Birthday at Bicester
Last weekend, we headed up to the Bicester Scramble at Bicester Heritage. This was our first visit to the Scramble, and what a fantastic event it is! Set at the incredible Bicester Heritage—a former RAF base turned hub for classic car businesses—there are around fifty automotive businesses operating from repurposed RAF buildings on site. From old aircraft hangars to blast rooms, the whole site is full of specialists of every sort, making it an incredible place for a classic car enthusiast to visit. On top of this, their Scramble days attract hundreds of fascinating cars, from 1980s hot hatches all the way back to pre-war racers. Wandering around Bicester Heritage’s charming avenues provides a “wow” moment at every turn, as you come across another specialist workshop or a car you would love to own.
The boy and I drove up in Reggie, our XK140, which was restored back in 2016 and features many of our upgrades, making it very easy to drive on motorways and through busy traffic. Reggie was on display on the HCVA stand, along with half a dozen other stunning classics provided by HCVA members. The boy is (when I last checked, at least) HCVA’s youngest member and, given his love for classic cars and the natural world, he truly cares about ensuring we create a sustainable future for them. It was his 8th birthday, and what better treat could there be than a long drive in a classic Jaguar, a day at a classic car show, and an ice cream! He even got to do a bit of electric go-kart racing. Shan and Dale from the HCVA got him a cake and made a real fuss of the fact it was his birthday, and our friends at Small Car Big City let him have a sit in one of his favourite classics, a Mini. Thank you all for making it a lovely birthday for him.
The XK140 performed faultlessly on the 200-mile round trip. I was very glad of the five-speed gearbox for the many miles spent driving up the dreaded A34. Queuing through traffic in Bicester, the electric cooling fan and power steering were essential, and the disc brakes gave a real sense of confidence. On the way home, we had very heavy rain, but the upgraded windscreen wiper system dealt with it well. I am also pleased to report that we had no water leaking into the cabin, as I am sure the sleeping 8-year-old in the passenger seat would not have been impressed by water dripping on his leg. The most important upgrade of all, especially when driving with a child in a child seat, was a good set of seatbelts. All in all, this package of upgrades came together rather nicely to make what could have been a tiresome and difficult journey quite enjoyable. As we got back to the workshop, the mileage ticked up to exactly 9,000 since the car was restored.
