The Worshipful Master of Thornborough Lodge, No. 6434, suffers from Motor Neurone Disease. The Brethren of his Lodge, in collaboration with the MND Association (Yorkshire Dales Branch) arranged the Run To The Hills Classic Vehicle Show in support of the charity, held at Leyburn, Wensleydale, on Sunday, August 3rd 2008. There was rather more to it than a bunch of bangers...
     The day dawned grey, damp and cold – typical holiday weather – but Yorkshiremen, particularly Yorkshire Masons, are not easily deterred. One of the first arrivals to be met by umbrella-wielding, ‘day-glo’ Stewards, was at the wheel of an AC Cobra whose ‘weather equipment’ consisted of a baseball cap.
     Steadily the weather improved as a steady stream of motors rolled into the show ground. By the official opening time over one hundred and thirty vehicles were formed up, dried off and gleaming under a craft blue sky.
     Appropriately for an agricultural region, the cars were complimented by a display of splendid old tractors from which could be gleaned the fact that, in 1917, Brother Henry Ford had first produced a machine, the Fordson F, whose engine and gearbox formed so strong a unit that a separate chassis was rendered unnecessary, and tractors have followed his pattern ever since.
     There was also a display of classic, lightweight bicycles from Bygone Bykes, prompting a pang of nostalgia and the raw remembrance of saddle sores past, perhaps, at the sight of a pristine Hobbs of Barbican or a Baines ‘Flying Gate.’A clutch (can that be the correct collective noun?) of pukka British motorcycles glittered nearby, but it was a day primarily for classic cars and they outshone all else in every sense.
     It is hard to define precisely what is meant by the term ‘Classic Car.’ Some models, from manufacturers like Ferrari, are regarded as ‘instant classics’ whilst most need to be, say, twenty-five years old at least to qualify for classic status. ‘Vintage’ refers to cars produced between the wars, whilst anything surviving from before 1914 is a ‘Veteran.’
     There were many famous marques on view, some, half-forgotten to most and unknown to many, recalled a Golden Age of British Motoring: Armstrong Siddeley, Sunbeam-Talbot-Darraque, Singer, Triumph – do you realise, dear reader, that there hasn’t been a Triumph motor car manufactured since 1984? That’s twenty-four years ago… Austin of England was proudly proclaimed in flowing script; two Daimler Darts! Riley, Wolseley, Rover: truly, tragically, a roll of honour.
     One was reminded that even those noble names that yet remain are little more than that: names. Jaguar, the pride of William Lyons, made in Brown’s Lane, Coventry, was subsequently subsumed by BMC (remember BMC?) then British Leyland (was ever a brand so bland?), then sold to the Ford Motor Corporation, which produced the X Type, a parody of the beautiful MkII, on the Mondeo platform… Now, along with Range Rover, it is part of an Indian conglomerate. Ta-Ta Jaguar… Rolls Royce is a division of BMW, Bentley is a bit of Volkswagen; how are the mighty fallen?
     Change and decay in all around I see. It would be all too easy to become depressed, even on a glorious, Yorkshire Dales day, by such thoughts, were it not for the fact that this event was arranged by one’s brethren. There is an insight here into the minds of men and, particularly, of masons. Most obviously, these machines were gathered together in the cause of charity. Those who brought them paid to do so, and gladly, and they were more than willing to share the pleasure of ownership with anyone who cared to make enquiries.
     Remarkably, some of the cars that most particularly struck the attention were neither grand nor ancient: an immaculate BL Princess, one of those ‘seventies wedges that were ubiquitous a quarter of a century ago but seem to have perished as though they had never been. A Morris Ital stood close to an Austin Allegro, both burnished as though in a dealer’s showroom. Where did they all go? What happened to them?
     Somebody cared for them. Such cars are a little like the runt of the litter: the one that nobody wants but somebody falls in love with and cherishes and works to conserve and, ultimately, is rewarded by. The fact is that no matter how unfashionable something may be appear to be right now, in the future it may well have value, not necessarily monetary value, but that which we might call Value Added Tomorrow.
     There are things, like old motor cars, which are well worth preserving in their original state. To update them is to devalue them – ‘improvement’ will not make them better. Kept as they were designed to be, protected from ill-use and corrosion, their beauty will not fade. A lot of time and effort will be required, it’s a long-term commitment, but the rewards will increase year-on-year.
     Best In Show at Leyburn was a magnificent 1949 Triumph Roadster - with double ‘dickie’ seats and rear folding windscreen - that had recently returned from a holiday in the Shetland Islands.
     Gazing wistfully at some of the magnificent machinery on display, and turning green – though not simply with envy - one was prompted to ponder the question of whether running an old car might not be considered environmentally friendly as well as fun, even if the car in question was, theoretically, a ‘gas guzzler.’ It must surely be the case that the overwhelming majority of motor cars will never, in their working lifetime, consume the quantity of energy that it took to produce them in the first place. It’s not just driving cars that causes pollution, it’s making them. Conservation should be encouraged!

The bottom line: Thornborough Lodge raised around £2,000. Well done.