Volvo Enthusiasts Club

Our Spring Rally was this year held at Lydiard House and Park, Swindon, Wiltshire and was organised by our late Membership Secretary, Christina.

Members started to arrive punctually at 11.30 and were greeted by Rob Greenwood, who was given the task of dishing out Easter Eggs to all Members who came along. Support for the day was very good with a wide range of classic Volvo models present, ranging from a 1958 PV to a 1995 850T5R.

At 1.45pm Members gathered at Lydiard House for a free to Members tour of the house. This proved to be a most interesting guided tour, which was the ancestral home of the Viscounts Bolingbroke – the St John family, which lies in 260 acres of historic parkland. Following the tour of the house Members were then taken to the Parish Church of St Mary’s for a tour of this most beautiful church. This is behind the house and is one of ‘England’s finest small churches,’ richly packed with monuments to the St John family, including the Golden Cavalier – a life-size effigy of Edward St John. The walls of the church are also painted with pictures dating back to the 1400’s.

Following these two most interesting tours, Members were then taken for Tea and biscuits, laid on by the local ladies of the Women’s Union from the Church. Here votes of thanks were made by Kevin to all those who had attended the gathering and also by Matt and Dave Stadden who expressed their thanks to all those who been in contact with messages of sympathy and made contributions to the charities following the sudden death of Christina.

Matthew Stadden then presented awards for the day to the following:

Best Car at Gathering: Volvo PV444 08 1958 Colin Tatlow
Runner Up Best Car: Volvo 132S 1970 Peter Titley

R/U Best Car Pre 1970 Volvo 122S 1968 Malcolm Crosher
R/U Best Car Post 1970 Volvo 740 1986 Colin Hughes
Furthest Distance Travelled to Event: Colin & May Tatlow – 230 miles
R/U Furthest Distance Travelled to Event: David & Brenda Lance – 152 miles.

Our thanks to all those who came along and supported the day, the staff of Lydiard House & Park and the Ladies from the Women’s Union.

DATE FOR THE DIARY: Volvo Enthusiasts Club International Gathering 2007.
Our main event of the year, to be held at Hatton Country World, Near Warwick, Warwickshire on Sunday 1st July, 2007.

REMEMBER: Our International Gathering is ALWAYS the 1st Sunday in July each year.