British Hotchkiss Society
Past Events in 2017.
Spring Opener
When: Sunday 30th April
Where: Warwickshire
Compton Verney Art Gallery and Park was the meeting point for the start of our Spring Opener – and what a wonderful venue it was! 23 of us – together with 5 Hotchkiss and 2 Delage cars – met for coffee before we were given a very interesting guided tour of all 3 floors of the gallery. There was time for us to re-visit some of the exhibits and do a little shopping before we set off into the Warwickshire countryside for a lovely 10 mile drive to our luncheon stop, The Merrie Lion at Fenny Compton. We were given a very warm welcome there, and enjoyed a delicious lunch followed by the raffle, which always raises funds for the Club. As usual on these days out, there was a lot of talking and laughter throughout the day, and we thank Clive and Toddy for working so hard to make it all such a success.
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June Run
When: 8th-11th June
Where: The Three Counties
Our 27th Drive was based in Hereford, but we also spent time in Gloucestershire and Worcestershire. Altogether, 28 members, family and friends spent an extremely enjoyable time together, and it was extra special to meet up with Erik & Denise Ulrix from Portugal, Jean-Claude & Nicole Serriere from France and Gerald Swinnerton (a Delage enthusiast visiting from Australia).
After meeting for lunch at a hostelry in Gloucestershire, we spent the next three days driving round the beautiful country lanes, passing through some pretty villages and enjoying the scenery. All our visits were a great hit with everyone. The visits included: Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb, Brockhampton House, Croft Castle, Brobury Gardens, Weston’s Cider Mill and Hereford’s Waterworks Museum. The luncheon venues were all different and delicious, and the hotel looked after us extremely well.
Our Drive was over all too soon. The weather generally remained fair and/or sunny and the cars behaved. As usual on these events, there was a lot of eating, drinking and talking! Our grateful thanks go to Michael and Helen Scott who worked so hard to make this such a successful Drive.
Summer Saunter
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When: 13th August
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Where: Berkshire
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Once again, the sun shone for our annual get-together in Berkshire. 25 members and friends met up at The Bull, Stanford Dingley, and there was plenty of time for coffee and the renewal of acquaintances before we sat down to a delicious lunch. As usual with the BHS, there was a lot of talking! We then travelled the short distance to Two Hoots in Bucklebury to see the progress that David has made on his stunning car – the engine sounded very smooth – before we enjoyed sitting in the sunshine in the garden drinking tea and partaking of delicious cakes. All too soon it was time to head for home.
A very big thank you to David and Erica for organising the lunch and inviting us to their home – despite David still recovering from a very bad fall. Thank you also to Roger and Julia for ‘stepping in to the breech’ to enable this enjoyable event to take place.
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Autumn Closer
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When: Sunday, 8th October, 2017
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Where: West Oxfordshire
Hilary Ledger, abetted by Michael Edwards, located her Autumn Closer a few miles west of Oxford. Some 25 members and friends gathered for coffee at the Aston Pottery, still a traditional working pottery. A fine selection of Hotchkiss models attracted much attention in the car park. It was particularly good to see Doug and Kathy Crowther's handsome AM2 Coupé back on the road.
The organisers offered two alternative routes, one of just 6 miles and a scenic tour of 22. The longer one proved a delight, with honey-coloured cottages, rolling fields and streams. Two highlights: 15th century Stanton Harcourt House, with its fine Grade 1 listed detached kitchen; and a wriggle through Bampton-in-the-Bush (or to you, sir, just plain Bampton!) where Michael and the 1912 Limousine were filmed four times for the hit TV series "Downton Abbey". Amazingly, the producers had us believe that Cotswold Bampton was really a village in Yorkshire, but that's fiction for you!
Soon we were at The Lord Kitchener at Curbridge for a reviving glass and ample lunch.
After the usual BHS banter, we staggered into the sunshine to enjoy the sight and smell of a 1920s Burrell traction engine, which, like our proper cars, captured the spirit of a bygone age.
A super day all round - very many thanks, Hilary and Michael.