We look forward to our annual show and shines and for the most part, they are predictable. You know going in what to expect year after year. This one was different.
The BCHRA have been planning the 50th Anniversary Reunion for a year and a half. Every detail was carefully taken care of. The advertising and brochures promised a fun time for all come June 2007. We were not disappointed. All the little things were taken care of, only exception was the weather, completely out of their hands! We endured the West Coast liquid sunshine and cooler temps, but even that didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the 900 participants arriving in about 500 vehicles.
This two day event began with registration and tire-kicking with a Friday evening burger and salad dinner followed by a tour to down town Cloverdale, B.C., a small town east of Vancouver famous for their Cloverdale Rodeo. The main street was blocked off for our use and was crowded with the hundreds of hot rods, customs, trucks and muscle cars driven there for the evening festivities. We were treated to desert and coffee and spent a few hours checking out the rides.
Saturday morning found us gathering at Millennium Park for the Show and Shine. It took several hours for the majority of vehicles to show up as the weather was not great. Row upon row of cool rides filled the park and in front, showcased, were the featured cars that began their lives at the hands of the original members of the BCHRA some 50 years ago. All three poster cars were displayed as well as the T roadster rebuilt as a tribute to rodders who have passed on. This particular car was finished by a team of four members of the North Shore Rod and Custom Club for Sylvia Braddick whose husband had passed away before finishing the project she surprised him with on his 65th birthday.
The Saturday evening banquet was filled with nostalgia. Red Robinson, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member was MC and Featured Speaker was Alyn Edwards, both long time area car guys. The period rock and roll music provided by Keith Diamond and the Rockets. The memorabilia on display brought back memories of years past, with photos and articles covering the last half-century of activity.
Our thanks go to the members of the British Columbia Hot Rod Association for their hard work and explicit planning and execution of this very special event. We look forward to another great decade of hot rodding until yet another major gathering takes place, and with luck, we’ll all be there.
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