At 10 a.m. on a crisp Sunday morning in the English county of Herefordshire, Peder Nielsen, Bromyard’s Town Crier, formally announced the opening of the second Bromyard Speed Festival — the much anticipated classic motoring event that annually attracts thousands of motor enthusiasts from around the country.
So, why Bromyard? Nestled between Worcester and Hereford, it turns out this charming town has a rich and fascinating classic car history. In fact, it has played a central role in the birth and development of the motorcar itself, with Morgan, Austin and Bean originating in surrounding areas. It’s no wonder people journey far and wide to celebrate motoring history in this picturesque setting.
It was clear from the outset that this year’s event was incredibly popular, with nearby parking lots filled to the brim and the narrow streets packed with thousands of onlookers from all walks of life. Queues of excited spectators lined up to gain access to the paddocks and, given the turnout, we can assume with some certainty that local food vendors were kept extremely busy all day. As well as bringing together enormous crowds of like-minded petrol-heads, the festival provided a unique opportunity to get up close and personal with some seriously impressive classic cars and motorcycles.
Three land-speed record holders were displayed in a paddock for the public to view and photograph. These were the Beast Of Turin (above, Simon Lewis photo), a tremendous car that achieved 116-mph in 1911, Babs, which beat the land-speed record in 1926, and The Napier Bluebird, a replica of the vehicle that achieved 174.883-mph in 1927. Both The Beast and Napier Bluebird later took three laps around the streets (and may have shattered a few window-panes as they did), while Babs decided to remain in her paddock for the day and soak up the glory.
During the morning and afternoon groups of cars took a few spins around town while being cheered on by the excited crowds. Categories included “vintage cars,” “rally cars” and even “electric cars,” giving spectators a wonderfully diverse range of machinery to view and enjoy.
Holden Vintage & Classic, along with Morgan Motor Company, Brightwells Classic Motoring, South Hereford Garages and a range of other organizations sponsored the charitable event and pitched stalls in the market square where the cars commenced. Jeremy Holden, founder of Holden Vintage & Classic and Holden-Morgan, said, “The crowds and cars this year were fantastic, and we couldn’t be happier with the turnout. It was a wonderful day with perfect weather. We are so thankful to the volunteers, local businesses and participants for their enthusiasm which helped make the day so spectacular”.
