the two days were. AM DB7 – Fred , AM Vantage – Drew, Ariel Atom - Jon, Audi R8 – Steve ,Corvette – Phil ,Corvette – Martin, Ferrari 275 GTB Alloy – Gerry, Ferrari Dino – Gerry, Ferrari Dino (rep) – Mike, Ferrari Testarossa – John, Ferrari 355 – Nick, Honda Type R Mugen - Paul, Jaguar XJ220 - Jane, Jaguar XK – Helen, Lancia Fulvia - Julian , Lola T70 - Mark ,Marcos Manatara – Tony, Maserati GT – David , Maserati QP - Robert, Mercedes AMG - Max, Mini Cooper – Roger and Danny, Nissan GTR35 - Steve, Porsche Boxter - Mark, Porsche 911 Rothmans Rally - Paul, Porsche 964 Turbo – Ben and Mike, Porsche 993 Racer – Bryn, Porsche 996 - Don, TVR Chimera – Simon, TVR Tuscan - Stuart, Ultima GTR – Andrew, Westfield - Simon
|
|
In all we raised £4,735.50 on Dream Rides, that is DOUBLE last years figure.
Well here’s to next year, see the local drivers at the other NW events, see you all at NEC, please get in touch if you can help in the future.
Max Walker – 07969 877120
|
 |
