Beginnings of Classic Car Charity Tours
My name is Mark O’Neill. I’m a retired gas engineer whose hobby is to renovate old cars. Part of the renovation is testing the cars over at least 100 miles. After my first car, a 1956 Standard Super Ten, was almost completed, I drove down the road, round the corner, down the lane, and had broken down repeatedly. So, I wondered, how far could I go before it broke down again?
I planned a route the car might have driven when it was first built in 1956. Several friends asked to come along, so I copied the route book I’d prepared and asked for donations toward a local charity.
My classic car touring route was so well supported I did another, and another, and another. Eventually I started “Classic Car Charity Tours” on Facebook to advertise my proposed activities. That was some years ago now.
Supporting the MS Trust
I had recently heard a dear friend had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The condition was progressing and was compounded by long-Covid and diabetes. He and I had spent several years hiking, walking and climbing mountains together, while training and supervising young people engaged in the Duke Of Edinburgh’s award scheme. It is hard to believe the health of this amazingly fit and strong young man could be so heavily and diabolically affected by this horrid disease. The challenges he, his amazingly supportive wife and all of his family face appear enormous to me. So, what could I do to help and show my support for all of them?
I guess it’s pretty obvious. I do classic car charity tours, so why not go for the biggest one I’ve ever done. Haha! Sounds so easy!
Organising the event
I drafted a new 140 mile, one day, route. Then, with the aide of another friend, created yet another Worcestershire County Boundary Classic Car Tour to go ahead in Spring 2024. The event was picked up by “Practical Classics” magazine and I was contacted by Craig Cheetham asking if he could take part and prepare a report for their “Charity Hero’s” section. Why not!
Being a one-man-outfit I knew this was going to be a challenge. I found and agreed a venue that could take up to 60 cars, make us breakfast sandwiches and provide a good number of hot drinks for as low a price as practical. Always understanding that even the venue had financial challenges these days. The Gigmill Pub, Stourbridge was very accommodating. I found a microphone and amplifier so I could speak to the teams and even drafted in the local MP, Susanne Webb, to support us all. Some friends also offered to help with the very, very tight parking. All cars would be parked specifically, so we could “escape” the carpark within a few minutes, without any hazardous reversing.
Event day
Shoot forward to Saturday April 27th, 2024 at 7:45am. I arrived with my 15yr old grandson Alf. He came to collect the numerous donations in a big bucket. He was good at that sort of thing. My wife, Karen and sister Yvonne set up and staffed the participant registration desk. Nigel, Mel and Tony, were the ‘parking crew’. Craig Cheetham the “Practical Classics” reporter and the Susanne Webb the local MP. Surprisingly a good number of classic cars were already there nice and early. In total 48 classic cars turned up. They looked splendid! Each registered, paid their pennies and took their tour route packs. The packs included the route book, windows stickers, pencils and key-rings. These were accompanied by the MS Trust leaflets provided so everyone was aware of the reason for this particular tour.
Our MP, Suzanne, gave out prize certificates & vouchers for best car, and best costume, to match their car - won by the Rusty-Nuts team in their brilliant clown costumes!
The route pack was explained and a safety briefing given before it was “START YOUR ENGINES!”. Cars, guided by the excellent “parking team”, started to roll out in almost every available direction. We had to give multi directions at the start so all 48 cars didn’t go down the same road, causing an almighty early morning traffic jam. All were clear of The Gigmill Pub by 9:15am on the journey around the wonderful Worcestershire county boundary.
The team spread out as intended and got to the first tea stop, (The Apple-Tree Kitchen, Clifton-upon-Teme), after about an hour on the road. Then off again around the South side of the Malvern Hills and across the flat ground to Tewkesbury, Evesham and Bourton-on-the-Water in the Cotswolds. Here we managed to lose some teams as they realised how nice the place was and decided to shop for the afternoon!
Onward then through a Bidford-on-Avon, Astwood Bank, Hanbury, Bromsgrove and back to Stourbridge for a well-earned, late afternoon meal and a wee pint. (Well I had to!)
Reflections
To be fair to the day, and the amazing efforts by everyone involved, the only car to actually fail to complete the journey was…… MINE! (Dash it!). I had chosen to use this tour as a test for my recently renovated 1957 MG Magnette ZB Varitone. It had done well on a couple of prior short runs, so I had great hopes. However, it was not to be. I came back on an RAC truck. Embarrassing or what! Hey ho.
We did manage to raise an amazing grand total of £1200 for the MS Trust. Hopefully, this might help them to help others, and their families, living with MS.
“Practical Classics” magazine were amazing too. They normally had a column for the “Charity Hero” events they covered. In our case it was a two page spread! Fame at last. Haha!
How can you help?
So, the question is ‘how can you help?’. Simples. Decide your favourite hobby/pastime. What you do that makes you feel good. Then chat to your mates and ask them to help you to raise pennies using your ideas. If they have even better ones go with it. Its not a ‘look at me’ contest. The best ideas are often the one someone just thought of while looking at yours. The point is you work as a team. No one can do this stuff on their own. Look for a way to show it to the public and rattle the collection tins. It’ll feel a drop in the ocean. But remember, every bucket is full of drops of water. So get out and fill those buckets.
