The British Motor Museum is inviting visitors to celebrate the iconic Land Rover’s 75th Birthday with a host of family activities this May Half-Term from 27 May – 4 June! The Museum collections feature a wide range of Land Rovers, each with their own incredible journeys, from tough wayfarers like the “Pink Panther” used by the SAS to a Range Rover Vogue that was driven by His Majesty the King. 

These storied Land Rovers will be at the centre of a new Museum tour hosted by the Museum’s friendly costumed characters roaming the collection as ‘Royal Chauffeurs’. The family tours will take place every day at 11.30am and 1.30pm from the Family Activity station. The ever-popular craft activities are back, where children can make a ‘Land Rover’ out of air-drying dough to take home. These craft activities will take place every day until 3pm (last entry at 2.30pm). Children can also participate in the Colour Creator Trail and enjoy exploring the colours in the collection.

Emma Rawlinson, Lifelong Learning Officer at the British Motor Museum, said, “We would love families to come along and join in with our birthday celebrations! Tickets for attractions across the UK have gone up significantly since last year due to rising costs. However, we have held our visitor prices for 2023. Raising them was simply not a consideration in our 30th anniversary year and we hope families can join us for a great value day out this Half Term”.

Museum entry is just £40 for a family in advance or £44 on the day, £14.50 for adults in advance or £16 on the day, £12.50 for concessions in advance or £14 on the day, £9 for children (5-16 years) in advance or £10 on the day and under 5s are FREE. There is also the option to Gift Aid or donate your entry fee and get an Annual Pass in return, at no extra cost. All family activities are included in Museum admission and run on a drop-in basis, just visit the Family Activity station on arrival to find out what is going on and when. All activities are suitable for 3+ years with adult supervision unless otherwise specified. 

To find out more information about May Half-Term activities, please call 01926 895300 or visit the website at https://www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/whats-on/may-half-term

The British Motor Museum first opened its doors to the public at its site in Gaydon 30 years ago! Visitors got their first look at the world’s largest collections of historic British cars inside the impressive brand-new building on 1 May 1993. The Museum will be marking its milestone anniversary with a week-long 30th Anniversary Celebration from 14-20 August. 

The origins of the Museum’s collections date back to 1975 when Leyland Historic Vehicles was founded to look after vehicles which had been kept for historic or publicity purposes by several individual companies that made up British Leyland Motor Corporation. By 1983, the archive and vehicle collections had grown to the point where it was decided to establish an independent charitable trust to safeguard them, and the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust (BMIHT) was born. The collections rapidly outgrew the Museum at Syon Park, London and the headquarters at Studley Castle. With the help of an £8m investment from Rover Group, a new home was found in Gaydon, Warwickshire – bringing a brand-new visitor attraction to the area. 

The building was designed not only to house the cars and extensive motoring archive but also to offer educational and purpose-built conference facilities to ensure its long-term sustainability. The purpose was, and still is, to collect, conserve and share the story of Britain’s motor industry from its inception to the current day, for today’s generation and into the future.

Thirty years on, the British Motor Museum has gone from strength to strength. The collections have Designated Status, recognising their national and international significance. The number of cars on display exceeds 400, with vehicles from the Jaguar Heritage and Vauxhall Heritage collections adding to those belonging to the Trust. The Mezzanine floor, opened by HRH Princess Anne, was added in 2007, followed just 8 years later by a whole new building - the Collections Centre – where the reserve collection is now accessible to the public.

The Museum also has a number of aspirational plans for development over the next few years, from the addition of a hotel to a glass ‘wrap’ around the front of the building and from an EV super hub to an apprentice academy.

Jeff Coope, Managing Director at the British Motor Museum said: “The history of Britain’s motoring industry is the heart and soul of the Museum, and our vision is ultimately to become the global focal point of all Britain’s automotive history and culture. The next 30 years are sure to bring as much, if not more, change than the last 30, and we are excited to be along for the ride.”

To find out more information about the Museum please call 01926 895300 or visit the website at www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk

With Jerez de la Frontera being a distant memory, it is already time for France and for the iconic Bugatti circuit, where Alex Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio will continue on their championship quest with a few more arrows in their quivers after the encouraging tests in Andalucía.   
 
Le Mans is a favourite track for both the Spaniard (maiden podium in MotoGP in 2020, one win and one podium in Moto2 in 2019 and 2018, respectively) and the Italian (third in 2017 in Moto3) but also a win at the finish line in 2018 with penalty received after the flag).
 
The two standard bearers of Gresini Racing in MotoGP will be on track starting from Friday at 10:00 (FP1) with the sprint race and the full encounter respectively on Saturday at 15:00 and Sunday at 14:00. 

ITV’s Hit Antiques Show Presented by David Dickinson is looking for local people to cash in their antiques

Why let your antiques collect dust in the attic when you can sell them for cash? Take money on the spot from a dealer OR if you think your item is worth more….take a gamble at auction! 

Dickinson’s Real Deal is currently one of the most popular daytime shows on ITV and is regularly watched by over a million people. Back for a Seventeenth series, David Dickinson and the dealers are traveling around the country looking for some more bobby dazzlers brought in by members of the public!

If you want to sell your goods, but only for the right price, David and the dealers are going to be at:

The National Motorcycle Museum on SATURDAY 13TH MAY 2023

Doors will be open between 8am and 5pm – David & the team look forward to seeing you there

Comments from David Dickinson - “It’s great to bring the show back to Solihull!”

“People of Solihull come along and get the Real Deal”

“It’s always great to start the show somewhere new in a town with such great history”

As usual David Dickinson will be keeping an eye on the deals and giving advice about whether to take the dealers’ cash OR gamble at auction. But the final decision lies with our contributors and it’s up to them to decide which option is the REAL DEAL!

Further information:

Members of the public should bring their antiques & collectables along – our team of independent valuers will be offering free advice on all items brought along on the day. Admission is free & you do not need to book a place or a ticket.

Legendary off-road rider and Kriega ambassador, Chris Birch, confirmed for ABR Festival 2023

• Birch to showcase world-class ability in one-off riding demo in the Adventure Park

• Visitors to hear Chris Birch speak at the Bridgestone Campfire Stage on Saturday afternoon

• The festival will welcome a star-studded line-up of adventure bikers and travellers, with over 35 speakers now confirmed

• Headline names include Elspeth Beard, Ted Simon, RyanF9, Dylan Wickrama and Nick Sanders

• Limited weekend tickets are still available, but limited in number

Legendary off-road rider and Kriega ambassador,Chris Birch, is the latest big-name to confirm their attendance for this year’s ABR Festival.

Birch, a multiple New Zealand Enduro overall champion and two-time Red Bull Romaniacs winner, is widely considered as one of the world's most skilled and versatile off-road riders to have ever lived.

Making his ABR Festival debut this coming June, Chris will be flying in from his native New Zealand and is scheduled to showcase his world-class ability in a one-off riding demo in the Adventure Park, alongside some of the world’s best riders.

This is a rare opportunity for festival visitors to witness Chris’s breath-taking riding skills in person; a chance to see one of the world’s greatest and most talented adventure riders in action.

As well as exhibiting his riding skills, Chris will take to the Bridgestone Campfire Stage as a speaker on Saturday afternoon, entertaining audiences with his experiences and anecdotes from his illustrious riding career.

Commenting on the announcement, Chris Birch said, “I’m excited to be at the ABR Festival this year. It looks like a good time on motorbikes and I’m looking forward to being there. I’ll be doing some riding demos and a bit of a talk. But mainly, I’ll be there to hang out, meet as many people as possible and enjoy some good times on bikes. I’m very much looking forward to it.”

Chris Birch will be joining a growing list of impressive riders and adventurers at the 2023 ABR Festival, which is set to take place at the picturesque Ragley Hall Estate on the 23-25 June. Over 35 speakers have now been announced to appear at this year’s event, with more to be confirmed in the coming weeks.

Visitors will be able to rub shoulders and hear inspirational tales from their biking heroes, with the likes of Elspeth Beard, Ted Simon, Nick Sanders, Steph Jeavons, Lyndon Poskitt and Dylan Wickrama all confirmed.

In addition to the packed roster of adventure motorcycling legends will be a contingent motorcycling vloggers and content creators including The Missenden Flyer, The Girl on a Bike and MotoBob - as well as Youtube superstar Ryan Kluftinger, AKA RyanF9.

Ryan will once again make the trip over from his native city of Vancouver, Canada to attend the festival, delivering a series of YouTube and content-based presentations and interviews. A must-see for any aspiring motorcycle content creators.

Commenting on the recent Chris Birch announcement, Bryn Davies, Head of Marketing at ABR Festival stated, “Ever since I saw Chris Birch making a KTM 1190 Adventure look like a trials bike on YouTube, I wanted to see him live. Now, with the help of Kriega, we’re able to show his jaw-dropping talent to everyone at the ABR Festival. With Chris flying over from New Zealand for the event, it really shows the draw the ABR Festival has, and visitors are in for a real treat with the rider displays we have planned. This year’s festival will be one to remember for sure.”

Meet legendary adventure biker and enduro racer Chris Birch, only at this year’s Adventure Bike Rider Festival. Promising more speakers, more bikes, more trails, more entertainment, more test rides and more exhibitors than ever before, the ABR Festival returns to Ragley Hall Estate on 23-25 June 2023.

Weekend tickets are still available for only £149 from the ABR Festival website at www.abrfestival.com but are limited in number. Weekend tickets will guarantee visitors three-day access to the festival which includes all of the attractions and entertainment, as well as two nights of camping within the picturesque grounds of the Ragley Hall Estate.