The Golden Age of Motoring and the Spirit of Speyside | Travel Research Online

Among several interesting requests this week, there was one for 4 motoring enthusiasts who want to attend the Goodwood Revival in September. The tour I’ve created for them includes some wonderful motor museum experiences, and I offer them to you in case you have some vintage car club members in your client base.

Another was for a Scotch whisky distillery tour, which will probably tie into the Spirit of Speyside Distilled Festival in early September. A third travel agent wanted to propose a fund raiser to her local art gallery, and I’ve used as bait, the outstanding Sculpture Exhibition at the Royal Horticultural Society’s flagship garden at Wisley.

Give careful thought to these niche markets, because you will have clients with an interest in all three of them and they will share that interest with their like-minded friends. You, the travel agent can turn it into valuable business.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang 50 years new To celebrate the golden half century of one of the world’s favourite films, Beaulieu, home of the National Motor Museum is hosting the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang 50 years exhibition until November 2019. It includes an original screen Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the Humber 8hp, driven by Truly Scrumptious; and the original Child Catcher carriage on show in the UK for the first time. The exhibition is part of the National Motor Museum’s world-famous collection of more than 250 vehicles, telling the story of motoring from its origins to the present day.

The Haynes International Motor Museum This impressive collection features more than 400 cars and motorbikes representing motoring from the 1800s to the present day. The American Collection packs all the muscle cars from the early 20th century onwards, while the Vroom Room features several supercars, including a Lamborghini Countach. As you might expect, the Red Room is a hall of red racers, including cars driven by Michael Schumacher and Sir Stirling Moss, while new exhibits include Mark Webber’s RB6 Red Bull Formula One car.

Speed Kings – Motorsport’s Record Breakers This year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed (4th-7th July) celebrates drivers, riders, cars, motorcycles and teams that have gone further than their contemporaries in the pursuit of glory. It is one of the world’s bucket-list of motoring events, as much for the motor racing ‘royalty’ who attend as for the thousands of enthusiasts meet and chat to their heroes at this quintessentially British celebration that’s not to be missed. No other UK motoring event attracts better cars or bigger names.

Brooklands Relived Capturing the atmosphere of a Brooklands race day, the new style Brooklands Relived will take a step back in time to the glamourous heyday of the track. The site will be filled with the actual cars, motorcycles and bicycles that raced here from 1907-1939. Other pre-War vehicles will be parked up, as spectators’ vehicles would have been on race days. There will be plenty of action as well, including Test Hill ascents, “Race Starts” on the restored Finishing Straight, Aircraft Fly-ins and demonstration laps around the Mercedes Benz World circuit.

The Goodwood Revival Between Sept 13 and 15, the annual Revival will recreate the allure of the golden era of the Goodwood Motor Circuit, between 1948 and 1966. This extraordinary event, a theatrical and sporting drama, assembles the most significant racing cars and motorcycles along with legendary drivers and riders from the past and stars of today. This event is motorsport’s ultimate summer garden party, where the smell of engines mingles with the roar of iconic racing cars and celebrates the halcyon days of motor racing

Amber Nectar This great tour of Scotland starts as a west coast island-hopping adventure to Islay and Jura, before focusing on Speyside which has the greatest concentration of malt whisky producers compared to any other region of the country. Use the link to see more details and time the trip to coincide with one of the annual single malt whisky festivals. Why not think about a small group tour based on the Spirit of Speyside Distilled Festival in early September or the Glasgow Whisky Festival in early November?

Sculpture at Wisley From late May to December, the Royal Horticultural Society flagship garden at Wisley is hosting a major exhibition of modern and contemporary featuring the work of 6 seminal 20th and 21st century artists. Each piece of sculpture will be carefully sited around the ever-changing long views of the 240-acre garden to demonstrate a connection between the spirit of the works and their surroundings. Time a visit to include the 20th anniversary Celebration of Art at the beautiful, award-winning gardens at Borde Hill.

Paull Tickner, owner of U.K.-based Custom GB, is known for his expertise in creating and operating imaginative, value-added tours of Great Britain and Ireland. Visit his website at www.customgb.co.uk or email him at ptickner@customgb.co.uk.