On Saturday 2 July, 2022, when turning off Groomsport’s Main Street onto Harbour Road, the song lyrics ‘Oh I do like to be beside the seaside…’ reverberated around my head whilst members of the public strolled upon the prom, prom, prom.
Sadly, there was no tiddle-on-pom-pom from a brass band playing. Instead, the Morris Minor Owners Club Northern Ireland had their A Series engines well tuned to provide the perfect choir. Beside them with Glee, other makes and models of classic cars invited via the Association of Old Vehicles Clubs, creating a wonderful seaside ensemble.
This Morris Minor Owners Club Northern Ireland event was the ideal afternoon for like-minded enthusiasts and owners of cars first registered on or before 31st December 1996, to meet up for a chat and go for a short drive as a cavalcade, before finishing up in Bangor for light lunch nibbles and refreshments.
With a strong but manageable turn out, it was great to chat with fellow petrol heads from both the motorsport and classic car scene that I’ve not seen in a few years.
There is every chance that many of the cars partaking on this incredibly relaxed event have not seen the day light of day since the world shut down a couple of years ago, and the social interaction these types of classic car runs bring to their owners, is very important indeed.
During my brief stop-off at Groomsport Harbour the weather was kind, allowing me to appreciate just how well presented this cavalcade of cars was, a real credit to each and every owner.
“This is a club that is open to all makes and models of cars, not just Morris Minors,” said treasurer of the Morris Minors Owners Club, Trevor Mitchell.
“Today we have 33 cars here; I think 15 of these are Morris Minors from as far away as Coleraine and Portadown. We have a short run organised, but we started off at 12 o’clock today with a display vehicles in Groomsport Harbour which seems to have attracted a lot of the public to come around and see the vehicles, before we go off on a run finishing with snacks in the afternoon.”
Trevor continued, “We started our [club events] season on Easter Monday and we go right through until October, so we would have about seven or eight events each year. Some of them are all day events, all-day driving events, and some are short events such as today’s afternoon event, so there is a great mixture.”
A visit to Glenarm Castle on Saturday 23rd of July is next on the agenda for the club and should you wish to find out any more information head to – www.mmoc-ni.co.uk
Words and Photos: GRAHAM BAALHAM-CURRY
[Images must not be used in any way without prior written consent of the photographer]
