Group Events 2022

18th September – Ford Power Live at Brands Hatch

What a fantastic finale to our external show season for 2022 at Ford Power Live at Brands Hatch on Sunday 18th September. We were given a great stand on gravel overlooking the track and our 35 cars that attended looked truly impressive thanks to their owner’s care and dedication as well as Billie’s organisation of the cars with help from our ever wonderful members. There was a tremendous variety of lovely Fords in our group from a beautiful Escort RS2000 MK1 to several much loved Focus RS MK3s and everything marvellous in between. We are very lucky to have such a friendly bunch of members with such great cars, every one of them is very much appreciated.

As well as much track action throughout most of the day there were many other stands and trade stalls to visit during our walk arounds and the weather was fairly kind to us despite the chilly start as it stayed dry with some sunny spells. Our friends from South Fords Unite had a great looking stand some way from ours and it was good to catch up with them and have a chat.

Our car of the show trophy kindly sponsored by Auto Solutions was put to the usual vote amongst our members present and the well deserved winner this time was Matt with his very impressive Escort Cosworth, who was clearly delighted to receive his prize.

There was a pause in the racing for a minute’s silence to commemorate and pay respect to her majesty Queen Elizabeth II followed by the playing of the national anthem, as this show took place the day before the state funeral bank holiday.

As this was the last external show of the season as mentioned earlier, we would like to take this opportunity to offer our heartfelt thanks to all our members for their tremendous support and also acknowledge the brilliant work that goes on behind the scenes from our great admin team, well done all and thanks again. It is truly fantastic to be part of such a great group, onwards and upwards all of us.

11th August – Edenbridge Motor Show

Another great show for Sussex at the Edenbridge Motor Show just over the border in Kent. A great advantage of a relatively close day out is that the start is not too much of an early one, but all the same there were a few bleary eyes at what has become our fairly regular meeting place at Maresfield Services at 7:30am on Sunday 11th September. It was also great to see several other car clubs meeting there on the way to the same event, including some Granadas and replica police and ambulance vehicles.

It was only a short trip from our meeting place to the show but it was good fun to be in convoy and to see the friendly reaction from other motorists to our impressive collection of fast Fords. We arrived at the venue with only a short queue to get in and successfully negotiated the dew ridden grass to form up in our allocated space, forming a really good display of our 17 cars. The weather was misty so we left the usual fettling of our cars until the gazebo and banner were sorted, but all was eventually completed and we could then relax and enjoy all the attractions that were at the show. Although we are all Ford fans, it was good to see the great variety of cars and other vehicles that were there as well as all the trade stands.

The car of the show award sponsored by Auto Solutions Ltd was put to the usual vote among those attending and the thoroughly well deserved winner was Glenn with his beautiful Capri Brooklands that is very well known to most of our members and the wider RSOC community.

Once again we thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company and had a great day in the sunshine that eventually burned off the mist. As always we represented our great club to the very best of our ability and had good fun and companionship doing so, leaving us all looking forward to our imminent monthly meeting and next weekend when many of us will be attending Ford Power Live at Brands Hatch. Thank you so very much to all who could make it to this show, and of course we much missed those who were unable to make it this time. See you all soon.

14th August – Ford Fair at Silverstone

A very early start for Ford Fair at Silverstone with most meeting at Maresfield joining the remainder at Cobham Services at 6:00am. The journey up was good with light traffic due to the time and we had a nice convoy with only a small hiccup when Harry’s throttle cable got stuck open but this was quickly fixed and we arrived in good time.

Calvin kindly brought up the main Sussex Gazebo so we had shelter from the constant bright sunshine although it was very hot all day. All our cars shined brilliantly and did an excellent job representing Sussex. There was much to see and do at the venue and we all enjoyed the walk arounds that we had despite the relentless heat.

The car of the show trophies, kindly sponsored by Auto Solutions, were this time split into RS and non-RS categories, and the well deserved winners were Simon Colliver with his fantastic white Fiesta XR2 and Andy Coleman with his pristine ultimate green Focus RS MK2.

As always seems to be the way now, there was much friendly chatting and banter among ourselves and it was really good to be amongst such a great group of people.

Eventually the time came to set off for home and unfortunately the journey home was not so good for some of us with several cars showing their disapproval of the day long hot weather by playing up, but at least we all made it home in the end, hot, tired but happy. We are all looking forward to Edenbridge and Brands Hatch, as well of course as our tremendous monthly meets.

10th July – Classic Ford Show at Ardingly Showground

Phew, what a scorcher, sorry to pinch a headline from a well known red top, but it is ideally suited to the Classic Ford Show at the South of England Showground at Ardingly on Sunday 10th July. The weather was hot, hot, hot with unbroken sunshine all day and we were all grateful for the shade provided by our tandem gazebos kindly erected the day before by Andy C and Mike, well done boys.

Those exhibiting their cars were able to enter the site from 8:00am, with those not exhibiting being able to enter from 10:00am when general public admission began. This gave us time to set up our stand with Billie doing her usual excellent job at arranging the cars to her high standards. The rules of the show excluded any cars manufactured after 2002, but this did not stop many of our members with younger cars from visiting the show but not exhibiting. It is a real testament to the excellent friendly and mutually supportive environment within our club that a large number of our great members attending were not actually showing their own cars due to them being too young to attend, but rather they were there to encourage their fellow members who were exhibiting. What more proof can we ask for of what a great club the Sussex RS Owners Club has become.

Once all the usual fettling and final preparations had been completed to the lovely cars by our owners, groups of us set off to admire the many other cars and attractions available at this well established show, at this venue for the first time this year. There was much to see and do but the heat warranted frequent returns to our stand and the comforts of our gazebos and the refreshments kindly made available there, mainly by Jackie and Andy C, many thanks as always both of you. It was great to see that Glenn Butler had two of his cars, the Capri and Series 2 RS Turbo, in the prestigious main hall, as well as his lovely MK1 Focus RS on our own stand. The vote among our members for the car of the stand trophy, sponsored by Auto Solutions Ltd, was justifiably awarded to two cars and members, Jackie Coleman with her beautiful Escort RS Turbo Series 1 and Colin Knight with his great Sierra RS Cosworth 3 door, thoroughly well deserved both of you.

Our stand attracted much attention from visitors, and many detailed conversations ensued regarding the great cars we had brought along and their various restorations and/or modifications. The atmosphere on our stand was excellent as usual and we all enjoyed a fantastic day with great cars and lovely people, only further reinforcing the strong bonds between us like minded petrol heads.

It didn’t seem possible for the day to get any better but then we were told that our Sussex RS Owners Club had won the Best Regional Club Award and we were delighted to be presented with the Trophy which really put the icing on a very nice cake! It was so good that external and independent commentators appreciated our club, our members cars and our efforts, well done all and thank you.

It was with very happy and perhaps a little tired minds that we packed up and set off for our homes in very cheerful convoy, already looking forward to next year.

2nd July – Cosworth Drivers Club Day at Hever Castle

Not too early a start and great to have a fairly local meet this time. Most of us met at Uckfield at a very reasonable 8:00am and then set off for the relatively short drive to Hever Castle soon after. A very pleasant journey for our little convoy with the only hiccup being seeing a Fiat 500 on its roof in a field with everyone wondering how on earth he or she managed to get there.

On arrival at Hever Castle we parked up in a holding car park where the usual friendly banter flowed easily and it was interesting to see cars from other clubs arriving too. Eventually we were allowed to enter the Castle grounds and we parked up in the fantastic and very impressive parkland, unfortunately not all together but fairly close all the same. There were many other interesting cars there, including from our hosts the Cosworth Driver’s Club and from our friends the Kent RSOC Group. The venue really was beautiful with great views, gardens, lakes, the castle itself, etc etc, and those of us who had not been before were very impressed.

The weather was sunny and warm with a nice breeze and the day passed very pleasantly with our usual walk around the location and the cars there. Ben, our club photographer, was hard at work most of the day taking photographs, for which we are very grateful as always. He even took pics of our friends cars from Kent and others, winning more brownie points for Sussex RSOC.

It was another lovely day with great company and great cars, set off by our eventual gentle convoy heading towards our homes. I think we all look forward to attending this show again next year if we are lucky enough to be invited. Thank you so very much everyone.

26th June – Oxford Regional Day at Cotsworld Wildlife Park & Gardens

To support our fellow local group, we travelled to Oxford’s Regional Day at Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens on the last Sunday in June. The weather was a little unkind to us as it rained a bit early in the morning, leading to wet roads and spray, and then again as we neared the venue, slightly disappointing for all of us who had put so much effort as usual in preparing our cars to represent Sussex. Nevertheless the day brightened and on the whole the day was sunny in parts and mainly dry if a little breezy.

Most participants met nice and early at Maresfield Services, joining the rest at Cobham Services at 7:15am. The traffic was good as expected at that early hour, and we only met a little hold up on the M40 due to what looked like quite a serious accident with one car well off the road and among the trees and bushes. Our convoy was well behaved as has become the norm but was fun all the same. We all arrived safely and set up our stand in our allotted space, quickly remedying the rain damage to our cars.

After that, and those not cleaning cars setting up the flags, banner and gazebo, thank you,  we had a quick tour of the attractions before returning to our cars for a little lunch. The car of the show trophy was voted on by all of us there, and Mike was the well deserved winner this time with his lovely Focus RS Mk1, well done Mike. We then set off for a longer tour of the attractions, including the other groups and cars there, the zoo animals, the gardens, the train ride and of course the gift shop.

It certainly was a full and interesting day, and really good to spend time with each other in a lovely place. Eventually we decided to set off for home, actually one of the last groups to leave, and our convoy was once again in motion. Unfortunately the traffic was very heavy on our return journey with quite a few hold ups, but we largely managed to stay together with a pre-arranged stop, again at Cobham Services. Sadly again this was very busy so most decided to try to find an alternative refreshment venue a bit closer to home. This did split up the group a bit but we did all make it home safely.

All in all another great day with nice company, thank you to everyone who could make it.

11th June – Cosworth Drivers Club Day at Brooklands Museum

What a fantastic day as guests of the Cosworth Driver’s Club at Brooklands Museum for a car club display meeting. It was fortunately not too early a start with a lot of us meeting at 7:45am at Maresfield Services on the A22/A26 for a 8:00am departure. The traffic was quite heavy and when we eventually reached the M25 it looked really busy but thankfully it cleared quite quickly and we were able to make good progress. Just like the rest of us, Ben is very protective of his car, and it shows his dedication to getting good rolling photographs of our cars that he allowed Carmel to drive his pride and joy while he poked his lense out of the passenger side window to capture the shots he wanted! With only minor mishaps due to differing satnav directions we all arrived at our venue for the day and were parked up by the marshall’s.

We were lucky to have a nice warm and sunny day if a bit breezy, and we all set to work cleaning up our cars after the journey. After that was done we set up our chairs for some quick refreshments and then set off for a brief first look at the attractions at Brooklands before three of our members had to leave for a pre-arranged appointment. On our return to our group of cars there was a birthday presentation to Andy Coleman, our ever popular Events Coordinator, who kindly shared his birthday cake with the rest of us. The car of the show trophy was put to a vote among all of us present and I am delighted to say that this was won by your humble writer, Andy Barry, for his Mark 3 Focus RS. We partook of our lunches and then set of for a more leasurely trip around the venue attractions, led by our guide little Sophie who has taken on this role with great enthusiasm. There was much to see spread over the site with planes, cars, motorbikes, pedal bikes, buses, etc all to look at. There were many very keen volunteers ready to explain the items on display in great detail with varying degrees of success.

After this second and much longer tour of Brooklands we regrouped again at our cars and then set off in convoy for the return journey.

What really made this day such a great one was our fantastic bunch of members attending and the tremendous camaraderie and genuine friendship we share. Spending time with each other restores faith in human nature to a very pleasant degree, all so very refreshing to experience. It certainly encourages us to look forward to our next meeting.

3rd June 2022 – Jubilee Breakfast Meet

Our first breakfast meet this year and the weather was very kind to us with warm sunshine right from the off. We all met at The Piltdown Man for the 9:30am start and we had an excellent turn out as usual these days. Annie, Fraser and all the staff at the The Piltdown Man did an excellent job with the buffet breakfast which was very well organised as well as being very tasty, and this went down very well with our members in more ways than one.

The car park was resplendent with lovely Ford’s all gleaming in the sunshine, each of them a credit to their respective owners love, attention and dedication. The car of the show trophy was put to a vote among all the members present, and our generous sponsors from Auto Solutions who also kindly attended, and the well deserved winner was Glenn with his beautiful red Series 2 Escort RS Turbo.

After the trophy presentation, we set off for the drive out to Newhaven but unfortunately with bank holiday traffic and single carriageway roads we did get divided up, especially after joining the A27 just south of Lewes.

We all made it to Newhaven however and parked up in the West Promenade car park, putting on quite a show for the other people parking there. Once again our cars made an impressive display of Fords from several decades, from the lovely MK1 Escort RS2000 to the several MK3 Focus RS’s and everything in between. There was much friendly chat, both among the members and with other members of the public who were there enjoying the great weather, and I think it fair to say that we did well on behalf of our fantastic club, long may it continue.

Many thanks to all of those who could make it, and of course we missed all of you who could not come this time. Looking forward to seeing you all again soon.

22nd May 2022 – Simply Ford at Beaulieu

The first external meeting of the season for us, which was eagerly anticipated with all of us attending putting much time and effort into preparing our cars. The day dawned a little misty and many of us meeting at Tesco’s in Lewes for the 6:00am departure showed signs of the dreaded condensation.  Fortunately the day brightened as it progressed and we were very lucky to have a lovely warm and sunny day for most of this meeting.

The convoy there was very well behaved but still good fun with Calvin and Emily taking some rolling shots along the way. We once again hit reduced speed limits and average speed cameras once we got into Hampshire but it really wasn’t a problem and we soon regrouped at Rownham Services.  There were unfortunately long queues approaching Beaulieu and we were all very wary to be run towards and then passed by a large herd of cows on the road which thankfully got by without incident.  Then when we got into the venue we were held in car parks with our engines getting hotter and hotter.

When we were eventually told we could enter the event unfortunately Jackie’s lovely Series 1 Escort RS Turbo refused to start and she and Andy were left trying to get it going again. The rest of us parked up in formation in an impressive stand with the 21 cars who had booked in putting on a good show.  We all missed Jackie and Andy but Bob had the answer as he quickly produced a spare coil from the boot of his immaculate Sapphire 4×4 and this did indeed solve the problem with both of our missing friends and their cars promptly joining our merry band on our stand.  All of us were delighted with the outcome and it just goes to show that not all heroes wear capes, good on you Bob for coming to the rescue.

The car of the show trophy, kindly sponsored by Auto Solutions, was voted on by all our members and the winner was Jon and Thea’s unique Ford Special which also attracted much attention from all the other show visitors, well deserved indeed.

As usual at Beaulieu the atmosphere was excellent and there was much to see and do. I think it fair to say that we all had a great day and very much look forward to attending again next year.

20th March 2022 – Beachy Head Drive Out

It was a bit of a last-minute decision, but the sun was finally shining, and we were all itching to get out.

It was decided that we would meet at Wickes car park in Hailsham at 10am and convoy along to Beachy Head.

A few of us met on the A22 at Uckfield, joined by new member Calvin and our new club photographers Erin and Josh @fastandphotography.

We had a nice mixed array of old and new skool for our drive down to Wickes.

As we pulled into the car park we were greeted by a few more of our members, along with some new faces. There were some lovely cars including a beautiful white whale fin Sierra Cosworth, a gorgeous Mk1 Escort and the regular members Sierra Cosworth, Escorts, RS Focus’ and Fiesta STs, to name a few.

We had a lovely drive down to Beachy Head where Fast and Photography took some amazing rolling shots including a fantastic picture of Simon’s superb XR2 outside Birchwood Ford.

Once at Beachy Head we pulled over for a long overdue catch up and a coffee where everyone involved seemed to be enjoying getting back into the swing of things.

It was a really nice impromptu get together organised by Billie. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and gave us all a taster of the show season and drive outs we have got arranged for this coming year.

We have a really nice mixed array of old skool and new fast Fords and a nice mix of old and young members that gel really well which makes for some great days out as a club.

Roll on the summer!

Andy and Jackie Coleman