Royal Welsh Show

Opened this year by Lord Callaghan and attended by HRH the Duke of Edinburgh, the Royal Welsh Show at Builth Wells continues to grow in stature. But although veteran and vintage cars have been part of the event for 25 years, thanks to the Rhayader Motor Club, the 558-page catalogue made no mention of them — despite listing everything from performing dogs through axe-racing and tugs-of-war to donkey foot-trimming! So what was entered? Just three veterans, five vintage cars, seven classic cars and a dozen motorcycles from 1911 to 1970. Most imposing was John Carter’s 1911 Rolls-Royce two-seater, which took a premier award. The Johnny Thomases put in their LondonBrighton 1903 Phoenix tribe and a 1926 Daimler landau discreetly propelled by a Bedford engine, and there was also a nice local Model P Lea-Francis, the ex-racing Frazer Nash AMT 412, an Ulster Replica (Gould) A7, the Worthing 1923 Model T Ford, and an 11.9hp 1914 Perry with the posh distinction of having been driven during World War One by a Royal Flying Corps pilot’s batman.

Given better publicity, more Welsh representatives of historic road transport might be attracted to this show.