“Three Counties” 41 Club National Car Rally 2022 in Market Harborough
It all started in 2014 when 20 cars descended on the Hinckley Island Hotel in Leicestershire and the 41 Club National Car Rally has been held every year since then other than in 2020 when of course the Covid pandemic stopped most things.
Market Harborough 41 Club originally intended to host the Rally in 2021 to coincide with our 50th Charter celebrations but of course everything was rolled over a year – so this year’s rally has been a long time in the planning!!
Market Harborough is a picturesque market town which many have heard of but far fewer have ever visited – an hour by train to London; 15 minutes from the M1 and within easy reach of a number of airports. Yet we are surrounded by beautiful countryside, so we were delighted to be able to show some of the sights of not only rural Leicestershire but also Rutland and Northamptonshire, hence the title of the 2022 Rally.
The Market Harborough Round Table Family started planning the Rally even before the pandemic struck and the end result was 114 Ralliers coming to Market Harborough; the Three Swans Hotel (the Rally hotel) fully booked; 56 cars joining the Rally and the Friday evening Welcome Party and Saturday Night Rally Dinner packed to the rafters.
So, what could possibly go wrong?? Judge for yourself
The weekend itself started at the bright and early (well, definitely early) time of 7.00 on Friday morning when Rally Chairman Geoff and “Car Park” Kelly deployed our first line of defence to ensure our allocated car parking spaces at the Three Swans Hotel in Market Harborough were secured.
A car park in the centre of a busy market town is not easy to protect but, like the Lionesses, our defenders were a great success. Overflow parking had also been arranged but thankfully we didn’t need to use it over the weekend.
4 hours later, the slightly more animated second line of defence was in place and ready for any early arrivals.
Note the stylish Polo Shirts – everybody said “Yellow? Why Yellow? I’m not wearing Yellow!” But they did, and it helped Ralliers spot our Round Table Family volunteers.
Nobody had stolen our car parking places and we were ready for the first of the cars to arrive for the 2022 Car Rally ranging from a 1914 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost to a 2022 Seat Arona.
But it’s not just about the cars. More importantly it’s about meeting up with old friends and making new ones.
So, there was a major focus on fellowship over the whole weekend and to start the ball rolling, we suggested Ralliers might like to visit some of our 41 Club watering holes or the Liberty Bodice display at our local museum.
For some reason, the most popular choice was the wine shop of our very own Market Harborough 41er Duncan Murray, local vintner and raconteur. Duncan opened his wine bar for Ralliers to enjoy a welcome glass or 2 - and as you can see, they did.
And so to the Friday evening Welcome Party which started with everybody enjoying a drink in the sunshine in the Courtyard of the Three Swans Hotel followed by casual dining.
The evening was a chance for everybody to catch up with old friends and make new ones – particularly important because this was the first opportunity for Car Rally enthusiast to meet up without any pandemic restrictions since 2019.
Importantly, the “Raffle Team” managed to raise £335 for National President Jim’s charity, Round Table Children’s Wish.
Market Harborough 41 Club will also donate any surplus from the weekend to Jim’s charity, so everybody benefits.
After Saturday breakfast, everybody had the opportunity to admire each other’s car before National 41 Club President Jim started the Rally and had to stand waving each car off over the next hour at 1-minute intervals.
Talk about dedication to duty!!
Why 1-minute intervals?
Well, we needed to stress that this was not a race or a “formal” rally otherwise we would be faced with a range of regulations and requirements. Staggering the start gave us the comfort.
Each Rallier received a commemorative Rally Brochure when they registered for the Rally on Friday. The Brochure included a detailed route map for the Saturday which (almost) everybody followed but as David Hodgson from Hertford 41 Club said in true Morecombe and Wise fashion “We covered all the right roads but not necessarily in the right order”
Terry and Lin Cooper started well …………………..but didn’t quite finish the Rally.
However, a friendly AA man loaded their car on to his trailer and drove them all the way home to Clevedon before Terry and Lin returned to Market Harborough in a more modern car just as the Rally Dinner was drawing to the close.
The Saturday Night Rally Dinner was a great social occasion with (very few) speeches and the awarding of Rally prizes. (Perhaps Terry and Lin Cooper should have won the prize for the “Car travelling the greatest number of miles from home to Market Harborough” rather than the actual winner, Geoff Neuman).
During the evening, prestidigitator (better known as a magician) Sean Hayden performed a 15-minute show of sleight of hand tricks for each of 13 individual tables and (to quote Del Boy) knocked everybody bandy.
Sunday morning dawned not very bright and not very early. After breakfast, the vast majority of Ralliers went on a visit to a local motor museum which hosts a private family collection.
President Jim fulfilled a number of fantasies on the tour whilst everybody else admired the remarkable collection of over 100 vintage, modern and classic cars and motorcycles.
And then time to say “Farewell,” depart for home and meet again for the 2023 41 Club National Car Rally to be held on the 2nd – 4th June in Gloucestershire.
Happy Rallying!!
