Category: British Motor Museum

1. Update regarding the British Motor Museum 'Gaydon Gatherings'

   Posted on 10:00am Friday 11th Sep 2020

   In view of Wednesdays Government announcement the British Motor Museum has taken the decision to postpone next week's ‘Gaydon Gathering’. The first of these new events will now take place on Tuesday 13 October.

   Jeff Coope, Managing Director at the British Motor Museum said "Safety is our number one priority and we feel that, given these recent developments, the responsible approach is to delay the launch of this exciting new format until October. The event will remain free but admission will be by ticket only, with limited numbers to ensure everyone's safety. We appreciate the support we have received and hope that everyone who was due to attend will understand our decision. We look forward to welcoming our visitors instead on Tuesday 13 October".

   This new, informal event will be held outdoors on the Museum’s arenas. Updated details will be available on the British Motor Museum website where visitors will also be able to book their October Gaydon Gathering FREE ticket. Tickets are subject to availability and can be booked up to 12noon on the day. There will be no admission without a ticket.

   The Museum will continue to monitor the Government advice and keep visitors informed of any changes.  Names and contact details will be taken at the time of booking to comply with NHS Test and Trace and visitors will be required to observe social distancing.

   For more information on the October Gaydon Gatherings please visit https://www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/whats-on/gaydon-gathering-october 

2. British Motor Museum to host free 'Tuesday Night Gaydon Gatherings'!

   Posted on 12:00pm Tuesday 1st Sep 2020

   The British Motor Museum is delighted to announce it is to host a series of brand new monthly evening gatherings aimed at motoring enthusiasts. The first ‘Gaydon Gathering’ will take place on Tuesday 15 September from 5:30pm to 8pm and the next on Tuesday 13 October. The Gaydon Gathering will then be a regular feature of the 2021 events programme, on the second Tuesday of every month starting on the 13 April 2021.

   These informal events will be held outdoors on the Museum’s arenas and are free to attend. Visitors can just turn up on the evening, with no pre booking required. At 7pm the Museum will present the ‘Gaydon Garage’ feature when the Museum’s workshop doors will be opened to reveal one of the fantastic vehicles from the collection that are not often seen out of the Museum. The vehicle will be driven out onto the apron and introduced over the PA system.

   Display vehicles will be parked in front of the Museum whilst there will be separate free parking for those that arrive in modern everyday vehicles.  On the night visitors can also enjoy refreshments including burgers, beers, tea, coffee and soft drinks. Gaydon Gatherings will take place in the grounds but the Museum itself will not be open during these evenings.

   Tom Caren, Show Manager at the British Motor Museum stated “Our casual gatherings are open to everyone. It doesn’t matter if your vehicle is British or not, if it’s a car, commercial, military, bus, motorbike, scooter, tractor or any other interesting vehicle, just bring it along. Be it classic, veteran, vintage or a modern classic – all are welcome. And if you don’t have any of the above, you are still welcome to come along and enjoy the evening! It’s an opportunity for petrol heads to indulge their passion with like-minded people - whilst having a burger and a drink. We hope these events will appeal to our enthusiast friends who would like an early week alternative to staying at home watching TV!”

   In addition, the Museum hopes to launch some evening indoor events for enthusiasts  over the winter months; more information on this will follow on its website and via social media. The Museum will continue to monitor the Government advice and keep visitors informed of any changes.  Names and contact details of all arrivals will be taken to comply with NHS Test and Trace and visitors are asked to observe social distancing. 

3. British Motor Museum to play host to a live musical theatre performance!

   Posted on 12:00pm Tuesday 4th Aug 2020

   The British Motor Museum will play host to a new innovative production ‘Voices of the West End’ which will be performed live in the safe and beautiful grounds of the Museum on 25, 26 & 27 September. The outdoor production, which is a collaboration between Ginger Boy Productions and Birmingham Hippodrome, will showcase music from the West End’s greatest musicals.

   Some of the theatre world’s most illustrious singers will perform award-winning hits including Earl Carpenter who played Javert and John Owen-Jones, who played Jan Valjean in Cameron Mackintosh’s 25th Anniversary Tour of Les Misérables. They will be joined by two of the best female Voices of the West End: Kerry Ellis and Katie Hall. Kerry Ellis is one of the top leading ladies of Broadway and West End musicals. She originated the role of Meat, in Queen’s We Will Rock You and was the first British Elphaba in the West End smash, Wicked. Katie Hall recently starred as Fantine in Cameron Mackintosh’s international tour of Les Misérables and has played Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera's UK tour and London's West End. She also played the role of Cosette in Les Miserables' 25th Anniversary Concert at London’s O2 Arena.

   The performances are 90 minutes long with no interval and will take place on Friday 25 September at 7pm, Saturday 26 September, when there are two performances at 2pm and 7pm and on Sunday 27 September at 6pm. Gates open 2 hours beforehand.

   The box office for the concert is managed by Birmingham Hippodrome and tickets can only be booked via their website at www.birminghamhippodrome.com. Roped pitches are £114 - £169 for a 3 square metre pitch that can accommodate 4 people from no more than two households or support bubbles.  Car spaces are £189 where performances can be watched from inside the car or set up next to it. There is a maximum of 4 PEOPLE ONLY exclusively from two households or support bubbles per pitch.

   The chefs at the British Motor Museum are making picnics and luxury hampers which can be pre-ordered along with a selection of wines to enjoy in style. These must be pre-ordered via the Museums website and orders close on 16 August. On the event day there will also be a small food and drink area serving gourmet burgers with vegetarian/vegan options, coffee/teas, ice creams etc and a bar selling alcoholic and soft drinks along with a Pinnock’s Artisan Gin Bar.

   Jeff Coope, Managing Director at the British Motor Museum said “We are delighted to host Voices of the West End in a safe and socially distanced environment. We are always keen to support the arts especially in light of COVID-19 and we hope to attract an audience that might not have visited the Museum before to enjoy some superb musical theatre”.

   For more information about the event please visit 

   www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/whats-on/voices-of-the-west-end

   The Museum and event organisers will continue to monitor the Government advice and keep visitors informed of any changes.

4. British Motor Museum - all geared up for summer visits and gatherings!

   Posted on 12:00pm Friday 31st Jul 2020

   The British Motor Museum reopened its doors on 4 July on a Friday to Monday basis. Following great support from visitors the Museum is delighted to announce that from 1 August, it will now be open every day of the week throughout August.

   The Museum has been awarded the ‘We’re Good to Go’ industry charter mark by VisitEngland which means everything is in place to ensure a safe and enjoyable visit. Numbers are limited per day, with pre-booking a timed arrival slot essential. This also includes those with annual passes. There are 10am, 11am, 12noon and 1pm slots available. Once at the Museum visitors can stay as long as they wish until closing.

   To adhere to the Covid guidelines the Museum has had to make a few changes to the visitor experience which are detailed on the welcome back web page at www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/news/welcome-back. The Museum has received some very positive feedback from visitors about the measures it has in place and how safe people feel about their visit. There is still plenty to see and do with over 300 British historical cars to explore. The outdoor play area is also open for younger visitors who need to let off some steam and the ever popular science shows will also be running 4 days a week!

   The Museums Café has registered for the Government’s ‘Eat out to Help out’ scheme.  Those visiting the Café on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday can get a discount of up to 50% when eating or drinking soft drinks, with a maximum discount of £10 per person.

   With outside gatherings given the go ahead by the Government, the Museum has decided to host as many of its events as possible. With safety in mind, the shows will be more  informal gatherings, with reduced numbers.

   The Gaydon Land Rover Show will take place on 1 & 2 August as an informal ‘bring your Land Rover’ gathering for those that have pre-bought tickets and want to meet up with other Land Rover owners. Existing Land Rover Show tickets will be valid for those that wish to attend and camping is available on the Saturday night. The Gaydon Land Rover Show hopes to return to its normal format on 8 & 9 May 2021.

   The Classic and Vintage Commercial Show will now be a Classic Commercial Vehicle Gathering which will take place on 8 & 9 August with outdoor display parking and a smaller outdoor trade area. The indoor trade and model area will be much reduced with only approximately 10 out of the usual 160 tables exhibiting. Camping will be available on the Friday and Saturday nights. Entry will be by advance entry form or advance ticket only and existing entries will be carried forward. The #EV Electric Vehicles Festival will be going ahead on the 8 August on the Southern Arena. Attendees to the #EV Festival will also be able to view the Classic Commercial Vehicle Gathering and vice versa.

   Yakushi Car Club will now meet on 15 August and the Old Ford Rally will take place on 23 August with a small arena along with a commentator and a singing group. The Buses Festival was originally planned for 23 August but has unfortunately been postponed until 21 August 2021.

   September kicks off with a newly announced ‘Jaguars at Gaydon’ event on 5 September. Billed as a friendly, informal gathering for all Jaguar fans, owners and enthusiasts alike, it will feature hundreds of Jaguar cars and celebrate the XJS Club's national day. The National Metro & Mini Show and BMC & Leyland Show will take place on 6 September and the Great British Model Railway Show on 7 & 8 November.

   Mogfest, which was due to take place on 26 September, has been postponed to 10 July 2021 as has the Retro Truck show which will now take place on 11 & 12 September 2021.

   Tom Caren, Show Manager at the British Motor Museum stated “Whilst we’ve had to make further changes to our shows we are delighted that we are now able to bring motoring enthusiasts together at our newly formatted informal gatherings. It has been encouraging that we have had so much support and we would urge any club looking to organise an outside gathering to get in touch about using us as an approved venue.”

   The Museum will continue to monitor the Government advice and keep visitors informed of any changes. In line with the Museum’s new policy, all visitors and exhibitors to any of the gathering/event must pre-book tickets and provide contact details so the Museum can fulfil its NHS Test and Trace commitment.

   Tickets bought for any of the shows original dates are valid for the new dates and refunds are available for those no longer able to attend. The deadline for refund requests is one week before the event. Please contact [email protected]

   or phone 01926 649649. Tickets to the gatherings also include entry to the Museum & Collections Centre. To find out more about the British Motor Museum please visit the website at www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk
   

   

5. 2020 Shows update from the British Motor Museum

   Posted on 1:00pm Monday 8th Jun 2020

   The British Motor Museum is well known for its extensive and diverse range of motoring shows, gatherings and rallies that normally take place over the summer months. Unfortunately with the continuing COVID-19 restrictions, the Museum has had to make further changes to this year’s show programme. 

   The intention of the Museum is, where possible, to postpone rather than cancel shows whilst consistently adhering to Government advice. The Museum is currently putting in place all the necessary measures and risk assessments to ensure that when it re-opens it has the safety of visitors and staff at the centre of everything it does. This information will all be available on its website prior to the Museum re-opening and any show taking place.

   So subject to COVID restrictions, the Museum is currently still planning for the Old Ford Rally to take place on 19 July and the Yakushi Car Club Meet on the new date of 26 July. A final decision about both events will be made by 17 June and published on their website and social media channels. The Gaydon Land Rover Show which was scheduled to take place on 9 - 10 May, has been moved to 1 - 2 August. The Classic & Vintage Commercial Show has been postponed from 13 & 14 June to 8 & 9 August.

   The National Metro & Mini Show and BMC & Leyland Show, which were planned for June and July will now take place on  6 September. Whilst the Retro Truck show is still scheduled for 12 & 13 September, Mogfest on 26 September, the Large Model Aircraft Show on 25 October and the Great British Model Railway Show on 7 & 8 November.

   Unfortunately a few of the shows have been cancelled but will return in 2021. These include the UK Slot Car Festival which would have taken place on 16 & 17 May, Ford Nationals on 28 June, TR Drivers on 12July, the MGF 25^th Anniversary on 25 July, the Banbury Run on 16 August and the Buses Festival which was due to take place on 23 August. All the 2021 dates for these shows will be published on the Museums website as soon as they are confirmed.

   Tom Caren, Show Manager at the British Motor Museum stated “It is disappointing to have to make further changes to our show programme but wewould like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their continued support. We hope that many of our visitors will still be able to join us when we can safely deliver our first-class shows”.

   Tickets for cancelled events will be refunded and processed over the next few weeks. For postponed events, all sold tickets will be valid for the new dates with refunds available on request.
   For ticket FAQs visit the website at www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/news/coronavirus-update-for-visitors.
   To find out more about the British Motor Museum please visit the website at www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk