Doncaster Custom Show

It was a last minute thing to go to the Donny show, I didn't want to show mine as it would mean polishing it the best its ever been and also having time off work. But I felt this show need's our support as I would love to see this show get big, as the title Best in Britain is a real cool title the UK's America's most beautiful roadster.

I decided to just do the Sunday and to bolster numbers go in my truck, but just put it in the outdoor show. No need to polish it then eh.

My good mate Pudzz said he would go in his sedan, so we got weekend camping tickets and aimed to be there early Sat night have a meal and a few beers with our wife's, then onto the show Sunday morning.

I bagged off work a couple of hours early and we headed to Doncaster Travelodge, we wanted to stay at the same places as the other exhibitors so we could be in with the crack, but all the places they used were full, so the Travelodge it was and on our own again.

It started raining almost from the off and stayed raining most the way to.

We got to Bradford (Bradistan) without any hassle then it all started to happen. Jeez Bradford was rammed, in every direction and way. Took us hours to get through but gave our vehicles a proper test, stop start, stop start all the time the traffic was nose to tail.. but we both escaped unscathed and unboiled. The looks we got and appreciative waves was phenomenal you would of thought we had just landed from Mar's. Only a couple of moments I thought... these guys look dodgy and I was pumped with adrenalin.. just a few jeers and all was gone, I guess there's knobs everywhere, mostly it was smiles or dropped jaws.

Once through we thought a smooth run now on the motorway and we will soon be sitting down to some nice grub. But the Motorway was a nightmare the heavens just opened more it was torrential rain now for quite a few miles. Then when we thought it couldn't get any worse the traffic came to a standstill and lasted for 3/4hr nose to tail move a few feet then stop .. move a few feet stop again.. nightmare and it was now getting dark and peeing down..

I had earlier got a call from Dave Biggadyke saying...Well this was how I heard it anyway " Dive?"... (that's Dave in southern) "Dive... there's a big hole right by the entrance of the show and we want to stick your truck in it"...... ????? I laughed thinking he is taking the piss. I visualized a big hole (as it was now pissing down) right by the gates where all the vehicles have driven in and its all boggy and seen as my truck is... er a truck they wanted to bury it in the hole to make the entrance useable again.... I said " yeah sure"... and laughed again.. adding "ya cheeky bugger".

"No Dive the Chop shop guys did a car for Johnny Vegas and he has taken it away so there is a big space right at the entrance of the indoor show and it needs filling.. is that ok?"... "Oh hell yeah ok then, but the truck is kak up and will take some cleaning"..... (me in and indoor show hee hee who'd of thunk it )

Then I got another call later saying they had sourced me some tickets for the exhibitors party "yeeha" now ya talking things are starting to look up now... how exciting eh we will be mixing with all the exhibitor celeb's...

Once sorted at the travelodge we got some snap, Pudzz being his usual excited self started his antics in the Little Chef, trying to get us cheap beer (£2.65 for a small bottle is taking the piss)

He managed to get us a free fried Egg and the waitress to phone her brother for a taxi... ;o) he was a laugh a minute and got the waitress's giggling and on our side in no time.

The taxi took us to the racecourse so we could get in the show party but there was no sign of life????

I eventually got in touch with Dave B and found out we were at the wrong entrance and also the tickets were a mile or so away in the other direction. Pudzz his wife and mine went one way I went the other in search of the tickets.

By the time I had walked to the Hotel Dave and the rest if the NSRA committee were staying I was knackered and my body thermostat was sticking, I was slowly boiling even on this cold night. I thanked Dave and set off back to the other's, about 2mile away.. Oh Boy by the time I made it into the racecourse hospitality suit... I was proper boiling, with sweat coming out of every paw like I had just entered a sauna... Real fun.

There weren't many people at the exhibitors party which was a surprise (though not when I got the bar bill) and a shame as we had just done a 20miunte taxi run, I had just done a 3mile run and we had not yet had a proper drink and it was 9am on a Saturday night...*Gasp*

As I went through into the the bar/party area, first person I saw was Tim Hammond... never seen him before in my life (just seen photos) and for some obscure reason I looked him straight in the eye and smiled and said "Alright" thinking I knew him.... he looked at me as if i was a weirdo and must of thought "I best not speak he may stop".. mind you he don't know me from Adam. ;o)

So I thought right keep calm don't go speaking to people you think you know as you come over as strange. The people that were there were sat in their own groups as usual and you do feel a bit pushy if you pull up a chair without being asked, so we had to sit in our own little clique ... not before I got us some drinks though. 2 pints of lager and 2 wines.. £14 I thank you.... sit down I nearly fuking fell down. I said "this is going to be a short night". I asked about a bottle of wine to maybe save a few quid... ha ha... 20 quid please for a bottle of white wine.. no way.

Thankfully Pet and Sandra Whiteside came in and sat with us and made us feel welcome and so didn't just have to sit on our own *again*.. I really am not sure how you get in the clique... I know loads of people but still don't feel I am in any clique yet, maybe they are trying to tell me something eh! ;o)

I have been swapping a few e-mails with a guy called Calum and he was here after picking up his newly built 34 (with 33 grill). I knew Tim Hammond had built it for him and he was stood a few yrds away but there were 2 people with Tim and I had no idea what Calum looked like... *Hum?* luckily Pete knows everyone and he pointed out which was Calum, so I just went over and introduced myself and what a genuinely nice guy he turned out to be, we had a good crack and I left saying how much I was looking forward to seeing his car in the flesh and he voulenteerd to help make my Truck pretty in the morning as he had all the gear we would need to do that task, so it would look like it belonged in the indoor show.

I was now in recruiting mode for people willing to help me clean and polish my shit up Truck in the morning so I could put it inside the indoor show with pride.

Chris with the 58 Edsel in the show, who we have got to know over the last few rod runs also volunteered his service's and my good old mate Pete Whiteside as ever eager to help... so there was the cleaning team sorted for early Sunday morning, I was so chuffed I bought another round of drinks.

Pete and Sandra were in dancing mode as they always are and tried their best to get us boring sod's up on our feet. But I would never live it down if I was seen dancing to Northern soul music... Wierd choice of music I thought at a Rod and Biker show??? Mind you there was no sign of a pending riot so maybe it was only me who noticed ;o)

We left around midnight, missed our prearranged taxi (wrong entrance) but my wobbly miss's flagged down a black cab, the driver looked like a vagrant who had just nicked it... but he got us back to the travelodge and after a cup a coffee we called it a night.

Sunday Show Day click here