[Mick O'Malley]

This Saturday, the 24th, is Retro Festival Day in the centre of Gloucester. Here's what I posted last year

Originally Posted by Mick O'Malley

Yesterday was the Gloucester Retro Festival. A friend had told me that he was unable to take his 50s Sunbeam along to display and offered me his ticket. Gloucester retains its medieval cross layout, with the four streets named after the main compass points. For the festival, one is 40s and before; one 50s; one 60s; and the other 70s to date.

So at 0800, wearing my white racing overalls, cheesecutter cap and shirt and tie I fired up the 352 and pootled the mile or so to my first come, first served slot near the pedestrianised cross. The Royalists laid siege to Gloucester in the civil war and I soon discovered how the Parliamentarians must have felt, with the fine weather bringing out the GBP in hordes. I fielded so many questions during my nine hours at the car's side that I was hoarse by the end of the day. More than a few said that mine was car of the show (out of a good hundred or so), very flattering! In a bizarre piece of synchronicity, a guy I know from near Bath was displaying his '1940s Alfa Romeo' and was wearing an almost identical 'gentleman racer' outfit. and some of the above mentioned flatterers had also mentioned his car as an equal favourite. Weird.

A great day out, so busy I didn't take any pictures, although one professionally captured will appear soon (Here it is, from a later post).



p.s. Just performed a quick Goggle and found a picture of the 'Alfa'. It's a much darker red in the flesh.

I shall be there in the A352.

Regards, Mick