Just a quick note to say that I have asked the Bugatti Owners Club if we can hold Pre-War Prescott 2024 on Saturday 20th July. I try to keep it on the third Saturday of July every year so that people, and particularly overseas people, can plan ahead.
I have been told that the BOC Council is currently sorting private event dates for 2024 and as soon as they have done so, they will be able to establish our date for next year.
The 2024 Summer Rally will once again include tours on the Friday and Sunday.
And, as Jayne and I are scheduled to relocate to England in June next year, the first of our autumn touring weekends will be taking place in the autumn of next year. Currently the area is TBD, but details will be circulated and included here on the Forum as soon as they are made. Right now, I am considering the Welsh borders, the Bath area or perhaps Dorset. Or perhaps the Dales?
The general plan is to hold 'roving' spring and autumn weekends around the country so that members in those areas have a chance to join us, if they cannot stretch to the Cotswolds in July.
Summer Rally 2024 dates
Moderators: Ian Grace, Will Grace
Re: Summer Rally 2024 dates
An update.
Here's what I, and all other clubs who hire Prescott are currently being told about Prescott 2024 dates by the Bugatti Owners' Club:
"With regards to 2024 dates, council are still in discussions as to how many private hire events we will be allowing, and which ones they will be, so I’m sorry, but I can’t confirm anything on this front at the moment and most likely won’t be able to until the latter part of the year. All date confirmations are on hold for 2024 at the moment. Council are reviewing all the events on the hill and the financial / diversity / PR they create for the club in order to ensure we are maximising the 30 days use we have, so please continue to debate internally and let me know your preference, but I’m not currently in a position to confirm."
It would appear therefore that Pre-War Prescott 2024 may or may not go ahead. And worse, we won't know until the latter part of this year, which gives little time to plan. (Remember, for example that requests for RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight air support need to be lodged by the end of September for the following season). I also like to put the date for the next PWP in the current PWP Programme, which I will not be able to do this year. Additionally, some of our overseas visitors need to plan their travel plans at least a year in advance. So this is all very frustrating.
Therefore contingency plans for an alternative venue/date must be made - and made soon. As mentioned already, Jayne and I are relocating to the UK in June next year, so I was already looking at possibilities for an autumn 2024 rally. So the plan right now is to organize an event in September 2024 on a moderate scale, but one which could be throttled up into a much more significant weekend, should we be unsuccessful in securing a date for Pre-War Prescott 2024.
To that end I am in discussions with a number of potential venues and more information will be posted here as plans develop.
Here's what I, and all other clubs who hire Prescott are currently being told about Prescott 2024 dates by the Bugatti Owners' Club:
"With regards to 2024 dates, council are still in discussions as to how many private hire events we will be allowing, and which ones they will be, so I’m sorry, but I can’t confirm anything on this front at the moment and most likely won’t be able to until the latter part of the year. All date confirmations are on hold for 2024 at the moment. Council are reviewing all the events on the hill and the financial / diversity / PR they create for the club in order to ensure we are maximising the 30 days use we have, so please continue to debate internally and let me know your preference, but I’m not currently in a position to confirm."
It would appear therefore that Pre-War Prescott 2024 may or may not go ahead. And worse, we won't know until the latter part of this year, which gives little time to plan. (Remember, for example that requests for RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight air support need to be lodged by the end of September for the following season). I also like to put the date for the next PWP in the current PWP Programme, which I will not be able to do this year. Additionally, some of our overseas visitors need to plan their travel plans at least a year in advance. So this is all very frustrating.
Therefore contingency plans for an alternative venue/date must be made - and made soon. As mentioned already, Jayne and I are relocating to the UK in June next year, so I was already looking at possibilities for an autumn 2024 rally. So the plan right now is to organize an event in September 2024 on a moderate scale, but one which could be throttled up into a much more significant weekend, should we be unsuccessful in securing a date for Pre-War Prescott 2024.
To that end I am in discussions with a number of potential venues and more information will be posted here as plans develop.
Re: Summer Rally 2024 dates
An update from our June Newsletter:
In early May, while preparing the Pre-War Prescott Programme for
the printers, I contacted the Bugatti Owners Club to confirm our date for PWP 2024, as I always like
to include next year’s date in this year’s Programme. This helps people who book their
accommodation from year to year and also helps our overseas visitors make their travel plans. I was
therefore surprised to receive the following response from the Prescott manager:
"With regards to 2024 dates, council are still in discussions as to how many private hire events we will
be allowing, and which ones they will be, so I’m sorry, but I can’t confirm anything on this front at the
moment and most likely won’t be able to until the latter part of the year. All date confirmations are on
hold for 2024 at the moment. Council are reviewing all the events on the hill and the financial /
diversity / PR they create for the club in order to ensure we are maximising the 30 days use we have,
so please continue to debate internally and let me know your preference, but I’m not currently in a
position to confirm."
It would appear that several, if not all of the clubs that hire Prescott have received a similar response.
Not knowing until the latter part of this year whether we will be offered a date or not gives little time
to plan. Remember, for example that requests for RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight air support
need to be lodged by the end of September for the following season.
Therefore, contingency plans for an alternative venue/date must be made. My first thought has
already been mentioned in our recent Newsletters. As Jayne and I are relocating to the UK in June
next year, I was already looking at possibilities for an autumn 2024 rally. So my initial thought was to
organize an event in September 2024 on a moderate scale, but one which could be throttled up into a
much more significant weekend, should we be unsuccessful in securing a date for Pre-War Prescott
2024.
That would be one option. Another would be to make a clean break, inaugurate a brand new main
event - on the same weekend in July as Pre-War Prescott - and throw everything into making it a great
success, without one event dragging on the other.
To that end, I have spent the last few weeks researching possible alternative venues including hill
climbs, stately homes, ‘green field’ venues, closed road hill climbs and more. I have spoken to
numerous Register supporters, events managers and teams across the area and, to cut to the chase,
one venue stood head and shoulders above the rest, and that venue is Bicester Heritage.
Bicester Heritage is based on the old RAF Bicester airfield in Oxfordshire, which is the best-preserved
pre-war and wartime RAF airfield in the country. Ten years ago, the Bicester Heritage team was
formed and took over the entire airfield and associated RAF hangars and buildings. The site is now
home to around 50 motoring businesses, including MSUK. The team has added a test track and the
vast grass airfield has become popular among the vintage aircraft community.
After a number of meetings with the Bicester events team, the date of Saturday 20th July 2024 has
been booked for the inaugural Pre-War Bicester. The day will include untimed runs on the test track
(in a very similar fashion to our untimed climbs at Prescott, but more suitable for lower-powered cars
and cyclecars, etc.) and a number of vintage aircraft owners have already penciled in the date
including the Tiger Nine display team of nine Tiger Moths and the Vintage Aircraft Club who are
looking to join us as they celebrate their 60th Anniversary. Also, Chris Thompson who runs Finest
Hour Experiences and generously donates a Tiger Moth flight to our charity auction every year is
based at Bicester, so whoever wins the flight next year will be able to take to the skies immediately!
Bicester also offers far more space than is available in the Prescott Paddock for Clubs and Registers to
gather their members’ cars, club gazebos, spares stalls, etc.
All of this is seismic news after having run rallies at Prescott since 2003 and then our inaugural Pre-
War Prescot in 2011. Of course Prescott is a wonderful venue and I will be sorry to leave it after so
many people have put in so much work over the years to develop the day. However, as one close
friend noted recently, the success of Pre-War Prescott is not so much due to the hill, but to the
wonderful people and their cars that it attracts.
And perhaps, after all those years, it is time for something fresh. This year, I have heard from several
entrants that they do not wish to climb the hill, as they have done so very many times in the past.
Bicester gives us a unique opportunity to forge something fresh, new and exciting, while carrying over
the relaxed, garden party atmosphere that Pre-War Prescot has become so well known for. The fact
that we can hold the day on the same third Saturday in July is also a real bonus, not only for
continuity but also because it will continue to be on the same weekend as the nearby Royal
International Air Tattoo (RIAT) at Fairford, which always greatly enhances our chances of securing a
display by the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight who always attend RIAT in force. And of course
the day will be bookended with our traditional Friday and Sunday road runs and evening social
gatherings. Bicester is almost exactly 40 miles east of Prescott as the crow flies, so the area to explore
on Friday and Sunday just overlaps the area we have all become familiar with but also opens up all
sorts of wonderful new Oxfordshire countryside and places of interest to visit.
Additionally, the test track offers a fresh change from the hill and the space available also opens up
the possibility of running VSCC style driving tests.
And there’s one more piece of good news. Unlike Prescott, the airfield is completely covered by high
speed wi-fi which means that we will be able to use hand-held credit card devices on the gate and also
switch to online ticketing, removing the time-consuming and expensive task of printing and posting
carboard tickets to everyone. And I should also mention that, unlike Prescott, there will be NO need
for entrants to hold MSUK licenses or to have to pre-register after they have submitted their entry. As
we get into the detailed planning, the good news just keeps coming!
Clearly, there is much to think through, but there is time to do so and hopefully develop Pre-War
Bicester into something really special that will take the Register into the future.
There will be more video conferences with the Bicester events team in the coming weeks and we will
be holding a site meeting in early July to nail down more details. But for now, please make a note of
the date – Saturday 20th July 2024.
And finally, all this means that Pre-War Prescott next month will be the last running of this much loved
annual event for the foreseeable future, so if you have never been before but always thought you
would like to visit some year, or if you attended one of our early days at Prescott or if you would
simply like to join in our farewell to Prescott, please submit your entry without delay.
In early May, while preparing the Pre-War Prescott Programme for
the printers, I contacted the Bugatti Owners Club to confirm our date for PWP 2024, as I always like
to include next year’s date in this year’s Programme. This helps people who book their
accommodation from year to year and also helps our overseas visitors make their travel plans. I was
therefore surprised to receive the following response from the Prescott manager:
"With regards to 2024 dates, council are still in discussions as to how many private hire events we will
be allowing, and which ones they will be, so I’m sorry, but I can’t confirm anything on this front at the
moment and most likely won’t be able to until the latter part of the year. All date confirmations are on
hold for 2024 at the moment. Council are reviewing all the events on the hill and the financial /
diversity / PR they create for the club in order to ensure we are maximising the 30 days use we have,
so please continue to debate internally and let me know your preference, but I’m not currently in a
position to confirm."
It would appear that several, if not all of the clubs that hire Prescott have received a similar response.
Not knowing until the latter part of this year whether we will be offered a date or not gives little time
to plan. Remember, for example that requests for RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight air support
need to be lodged by the end of September for the following season.
Therefore, contingency plans for an alternative venue/date must be made. My first thought has
already been mentioned in our recent Newsletters. As Jayne and I are relocating to the UK in June
next year, I was already looking at possibilities for an autumn 2024 rally. So my initial thought was to
organize an event in September 2024 on a moderate scale, but one which could be throttled up into a
much more significant weekend, should we be unsuccessful in securing a date for Pre-War Prescott
2024.
That would be one option. Another would be to make a clean break, inaugurate a brand new main
event - on the same weekend in July as Pre-War Prescott - and throw everything into making it a great
success, without one event dragging on the other.
To that end, I have spent the last few weeks researching possible alternative venues including hill
climbs, stately homes, ‘green field’ venues, closed road hill climbs and more. I have spoken to
numerous Register supporters, events managers and teams across the area and, to cut to the chase,
one venue stood head and shoulders above the rest, and that venue is Bicester Heritage.
Bicester Heritage is based on the old RAF Bicester airfield in Oxfordshire, which is the best-preserved
pre-war and wartime RAF airfield in the country. Ten years ago, the Bicester Heritage team was
formed and took over the entire airfield and associated RAF hangars and buildings. The site is now
home to around 50 motoring businesses, including MSUK. The team has added a test track and the
vast grass airfield has become popular among the vintage aircraft community.
After a number of meetings with the Bicester events team, the date of Saturday 20th July 2024 has
been booked for the inaugural Pre-War Bicester. The day will include untimed runs on the test track
(in a very similar fashion to our untimed climbs at Prescott, but more suitable for lower-powered cars
and cyclecars, etc.) and a number of vintage aircraft owners have already penciled in the date
including the Tiger Nine display team of nine Tiger Moths and the Vintage Aircraft Club who are
looking to join us as they celebrate their 60th Anniversary. Also, Chris Thompson who runs Finest
Hour Experiences and generously donates a Tiger Moth flight to our charity auction every year is
based at Bicester, so whoever wins the flight next year will be able to take to the skies immediately!
Bicester also offers far more space than is available in the Prescott Paddock for Clubs and Registers to
gather their members’ cars, club gazebos, spares stalls, etc.
All of this is seismic news after having run rallies at Prescott since 2003 and then our inaugural Pre-
War Prescot in 2011. Of course Prescott is a wonderful venue and I will be sorry to leave it after so
many people have put in so much work over the years to develop the day. However, as one close
friend noted recently, the success of Pre-War Prescott is not so much due to the hill, but to the
wonderful people and their cars that it attracts.
And perhaps, after all those years, it is time for something fresh. This year, I have heard from several
entrants that they do not wish to climb the hill, as they have done so very many times in the past.
Bicester gives us a unique opportunity to forge something fresh, new and exciting, while carrying over
the relaxed, garden party atmosphere that Pre-War Prescot has become so well known for. The fact
that we can hold the day on the same third Saturday in July is also a real bonus, not only for
continuity but also because it will continue to be on the same weekend as the nearby Royal
International Air Tattoo (RIAT) at Fairford, which always greatly enhances our chances of securing a
display by the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight who always attend RIAT in force. And of course
the day will be bookended with our traditional Friday and Sunday road runs and evening social
gatherings. Bicester is almost exactly 40 miles east of Prescott as the crow flies, so the area to explore
on Friday and Sunday just overlaps the area we have all become familiar with but also opens up all
sorts of wonderful new Oxfordshire countryside and places of interest to visit.
Additionally, the test track offers a fresh change from the hill and the space available also opens up
the possibility of running VSCC style driving tests.
And there’s one more piece of good news. Unlike Prescott, the airfield is completely covered by high
speed wi-fi which means that we will be able to use hand-held credit card devices on the gate and also
switch to online ticketing, removing the time-consuming and expensive task of printing and posting
carboard tickets to everyone. And I should also mention that, unlike Prescott, there will be NO need
for entrants to hold MSUK licenses or to have to pre-register after they have submitted their entry. As
we get into the detailed planning, the good news just keeps coming!
Clearly, there is much to think through, but there is time to do so and hopefully develop Pre-War
Bicester into something really special that will take the Register into the future.
There will be more video conferences with the Bicester events team in the coming weeks and we will
be holding a site meeting in early July to nail down more details. But for now, please make a note of
the date – Saturday 20th July 2024.
And finally, all this means that Pre-War Prescott next month will be the last running of this much loved
annual event for the foreseeable future, so if you have never been before but always thought you
would like to visit some year, or if you attended one of our early days at Prescott or if you would
simply like to join in our farewell to Prescott, please submit your entry without delay.
Re: Summer Rally 2024 dates
A quick update. Yesterday, I visited Bicester for a meeting on the ground with the Bicester Motion events team. It could not have gone any better.
The visit was a real eye-opener as there is SO much going on at Bicester and the opportunities for us to put on a really good event are enormous. In particular, we can use the track for a timed, competitive autosolo style driving test, but still without helmets, MSUK licenses or any other red tape or complications.
I'll be making a second visit to Bicester and the area before we return to Seattle later this month.
More news here anon.
The visit was a real eye-opener as there is SO much going on at Bicester and the opportunities for us to put on a really good event are enormous. In particular, we can use the track for a timed, competitive autosolo style driving test, but still without helmets, MSUK licenses or any other red tape or complications.
I'll be making a second visit to Bicester and the area before we return to Seattle later this month.
More news here anon.
Re: Summer Rally 2024 dates
I can also now confirm the date for Pre-War Bicester 2025 - Saturday 19th July.
Re: Summer Rally 2024 dates
After a request for feedback from members and our friends in the wider vintage community, it became clear that there was weak enthusiasm for a Bicester weekend, but far more enthusiasm for a weekend rallying around the Ludlow area.
Accordingly, the decision has been made to pass on Bicester for next year and plan a weekend of rallying, fun and socializing in the Herefordshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire and Welsh borders areas.
More info to follow as plans develop, but I can tell you that the dates will be Friday 19th to Sunday 21st July.
Accordingly, the decision has been made to pass on Bicester for next year and plan a weekend of rallying, fun and socializing in the Herefordshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire and Welsh borders areas.
More info to follow as plans develop, but I can tell you that the dates will be Friday 19th to Sunday 21st July.