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  The
50th Annual
Great Manchester to Blackpool Car Run 2012
Date: 10th June 2012
The Great Manchester to Blackpool Car Run is open to all
cars manufactured before 31st December
1981, although the organisers may allow 'interesting' cars
manufactured after that date to take part.
There is a road section with simple navigation to get you
from Manchester to Blackpool and you have
a choice of routes including a special route for the oldest
Group A cars, a shorter more direct route
and a longer scenic route. These routes can be completed by
maintaining average speeds of 14
(Group A) 22 and 28mph, although early leavers can still
arrive in time at lower speeds if they wish.
There are controls to confirm you have followed the correct
route and their location and opening times
will be clearly shown in the route instructions.
In addition there is a Concours with cars judged on their,
originality, condition and presentation.
This is an event you, and your passengers, can enjoy on
several levels so come along and have a fun
day. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to
contact me or any of my Officials who will be
only too pleased to help you.
Please go to the dedicated website
www.gm2b.co.uk for full information
Entry forms and
regulations will be posted here when available.
The 49th Manchester to Blackpool Car
Run 2011
Thanks to David Cuff for the Photographs.
Over sixty five entrants took part in this ever popular event, this year incorporating the Jaguar Enthusiasts Club Run and again starting from Worsley Old Hall on a trip to the seaside, by a circuitous route with a lunch halt at the Plough Inn at Grimsargh. Starting in weather too good to be true, it quickly deteriorated into a washout by the time the crews reached the playground of the North, Blackpool. Fortunately the prize presentation by the Mayor was inside this year at the Sandcastle Waterpark on the Promenade, from whence entrants made their soggy way home. The winner of the magnificent Blackpool Corporation Trophy was Alan Cross with his stunning !960 Mercedes Benz Ponton Cabriolet
 
 
 
The Mayor and Mayoress of Blackpool presenting Ted Newbould
with the Blackpool Corporation Trophy. 2010.
The 48th Manchester to Blackpool Run
A personal account by David and Joyce Latham.
Early this year we enrolled our 1961 Austin Healey Mk II in the Greater Manchester to Blackpool Run and recalled the article we’d submitted last year following what had been our first experience of that historic annual event.
Although we hadn’t been involved this past year in any other organised runs we thought we’d up the ante when completing the 2010 enrolment form and subscribe to the ‘Scenic Route’. That surely had to be a step up from when we took the ‘Direct Route’ last time, moving up a class was really something for us rank amateurs!
Preparing
‘Car 8’, our Healey, the day before the run was just like
every other time it has an outing, yes it’s that crucial
decision ‘hood up or hood down’? Hood up was decided on and
that significant decision requires quite a bit of lead-in
time as we never manage to get it into position first time
round.
Next big decision ‘windows in or windows out’? We didn’t think that the weather would turn out too bad and after all we did now have the roof in place, so we agreed the windows would remain in the garage.
The weather on the morning of the run was set fair and off we went in anticipation of a nice long drive and hopefully no unexpected difficulties with the car. The steward saw us off from Worsley Old Hall at 9:03 with us having spent the previous half hour acquainting ourselves with the LAC’s very comprehensive route book.
We really enjoyed the lovely countryside although the roads around the Angelzarke
reservoirs nearly put paid to our exhaust on more than one occasion.
Later we heard from a fellow participant that he’d seen sparks flying from
below the undercarriage of the car ahead of him, its exhaust also
experiencing unforeseen lumps and bumps.
This year we felt very comfortable with what we had to do
to such an extent we didn’t feel the need to constantly have at least
one other participant within view – how confident were we! Despite
there being over 50 vehicles on the run we were surprised over just
how many occasions there were when we didn’t see other
participants for miles at a time. At one point, soon after the Delph
Sailing Club control, when we hadn’t spotted anyone for such a long time we both silently acknowledged each
other nervousness – had we gone wrong, were we now lost? It was only when a tractor way off
in the distance slowed the whole road down that we noticed a string of classic cars coming into
view – phew!
But the scenery was great and took us again into what was for us
uncharted territory. We kept remarking time and again over places we felt we’d
have to revisit, especially in Rivington when we saw a sign to an Arboretum.
On we sped meeting all the necessary control points and it didn’t feel
like very long when Blackpool would be upon us. Unfortunately, what was upon us as Blackpool Tower
loomed large, was rain that would eventually turn torrential. Oh how we could only dream
of windows when driving home down the M6 mopping up the constant deluge. It wasn’t until the
next day that we discovered the full extent of that prolonged downpour, the carpets were
absolutely saturated. Oh well you live and learn, next time out it’s hood up and then it’s
windows in!
We remarked last year about how impressed we were with the LAC’s organisation
of the event and the ever smiling and supportive control point volunteers,
and it was just the same this year. What took us a little by surprise though was
the photographer at Gaskell Motors – presumably their own chap? The photographer’s enthusiasm for picture taking will
hopefully result in an embarrassment of riches.
In summary, we had another very enjoyable day with the LAC and its participants and came home somewhat wet but also feeling like ‘old hands’ and now then, as they say in Lancashire, what’s the next class up from the ‘Scenic Route’!
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