International Classic Car Motor Show, National Exhibition Centre, 9-10th November 2002

A completely new event for EMLRA this year, the Classic Car Motor Show has exposed the Club to a much wider audience than would have otherwise possible. Over the course of the two days, quite literally thousands of people went through and around the stand of four vehicles, and a significant number of those made positive contact with us.

From our perspective, the ICCMS is a unique event. It's indoors. You are surrounded by hundreds of highly-polished cars. Apart from the Series One Club, there are no other Land Rovers. No-one expects you to be there. The interest from the public, when it comes, is very sincere.

The build-up for the event started Wednesday night when Mike's RAF Ambulance made the transfer from rural Essex to Birmingham via Milton Keynes to collect Dave Simpkins and his 109 FFR. It also started to go wrong at this point as, with four miles to go, the Ambulance's alternator dropped dead, thus ensuring the remainder of the journey was done running on the battery. The saga began to worsen when, on Thursday, Mark Buddle started the journey in his MP 110 from Hampshire to Birmingham and suffered a failed cylinder head at Banbury. Not having the option to limp on, he was recovered back to Hampshire and had to repeat the journey, less the display kit, in his car. Fortunately no further mechanical demons surfaced, and at 1100 on the Friday EMLRA were able to muster in the NEC's Hall 5  Peter Barratt's EW101, George Jackson's IIA Lightweight, Dave's 109 FFR and Mike's Ambulance. Given that the stand was designed to hold this plus a 110, we did at least have a little more space to play with. For the duration of the actual show, infantry support was provided by Daniel Polak and Julf Helsingius (both of whom had flown in from Amsterdam to see what the fuss was all about) and a forlornly Roverless Mark Buddle for part of the weekend.

The weather, at this point, was foul, so the area surrounding us rapidly began to flood as the vehicles gradually drained, but after three hours of mopping, wiping and polishing, the display was more or less ready. Peter had been concerned that the act of carefully buffing IRR paintwork is a form of madness. However, having now witnessed the activities going on in the adjacent AutoGlym Finals Arena, we are now assured that owning an ex-military Land Rover - maybe even two or three of them - is perfectly sane. By comparison. Around us, better-than-new vehicles were being pushed into place and then having the wheels removed so that the brake drums could be polished. White cotton gloves were in use. Polished jacks were on display. There is hope for us after all!

ENTER THE DEMON KING: Peter Barratt touting for business as his 101 takes on a new role...

Still not quite knowing what to expect, Saturday started at 0830 for the 0900 kick-off. After a quiet start, the tide of people continued unabated until well after 1730.

When the decision for EMLRA to be at the ICCMS was taken, it was done so on the basis that this was a "publicity" event - somewhere to advertise the existence of the Association to a market hitherto uninterested in black and green vehicles. To this end, we had a reasonable quantity of leaflets, copies of the Newsletter and application forms. What actually happened is that the interest generated far exceeded our most fevered expectations, and Liz Simpkins had to go cap-in-hand to the Organiser's Office to have more membership forms copied. I don't recall an event EMLRA has been at where the cross-section of people coming through has been so varied - the whole spectrum from total disinterest (if not actual disdain) right through to pop-eyed surprise and sheer delight.

Peter's EW101, being at the sharp end of the display, bore the brunt of the initial interest, and I don't recall many moments when Peter didn't have someone engrossed in conversation. As well as being given the whereabouts of, not one, but two 101 powered trailers, Peter also found himself talking to a retired senior Land Rover engineer who had been responsible for the fitting of the V8 into the first Range Rovers and, later, the 101. In Lode Lane terms, that was probably our best catch. A very close second, however, I caught lurking around my 109 Ambulance. A current Land Rover engineer, he would only admit to be "working on Defender" and declined numerous cunningly-worded invitations to give anything else away.  He did admit to having had some input into the Freelander, to the extent that one of his prototype toys is now with the Dunsfold Trust.

There also seemed to be an unusually high number of ex-service people in attendance. I had the two extremes of reaction to the Ambulance in a matter of hours - one gentleman had hated the First Generation Marshall Ambulance when he'd been in the RAMC, and wasn't exactly over the moon to come across one again. The other extreme was an ex-RAF medic who was absolutely delighted to see one and had to run his hand down the side of the body before moving on. The majority were in between these two, but the real gem occurred late Saturday. Picture the scene:

Daniel, George and self are gathered around the side of George's Lightweight. Enter Retired Officer - immaculate dress, plumy voice, Splendid Chap written all over him. His opening remark couldn't have been scripted - in finest Terry Thomas tones, "I say chaps, splendid to see you here with these vehicles. I'm ex-BOAR* and I remember these very well." And there was plenty more. After about ten minutes, the conversation moved to his current vehicle - he'd swapped from a Discovery to a Freelander. I asked if it was the petrol or Td4. "Oh no, it's the V6. Tektronic gearbox -" He looked around and leaned towards me, dropping his volume - "Farking fantastic". I think he likes it.

* BOAR: British Army of the Rhine

Three Unwise Monkeys: Julf, Mike and Dave promise to stop insulting the public

The Sunday was no less busy, although perhaps it took a little longer to get going. Being Remembrance Sunday, the two-minute silence was observed at 1100. It's the third time I've been at the NEC when this has happens, and it never fails to be impressive when somewhere that big and busy falls absolutely silent.

So was it worth all the effort? Despite the difficulties, it would seem so. Certainly the Association has pushed the name and logo into places it would otherwise never have been seen. Even if only a tiny proportion of the forms taken are returned with a cheque attached, it will still be a cheap form of mass advertising. It was fun, it was also eighteen hours of standing on your feet talking to people plus a day of setting up - it's not a quick event. On the other hand, there's no wet tentage to worry about, it wasn't cold and the NEC's catering isn't extortionate - merely expensive.

Will EMLRA go next year? Well, we have filled in the form, which is how it all started last year...

Meanwhile:

After eighteen hours on his feet, Daniel found this so inviting...

...he just had to try it out.

George and his east-European Lightweight Groupies.

Mark, Dave and George discussing the latest in orange fashion accessories... as modeled by Liz.

Is that all Dave's lunch?

A Complete Bunch of Muppets: The EMLRA Committee
Peter Barratt, Daniel Polak, (Liz Simpkins), George Jackson, Mike Allmey, Mark Buddle, Julf Helsingius, Dave Simpkins
(John Butcher was "unavoidably detained" by his 30th Wedding Anniversary. Bad planning!)