10-11th May 2008

GROWLER V (Warwickshire and Northamptonshire)

Over the weekend of 10-11th May 2008 the XKEC held their annual national event entitled GROWLER V which this year celebrated the clubs Fifth Anniversary as well as the XKRs Tenth Anniversary.

During the evening of Friday 9th May some thirty-six members gathered together for an evening meal which member Terry Farrell had kindly organised at the Stratford Manor Hotel where most of us was staying.

Rising bright and early the next morning we set of to our Saturday car display venue at Charlecote Park in Warwickshire. This was our second year at Charlecote and once again we think it was a superb choice.

At 8:30am the companies started arriving to set up, including the loaned Palmersport XK. At 10am members started arriving. One by one they streamed through the doors. At 11:15 the forty-three car convoy which member Chris Cox had arranged from Gaydon had arrived and created quite a sight for those waiting.

Throughout the day, the sun shone bright and by around 1.30pm 108 XK8 and XKRs were proudly on display. Later that afternoon I presented trophies for six different categories (winners and categories can be seen in pictures overleaf). Many thanks go to all those members who voted earlier in the day.

Following the car display (around 4pm) some members returned to the hotel, only to gather again around 7pm ready for the Gala dinner dance that I had laid on at the Kestrel Suite, Gaydon Heritage Motor Centre. Eighty-six people attended the dinner dance. The evening’s entertainment was once again provided by nine-piece band “Rubbersoul”. They were superb.

Following a raffle presentation with prizes donated by all the companies involved, the evening eventually ended at 1am where members then headed for the laid on coaches for the return journey to the hotel.

The Sunday turned out to be the UK’s hottest day of the year as members started gathering in the hotel car park. Our forty-car convoy headed off from the hotel towards our next venue, the Silverstone Racing Circuit in Northamptonshire. Here I had arranged a behind-the-scenes tour for members. However, only the night before were members made aware that I had also arranged a special Anniversary photoshoot which meant taking our cars on track and lining them up on the Start line.

After all the photos were taken on the track we headed back to the Visitors Centre ready for our guided tours. As members returned one by one you could see great big smiles on their faces which I think said it all. The tour ended about 4pm when everyone said their final farewells before heading off home.

The whole weekend was a fantastic success and I cannot thank everyone enough for turning up and supporting us. There are obviously too many people to thank on such a big occasion like this but they will know who they are. I would though like to thank two members, Andre Vos and Philipp Marbach, for coming all the way from Belgium and Switzerland respectively, now that’s enthusiasm for you. Everyone is to be congratulated in helping make the GROWLER V weekend the best yet. WELL DONE. The trouble is now I have to try and better that for GROWLER VI in 2009?