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Yorkshire Dales Classic Car Club

 

Event Report

 

2019 Club Excursion to Shildon Railway Museum

 

Report by John Gill

 


Dad and I planned to start this run from the Applegarth Car park but a couple of days before the run we dicovered that the roads in Northallerton would be closed for a 10k race. We had to therefore make a rapid change of starting point, we selected Bedale but that meant doing the first part of the run again. We hoped that when we got to a common point on the route we could with some maths merge the mileages. We were worried that as we used a Mercedes odometer for part of the route and an MG one for the rest of the route things would not add up! I am pleased to say that despite my worries everyone found there way with no mishaps.


On the day of the run it dawned wet and windy and a few members turned out in their every day cars, despite the weather we had 17 entries for this excursion into the unknown badlands of Durham. Mike and Kevin being the exception as Durham is their stomping ground.


The route took us through Streetham and past the Cowtons, we passed the entrance to Croft Autodrome before heading to Darlington. Then came the shock the next instruction was “at the roundabout head south A!(M)”, this was just a minor detour to avoid Darlington town centre and get us to the old Roman road at Piercebridge. We went through the pretty villages of Cleasby and Manfield before crossing the Tees again in Piercebridge. We were now in Durham and headed for Gainford, Ingleton and Bolam.


It took about one hour and fifteen minutes to complete the run and the cars all arrived within ten minutes of each other. The paking attandants reserved a row for us at the rear of the carpark.


Members were then free to enjoy the Locomotion Railway Museum at their leisure. There was a Meccano exhibition on which a number of members found intresting.


Sheila Mason and a number of members went off to a local pub for a meal. Below is her account of the day and the meal is below.


Thank you to you and Ken for organising a very successful run with an excellent turn out, the museum visit was a great success even those that are not railway enthusiasts enjoyed it. The Meccano stands were brilliant although I have never built Meccano, but Tony remembered his childhood building it, in fact, he treated himself to a box and has ready started it, cheaper than a new car.


It was good to see 3 generations of the Bowes family enjoying themselves, Grandad, John Bowes with 13 year old Granddaughter navigating and Dad, Jonathon Bowes with 11 year old son as his navigator.


The 16 of us enjoyed our meal at The Bay Horse and as usual there was much chat and laughter. Neil Robertson made us laugh by recalling a run, quite a few years ago, when the group went in for a meal and the waitress apologised for the smell coming in from the car park, some old cars had just driven in!

 

Not sure what Tony is praying for, good weather, the car runs smoothly, or Sheila can find Shildon?