2023 EVENTS
Friday, 15th December 2023
The Club’s Christmas dinner, as last year, was held at The Railway Arms in North Elmham. The food was up to their usual high standards and the service was faultless – no mean feat considering that there were 53 of us attending. Heather’s raffle raised £150 for Nansa, our newly sponsored charity for 2024, and their representative told us about the good work they do supporting people with special educational needs and/or disabilities across the region. Thanks to Jim and Ian for organising this event.
Thursday, 16th November 2023
Another enjoyable Quiz Night at Q’s in Fakenham with Tracy comparing as usual. She lulled us into a false sense of security with the first round, but soon made up for it! Eight teams took part and the evening raised £268 for our charity, Fitzroy. The winning team, MGTR, comprised of Dennis, Lyn, Frank and Chris. Thanks Mike for organizingthe event and Heather for running the raffle.
Saturday, 28th October 2023
The final gathering of the year at Fakenham Market Place was reasonably well attended, considering the miserable weather, but was good to see some new faces taking part in the display. There were no market stalls in evidence this time, and we gather that the market has now ceased to be.
Wednesday, 25th October 2023 - Club Night
We were treated to a talk at the Gallow on Hot Air Ballooning by Tony Symonds. Tony, who has thirty years of experience flying balloons, explained in fascinating detail how balloons are constructed, inflated and flown. His talk was accompanied by a large selection of very colourful photos illustrating his flights and travels. Altogether a very informative and enjoyable evening. Below are just a small sample of his photos.
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Sunday, 24th September 2023
The Reepham Classic Car Festival was back after a three-year absence and was well attended. Amongst the eclectic range of cars on show were nine belonging to FAC members. The Market Place was closed to traffic and food and drink was available. Thanks to David for organising the event and to Brian for the photos.
Wednesday, 27th September 2023
A great visit to the The Crown at Banningham for an evening meal. Twenty-seven of us went and enjoyed the excellent food, especially the steak and kidney pudding - just ask Jim! As well as the food, The Crown’s car park had lots of space. Thanks to Jim for organising the event and to Geoff for the photos.
Saturday, 23rd September 2023
After displaying their cars at Fakenham Market Place, twenty members enjoyed a very interesting afternoon at The Langham Dome. This restored Dome, one of only five surviving, was vital in WW2 for training gunners to shoot down the hordes of Nazi planes crossing the Channel and North Sea to wreak havoc on Great Britain. Privates Jim, Bob and Ian all did very well with the machine gun test, and the whole affair was ably managed by Captain Mainwaring(!) Many thanks to Ian for the photos.
Sunday, 10th September 2023
There was a good attendance, 39 in all, for the Mike Tomlin Run today which started atthe Gallow and wound its way through the sunny morning to The White Pheasant at Lenwade for a carvery lunch. Entry fees and raffle tickets produced £325 for our charity, The Fitzroy Centre in Fakenham. Winner of the ’Best Liked Car’ was Jamie Francis for his immaculate MG Turbo and Mike’s daughter Karen presented him with the trophy.
Sunday, 3rd September 2023
The Brisley Classic Car Show was held, as usual, at Brisley Hall. The superb weather conditions played a part in attracting almost one hundred classic cars, eight of which were from the FAC. The entry fee for classic cars was £10 which went towards essential repairs to Brisley’s St. Bartholomew’s Church. There were refreshments available and a memorabilia stall. Thanks to Dick Dykes and Jim Biggie for organising the event and to Jack Jezek for the photos.
As an alternative to Brisley, Nine of us attended the Shuttleworth Bedfordshire Vintage Airshow and what a day it was! The weather was perfect and the pilots made the most of it. There were many attractions in addition to the aircraft: steam engines and organs, classic cars and motorcycles, vintage buses and coaches, the Swiss Garden and Shuttleworth House and many more. We arrived as the gates opened and although the show was scheduled to end at 5:00pm we were treated to the rarely-flown gems of the collection. Two of these were replicas built sixty years ago for the film Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines. The show finally ended at 6:30. Thanks to Roy and Annie for organising a great day out.
Sunday, 20th August 2023
Fourteen of us met at the Chrysalis Café for coffee this morning before heading off to the Caister Castle Car Collection. Our journey took in the colourful and beautifully manicured village of Filby, looking its best in the glorious sunshine. The museum has a tremendous range of vehicles on show – some 120 cars, 100 motorcycles and many other vehicles in its 35,000 sq. ft. exhibition centre. Jim Clark’s Lotus, Peter Rachman’s Cadillac, the very first Ford Fiesta, and even a Gullwing Mercedes are just few of the attractions. The admission fee includes access to the gardens as well as, the castle grounds and tower, with its spectacular views. Many thanks to David for organizing this event.
Sunday, 6th August 2023
The Festival of Classic & Sports Cars at Helmingham was interrupted by three sharp heavy showers but the crowds were plentiful, and there were loads of exotic cars. The club area was more spread out than previous years and the 40s exhibition dancing and the falconry displays were there as always. The driveway run also attracted some interesting cars and the car of the show was a Marauder, based on the Rover 75 chassis and produced by two people who left the Rover works in 1950
Sunday, 30th July 2023
The Overstrand Village Fair was very popular, with many attractions and lots of classic cars including eight from the Fakenham Auto Club. The event was blessed with good weather, which was in short supply in other parts of Norfolk. Thanks to Jack for organising our get-together.
Sunday, 9th July 2023
The eighty cars taking part in this year’s Charles Clark Rally set off as usual this morning from The Goat Inn, Skeyton, after entrants enjoyed the bacon roll, tea/coffee and purchased raffle tickets. The drive to our final destination, Northrepps Aerodrome was dampened a little by the odd shower but the sun was out by the time we all reached the airfield. The event raised £1530 for Star Throwers cancer charity and the Most Desirable Car prize went, deservedly so, to Graham Deary’s 1934 Lagonda. Many thanks to Brian and his team for organizing this huge event.
Sunday, 2nd July 2023
Seven FAC cars were included in the 500-odd classics exhibiting at Holt as part of the North Norfolk Railway Vintage Transport Day. There were vehicles of all descriptions on show including a ‘depot’-full of vintage buses providing free transport to and from Sheringham via Holt Marketplace. Steam trains were also available to ferry people to and from Sheringham which, was itself playing host to many groups of Morris Dancers. The whole event was so well supported that even some classics found it difficult to find a parking space!
Saturday, 24th June 2023
Our monthly gathering at Fakenham Marketplace, this time with a twist: this was the first appearance of the newly formed the Farmers Market. With twenty member’s cars in attendance, it was getting a little cramped in places, but a good get-together nonetheless.
Sunday, 4th June 2023
Twenty-one members enjoyed an excellent visit to The Bircham Windmill last Sunday. It was really interesting and many intrepid climbers scaled it to the top. Lunch was very good and efficiently served. Many bought pasties, scones, bread and, of course, flour.
Sunday, 28th May 2023
The Sandringham Pageant of Motoring enjoyed a fine day this time, unlike last year which was plagued with heavy rain early on. There were some 2000 cars on show spread over many separate displays all over the estate. We had twelve members’ cars on our stand plus four more on other stands. Some unusual cars were on show, including a Toyota Century, the ultimate luxury Japanese executive limousine, complete with its optional lace doilies and curtains. The curtain covering the rear window splits in half and draws to the sides when the car is put into reverse! One of the traders was selling, amongst other things, lamps made out of speedometers. The Hurricane fly past was excellent, and the whole event was a relaxed affair and everyone was in good spirits.
The Heartbeat Run, 15th-18th May 2023
Twenty of us took advantage of Lyn and Dennis’ careful planning and enjoyed a few days in North Yorkshire, based at the Inn on the Moor Hotel in Goathland. Apart from the endless possibilities of exploring the spectacular moors and welcoming villages, there were train trips to Whitby, boat trips around the harbour and beyond, not to mention the pilgrimage for Whitby’s Fish and Chips and all those Jet shops! A week or so beforehand we could have been forgiven for thinking it would be better to stay at home as the weather forecasts were dire. In the event, we enjoyed mostly sunny days and very little rain to spoil our enjoyment. The choice of hotel could not have been better: great location, comfortable rooms, friendly staff and excellent food. Thank you, Team Weatherill, for an excellent break!
We now have some excellent video footage of the 01328 Coronation Car Rally on YouTube, watch it here
Sunday, 7th May 2023
The inaugural 01328 Coronation Car Rally took place today, starting at The Gallow, Fakenham, where, thanks to the friendly and efficient staff, participants enjoyed a hot drink and a bacon baguette after registering and obtaining their rally plaque. By 10:15 all 60 cars were on their way around the 01328 telephone area on route to Fakenham Market Place. Brian and Heather had planned the 50-mile route, Mike and Jean checked it at least three times and then found out that the Tamils were in Little Walsingham, so Mike and Tony planned a diversion! Even though the Market Place was closed to traffic, courtesy of Mayor Angela Glynn and the local Police, it was no mean feat fitting all the cars into that area. All credit to the FAC’s Committee for herding us ‘cats’ into suitable positions!
The weather turned out to be very kind to us and we spent a pleasant afternoon in the sunshine. Non-stop Transport-themed music was provided by Jim Biggie who manned the audio system and treated us to diverse offerings from Kraftwerk’s Autobahn to Benny Hill’s Ernie and all stops in between. Angela thanked us for attending as well as our sponsors UPP, which supplied us with free ice-creams, and she hoped the event will become an annual fixture.
Heather kindly organized the raffle which raised over £300 for our charity Fitzroy which also had representatives attending. The winner of the most desirable car was number 45, Robert Smedley, for his beautiful black Jaguar XK120 OTS. Everyone said how much they enjoyed the event and were looking forward to next year. Fakenham Auto Club wish to thank all who took part and especially Fakenham Town Council and in particular Angela Glynn for their collaboration in making the day a great success.
Sunday, 30th April 2023
Contrary to weather reports earlier in the week, we were blessed with a dry and mostly sunny day at Earsham Hall. It was an interesting show with numerous makes and ages of cars, motorcycles, tractors and military vehicles. Fourteen members attended and enjoyed the drive from Thickthorn Services, where we all met, to Bungay. Thanks Jim, for organizing it all.
Saturday, 22nd April 2023
The Fakenham Market Place gathering was a great success, with twenty-two cars attending including two new members. It was also a good opportunity to assess the Market Place for parking on 7th May for the 01328 Coronation Rally. Jamie Francis and three friends have kindly agreed to do most of the marshalling for us. Fingers crossed now for good weather!
Saturday, 25th March 2023
The first Fakenham Marketplace gathering of the year and, despite the chilly morning, 22 cars turned up as well as two prospective new members. The A-Board was updated to show our sponsored charity for this year: FitzRoy (www.fitzroy.org).
Sunday, 12th March 2023
Twenty-four members had a private tour of Happisburgh Lighthouse, two tour groups of 12. Our volunteer guide gave us a fascinating talk on the history of lighthouses before we set off to climb the 112 steps to the lantern room and hear more about the continued operation of the lantern. To cap it all, the lunch we booked at The Lighthouse Inn at Walcott was excellent -- both quality of food and service. A memorable event for all those attending and thanks to David Coles for organising the event.
Saturday, 25th February 2023
Breakfast at The Goat Shed, Honingham, this morning was enjoyed by 35 members. A wide variety of food was on offer and the pancakes with maple syrup and either crispy bacon or fruit proved very popular. It was an interesting venue with a large selection of produce for sale. Thanks to Jim’s usual meticulousplanning, everyone had a great time.
Wednesday, 22nd February 2023
The Club Night and AGM was attended by 20 members including three newly elected committee members. Brian was elected Chairman, Mike vice Chairman, Dennis Treasurer, Jim Social Secretary, David Events ontroller, and Tony Membership Secretary. Ray was thanked for his long spell as Membership Secretary and for managing the Website and Facebook. The chairman thanked the committee for their hard work their brilliant effort in raising over £1500 for the First Focus charity. Dennis reported that the club’s finances were in good shape and so subs would remain at £10 per family. Mike drew attention to future events and, in particular, reminded members to book early for the 01328 Coronation Rally on the 7th May.
Saturday, 18th February 2023
This year’s winter walk was centred around North Elmham. Fourteen of us started at the Kings Head Hotel, then walked through the village, along the disused railway line and the back into the village via the church and adjacent Anglo Saxon Chapel. We returned to the Kings Head and were joined by other members for a truly excellent lunch. Many thanks to Jim for organising the event.
Saturday, 28th January 2023
This was the Club’s second visit to the Chrysalis Café for breakfast and 28 of us enjoyed their fare. The food was efficiently served, no mean feat considering the number of people attending. Thanks to David for arranging the get-together. Brian drew our attention to the EDP’s piece about our charity donation to First Focus.
Wednesday, 25th January 2023
The first event of the year, Club Night at The Gallow. Brian presented a cheque for £1505 to Clarissa of First Focus, the Club’s sponsored charity for 2022. Helen and Laura,Geoff Coley’s daughters, also attended and were thanked for donating Geoff’sbook collection which resulted in proceeds of £513 for the charity.
