Butty Bay Run
Butty Bay Run.
Saturday 19th July
For those of us who remember “Miners Fortnight” where valley mining communities would descends to the Sth. Wales seaside resorts of Barry Island, Porthcawl , Aberaeron and Swansea Bay to partake in a well earned fortnights holiday. Travelling down the Valley "A" roads in what we now call Classic cars such as Morris Minors, Hillmans, Austin's and another British made Car that was about in the 60’s -70’s.
I was telephoned by a local radio presenter Ian Edward's to help recreate such a long lost feeling. The “Butty Bay Run” was hastily organised with a procession of classic and vintage cars being waved off at the park at Pontypridd by the Mayor and Mayoress. 22 cars followed a step by step route travelling from Pontypridd down to Porthcawl where we displayed our cars for two hours.
We then headed back up the valleys to the Rhondda Heritage Park for a small presentation of ribbons and a prize for best car an Austin 1300 (Land Crab), judged by the Mayor and another prize for the Car that was made the best memory of those special days gone by. This prize was chosen by the radio presenter himself and was won by a 1972 Morris Ital.
There was another rare opportunity to see two Gilburn Cars. These cars were built in the Sth. Wales valley of Treforrest where production stopped in the early 1980's.