16 January 2023
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Who can't resist a good rummage at an LRM Spares Day?
: credit: © Patrick Cruywagen
Our Editor embraces his meet-and-greet role at the VIP parking area during LRM’s third event of the year, the Malvern 4x4, Land Rover & Vintage Spares Day. Read on to find out who he met and what they were driving
Malvern’s Three Counties Showground is one of the favourite show locations in the UK. It’s in a great area and I have spent many hours driving green oval products along the muddy tracks of nearby Eastnor Castle, home to Land Rover’s legendary testing facility. Now only a few miles away, at the Three Counties Showgrounds, I am once again engaged in my favourite activity, hanging out with large numbers of Land Rovers and their interesting owners.
What sets LRM’s May Malvern 4x4, Land Rover & Vintage Spares Days apart from our other Spares Days? It has to be the VIP parking for Land Rover drivers, with over 100 of them pre-booking for the day. Why park there? It is away from the busy main car park and lies within the showgrounds, so you literally hop out of your Landy and you’re in the middle of the action, the fields full of traders. A no-brainer really.
Thanks to all who stopped to have a chat with me after parking up. Please read my Welcome on page 3 to find out about my favourite encounter of the day. Did I buy anything? Of course. Some new door handles for my Defender and a new rear step for only a tenner. My step was destroyed when an unfortunate old lady smashed into the back of my 110 recently. She badly damaged her radiator, bonnet and front bumper. But thanks to this Spares Day, my damage cost me a lot less to repair.
Here are the stories of some of those who rocked up at the Land Rover-only parking and what they were looking to find...
Ivan Legg, Queenie Legg, Nathaniel Holder and Nathan Holder in their 1991 Camel Trophy Defender 110. Ivan was hoping to find some parts and memorabilia, and he did a runner after spotting another Camel Trophy Defender. Ivan’s Defender has attended three Camel Trophy events.
Land Rover legend David Bowyer has been to a couple of hundred Land Rover shows in his lifetime. Here he is with his trusty 1993 Defender 90.
Glyn Smith was bemoaning the lack of a crew cab pick-up from Land Rover and so he decided to convert his 1996 Discovery into a 139in. Glyn pulled a shift on the Fourby stand. Hopefully they were selling paint.
Alasdair McNab and Ewan de Carteret from Bridport, Dorset arrived in a 1967 Series IIA, on the hunt for some mud flaps for it.
Birmingham Boy Jack Hopkins was hoping to sell his 1991 ex-MOD Defender 110 on the day. I saw him drive away in it later. As that old Rolling Stones number remarks, ‘You can’t always get what you want’.
David Hobbs from Llanelli, Wales, arrived in his green-wheeled 1995 Discovery 1 and was hoping to find a new turbo for it. Good luck David.
John Martin from Herefordshire has done an Icarus conversion to his Defender 110 but he was here to find parts for his Series I. We suspect he might be a big fan of the Dunsfold Collection.
Stephen and Susan Parkinson from Witney have owned this 1997 Discovery from new. Stephen was looking for some new suspension bits.
Derek and Riley Manning from Dorset had a few technical issues on the drive over. Derek hoped to find the solutions for his 1999 Defender 110’s problems at the show.
Les Asser from Worcester was about to head off on a hunt for a hand winch for his 2006 Freelander 1.
Clive Davies from Barnstable has a 3.5-litre diesel Nissan engine in his 1984 110 and claims to get 35mpg, which is certainly better than the V8 version.
John and Gill Handy from Malvern were definitely not in the market for new tyres for their 1991 Defender 110.
James Marsh from the Forest of Dean was about to go on the search for some door cards for his 2003 Discovery 2 S.
Amin Gabin owns some of the food vans at the showground but as he was in his 2013 Range Rover Sport he decided that the VIP parking was just the spot for him.
Book for our next event
Sorry you missed out? The next Land Rover & Vintage Spares Day will be at the Newbury Showground on October 2, followed by Malvern Three Counties Showground on October 30. Pre-booked visitor tickets are only £7.50 while online trader tickets are only £35. Book your ticket here: 4x4sparesday.co.uk.
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