The Rotary Club of Kelvedon & District’s third annual Classic Car Rally on Sunday 3rd September was the most successful to date. Twenty classic cars met at club President Margaret Crowe’s house in Inworth, the drivers and navigators receiving their course directions and a complimentary breakfast before checking the route and their vehicles.
All the cars got away without incident and worked their way around Colchester, through Dedham and Brantham to the Stutton Road and the first stop at the Suffolk Food Hall in Wherstead. It’s only 30 miles but many of these are cars without power steering or servo brakes and with a clutch to test the left leg of a weightlifter. The drivers needed a stop and a coffee.
It was then across country to Hadleigh and Lavenham and another rest at Bridge Farm Barns. Their shopping opportunities tempted several crews who found it to be quite an expensive stop-over, in fact one all-female crew had to be shepherded by our marshals out of the shops and back into their car.
The final leg took the drivers to Sudbury, Bures, White Colne and Marks Tey before arriving back at the starting point where a drink and BBQ awaited them. 82 miles were driven. Twenty cars started the rally and twenty cars finished; a first for the event, although it would probably have been alright anyway as one of the participants was an off-duty AA man!
There were several opportunities during the day to raise funds for Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY), this year’s special charity. It had a particularly poignant connection as Margaret Crowe’s 18 year old grand-daughter died from a cardiac condition earlier in the year and the rally was run in her memory. Over £800 was raised and our heartfelt thanks go to everyone who supported it.
The Rotary Club of Kelvedon and District meets each Tuesday evening 6:45 for 7pm at The Blue Anchor, Feering Hill.
Visitors are always welcome, just contact Nigel Boyce-Bown on 01206 240421 or boycebown@gmail.com.
Katherine Harding-Jones