OH CANADA! Canada Day, Baddeck, 2010, a day that is going to be hard to beat. It all started on a foggy morning, that once you crested Kelly's Mountain, turned into nothing but sunshine and high temperatures. What a way to spend Canada Day, in the beautiful Village of Baddeck with a your friends from the BCCCB, throwing together a fantastic car show. This, I think is our fourth year showing our cars here on Canada day and it all started with a invitation from Sandy and Peter Smith to come show our cars to help the village celebrate Canada Day and have a BBQ later on at their beautiful house on the hill in Baddeck. I decided to leave home early this morning and perhaps have breakfast in Baddeck, I mentioned this to Sharon and Ricky and they came along as well. Somewhere, coming down Kelly's, the R.C.M.P. Pull up very close behind Rick and his Cambridge and I started snapping pictures over my head waiting to capture the moment where they pulled them over (it surely wouldn't be for speeding). As it turns out, I think they were using the Cambridge as a tool to block the view of them from speeders coming from the opposite direction, and sure enough after a few miles, they did a u-turn, flicked on the lights and pulled over a speeder. Later after we parked our cars in Baddeck and were walking to breakfast, I said that if they did pull them over I would turn around and take tons of pics and had them on the site. Laughingly, Sharon said they were hoping they would pull me over and they would do the same thing... great minds think alike. Speaking of walking to breakfast, as we were walking along, Sharon spotted this sign on a pole, a sign announcing our car show today and with a picture of one handsome guy sitting behind the wheel (Joe) of Sandy and Peter's new acquisition, a Morgan... (Look it up).

Hail Hail the Gangs all here! Returning from breakfast, the parking lot was filled, the BRITISH CAR CLUB of CAPE BRETON sign was set up and the fun began. What a colourful display indeed and what a great assortment. Old MGs and then there were older MGs, Triumph Spitfires and TR6. There were Austins, Lotus, Minis and of course the Jaguars. With the exception of a few models, The Fleet was in.

The cars "all shone like new pennies", as they say, a prime example is Norm and Joan's flawless MG. Now don't let the fact that Julian's Bonnet is up make you think the worst, just a weak throttle spring. After a few moments Ray and Bobby had the situation under control. Again, this is what I like about this club, the pitching in and helping. 

I was just snapping away, taking photos of this and that and in the next two random photos I captured 5 different types of BCCCB cars. Be it a 60s era, 70s, 80s or the 20?? models, each car looks as though new. "Looks as though new" ... that shows pride for sure, in both their cars and their club. 

I have to put a plug in for those, who either are first timer or travelled a great distance to get here. The first photo shows Haylett and Nina's 67 Austin Healy (the big Healey) which they drove from New Glasgow. Next to that, Brent Rose's 76 MGB which he had rebuilt from top to bottom, sparing nothing, here for the first time. Then there was Julian's bright Yellow Spitfire, and hidden behind Julian's engine hood was Joe's Great looking Austin Sprite and the blue speck at the end of the row in the second photo, is Ricky and Sharon's Austin Cambridge, all here for the Canada day cr show for the first time. I have to also put a plug for Paul and Estelle Voynovich for a first time showing as a club member, of their Beautiful Lotus Esprit and Norm and Joan Connors, Their First Canada day showing of their MGB.

I mentioned in an earlier story that Julian was sporting a new decal package, well here it is. Be it new paint or a simple thing like stripes or in this case a decal (or 2), it all helps the look of your car and for a mere $10  this surely looks good on the old Spitfire.

Until I get a better picture, I think I will use the one below of Norm and Joan's MGB for our website member's cars. As for Joe's Bugeye.. well an associate member said to me the other day that Wayne has his Mini and I like an Austin Bugeye Sprite... I told her there is one in the club and showed her a picture... there you go Joe... Another fan.

On hand for another show was Peter and Sandy's "Sexy Jag". Now to  add to this Sexy Jag segment, I bumped into an old friend that I hadn't seen in a while at the show and I almost didn't recognize her, she yelled my name and before she said "how are you" she said " I would love to see under the hood of that Jag". I told her the story of the title and she said she could understand why. We talked for a few moments and shortly afterwards Peter had the hood up. She seen what she wanted to see, one heck of an impressive power plant.

In many stories, I referred to Joe's Austin Healey Bugeye Sprite as the show stealer but today... although still as popular as ever, there was surely a lot of competition. The umbrella over the Bugeye's perfect black interior was a nice touch to keep the interior cool from the hot noon sun, so that Joe's back wouldn't burn when it was time to leave. Again Joe is always so obliging to those who are interested in his car.  He is only to proud to prop up the engine hood to show his hard work that he put in detailing and making correct, what sits under the hood. 

After the show, it was off to Peter and Sandy's for a Canada Day BBQ where "The King Of The Grill", Peter, went to work. No apron today, a British Car Club Cape Breton t-shirt will suffice as the temperature soared and I am sure it was even hotter standing at the grill.  I wasn't there to see, and thank you Sharon for the pictures but I am sure Peter went at the grill like short order cook... he had to... there were a lot of mouths to feed. God, I wish I had Peters energy. The first pic shows everyone gathered around the patio table and on the grill fresh meat, so I am guessing the first round of burgers and dogs were offered up and round two was on the grill.

We had a lot of first timers here and I sure hope they had a ball and left with a full belly and a smile. Yes guys this is the norm, this is the people who make up the BCCCB, fun loving with big hearts.  Our web site is sporting pictures of 34 cars at the moment and that isn't 100% correct. There is still a few to be added, my count is expected to be 40 very shortly. Yup 40 cars and in the very humble beginnings there were... according to the minutes from our first meeting, Friday September 17th 2004,  14 members and their spouses of course, how's that for growth in six years.

The numbers don't matter, the people do. To our most recent member, welcome to your first summer with the BCCCB and to Peter and Sandy, thank you guys so very much for your gracious hospitality and for hosting this fantastic event.  For those who didn't come alone this time..... you missed one hell of a day. 

Thanks to Julian and Sharon as well for the photos