Words and photos by Rob Thornton
Alan Wright’s Classic Offroad Show, held at the International Centre, Telford over the weekend 13/14th February more than lived up to expectations. The three exhibition halls were packed with machinery on display, club and trade stands together with assorted autojumble, not to mention various event organisers. For those heroic enough to brave the elements, there was also a carpark at the front of the buildings devoted to yet more autojumble.
The GRA had the usual gleaming display, ranging from Tim Griffin’s rubber-suspended trials model up to Dick Faggetter’s 250 MX4 scrambler. In all, there were 9 machines on display, representing trials, scrambling, road-racing and grasstrack. The ‘stand staff’ were kept busy all day answering various enquiries including a couple of Greeves owners who were interested in riding in trials and scrambles.
The Show also saw the unveiling of the latest new Greeves trials model form Richard Deal. Two machines were on display together with a number of early Thundersley trials models. One of the new machines had the bodywork removed to display a number of innovative features. Plans are in hand for further testing before an announcement on riders will be made. It certainly looked impressive and if it goes as well, it could do well in the right hands.
The crowds poured in on Saturday and traders were reporting excellent business. Certainly, day to day items such as cables, levers, tyres, etc, were being snapped up and by Sunday, many of the stalls had gaps where boxes of goods had once been. You certainly needed to get in early and the same applied to complete machines for sale.
All in all, it was an excellent weekend from a visitor’s perspective with a real buzz about the place with plenty of buyers staggering around under the weight of frames, tyres, exhausts and other purchases. Alan Wright, ably assisted by members of his family was dashing about all weekend and I would think must have been very pleased with his efforts.
Dave Bickers visits the GRA stand, where he is pictured with 5 LHK