Monday, August 06, 2007

The Annual Classic Car Jamboree

The first Sunday in August always brings with it a veritable sea of aging motors; Mount Edgcumbe turns into a massive car park and those with an interest in such things as double-overhead-camshafts or gaskets talk earnestly to each other whilst admiring a 1956 thingummajig which has been nicely polished up for the occasion.

And then there's the rest of us who couldn't really give two figs for classic cars or motorbikes. We still go along to the annual funfest so that we can spend our pocket money at the numerous stalls and car boot stands.

Mrs The Millbrooker, Lizzie and I trogged along the hugely busy footpath to Cremyll (what were all those people doing on my footpath, grumble grumble grump...?) It was a lovely sunny day, for which I'm sure the event's organisers were duly grateful; it made for a slower walk than usual but who's complaining?

We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves fuddling through the assorted clothing on offer. I treated myself to a new panama hat, the old one being distinctly past its best, and that was my pocket money gone in one fell swoop. Actually I did have a couple of quid left which I was coerced into spending on some home made cheese and onion pies on the cancer research stall by one of my old taxi drivers, Tony.

The rally is a great event to potter about for an hour or two: there's live music, plenty of refreshment stalls, loads of tat to sort through in the car boot section, bouncy castles and slides for the younger generation and good ale to be had from the Edgcumbe Arms (although we forwent that pleasure on this occasion on the grounds of having too little time before needing to be home and cooking some chops for tea).

I do wonder, though why the organisers allow party political stands in what should surely be a gentle and fun day out? And why is the only such stand taken by the ridiculous rightists UKIP? I would think it far better to not permit political organisations to campaign at this sort of event, or to invite the lot of them: SWP, BCP, BNP, Veritas (ho ho ho)....
perhaps the organisers are simply showing their own colours, in which case I would have to say that in my considered opinion the rally is neither the time nor the place.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Free speech, If UKIP are the only party who can be bothered to turn up to an event like this, is that a reason to ban them ?. You may not like their politics, but at least they are trying to engage with the public.