Our 47th Rover Rally at the Bressingham Steam Museum and Gardens took place in glorious sunshine, and with over 100 cars booked in we were all set for a wonderful day out.  This is one of the few events where you can see pretty much all the Rover models ever made from the 1930s up to the 2000s, and this year was no exception.  In fact, we also had a 3lt P5 hearse that has been carefully restored from a burnt-out wreck by our member Glen Read, and you won’t find one of those anywhere else.  Also, our member Jason Moore, of J Moore Classic Cars, brought along a V8 powered P4 special and you don’t see many of those either!  While the pre 80s models were still well represented it was good to welcome a greater number of later models joining us this year, something we are trying to encourage.  We even had a Rover ‘Meteor’ pedal cycle on display, showing where the Rover company started back in the 1800s.

Whilst the aim of our event is to show off our beloved Rovers, we do always have a small section for other classics, and this year we were pleased to have an interesting selection ranging from an early split screen Morris Minor to an XJ40 Jaguar, some 12 cars in all.  This also included a splendid 1930 Austin 12 Tourer that took first prize in this section, with the split screen Morris coming second.

We have always put on our show at Bressingham for the whole Rover community and over the years our show has become recognised nationally.  In addition to the ‘local’ cars we also attract those from much further afield, which this year included Kent, the West Midlands and Greater London, to name just three.  We really do appreciate the distance some owners travel to join us for the day.

There is always much to see and do at Bressingham with the splendid 17-acre gardens, the garden centre, three narrow gauge railways, and not forgetting the steam gallopers for those brave enough to give them a go.  This year we were also fortunate in having the ‘Terrier’ tank engine taking visitors on the short trip up and down the standard gauge line. The steam museum contains a fine display of period locomotives and in the exhibition hall you are transported back to the 1940s, with a full-size street scene, Dad’s Army displays, vintage vehicles, etc.  In addition to the cars, I guess this is what makes our event so popular.  So, if you have not joined us before, please think about coming along next year when we are returning to our pre-COVID time of the late May Bank Holiday, Sunday the 24th.

Since the demise of the Rover company in 2005 we have seen part of our role as “Keeping the Rover Name Alive”, at least in the east, and hopefully our annual rally helps to do just that.  In fact, this has become our club motto.  However, our club actually dates back to 1975, so this is our 50th anniversary year and we are pleased that we have 3 members from the very early days, Terry Reynolds, Gareth Phillips and Nigel Randall, who are still very active in the club today.  Terry is actually our founder member and still has the same car that he had when the club was formed all those years ago.  As part of this year’s presentations, we were therefore pleased to recognise this with a special award of engraved tankards to each as a thank you. 

Finally, can I say a big thank you to Glen & Marie-Anne Read for making all of the wonderful trophies, the team at Bressingham for hosting us, the team of tireless helpers who set up and cleared away and, all the owners who brought their cars along on the day.  We can organise the show but at the end of the day it is you who make it what it is.  “Rover, One of Britain’s Finest Cars” was never truer.

Russell James
Chairman
Norfolk & Norwich Rover Owners Club