The Sheffield Steel City Cruisers run has always been a run I wanted to do. As I have only ever heard glowing reports from everyone who has been. This being the last one to be held at the sports ground was also one of the reasons I was going to make this run happen for me. Things at work had made it so I missed, the Billing fun run, the Supernats and I would not be making it to Ipswich for the Nationals either this year and I had to have my rod run fix and where better than what is thought of as the best value and most laid back run of the UK calendar. I was not to be disappointed that’s for sure.
This run is put on by the local club volunteers and is an absolute credit to them all as for your £20 yes £20 you get a weekend of camping with full facilities, a free quality T-Shirt that you would not be embarrassed to wear, a burger on the Friday night or Hot Dog which ever is your fancy and if that aint enough a proper meal on the Saturday in the club house, with free Ok ;o) disco. Everybody is so friendly from the people attending to the organizing crew and bar staff , I can say without contradiction it is one of my most memorable runs ever!
I decided that seeing as I hadn’t made any runs (bar Drayton Manor) that I would get the Friday and Saturday off work so we could make a proper holiday of it. Me and the Mrs and my best mate Pudzz and his wife set off early Friday morning with an uneventfully run down. When we arrived we where greeted by the friendly Steel City crew, they really did make us feel welcome.
I noticed with surprise that the venue is surrounded by houses with this being the runs 30th year (I think it is 30yrs) there obviously has never been any complaints, which lays testament to the fact this is a well run event!
We did the usual open some cool cans, met and chatted with old and new mates, had a barbecue and oggled our favorite cars. as we slowly ebbed our way to planet Strongbow.
One of them afore mentioned favorite cars being Mark Gee’s cool as 32 three winda! You should of seen the look of horror on Mark’s Face when my mate Pudzz took the liberty of opening the hood of his steel 32 without asking first to cast an eye or three on the mill there in! Pudzz could see no wrong and Mark being a cool guy made no issue of it but he was visably shocked anyone would do that.. it is just the unwritten rule, you don’t touch anyone else’s Ride without a courteous is it ok first.. No harm done in the end but I had to explainto Pudzz the error of his ways..!Then we sat back and enjoyed the glorious sunshine and did some people and Car watching, with people coming by, stopping and having a natter which was just a cool way to relax and forget all the shit that’s going on in ya life!
We did the friday night in the club house and really did have a great night with some fine company.
Saturday – Steel is Real!
I had been dreaming about a 40 Ford that was for sale on the NSRA web site and finally got motivated to put my Truck up for sale after much badgering and gentle persuasion from my wife and Pudzz and his wife.
The idea was, get £18k for my Truck buy the 40 and I would have change to get a nice Mick Shepherd interior,. Then I would finally have my much wanted pre 49 Hot Rod (Street Rod) and my Mrs would be happy as it would house the grand kids to any future rod runs..so everybody would be happy.
I reluctantly gave the Truck a clean Saturday Morning and made up some no expense spared for sale signs to put in the windows and waited for the buyers to come a flocking.
Today was cruise day so I also readied the truck for the run out. The Run set off before I could get the truck fully ponce’d up, so I had to set off later so I just put the Post code in the satnav and did the more direct route to save time as the above originals line also intended to do… We actually got there before quite a few of the earlier runners.
Part of the view of the Water Sport club facilities
People chilling out listening to the band
The Drive out/Cruise venue was a water sports club with the magnificent water sport facilities, a live Rock band were doing their thing, the sun was blazing and we had a nice cuppa and soaked up the atmosphere it really was a fantastic laid back affair at a stunning venue.
The Band
Click here for a Video of the cool people namely the Originals arriving fashionably late, to enhance the impact of their arrival ;o).
Vehicle of the show for me cool as Chevy Panel
Got a nice arse to!
Cool A Coupe
Jazzy Jeff’s New play thing, Ex Fletch’s pick em up!
Some Northern fat lad’s F100
Just relaxing and shooting the bull on the back of a Truck what better way is there to spend a few hours in the sunshine with ya mates!
Tea and scone rooms.. how perfectly civilized dear!
Groovy 35 was a nice to follow back to camp. er only we lost sight of it once out of the cruise venue derrr
Things were buzzing back at mien camp!
We got lost on the way back after loosing sight of the 35 we followed out of the cruise venue..but after much ducking and diving to miss the massive traffic jam on the motorway we managed to latch onto the rear of Arron’s Chevy truck to get back on the right track and lead us safely back to camp.
The ominous sky’s start to build before an almighty downpour which was a spectacular break to the amazing hot sun we had been enjoying!
Followed by this stunning double rainbow.
Well back at camp we sat and sipped some aperitifs while we watched nature do its thing. Before our much anticipated free evening meal and the nights entertainment. the craic was good.
Another great night, some of it best left unsaid, but 99% of it was a blast and was one of the most entertaining nights at a rod run ever…. ;o)..
That’s about all I can remember or am prepared to say really.;o)
Sunday
Oh what a night!… woke up slightly jaded and pee’d off.. but my mate Pudzz was Ok and after a hearty breakfast all things we Ok…. We didn’t bother with any of that polishing and cleaning malarkey other than just a quick wipe over and we plonked our cars on the show field. Mine with its magnificent for sale signs in all their glory! £18k what a bargain eh!
We then set about a look round the assembled beauties. after a short trip round my camera battery ran out and shut the camera down.. bugger! so that’s my excuse as to why there aren’t to many photos from the sunday… sorry!
51Chevy Gasser was cool,complete with pedestrian maimer moon tank on the front ;o)
28A pickup sits nice and rare to see an unchopped one.
Mad bumper treatment on this 57 Chevy made it stand out from the crowd. Guess the owner had a few spare overiders when he put it together.. Real nice paint job to.
Not sure of the year probably a mid 30’s Chrysler, looked mega straight with that in vogue naked steel finish..
I really do have love of the Fordson Van and this one is a beaut. Reminds me of a paint scheme my mate Smax did on the first Mainline menace Pop.
Rally wheels suit this well put together pick em up!
A proper eclectic mix of cars at the Steel City Show!
I couldn’t resist another shot of Roberto Booth’s Cool A coupe ala 40’s Hot Rod!
Mini- Airstream makes a change from a teardrop!
Either these are very small people or that is one big chair.
Well that was about it really … oh yeah I nearly forgot my Truck selling saga. It turns out I knew the guy selling the 40 Ford coupe, but I hadn’t twigged that I did Derrrr. I met Stuart on the sunday and he told me he had sold the car I was after, I was gutted. Then he told me he wasn’t desperate to get rid, it was just not used and in the way. Adding if I had told him I wanted it, he would of kept it for me no problem! Whaaa Whaaa just my own fault for being an indecisive numpty.
So nothing left other than to down camp and sod off home really. This was one of the best runs for being laid back and good crack that I have been to, shame it was to be the last one to be held there as the owners have sold it.. I sure hope the Steel City crew can sort something out to keep the legacy going…
Well that’s the end of the season all bar the Northern swap meet, sorry to anyone who has been faithful to my web site for the lack of enthusiasm from me this season by not doing as many write ups or news info as I have in the past. But it has been 11yrs now since I started this and they recon 7yrs is the going rate before going stale.. so I haven’t done to bad..
I have enjoyed every bit of it and the people it has got me introduced to is mind boggling and worth it for that alone. People I revere and people I look upon as good friends have all happened because I have done this web site… Yes it’s that time again when I think I should hand over the baton to someone fresh and full of enthusiasm, to take this site further and keep it up to date, so if you think that is you, drop me a line and the uk-hotrods site can be your’s to take onwards and upwards ;o)
