Out and About 2025
Branch New Year Lunch - Sunday 26th January 2025
Our Branch New Year lunch this year was held at the Half Way House on the A6 near Chorley. Forty-two members enjoyed an excellent two course meal with coffee/tea and mints and of course there was the usual camaraderie enjoyed by all. It was great to see a number of new members amongst us for the start of hopefully another great year for the Branch.
Mechanics' Day Auto Jumble Sale - Saturday 8th February 2025
We were blessed with the weather for the first Mechanics’ Day of 2025, a bit on the cold side but most importantly dry! Amongst items bought were; Wheel Trims, Distributors and Caps, Indicator Arm, Thermostat Housings, Petrol Pump, Door Pulls, Minor Car Jack, Spark Plugs, a Bag of Springs, Petrol Caps, Hub Caps, Door and Window Handles, Sun Visor Clips, Bonnet Badges, Lucas Spot Lamp, Engine, Differential, Steering Wheel, Head Light Rims, Hand Brake Cable, Head Light Units, Engine Manifold, Ignition Components, Ash Trays, Windscreen Wiper Blades, Number Plate Lights, Wheel Rims, Front Hubs and a Radiator Grill. All in all, sales on the day raised a significant amount for Branch Funds.
The availability of spares (at a much-discounted rate) from Branch stocks is one of the many benefits of being a Branch member. As members, we are also protected by liability insurance that we get via the National MMOC.
Classics at the Mill Meet - Sunday 9th March 2025
The St Catherine’s car meet was on the second Sunday of March in Lostock Hall. Notionally, the show only starts at 10am but, as it is a casual come and go as you please event, people have started arriving earlier and earlier. The March meet was very popular with around 200 hundred cars there. However some of our Branch members attented and they enjoyed displaying thier cars as well as admiring the great range of vehicles on display.
Heskin Hall Car Meet - Sunday 16th March 2025
For the March monthly meeting of the North West Classic Vehicles Club at Heskin Hall the weather was perfect for a car show, sunny but not too hot, and the early morning frost was soon a distant memory. The marshals were like a well-oiled machine and, somehow, managed to coordinate 161 vehicles into the parking area in front of and to the side and rear of the Hall. There was a steady stream of vehicles coming in and there was genuinely something for everyone: there were classic motorbikes, a V8 Pilot, Lamborghinis, Porches representing many of the decades (including a 74 plate with a rear spoiler the size of a surfboard on the back), TVRs, classic Minis and a few Moggies from the Branch. Branch members were also there in their other classics, enjoying the good weather and the great camaraderie at the Heskin Hall vehicle meets.
Branch Good Friday Car Run - Friday 18th April 2025
After meeting at McDonalds as usual on the A59 and driving in convoy to Bolton Abbey Station 16 Morrises were displayed – in a different position on the revamped car park this time. A return trip on the train to Embsay Station was enjoyed by all before picnics were eaten or lunches were purchased in the café.
This is an annual outing for the Branch which has been arranged now for some years. We are grateful to the railway for agreeing to us being displayed and for providing two for one tickets on the train once again.
LVC Show, Astley Hall - Sunday 11th May 2025
It was a great day at Astley Park for the LVC Classics Show. There were six Morris Minors, all of which were Branch members. Three members were parked together, but the other three were spread around the park. There were also a couple of very early Minors.
This is always a lovely local show set in the beautiful park of historic Astley Hall.his is an Image & Text block. Click on this text to start editing and enter your own text with some basic formatting. Just click anywhere outside the text box when you're done to continue working on the rest of your page.
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Bleasdale Tower Gardens - Sunday 18th May 2025
Some Branch members met, as arranged, at the Flower Bowl at Barton Grange.and our Morris cars were joined by a member's 1930 Rolls Royce 20/25 Landaulette and another member's Mk2 Jaguar. We drove in convoy through the Lancashire country lanes to the venue where we were joined by more Branch members in their Morrises. Bleasdale Tower is a private residence set in magnificent gardens which are open just one weekend a year. This year there were over 40 classics on show. The eldest being a 1923 open top Austin 7 (Fylde MG Club), follow by a 1927 Rover 12 Tourer (Pilling Old Car Club) and then a 1930 Rolls Royce (Lancashire Branch MMOC)..
It was a quiet relaxing afternoon, chatting to friends and listening to the Guardian Concert Band playing on the lawn. In the courtyard, there were burgers and hot dogs for sale, tea, coffee and cold drinks, ice cream, cake and strawberry and cream scones. It really was an enjoyable way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
Chipping Steam Fair - Sunday 25th May 2025
The Spring Bank Holiday weekend saw a special anniversary for the Chipping Steam Fair, as it celebrated 25 years since its start in 2000. They had a special fly-past of a Lancaster Bomber planned for the Saturday but, unfortunately, the low cloud scuppered those plans and the flight had to be cancelled - much to everyone's disappointment.
There was a fantastic array of exhibits and trade stalls to keep the public engaged as they spent time at the show. There were a record number of agricultural vehicles entered this year - over 200 pieces of machinery - as well as stationary engines, vintage push bikes, classic motorbikes, military machinery, earth moving equipment (giving an active display over the whole weekend, constantly digging and bull-dozing one corner of the showground), steam traction engines and the mini-traction engines. There was a terrific variety of classic and vintage vehicles on display, from a 1920's Rolls Royce town car to a 1990's Ford Mustang and lots in between. Two of our Branch members were exhibiting their 1935 Morris 12/4 and their newly acquired 1975 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow and both were getting lots of attention from the public, though not the judges. However, a Branch car, 1949 Low Light MM was given a highly commended rosette and wore it proudly during the Sunday and around the show ring parade.
on both the Saturday and Sunday there was plenty to keep people busy for two days at the show. Sunday saw the drier weather, for the most part, but there was a cold wind blasting down the field where the classic cars, caravans and trailer tents were on display. We enjoyed our traditional Branch convoy of Morrises from Sainsbury's in Longridge into the show ground with fellow Branch members.
Great Harwood Show - Monday 26th May 2025
After weeks of Mediterranean sunshine in Lancashire, the forecast for Spring Bank Holiday weekend was cool, wet and windy. However, fortunately, the weather for the GHAS annual event was better than expected although windy early on and there was rain later in the afternoon. Thousands of people descended on the Showground for this huge event which was packed with lots of entertainment and events including many craft stalls, animal shows, a huge range of delicious food offerings and much more. According to the Chairman of the Great Harwood Agricultural Show, 10 months of preparation went into the event and that it was brought to life by "an army of unpaid volunteers". He said that the change in the weather had not deterred the wonderful people of Great Harwood and surrounding districts from turning out in their many thousands to see spectacular events and shows.
