Category: British Motor Museum

1. British Motor Museum to play host to a live musical theatre performance!

   Posted on 12:00pm Tuesday 4th Aug 2020

   The British Motor Museum will play host to a new innovative production ‘Voices of the West End’ which will be performed live in the safe and beautiful grounds of the Museum on 25, 26 & 27 September. The outdoor production, which is a collaboration between Ginger Boy Productions and Birmingham Hippodrome, will showcase music from the West End’s greatest musicals.

   Some of the theatre world’s most illustrious singers will perform award-winning hits including Earl Carpenter who played Javert and John Owen-Jones, who played Jan Valjean in Cameron Mackintosh’s 25th Anniversary Tour of Les Misérables. They will be joined by two of the best female Voices of the West End: Kerry Ellis and Katie Hall. Kerry Ellis is one of the top leading ladies of Broadway and West End musicals. She originated the role of Meat, in Queen’s We Will Rock You and was the first British Elphaba in the West End smash, Wicked. Katie Hall recently starred as Fantine in Cameron Mackintosh’s international tour of Les Misérables and has played Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera's UK tour and London's West End. She also played the role of Cosette in Les Miserables' 25th Anniversary Concert at London’s O2 Arena.

   The performances are 90 minutes long with no interval and will take place on Friday 25 September at 7pm, Saturday 26 September, when there are two performances at 2pm and 7pm and on Sunday 27 September at 6pm. Gates open 2 hours beforehand.

   The box office for the concert is managed by Birmingham Hippodrome and tickets can only be booked via their website at www.birminghamhippodrome.com. Roped pitches are £114 - £169 for a 3 square metre pitch that can accommodate 4 people from no more than two households or support bubbles.  Car spaces are £189 where performances can be watched from inside the car or set up next to it. There is a maximum of 4 PEOPLE ONLY exclusively from two households or support bubbles per pitch.

   The chefs at the British Motor Museum are making picnics and luxury hampers which can be pre-ordered along with a selection of wines to enjoy in style. These must be pre-ordered via the Museums website and orders close on 16 August. On the event day there will also be a small food and drink area serving gourmet burgers with vegetarian/vegan options, coffee/teas, ice creams etc and a bar selling alcoholic and soft drinks along with a Pinnock’s Artisan Gin Bar.

   Jeff Coope, Managing Director at the British Motor Museum said “We are delighted to host Voices of the West End in a safe and socially distanced environment. We are always keen to support the arts especially in light of COVID-19 and we hope to attract an audience that might not have visited the Museum before to enjoy some superb musical theatre”.

   For more information about the event please visit 

   www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/whats-on/voices-of-the-west-end

   The Museum and event organisers will continue to monitor the Government advice and keep visitors informed of any changes.

2. British Motor Museum - all geared up for summer visits and gatherings!

   Posted on 12:00pm Friday 31st Jul 2020

   The British Motor Museum reopened its doors on 4 July on a Friday to Monday basis. Following great support from visitors the Museum is delighted to announce that from 1 August, it will now be open every day of the week throughout August.

   The Museum has been awarded the ‘We’re Good to Go’ industry charter mark by VisitEngland which means everything is in place to ensure a safe and enjoyable visit. Numbers are limited per day, with pre-booking a timed arrival slot essential. This also includes those with annual passes. There are 10am, 11am, 12noon and 1pm slots available. Once at the Museum visitors can stay as long as they wish until closing.

   To adhere to the Covid guidelines the Museum has had to make a few changes to the visitor experience which are detailed on the welcome back web page at www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/news/welcome-back. The Museum has received some very positive feedback from visitors about the measures it has in place and how safe people feel about their visit. There is still plenty to see and do with over 300 British historical cars to explore. The outdoor play area is also open for younger visitors who need to let off some steam and the ever popular science shows will also be running 4 days a week!

   The Museums Café has registered for the Government’s ‘Eat out to Help out’ scheme.  Those visiting the Café on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday can get a discount of up to 50% when eating or drinking soft drinks, with a maximum discount of £10 per person.

   With outside gatherings given the go ahead by the Government, the Museum has decided to host as many of its events as possible. With safety in mind, the shows will be more  informal gatherings, with reduced numbers.

   The Gaydon Land Rover Show will take place on 1 & 2 August as an informal ‘bring your Land Rover’ gathering for those that have pre-bought tickets and want to meet up with other Land Rover owners. Existing Land Rover Show tickets will be valid for those that wish to attend and camping is available on the Saturday night. The Gaydon Land Rover Show hopes to return to its normal format on 8 & 9 May 2021.

   The Classic and Vintage Commercial Show will now be a Classic Commercial Vehicle Gathering which will take place on 8 & 9 August with outdoor display parking and a smaller outdoor trade area. The indoor trade and model area will be much reduced with only approximately 10 out of the usual 160 tables exhibiting. Camping will be available on the Friday and Saturday nights. Entry will be by advance entry form or advance ticket only and existing entries will be carried forward. The #EV Electric Vehicles Festival will be going ahead on the 8 August on the Southern Arena. Attendees to the #EV Festival will also be able to view the Classic Commercial Vehicle Gathering and vice versa.

   Yakushi Car Club will now meet on 15 August and the Old Ford Rally will take place on 23 August with a small arena along with a commentator and a singing group. The Buses Festival was originally planned for 23 August but has unfortunately been postponed until 21 August 2021.

   September kicks off with a newly announced ‘Jaguars at Gaydon’ event on 5 September. Billed as a friendly, informal gathering for all Jaguar fans, owners and enthusiasts alike, it will feature hundreds of Jaguar cars and celebrate the XJS Club's national day. The National Metro & Mini Show and BMC & Leyland Show will take place on 6 September and the Great British Model Railway Show on 7 & 8 November.

   Mogfest, which was due to take place on 26 September, has been postponed to 10 July 2021 as has the Retro Truck show which will now take place on 11 & 12 September 2021.

   Tom Caren, Show Manager at the British Motor Museum stated “Whilst we’ve had to make further changes to our shows we are delighted that we are now able to bring motoring enthusiasts together at our newly formatted informal gatherings. It has been encouraging that we have had so much support and we would urge any club looking to organise an outside gathering to get in touch about using us as an approved venue.”

   The Museum will continue to monitor the Government advice and keep visitors informed of any changes. In line with the Museum’s new policy, all visitors and exhibitors to any of the gathering/event must pre-book tickets and provide contact details so the Museum can fulfil its NHS Test and Trace commitment.

   Tickets bought for any of the shows original dates are valid for the new dates and refunds are available for those no longer able to attend. The deadline for refund requests is one week before the event. Please contact [email protected]

   or phone 01926 649649. Tickets to the gatherings also include entry to the Museum & Collections Centre. To find out more about the British Motor Museum please visit the website at www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk
   

   

3. 2020 Shows update from the British Motor Museum

   Posted on 1:00pm Monday 8th Jun 2020

   The British Motor Museum is well known for its extensive and diverse range of motoring shows, gatherings and rallies that normally take place over the summer months. Unfortunately with the continuing COVID-19 restrictions, the Museum has had to make further changes to this year’s show programme. 

   The intention of the Museum is, where possible, to postpone rather than cancel shows whilst consistently adhering to Government advice. The Museum is currently putting in place all the necessary measures and risk assessments to ensure that when it re-opens it has the safety of visitors and staff at the centre of everything it does. This information will all be available on its website prior to the Museum re-opening and any show taking place.

   So subject to COVID restrictions, the Museum is currently still planning for the Old Ford Rally to take place on 19 July and the Yakushi Car Club Meet on the new date of 26 July. A final decision about both events will be made by 17 June and published on their website and social media channels. The Gaydon Land Rover Show which was scheduled to take place on 9 - 10 May, has been moved to 1 - 2 August. The Classic & Vintage Commercial Show has been postponed from 13 & 14 June to 8 & 9 August.

   The National Metro & Mini Show and BMC & Leyland Show, which were planned for June and July will now take place on  6 September. Whilst the Retro Truck show is still scheduled for 12 & 13 September, Mogfest on 26 September, the Large Model Aircraft Show on 25 October and the Great British Model Railway Show on 7 & 8 November.

   Unfortunately a few of the shows have been cancelled but will return in 2021. These include the UK Slot Car Festival which would have taken place on 16 & 17 May, Ford Nationals on 28 June, TR Drivers on 12July, the MGF 25^th Anniversary on 25 July, the Banbury Run on 16 August and the Buses Festival which was due to take place on 23 August. All the 2021 dates for these shows will be published on the Museums website as soon as they are confirmed.

   Tom Caren, Show Manager at the British Motor Museum stated “It is disappointing to have to make further changes to our show programme but wewould like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their continued support. We hope that many of our visitors will still be able to join us when we can safely deliver our first-class shows”.

   Tickets for cancelled events will be refunded and processed over the next few weeks. For postponed events, all sold tickets will be valid for the new dates with refunds available on request.
   For ticket FAQs visit the website at www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/news/coronavirus-update-for-visitors.
   To find out more about the British Motor Museum please visit the website at www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk 
   

4. 2020 Shows update from the British Motor Museum

   Posted on 12:00pm Monday 13th Apr 2020

   With the British Motor Museum now closed due to COVID-19, the Museum has had to make the difficult decision to postpone or cancel some of its upcoming shows. The intention of the Museum is, where possible, to postpone rather than cancel shows, whilst consistently adhering to government advice. Shows set to take place later in June and July will be reviewed in the coming weeks.
   
   The Gaydon Land Rover Show which was scheduled to take place on 9 - 10 May, has already been moved to 1 - 2 August. The UK Slot Car Festival was unfortunately cancelled by the organiser and will return for its 11th year in 2021. The Jaguar Breakfast Meet in May has been cancelled but is currently scheduled to return to the Museum in July. The Banbury Run has been postponed from 31 May to 16 August and the Classic & Vintage Commercial Show has been postponed from 13 - 14 June to 8 - 9 August.
   
   Tickets for cancelled events will be refunded and processed over the next few weeks. For postponed events, all sold tickets will be valid for the new dates. For ticket FAQs visit the website at https://www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/news/coronavirus-update-for-visitors
   Tom Caren, Show Manager at the British Motor Museum stated “It is disappointing to have to change the dates of so many of our shows but in these unprecedented circumstances we are prioritising everyone’s welfare and looking to run the shows where possible. The British Motor Museum would like to thank everyone for their support and send everyone our best wishes. We look forward to delivering our first class shows when we can safely do so.”
   Whilst the Museum is temporarily closed the team will be sending out regular posts on their social media channels and will also put their creativity to use in finding new ways to fuel their visitors’ imaginations for when the Museum reopens.
   
   To find out more about the British Motor Museum please visit the website at
   www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk
   
   

5. Unique gift ideas from the British Motor Museum!

   Posted on 12:00pm Friday 15th Nov 2019

   The British Motor Museum has everything all wrapped up for Christmas whether it’s a day out admiring over 300 British classic cars or a thoughtful and unique gift! The Museums gift voucher includes 2 admission tickets and a souvenir guidebook as a memento. The gift, which is attractively presented in a red envelope, costs just £25+p&p, a saving of £6.

   Treat someone by signing them up to one of the motoring related workshops which run in the spring and autumn. These include ‘Is a Classic Car for you’ and ‘Living with a Classic Part 1 & 2’ all ofwhich are aimed at those who wish to buy or own a classic car. There’s also a range of motoring photography workshops for beginner’s right up to lighting and home studio workshops.

   Heritage Certificates are an ideal gift for anyone who owns a cherished classic car and are available from just £43 plus P&P.  The Certificate is an official ‘Certified Copy of a Factory Record’ showing the car’s specification as it left the production line. Details are taken from the original production records created by many of the leading British motor manufacturers.  Dates, in order to get delivery before Christmas, are 1 December for UK first class or 24 November for the USA, Canada, and EU & Western Europe.

   The Museum’s online shop also stocks a range of motoring gifts from DVDs featuring marque specific archive footage including Triumph, Austin Healey, BMC, Mini and many more - to novelty motoring themed items. If pictures are a more suitable gift then choose from thousands of British Motor Industry Heritage Trust archive photos using the online picture library – www.motorgraphs.com. Available as a framed print, canvas or collage, you will find a wide variety of attractive historical images featuring famous marques  such as Austin Healey, Triumph, MG, Rover, Land Rover, Austin, Morris, Riley and Wolseley. There are also attractive advertising posters and colourful scenic pictures from the 1950s to the 1980s.

    

   To find out more about the British Motor Museum and gift ideas please visit www.shop.britishmotormuseum.co.uk. For more details on the Heritage Certificates including a full list and date range of cars that can be provided visit www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/archive/heritage-certificates