The journey: Restoration Show Day 2 - A Special Visitor

Day 2. And Saturday was the longest of the days with the show kicking off at 9 am and the doors closing at 6 pm. The increase in footfall was immediately noticeable. Even before the doors opened, fellow club members were sharing the love with other clubs, checking out some of the amazing cars on display. I spent some time checking out the Ford Racing Puma 's, the Austin Counties Car Club , and ADO16.info to name but a few.

The first few hours of the show flew by. There were crowds of people all over the GCCG stand. In one corner, Tim's Marina receiving a new gear box. Tom's Saab underwent some heating and ventilation repairs behind the dash. Richie's Ital got a new interior and a good scrub, and Adrian's Beetle had an engine overhaul. We also had bodywork being done on Clive's Peugeot 406 coupe, while Mike was busy fitting a new hose to Alice, his Hillman Imp.

For Bess however, it was a simpler affair. Sharing the story and collecting information. The trouble is, that these 50s Vauxhalls are so scarce, that parts are almost impossible to come by. With such provenance, I also wanted to preserve as much of the original car as I possible can. This means, I need skilled people, who can weld and work metal, and folks who can give me hints and tips on where to find service parts and consumables from. I'll also need time and deep pockets. We got off to a great start. I found out about the types of paint used, some options for re-chroming, and a possible contact for some much needed oil filters.

But today was special for another reason. It was the day that we suprised my grandad. Some careful planning with my mom and sister, along with some generous help from the GCCG team and MGAlzheimers, meant we were able to collect my grandparents and whisk them off to the NEC. No mean feat for a couple in their 90's. Grandad had no idea where he was going, commenting that he thought it would be a furniture show or something. To add to their confusion, the NEC was also hosting Comicon, so the crowds of folks dressed up probably added to the mystery.

Walking through the main entrance and turning left however, we were faced with hall 5, and a collections of lovely old cars. Their faces lit up and we wondered in. Past Mini's and Rovers that brought back memories of cars they'd owned or worked on in the past. We slowly strolled down the hall, pausing at a Rover SD1. These were always a favorite of grandad's. He owned a 3500 Vitesse that met it's demise after an accident. He was deep in conversation with me, recalling the moment the near side wheel slipped off the tarmac, when he looked up and was faced with Bess. Side profile. Under the exhibition lights. Surrounded by interested people. Needless to say, it was a magical moment. He loved seeing everyone enthusing over the car, and it was the first time that he'd seen the timeline of the history.

The moment that made me happiest of all, was hearing him say that I knew I'd make a good job of getting her back on the road. At times, this project has felt overwhelming and daunting. Knowing you have the support and belief of friends and family in this way was just what I needed to hear.

We did get a video of the moment. This will be posted in a future blog.

While they were there, Ron and Marjorie met a number of my friends and fellow members of the GCCG. We popped over to the Association of Heritage Engineers stand for them to get a closer look at MGAlzheimers.

"Beautiful" grandad commented. "I'll dream about this car tonight."

After a nose around, a cup of tea and some of the NEC's finest cake, which also doubles up as a handy wheel chock, they headed back home.

Shortly after, another familiar face materialised - one that I'd not seen in almost 15 years. Shaun Winfiled is the chairman of the Jensen Club. But more than that, he's the father of one of my best friends from school - with whom I'm still in touch. It was really lovely sharing our thoughts and experiences with classic cars, and our memories of Kidderminster in the 90s.

The day drew to a close, and after spending some time with Rev. Colin Corke form the Austin Allegro club opposite, it was time to slip into something a little smarter. James and I joined the GCCG team, the fabulous Pete and Debi from the Transit Van Club , David and Mike from ado16.info and Dom from the Association of Heritage Engineers, and headed for the National Car Club awards. The GCCG were up for several awards. You'll have to pop back tomorrow to find out how we did.