25th Audlem Transport Festival

Audlem Festival of Transport enjoyed by thousands

The 25th annual Audlem Festival of Transport took place on Sunday 30th July 2023.

This year is the 25th anniversary for ASET (Audlem Special Events Team, ) who organise the event.

The day began with a spectacular parade of more than 250 cars, commercial vehicles, tractors and motorcycles. The vehicles had assembled from 9am at Hankelow Green and departed from Hankelow at 11am to Audlem with the parade arriving at Audlem Playing Field off Cheshire Street from approximately 11:15am.

Expert parade commentary was provided by Bill Consterdine from an elevated position at St James' Church in Audlem.

Car manufacturers on view included Alfa Romeo, Alvis, Austin, BWW, Caterham, Chevrolet, Daimler, Dodge, Fiat, Ford, Heinkel, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes, MG, Morris, Pontiac, Porsche, Renault, Riley, Rolls-Royce, Rover, Saab, Triumph, TVR, Volkswagen, and Wolseley. Tractor manufacturers on view included Ferguson, Fordson, Massey Ferguson, and Nuffield. Motorbike manufacturers included BSA, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Honda.

One of the vehicles on display was a Ford V8 Pilot saloon car, built in 1950, the first large post-War British Ford. The car is owned by Richard Jones who runs the Old Classic Car YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@oldclassiccarUK , whilst his son Harley runs a YouTube channel called CarTraction : https://www.youtube.com/@CarTractionvids . They both plan to upload their videos of the festival in the near future.

There was also Glen Miller music from Moonlight Serenade, a Punch & Judy show from Pinxton Puppets, a Cheshire Fire & Rescue appliance, and several refreshments stands.

This family-friendly festival was free entry, took place during warm and sunny weather, and was attended by between 3,000 to 4,000 thousand visitors. The event would not have been possible without the sponsors and supporters.

Acknowledgments are given to all the vehicle owners, Cheshire East Council and Audlem Parish Council; the sponsors: Baker Wynne & Wilson and MK Preece Excavations Ltd; and the Programme advertisers: Adderley Garage, Bradshaws, Cooper Buckley Ltd, EPG Fire and Security, Graham Tresidder & Son, Mornflake, Overwater Marina, Coole Acres Fishery, The Village Chippy, and The White Lion, Hankelow.

Special thanks to PET Hire, Yvonne Parker, Richard Furber, Audlem Fire Service, Olive Stretch, Audlem Printers, Barnett, Jones and Cooke, the team of volunteers at Hankelow who turn out every year to welcome our exhibitors, register the vehicles and marshal the start of the parade, along with the loyal band of conscripts who prepare the field and act as marshals for the parade of vehicles through the village.

A representative from ASET said: Thank you everyone for supporting the Festival of Transport – probably our most successful, with some outstanding vehicles, wonderful atmosphere, record entries and spectators and of course perfect weather.

Audlem Festival of Transport was organised by ASET consisting of a team of nine local residents, and a large army of invaluable volunteers, who organise two major annual village events every year. Please contact ASET if you feel you could help with next year s Festival of Transport and Audlem Party on the Park. Tel: 07708 354135 or info@audlem-aset.org

Audlem Festival of Transport 2025 will take place on Sunday 27th July, 11am.

Many Thanks to Jonathon for providing this report. He also sent accompanying images but our new email system preventing them arriving , so we have attached some photos from our 2024 Transport Festival gallery until hopefully we can capture his photos.