Kelmarsh Hall Get Together and Spares Day 2021
Since I got my first one, I've always wanted to participate in community events focused around the car I had at the time. When I got my first Beetle, I attended small meets at the Humber Bridge car park and learned a lot about the platform, so naturally, when I heard about Kelmarsh Hall's Morris Minor Get Together and Spares Day, it was a real and proper opportunity to meet like-minded people and their Moggies - Whilst also scoring on a few cheap bits and bobs!
If I'm ever going to be attending an event, I'll always post about it on my Instagram @Eugenethemorris beforehand, so if you drop me a follow, don't be afraid to offer to say hello! Because of this, I was able to meet one of my favourite Moggies and owners at Kelmarsh, as well as spot a few more that I follow!
So here's a little bit about the weekend...
The journey there
With Eugene not being the healthiest running Moggy at the moment, Jessica and I opted to go in Torsten, which would make it my first long journey using him. The ride was a bit mundane, but it was nice to have a comfortable ride, following the flow and speed of the traffic. M62 to M18, to M1, to A14 - Just a very long, straight set of roads. The company made it much easier - Without her, I'd have lost my mind!
With 50 miles remaining, I had 30 miles range left and a fuel warning on my dashboard. Now in a TT, averaging 24mpg urban and 34mpg on a motorway, this would be more like 15-20 miles. Best get fuel then! Well if only it was that easy.
Has anybody told you about this fuel crisis? Surely you've heard about it. There isn't actually a shortage of fuel, there's a shortage of drivers delivering it. So naturally, every bugger in the UK and their dog decided they were going to take it all. I passed 5 different petrol stations that were either not providing fuel, or just completely closed because of supply issues. Thankfully, I found a station that had two pumps open, but only the premium petrol was available - Which by the way, isn't premium, it's last year's standard fuel, but don't get me started on that. So after putting in 50L of fuel (3/4 of a tank) at 147.9p per litre, I left the station, chuntering behind gritted teeth. Thankfully, this was the only drama of the journey.
Arrival at Kelmarsh
We soon arrived at Kelmarsh and after a short drive across a couple of tracked fields, we found our spot - The unmistakable car boot-esque view of tables and tarp, with a scatter of the world's biggest small cars. The funniest part about the arrival was actually the sounds. None of these cars sounded like Eugene! They were all well-tuned, smooth sounding and nigh pristine examples. Dare I say, I wouldn't have believed a single soul if they'd said the car had left the garage at all this year - That's either an ode to their usage or how meticulously careful the owners are with their cars. I was envious nonetheless!
We followed the steward who directed us to a spot next to a gorgeous, blue and white Triumph Herald, the likes of which I'm kicking myself about - I never actually gave it a good look because we then pitched our tent. By the time we were done, the Herald had disappeared. Gutted. Nevertheless, the tent was up and the bed blown up, so instead of meeting everybody and seeing their wares, like we extroverts we should be, we filled the kettle, lit the hob and indulged in some quiet time with a cuppa and treats, like the introverts we are in reality.
It wasn't long before we picked ourselves up and had a wander though. I finally met the club spares guru, Mr Brian Gosling himself, who was unable to secure a sale from me on the first day, but for good reason - It was at that point I realised we hadn't actually brought any cash! Well, I guess window-shopping it is. It was actually at this point that we met a familiar face on Instagram - Passenger Seat Podcast's very own Becca, her partner Jamie and we can't forget her lovable little bluebell Moggy, Peggy, sporting a gorgeous red steering wheel - That interior is something to be jealous of, really.
We perused a few more stalls of the quiet, vintage market before then returning to the tent for some evening entertainment - Jess and I are quite happy as "people watchers", so will often relax with a drink and watch the world go by. I'm also well aware that northerners are quick to approach new people, whereas southerners, by stereotype, aren't!
The first night
What was nice about the first night was the atmosphere surrounding the whole event. It was a peaceful, yet energetic dusk, with the echoes of cheer and drinks bouncing off the trees and open hillsides. The Coventry branch were just a short walk to our right and the joy projecting from their little home-from-homes was warming. I approached them to take a few pictures of a gorgeous example of a white Traveller and was fortunate enough to talk to the owner, who was a very welcoming and friendly chap (a common trait shared by the other members!). Shortly after, I recognised my favourite Instagram Volvo, "Moose", joined by his owner Matt, who I've followed for some time now. It was great to put a face to the name and talk a bit more in-depth about his car's transformation and future. It goes without saying that although I wasn't ready to accept their invitation to join them at that time, I will be the next time I see them - They were a lovely bunch who I'd be honoured to get to know better!
As the sun started to set, the "Golden Hour" lighting was not to be wasted. I polished off my gas stove, gluten free burger, hopped in Torsten with my camera, and slowly creeped up to the distant hillside and tree line. It's not often that I allow myself the opportunity to go out of my way to capture photos of my cars to a higher standard; They're usually in the same places, same subject, just different angles, so this was a chance I wasn't going to waste! I was able to get some really nice, golden photos - Not many, but I opted for quality over quantity!
After pulling up next to our tent for the last time, we allowed the night to fall to the sounds of "Do you have any Aces?" and "Go fish", before climbing into our sleeping bags and briefly visiting the land of Nod. I slept dreadfully and I couldn't fathom why that was, but on just 4 hours of actual sleep, I hardly had the energy to ponder it for long - We had the coming Spares Sunday to deal with. From what other participants were saying, this was going to be a busy one...
Some actual shopping
...Except it wasn't a busy one.
At first light, I dragged my baggy eyes out of bed, counted the cracks in my back and went for a stroll, hoping it'd refresh me somewhat. The misty atmosphere and silence created a soothing ambience which but my grouchy mood at bay. The other campers were all asleep, so it seemed fitting (and hopefully not creepy at all) to take my camera with me. I was only out for a few minutes before heading back to the tent, because we had a car boot to attend!
Thanks to the madness and fuel shortages caused by people putting way too much faith in the news, many participants who were expecting to come down didn't want to risk the journey, so they simply stayed at home. This led to only a couple of additional stalls being erected, but that wasn't going to stop me - I had my eyes on some bits and knew where the local cash machine was, so I was going to get them! The search for a working cash machine, however, was just another example of shortage madness. There wasn't a cash machine available that had cash to distribute, except for one - A secret little number hidden behind a Tesco!
Now armed with crisp fivers, I rushed back to the camp, ready to haggle, barter, argue, even fight if I must - Thankfully, it never came to that, but after some very polite conversation with some even more polite members of the club, I was able to acquire some absolute bargains:
- 4-Door front door striker
- Electric washer pump
- Series II Boot handle
- Crankshaft Pulley
- A beefy spanner for the crankshaft starter dog
- A miniature Moggy model car
I also scored this lovely little frame of a Traveller:
Jess and I then retired as introverts back to the tent for a final cuppa, where we sat and watched more Moggies make their way through the field. A small army of cars lined up in a mini-rally just short of the stalls, prompting many attendees to join in. The "Spares Day" was over and the "Get Together" was now underway. I briefly headed over there with my camera and relished in the eavesdropping of conversations and story-telling from the club members, took a few shots of interesting cars, before then making my way back to the tent, which was now packed and ready for our departure.
The journey back
The long, straight-road journey back up to Swanland was a quiet, uneventful trip, with a few of the usual delays, but an otherwise mundane journey. That was until we got to McDonald's, where I promptly decided to mount a curb in a dramatic fashion. It turns out that Audi TTs are much lower than I imagined and as a result, I was at that moment attached to their path by my now disconnected undertray. It's times like these that make me grateful for spending that extra £8 at the petrol station for a small toolbox.
Thankfully, the rest of the journey was simple and without issues. Which concludes my first experience at Kelmarsh Hall and integrating with other MMOC branches! Without a doubt, I'll be attending again and aiming to attend more events over the calendar year, maybe even in Eugene, once he's up and running again. It was nice to speak to like-minded people and I'd like to think that next time, I won't be so introverted!
Did you attend Kelmarsh Hall? Let me know what bargains you found down below! If you want to share anything with me, you can hit me up on Instagram @Eugenethemorris
But, as always, until that point... I actually don't have a witty finishing phrase for this one. I'll just see you at the next event!
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