Two weeks from now, English car owners and admirers will converge on Transfer Beach Park for an all-British car show for the 14th year in a row.
The 14th annual Brits on the Beach car show will take place Sunday, July 13 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Registration and admission are both free, and there will be a concession available courtesy of the Ladysmith Lions Club. As well, there will be a spare parts boot sale and seven vendors selling British-related items.
Last year, nearly 300 British cars, trucks and motorcycles participated in the show, and co-organizers Steve Wareing and Adrian Rice are expecting about 225 this year.
The Nanaimo Mini dealership will bring down two new Minis, which will join a display of older Minis through the years.
Wareing and Rice say we can expect a real variety of cars, including MGs, Triumphs, Jaguars and Morgans.
Car owners come from up and down Vancouver Island and from Vancouver and sometimes travel here form the Interior, according to Wareing and Rice.
“There are lots of car shows on the Island, and I think, without a doubt, this is the best one,” said Rice. “I don’t think there’s anything close to it, really.”
Wareing says the location is great because a lot of families with young children come to the show, and if the children lose interest in the shiny cars, they can go play in the water park, on the playground or at the beach.
Wareing and Rice say that participants have put a lot of time and effort — and money — into their cars, and they love to show them off and talk about them.
“We’re very fortunate, I think, for any of the old cars, there are people who are willing to put the time and effort and a lot of money into restoring them and getting them back on the road,” said Wareing.
Brits on the Beach is organized by the Central Island Branch of the Old English Car Club.
The club likes people who are showing their cars to arrive before 10 a.m., but there are no set rules for registration — and no fees.
“We don’t have a lot of rules and regulations here,” said Wareing. “We just want people to bring their cars out and want the people to come and enjoy the park. On the day, everybody has a good time, and it’s a good atmosphere.”
The Old English Car Club has 125 members, and 38 volunteers from the club help out with Brits on the Beach.
The Old English Car Club raises money for local charities through a 50/50 draw at the car show, and last year, the club donated $500 to the Ladysmith Food Bank.
Wareing and Rice are very grateful for the Town of Ladysmith for being so generous with the use of the space and for hanging their banner, and they are grateful for the generous local businesses that support Brits on the Beach, including Ladysmith and District Credit Union, 49th Parallel Grocery and Little Valley Restorations.