Basingstoke Festival of Transport event returns in May

Basingstoke Festival of Transport returns to the War Memorial Park in Basingstoke on Sunday, May 19, from 11am to 4pm.

The event, which is free to the public, has attracted more than 850 vehicles this year, with 70 trade and charity stalls and food available all day.

A wide selection of vehicles will take to the park, from vintage pre-war vehicles to modern classics, bikes and scooters and small commercial lorries including the locally built Thornycroft Nippy.

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Last year's Best Car in Show, 1964 Aston Martin DB5 owned by Richard Bray (Image: Basingstoke Festival of Transport)

The event will also see a range of commercial and military vehicles, service vehicles, buses, coaches and a selection of static engines.

More than 35 local car clubs will be well represented, bringing more than 400 cars to the event.

Last year's Best Car in Show was a 1964 Aston Martin DB5 which is owned by Richard Bray from Portsmouth.

Richard purchased the car which had previously been used as a safety track car at Goodwood motor circuit in February 2018, and the vehicle spent 26 months being completely refurbished.

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A total of 886 DB5 coupes were built between the years 1963 and 1965. The James Bond link has helped make the Aston Martin DB5 one of the world's most recognisable cars.

Last year's Best Commercial Vehicle in Show went to David Baker, of Bakers of Oakley, a local Vehicle Recovery Company.

David Baker with his trophy as owner of the Best Commercial Vehicle in show (Image: Basingstoke Festival of Transport)

He won the award with his 1948 Bedford M Type. David said: "I first saw my Bedford lorry on the London to Brighton Commercial Rally some years ago, although it had only been partly restored.

"As I always wanted a Bedford, this one immediately caught my eye, especially as the registration plate is my initials and the truck was built in the year and month I was born.

"In 2019 I tracked it down, parked in a front garden in Croydon where it was in a bit of a sorry state and not in use. I struck up a deal with the owner and, as the lorry was a non-runner, transported it back to Oakley on one of our recovery trucks.

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"Over the past four years, my grandson Freddie, aged 13, and myself, have carried out mechanical repairs and completed the restoration, finishing the wooden platform body earlier this year.

"We love to show the lorry as a coal delivery vehicle as many of these types of trucks were often used in this line of business."

While the event is free for the public to enter, parking will cost £5 per car with access to the car park from London Road, RG21 4BY.