Wroxall Abbey Standard Triumph Picnic
Early on the morning of Sunday, 19th May a group of members from Windsor Forest TRs met in the car park of Tesco’s at The Meadows, Camberley ready for a prompt 8.30am start to the 95 mile drive to Wroxall Abbey where the event was to be held. Our small group comprised four cars, Laurence and Susannah Holt in their award winning TR6, Dave and Linda in their TR3A and Lesley and I in our TR4. Robin Charlton and his wife came in their very well presented, blue Triumph Stag as their TR4A was undergoing some work at the time.
The weather was forecast to be unsettled, with rain and heavy showers being forecast for most of the day across the areas we would be travelling through as well as for Wroxall Abbey. For that reason two of our cars started off with hoods up, the other two taking the risk things would be fine. Our route for the whole journey avoided motorways and passed through some splendid countryside and scenery for the whole route. From Tesco’s car park we headed through Sandhurst to Twyford, Henley-on-Thames and Wallingford before reaching Oxford where we spent a short time on the A4142 and the Oxford outer ring road before passing Blenheim Palace to join the A44 in the direction of Chipping Norton Stratford-Upon-Avon. Just out of Woodstock we stopped at a delightful roadside Café for refreshments and a well earned break. The weather, contrary to the forecast had remained warm and sunny for the whole of our journey so far and this was to continue all the way to Wroxall Abbey which we reached at around 11.30am where on entry we were directed to a huge field in the grounds which was filled with several hundred TRs including many TR6s, there to celebrate their 50th Anniversary.
The event had been organised by the Pre 1940 Triumph Club and in addition to the TRs were several rows of gleaming vintage Triumph cars including amongst others some immaculate Glorias and Dolomites. I was particularly impressed by a Triumph Dove of 1934 vintage, who’s styling was reminiscent more of the 1950s rather than two decades earlier albeit its age was given away by the gleaming chrome of its Art Deco embellishments.
The TR Register were represented by their official Gazebo where Wayne Scott and Mick Forey were busy manning a stall selling 50th Anniversary rally plaques and tee shirts in addition to the usual TR ephemera. Other members of the Management team where also in attendance including Allan Westbury, Chairman. Later that afternoon at 2.30pm the gazebo was to play a key role as the heavens finally opened and the forecast rain arrived. Talk about loaves and fishes – it was a tight fit under that gazebo. After a look around Wroxall Abbey which was open to visitors we headed for home around 3.30pm when the relatively light rain finally abatted. Again, the run home which we did in convoy fashion, but without Robin and his wife who’d headed off earlier to attend a family engagement. We followed the same route back which was very pleasant with us arriving back at our starting point around 6.00pm. All in all it was a very good day, especially the route which is worth keeping for future runs.
