CLASSICS AT THE CASTLE - CASTLE HALSTEAD 15/09/2024
Porsche Club GB’s Classics at the Castle – A Legendary Day at Castle Halstead, 15th September 2024
On the 15th of September 2024, Classics at the Castle returns to the breathtaking Castle Halstead, promising to be a highlight of the year for Porsche enthusiasts and classic car lovers alike. Hosted by Porsche Club GB, this prestigious event will bring together the finest Porsches from across the decades in one stunning location. Whether you’re a proud owner, a collector, or simply a fan of iconic automotive design, this is an event you won’t want to miss.
A Celebration of Porsche’s Iconic Legacy
For over 70 years, Porsche has been at the forefront of automotive performance, design, and engineering, and Classics at the Castle will celebrate the brand’s rich heritage. The event promises to showcase a spectacular range of Porsche models, spanning from the early 356s of the 1950s to the air-cooled 911s of the 1970s, as well as more recent models that have defined Porsche’s evolution over the decades.
Visitors will be able to admire the sleek lines, powerful engines, and innovative engineering that have made Porsche one of the most iconic names in motoring. The show will feature not only classic street cars but also rare special editions and motorsport-inspired models that highlight Porsche's incredible racing pedigree.
A Stunning Venue: Castle Halstead
Castle Halstead, with its centuries-old history and picturesque surroundings, is the perfect setting for Classics at the Castle. The magnificent grounds offer a perfect blend of history and luxury, creating an elegant backdrop for the diverse array of Porsches that will be on display. The picturesque castle and manicured gardens provide an ideal environment to showcase the beauty and precision of Porsche vehicles, making it a truly special location for such an iconic event.
The expansive grounds will allow attendees to stroll leisurely from one pristine Porsche to the next, while soaking in the majestic views of the castle. With the stunning architecture of Castle Halstead as a backdrop, every corner of the event will feel like a picture-perfect moment.
A Fun-Filled Day for All
Beyond the cars, Classics at the Castle offers plenty of activities to ensure a memorable experience for every attendee. Porsche Club GB has organised a fantastic program of entertainment, delicious food stalls, some trade stands and a fantastic atmosphere.
For those with a competitive spirit, the event will feature a series of awards for the best Porsches on display. Categories like Best in Show, Best Restoration, and Best Classic Porsche will allow visitors to admire the incredible level of care and passion that goes into preserving and maintaining these incredible machines. The judging panel will include Porsche experts and club members, ensuring that the most deserving vehicles receive the recognition they deserve.
An Exclusive Gathering for Porsche Lovers
Classics at the Castle is more than just a car show—it’s an exclusive gathering of Porsche lovers. Members of Porsche Club GB will have the opportunity to connect, share stories, and celebrate their shared passion for the brand. The event serves as a reminder of the club’s enduring legacy and its commitment to preserving and promoting Porsche’s history.
This event is a wonderful opportunity to meet fellow enthusiasts, exchange tips on restoration and maintenance, and enjoy the camaraderie that comes with being part of the Porsche family. Whether you're an active member or considering joining, Classics at the Castle provides a welcoming environment for anyone who loves Porsche.
Supporting Preservation and Heritage
Proceeds from the event will support Porsche Club GB’s ongoing efforts to preserve the legacy of these remarkable vehicles. The club works tirelessly to promote the restoration and preservation of classic Porsches, and Classics at the Castle is an important fundraiser that will help further this mission. By attending, visitors are not only celebrating the present and future of Porsche but also ensuring that its past is preserved for generations to come.
SALON PRIVE 2024
Salon Privé 2024 was a special one for me. I was in partnership with Lockton Insurance to cover the event for them.
Held at Blenheim Palace, this established event, brings together automotive passion and luxury, offering an exquisite blend of high-end cars, stunning architecture, and a world-class atmosphere. For a photographer, it’s a paradise: a meticulously curated setting where history, craftsmanship, and design collide in a stunning visual feast. The challenge lies in capturing the essence of the event, balancing the elegance of the venue with the dynamic spirit of the automobiles on display.
One of the first things that strikes a photographer at Salon Privé is the sheer scale and variety of vehicles. From rare pre-war classics to the latest hypercars, the event brings together some of the world’s most coveted machines. The natural light of Blenheim Palace grounds, complemented by the soft English skies, provides a unique opportunity to experiment with various lighting conditions throughout the day. Early morning or late afternoon light creates dramatic shadows and soft highlights that make each car's curves and lines come alive.
The cars themselves are a study in design, and I have to demonstrate my ability to translate their intricate details through the lens of my cameras. Whether it’s the gleam of a chrome bumper or the finely sculpted bodywork of a Ferrari, every element offers an opportunity to tell a story. detail shots of engine bays, reflections in the polished bodywork, and the interplay of shadows on a hood are often as captivating as the wide-angle shots of cars in motion.
But capturing the essence of Salon Privé is not just about the cars. The atmosphere of the event—the elegantly dressed guests, the timeless architecture, and the polished lawns—forms a backdrop that elevates the cars into the realm of art. As a photographer, you have to have your wits about you to capture fleeting moments that blend the human experience with the machines. A wide shot of a Rolls-Royce parked against the grand columns of Blenheim Palace, or an attendee admiring a rare Aston Martin, is as important to the story as a shot of the cars themselves.
What sets Salon Privé apart from other automotive events is its exclusivity and intimacy. Unlike larger car shows where the cars are often displayed behind ropes or in vast exhibition halls, Salon Privé offers an environment where visitors can interact with the vehicles up close. This accessibility allows for more dynamic and personal photographs, often featuring owners and enthusiasts in candid moments. The challenge, however, is capturing these interactions in a way that feels authentic, without disrupting the serene luxury of the event. Being the enthusiast I am as well as a photographer I know how precious I am about the safety of my own cars, having a 3 million pound car on display with those in attendance to paw at it would certainly make me just a tad nervous.
The lush greenery of Blenheim Palace’s grounds offers excellent natural framing, but it also requires constant attention to composition. Managing reflections from the surrounding environment can be tricky when photographing shiny surfaces, especially under direct sunlight.
Salon Privé is not just an event; it’s an opportunity to tell a visual story that celebrates the intersection of automotive engineering and art. Each frame is a moment to reflect the elegance, precision, and passion that define this prestigious gathering, making it a photographer’s dream assignment. Whether you’re shooting from a distance or getting up close to the details, Salon Privé is a spectacular canvas for any lens to capture.
Aston Martin 177 at Salon Prive 2024
WestSide VW show 2022
Welcome to pictures and review from this years Westside 2022 for PVW Magazine
2022 will certainly be a year that so many people remember for all the things that have happened good or bad. Saying that as a United Kingdom I think we have had the proverbial kicked out of us over the last few years.
Very recently with the death of our beloved Queen, change of prime minister, and the war in Ukraine, it’s taken a heavy toll on people’s feelings and taken a hefty chunk out of our pockets.
Now that the Pandemic is well sort of over, restrictions relaxed and people are allowed out again, it has taught us all that friends and family are a stay in our lives.
With that said I have the tune from “cheers” the American comedy about a bar where the lyrics say…
“Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name, and they're always glad you came.
You want to be where you can see, our troubles are all the same, you want to be where everybody knows your name”… That’s exactly what Westside provide !!
For me, it’s one of the stars in my calendar that I try my best not to miss. Held at the Chalfont St Peters Cricket Club, Buckinghamshire it’s central for most people in the South of the country and it’s only an hour and ten minutes for me up the M4 corridor.
From a working perspective (photographer) it’s a bloody nightmare because every time I stop and take a picture, I bump into someone who I haven’t seen in either a year and this is where we get to catch up on what’s been going on in our lives or I get to see friends that I haven’t seen in years. A ten-minute chat can turn into 40 minutes.
Checking the weather over the few days leading up to the show it promised to be a sunny day, and it certainly delivered. British weather at its best, sunny blue skies but at the same time no so hot that it made you uncomfortable.
I arrived just before nine in the morning, excited to see the Westside lads again and to also see the quality of the metal on display. Already at that time, we had to queue, and the cricket ground was packed.
Guaranteed at this show there is the highest of standards and the variety of cars mainly German, with the odd bit of rice cake and some ooh la la (French cars if you don’t get the reference) to give some spice. High-end Lambo’s Bentleys and Porsches all graced the show. There was a good mix of old-school Mercedes mixed in with more modern BMWs.
There was a good attendance of Caddies, but I think the most popular where the old school Golfs ranging from the stunning Mk1’s, MK2’ a large selection of MK3’s now getting harder to find and of course, the MK4’s had a large presence, including me in my MK4 wagon. MK5’s, some pretty sorted MK6’s, 7’s, and 7.5 were also showing a strong attendance.
Catering this year was on point with burgers and BBQ chicken on offer, and even though there was a large attendance at the show I didn’t see large queue for each of the different caterers, showing their efficiency for the hungry crowds.
I just have to add that the in-house catering by the Westside guys did furnish the show ground air with spicy smells of dishes, and on more than one occasion I would salivate passing their “Kargo“(pot of chicken, onions & spices).
With so much to see and so many people to catch up with the day flew by, before I knew it the time was ticking on for four in the afternoon and the trophies were being given out. Time to depart before the onslaught of heavily modifies cars would once again start to filter onto the roads of the surrounding area.
Thank you Westside for a fantastic day, a relaxed atmosphere, and the chance to catch up with friends.
Until next year…
Scott.
Salon Privé 2022 - Blenheim Palace
My favorite large-scale, high-end show of the year and they planned not to disappoint. This year Salon Prive they were hosting the Ferrari 75th Anniversary Class, a star attraction at its Concours d’Elégance presented by Aviva.
‘There have been many concours events in the past where rare Ferraris have been on display,’ said Salon Privé’s chairman, Andrew Bagley. ‘Blenheim Palace’s South Lawn, Salon Privé audiences will see a truly extraordinary collection of unique and ground-breaking Maranello cars – more than half of which with the prized Classiche certification - that defies comparison.’
WEDNESDAY - PRESS DAY:
This year would be different for me, on Wednesday the 31st was “press day” and I attended with all the other Media and Togs and we would get to see the reveal of so many special machines and have the chance to get up and close with the cars and the designers and production teams. On “press day” there are no visitors just us…
Wednesday was rather hot, so I decided to chance wearing shorts and a t-shirt. I packed trousers and a shirt in the car just in case but the staff at the event were nonjudgmental and didn’t seem to mind as I was working.
Sitting down in the marquee where the staff would welcome us for the day, we were offered coffee and Croissants. After the briefing, the PR Director and her staff would set out the day for us and what could be expected.
Wednesday Highlights:
An opportunity to witness manufacturers World, European and UK debuts
Plus, see the Salon Privé Concours d’Elégance featuring more than 100 cars
The Platinum Collection – a specially curated display of cars from the past 70 years, brought together for the first time in honour of The Queen’s Jubilee (RIP your Majesty )
Prodrive Legends feature that will celebrate the British company with a line-up of rally cars, racing cars such as the Ferrari 550 GTS and Aston Martin Vantage GT4, and the new Prodrive Hunter – the world’s first all-terrain hypercar.
The Apricale represents a revolution. It is the only hypercar to provide a zero-emissions powertrain in a car whose weight is the same as a petrol-powered equivalent – and half that of some battery-electric equivalents
After seeing the unveiling of the Viritech Apricale, we wandered over to the New Hennessey Venom F5 Roadster The Texas-built Venom F5 Roadster is a new rival to the Koenigsegg Regera and the Bugatti Chiron SuperSport. The guys on the stand confirmed that cowboy boots and hats were not part of the upgrade package.
2022 CLASS WINNERS:
BEST OF SHOW WINNER
Ferrari 250 GT TdF Berlinetta by Zagato
Year: 1956
Coachbuilder: Zagato
BEST OF SHOW RUNNER-UP
Alfa Romeo 6C 2300B Mille Miglia Cabriolet by Graber
Year: 1938
Coachbuilder: Graber
BEST OF SHOW THIRD PLACE
Bentley 8 Litre Saloon by Freestone & Webb
Year: 1931
Coachbuilder: Freestone & Webb
PEOPLE'S CHOICE
Lorraine Dietrich 130HP ‘Course’
Year: 1907
Coachbuilder: Lorraine Dietrich
CHURCHILL CUP FOR MOST EXCEPTIONAL DESIGN
Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Sports Coupé by Freestone & Webb
Year: 1933
Coachbuilder: Freestone & Webb
Full listings can be found here:
https://www.salonpriveconcours.com/about-concours-delegance/past-winners/
Sunday 4th September 2022 - Drivers Union
Another early start but this time with The Drivers Union.
Quote “A supercar club Founded in 2012 and with over 1,000 supercar-owning members, the Drivers Union is the largest and most exclusive multi-marque supercar club in the UK. Membership is open to owners of Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, Pagani, and selected models from other supercar marques. We organise coffee mornings and group drive-outs, supercar lunches, dealer visits, discounts on services, and much more”.
I was invited along as one of their club photographers by Syeed Ali its founder and overall lovely gentleman. The day is well organised with members displaying their cars in the grounds of Blenheim palace, food was on offer for members and guests, and for those participating in the day, there were trophies on offer for the members.
The weather held out with blue skies and warm weather. The general public took great delight in viewing the cars on display and I got to meet up with other photographers and was invited onto the roof of the palace for a very special vantage point.
Simply Porsche - Beaulieu 2022
Jubilee weekend was here, and like many I took the entire week off. The time to step back a little and relax with the long weekend fast approaching.
The Jubilee celebrations I attended were fantastic, an organised event in the little town of Mortimer where there was fair, a stage with bands and most of all, lots of beer tents all finished off with fireworks and the renditions of God Save the Queen”. What a fantastic end to an extra special and extended weekend….
…but wait there was still something special to do on the Sunday, and that was to go and experience my first Simply Porsche at Beaulieu. Not only was I attending the event, but I would be taking pictures for “The Independent Porsche Enthusiasts club”.
Sunday morning came, the cameras were packed and me and a friend (James) grabbed a quick cup of coffee before venturing out into the dull and gloomy weather. The run down to Beaulieu would take an hour and there was hope that the weather would break and stay dry for the show.
As we got to the New Forest we started to see the odd Porsche here and there, but as we got closer the pronounced roar of a flat six engine was heard time and time again, the excitement of what to expect started to build and our enthusiasm for what lay head started to grow.
Arriving at the show, the weather had improved so the need for an umbrella or raincoat was thankfully not needed although filtering with the other cars in a Skoda Superb, we did have the odd funny look, but as we approached the entrance and showed the gate staff our wrist bands, they were very polite and helpful in guiding us through the gates and giving us directions of where to park up.
Now, I am not a Porsche owner, and it has taken me an age to come around to all of my friend’s way of thinking about the beloved Porsches we were there to see, and once you emerge into the sights, the sounds, and the smell of all things Porsche, I was like a kid in a sweet shop.
First things first though… we made contact with Andy Harris, found the TIPEC Gazebo where we were greeted by smiles and warmth along with another cup of lovely coffee and some very special shortbread biscuits. Briefing done, and it was time to explore with camera in hand.
The various clubs and stands all had lots of lovely owners who were willing to chat about their cars, everyone I spoke to were pleasant and welcoming. As a photographer I try and get the best angles for my pictures, sometimes I have to get up close to the cars for detailed shots and owners were very encouraging when asked if I could get that little bit closer to their pride and joy.
The out-and-out quality and care of these machines is only replicated by the enthusiasm of their owners. Coming from the VW scene of 30 odd years to a more mature and sophisticated atmosphere was encouraging. It was nice to see the odd “hoonigan” every now and again though on either starting their engines or on the road trip on our way back home.
The variety at Simply Porsche of old verses new, verses petrol verses electric, there was so much to see. I am a real sucker for the old Porsche 356 and there were quite a few at this event.
A stunning baby blue one on the main parade into Beaulieu on chrome Fuchs alloys, then further along on the back row near the ruins a dark red or wine coloured one that caught my eye. The lady owner was extremely proud of her car and expressed how she had tried to keep the little Porsche as original and authentic as possible.
Moving back slightly through the rear fields, lots of EV’s and 992 touring’s were out for all to admire. Quite large compared to their older generations, but still brought admiring looks from other owners and attendees.
Moving further back we came upon what could only be one of the best-looking cars at the show, a black 356 straight out of what looked like the first top gun movie. The car was flawless, the paint deep, the leather sumptuous and the chrome as bright as any I have ever seen. It was quite hard to get a clear spot to get pictures of this beauty as it was attracting so much attention.
Moving through the rest of the hordes of 991’s, 996’s GT2’s, GT3’s, Carrera’s and Carrera-S’s there was just so much to see and take pictures of.
I do have to give a quick shout-out to another older Gentleman driver (yes a 356 owner in silver) who kept me talking well over 30 minutes of his adventures of him in his many cars and rally’s that he had been on.
Once the work had been completed it was time for a little downtime, where James and I visited the museum, had a good old look at the “no time to die” cars, some that were in quite a bad state from the film to be fair. It was lovely to revisit the museum after a good absence, seeing new and familiar cars that were seen in my childhood, my youth and now… well let’s just say my more mature years.
The World of Top Gear, was as popular as ever showing the cars that Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond used during their time on the show, although now they were in the company of the newer generation of custom racing tractor and 4x4 ice cream van.
Time had come where members and attendees were leaving, thanks were given to those on the TIPEC stand and we joined the queue to exit. The drive home was quite spirited with windows down listening to the endless burble of flat-six engines that just made the hairs on the back of your head stand on end…
Until next time…
Edited using photoshop for a more dramatic look from the original image
Edited using photoshop for a more dramatic look from the original image