NEC Restoration Show - March 22nd - 24th 2024

If anyone wants a discount code for the show, drop me a PM.

Sigh...

Will be along on the Friday & Saturday, as will crouchieb , for the former anyway. I just need to sort the usual tickets and parking as have left it until the last minute as always

With the Bradford Utility just about show ready I turned my attention to other display vehicles / kit / equipment etc



For some reason in the run up to this years show many things have conspired against me - don't why but they just have - Its resulted in very, very long days and the past 3 haven't been short of 18 hours each     Just about everything (I sincerely hope) has been resolved but it just all takes time and in most cases more time than originally planned 



Just one of the many conspiring items - Trailer battery which is dedicated for winch power only died on me - soon resolved with a new one but just another hour of my time that was already well into high negative figures 



Target for the day was to have everything in one central place for loading / mobilisation hence moving vehicles from the barn back to home / workshop which is a 15 mile round trip - First one is this Bradford Van which will see the commencement of its restoration journey at the show  



Along with the modular display boards (Inside the blue carry cases) - these build a green / storage room on the display stand whilst externally various media / posters can be displayed 



First one back to the workshop - I had already had a shuffle of vehicles at home in order to generate some space but its fairly tight even without all the show prep 



Whilst at the barn I also need to exhume the Javelin - needless to say 4 x flat tyres but that's readily resolved 



But blocked in by other projects - everything has to pushed around and I'm on my own 



Thankfully everything rolls pretty well and I keep a set of wheel skates just in case 



Javelin left at the barn for now I delivered the Bradford Van to the workshop and then juggled the vehicle lift out of the workshop and loaded it to the trailer - No easy task - the lift rolls freely but in a unsteerable out of control ankle biting supermarket trolley sort of way - I have gravel immediately outside the door of the workshop and have to laydown ply sheeting for it roll on to - then get it up the ramps and on to the trailer bed - the winch helps buts its a frustrating process - finger trapping too if you are not careful and did I mention that I was loading by myself 



Back to the barn with the loaded vehicle lift then load the Javelin over the top of it - Don't be fooled by the pic (taken this morning) Its dark by now - back to home / workshop - After I had eaten I had the all the kit / tools / materials to sort 



But I need to have a bit of a major tidy up first 



Its  a small mountain of kit 



Ah - The welder needs to go too 



Along with a load of autojumble / tat 



Right then - I had better start getting some of it loaded !!

I see a local lad has won the Practical Classics restorer of the year award with his Mini. I have seen the car several times and it is a nice one although I am not keen on highly polished things like master cylinders.

Javelin loaded the following morning (Wednesday) with kit / tools / odds 





Then whilst waiting for Duncan to arrive who was heading over from Shropshire I loaded the Bradford up 









Bradford Utility loaded to Duncan's trailer & tow vehicle 



2 hour haul up to the NEC 





Time to off load and head back to reload with the Bradford project plus Jowett Shop stock along with everything else - I can see it being another midnight + finish 

Cue much unloading & assembly of the stand prior to the show opening - it takes all of Thursday to get set up and our team members continue to arrive 









Club members 1930 Jowett Long 2 receiving a freshly built ash frame 



1952 Jowett Javelin returns for further recommissioning after being sat unused since 1966



And the virtually completed Bradford Utility returns after being displayed on last years stand loosely repanelled / without rear doors and in primer 
 




I'll be demonstrating seat recovering of the passenger seat for the Utility as just one of the many restoration disciplines on the stand throughout the show 



Our club shop / reception / front of house 



Always thinking outside of the box when it comes to the display - some final finishing touches to the stand 

Some random pics of other motors exhibiting - this is just very quick snaps as I commute backwards & forwards around the exhibition - some taken before the show opens - some taken whilst enroute to the WC etc - all mainly within hall 5 - I'm simply way too busy to get chance to visit the other halls / go for a wonder bar a few visits to certain traders for items I'll require for immediate projects 



On a stand opposite us appears another Jowett Bradford Utility - turns out its a club member but exhibiting on the Boston Classic Car Club stand 













I'm also undertaking some research 



The club has used these modular section display boards for decades 



And whilst they are effective they are outdated by modern exhibition standards but they build an enclosed area - In effect a very useful green room where we can hide our junk / jackets / lunch / kettle & brew table / shop stock etc 



They are also heavy, bulky, difficult to store & transport (blue storage cases) 


 
There's some modular collapsible exhibition walls now in the market 


 


These erect / collapse in minutes into the size of a tent bag - lightweight and can be transported readily in the boot of a car - more research required yet but ideas forming as I write - more to come yet 

Nope - Its just one-upmanship on the rest of the stands that didn't recognise that spring was in the air