Report on The 20th Regis Classic Tour - "The
Ladies Go Dutch II - or perhaps they go Double
Dutch" very generously sponsored for the
tenth year by William Frosts of Frosts Ltd www.frosts4cars.co.uk
 The
ladies of Bognor Regis Motor Club are very pleased
to announce that they have exceeded expectations
with their fundraising for the 20th and final
Regis Classic Tour. The total so far for 2017
is well over £40,000 which will be divided
between Against Breast Cancer & Orchid - Fighting
Male Cancer. The total raised for cancer charities
in 19 years smashed the half million figure at
£523,638.84! This year will be well over
£563,000.00 before gift aid has been calculated
after the 20th event which is looking like a record
year, if all the promised funds come in. Thanks
to everyone who has made this possible.
Photographs of the 20th Regis Classic Tour are
available from Nigel Eddleston at www.edpphoto.com,
on-line View Galleries or click www.edpphotoco.uk
Rally-Tours official photographers for The Regis
Classic Tour.
The Grand Finale!: The 20th Regis Classic Tour
- 31st March, 1st & 2nd April 2017
 All
good things have to come to an end and the Ladies
have decided that the 20th and very final Regis
Classic Tour would be held in Rotterdam, Holland
as a part repeat of the 10th Tour. The majority
of the venues and route had to change after 10
years partly as venues have altered and also due
to the increased size of the tour from 38 cars
in 2007 to 60 cars in 2017! The fabulous 4* Valk
Hotel ARA in Zwijndrecht was booked with an overspill
at the Ridderkerk Hotel.
All evening meals were served in a private function
suite at the Hotel ARA for both Friday buffet
and Saturday Gala Dinner.
This was a totally non-competitive very social
weekend with the aim of having a great time and
raising loads of money for our two chosen charities.
Signing-on and documentation took place on Friday
evening at Hotel ARA followed by a group buffet
dinner with entertainment from Shantykoor de Brulboei
at Zwijndrecht. They entertained us in 2007 and
were such a success we had to ask them to come
back and do it all again! The repeat visit was
again a great success and had crews dancing around
the Function Suite! Some complaining that all
the shenanigans ruined their street cred!
The tour started on Saturday morning with a visit
to Schoonhoven's Silver Museum plus coffee and
apple cake at Hotel Belvedere (where the 10th
Tour finished). Kasteel de Haar near Utrecht hosted
a visit to their parkland surrounding the Kasteel
and lunch in the Koetshuis (Coach house). The
afternoon visit was to Leerdam, the glass capital
of Holland with coffee & Bossche Bol (which
turned out to be a giant round chocolate éclair)
at Het Oude Posthuys before returning to the hotels.
There was a final Gala Dinner at Hotel ARA with
£10 note raffle for some amazing prizes
and small but perfectly formed auction of "Experiences".
Both these fundraising actions reached record
heights from previous tours!
 The
sun shone on the Sunday morning re-start leaving
a little later than Saturday and returning to
the beautiful market town of Gouda. We visited
in 2007 and arranged the same parking in the market
square and a chance to sample local delicacies
before proceeding to the famous Louwman Museum
at Den Haag, the host venue for our final buffet
lunch was in the Toyoda (Toyota) Room. As the
majority of the cars were over 40 years old Louwman
invited the cars to park outside the front of
the building to be the star attraction for other
visitors on Sunday afternoon, all shining in brilliant
sunshine. Each crew left with a gift of Gouda
Cheese and syrup waffles as a souvenier of their
visit to Holland.
There was a bottle of champagne presented at
the finish plus The Regis Classic Tour Trophy
made by Kevin Law of Orchard Restorations in memory
of his wife Liz (who was Dutch and a great supporter
of the tour) and replica. This went to Ian &
Carole Potter from Derbyshire who have raised
in excess of 2,800 in sponsorship! A second bottle
went to Sheila Tiller with the Allard L Type having
the car the RAC boys would most like to take home.
A third bottle went to John Ball for the best
mask plus an amazing blonde wig at the Gala Dinner
on Saturday night.
There was an optional supplement for Sunday night
of a coach trip and supper on the De Beren Boat
touring Rotterdam Harbour taken up by 82 people.
A warm and sunny evening gave everyone a chance
to see the working port of Rotterdam and the vast
selection of vessels moored there as the sun set
and then into the darkness.
For those staying over beyond Sunday there was
a private visit and lunch at the wonderful Healey
Museum near Utrecht on Monday morning taken up
by 48 people and thoroughly enjoyed by everyone
with wonderful hospitality from Hans van der Kerkhof
and his volunteer team. The museum is a little
gem and a real homage to Donald Healey and the
cars he created - a must for the enthusiast. It
is complete with a ten seat cinema and amazing
archives.
All funds again will be donated to Against Breast
Cancer & Orchid - Fighting Male Cancer with
the main aim as a celebration anniversary event
for the fun, fundraising and friendship that have
taken part over the past 20 years. The figure
is looking well over £35,000 but until all
the bills are paid and all the promised sponsorship
money has been included a final figure plus Gift
Aid cannot be calculated.
 Thanks
again to all the generous companies and individuals
who have donated prizes for the auction and raffle:
Richard Andrew, Richard & Nadzieja Askew,
Edward & Lesley Behrendt, Mick Briggs, Andy
Doherty, Jill Collings, Donington Historic Festival,
Flywheel Festival, Ian Glass from Country Lane
Tours, Peter & Mary Hall, John & Sarah
Harmer, Terry & Jackie Kerr, Peter & Glynis
Lansdale, Nicholas & Kerry Parton, Valk Hotels,
Mike Jiggle of Vintage Road Car/Race Car Magazine
& Mick & June Wildgoose.
Sadly this was the final tour, like a lot of
Clubs there are few younger members joining Bognor
Regis Motor Club and this event requires a huge
commitment of time and effort from the organising
team. It has been the most fabulous fun but better
to finish on a massive high with everyone wanting
more than to fade into obscurity, which probably
would have happened if it had continued much longer.
Thanks again to Carla van Bregt in Holland - she
and her husband Henri de Potter assisted with
the 2007 event and Carla lost Henri in 2014 to
cancer, as a tribute to him she helped again in
2017.
 Thanks
again to James Campbell who printed and compiled
all the roadbooks but then work commitments forced
him to cancel his entry. Also to Geoff & Keitha
Insley of Clayton Classics who have been generous
supporters for at least 10 years but Keitha was
not well enough to take part, but is hopefully
on the mend now making slow progress. Heather
& Christopher Darwin had hoped to enter the
very last tour (having sponsored the first 10
years through Line Up Aviation Personnel) but
expectant Ewes caused last minute problems. We
also need to thank Nigel & Julie Eddleston
and Steve Carpenter from EDP Photo News for supporting
18 of the 20 tours with their amazing photography.
Thanks to all our long term advertisers: Hardy
Engineering, Orchard Restorations and this year
REIS who have all helped to boost the funds. Lastly
to Barry Griffiths of Griffield for providing
free of charge ID badges and stickers for all
20 tours.
We would also like to thank the whole volunteer
marshalling team plus Chris, Gordon, Nigel and
Richard who provided mechanical assistance all
weekend.
We wish all our past participants a wonderful
year of classic motoring in whatever form it takes
and hope to see some of you on another of our
fundraising tours: The 7th Regis TAP taking place
on Sunday 3rd September and raising funds for
Sussex Air Ambulance. Over 75% of the entry is
now reserved so if you wish to join in further
fun and fundraising please complete and return
the flyer without delay.
To learn more about the tour please call Ali
Green 01243 542674 or email theregisclassictour@btinternet.com
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