SOLIHULL FESTIVAL 2008

Held  at Brueton Park, Solihull.

Now in it's eighth year the Solihull Festival is organized by five Rotary Clubs in the Solihull area, the Solihull Soroptomists and Solihull Inner wheel Clubs.

Since it started in 2001 it has raised over £150,000 for charity and provided the good burghers of Solihull with a wide range of activities, sporting, cultural and leisure, over a week in late September.

As part of the festival an event is staged in Brueton Park, close to the town centre, free to the public and offering a range of activities and attractions.

On the road.

We have not attended this show before but then the Classic Car gathering only started a couple of years ago. Five Austin Sevens converged on Brueton Park, four of us in a convoy from the north and Rex getting there from his home nearby to stake out a good pitch.

Rod A goes into Sleeve G.

After a brief game of musical cars aimed at avoiding the muddier parts of the site presenting the cars to their best advantage we then pitched camp. in previous years this would have been to provide shade from the sun but the way this year has been behaving it was more in anticipation of a deluge.

A gaggle of Sevens.

We nearly got the cars in reverse date order - must work on that - but they did make an attractive introduction to the event on the main public approach.

The sevens attracted a lot of attention including that of the Mayor of Solihull who collared Phil, the Club Secretary for a chat.

Chatting with the Mayor.

Out on the event field there was a string of displays held throughout the day from a Pipe Band to Dance Troupes to Knights in Armour. despite our low expectations of the weather it turned out to be mainly sunny and dry and so a large flow of visitors passed through the Event replacing the usual sporadic trickle of dog walkers with quite a throng of people.

The Shirley Pipe Band.

Sevens attracting attention.

The thing that is becoming apparent at Events like this is that Sevens are held in a great deal of affection and that there are a great number of people who are attracted to the idea of owning and running one. The thing that is missing is awareness that the cars are out there to be bought for a reasonable price and it doesn't cost the earth to keep one on the road giving pleasure to both the occupants and the vast majority of people who spot them on the road.

A neighbouring Alvis.

Our Club aims to try and promote the use of Sevens by increasing the awareness that the general public has of the work of the many Austin Seven Clubs in the UK and Internationally. Next season we will be taking an up-to-date 'Cars for Sale' board to events to try and put cars together with new owners. So, if you have a car for sale, let us know.

Running the gauntlet.