Pride & Joy at The Cuckoo Inn

“Pride & Joy” events are held across the south of Hampshire during the summer months and are unique.

They bring together anyone who owns any form of transport regardless of the number of wheels or methods of propulsion. It does not matter what it is just so long as it is the pride and joy of its owners and they want others to enjoy them.

Friends of ours own a BMW E36 Evo 4 Door liveried in techno violet.

If anyone who read that description then thinks “Alan, he really knows his cars” I would like to dispel any such beliefs before they get out of hand. My knowledge of cars is basic. I know what I like the look of and I may know a little about their history as a marque. What I know about the mechanical aspect of cars could be collated and written on a box for a bulb. Speaking of which, I can’t even change headlight bulbs on the family car.

It is because of them and as we hadn’t seen them both for quite a while they suggested we should all meet up at the “Pride & Joy” meeting taking place at The Cuckoo Inn at Hamptworth village in south Wiltshire.

When we arrived at the village and parked up in a field dedicated to customers of the pub we couldn’t see any cars that looked like they were their owners’ pride and joy. We walked to the pub and still didn’t see any special cars let alone our friends with their BMW. It was only when we went into the pub garden we saw what was happening in a field behind the pub.

Through the trees and hedge we could see an E Type Jaguar, an Austin 7 and quite a few motorbikes. It didn’t take us too long to find our friends.

Pride and joy filled the atmosphere along with the primitive aroma emanating from a barbecue, the friendly banter and conversations going on. people enjoying themselves, live music, the occasional crackle like a machine gun of a high performance exhaust or the exuberant blast of very loose flatulence coming from various not so high performance exhausts.

The organiser of “Pride & Joy”, Jeff Cooper told me later in the day that at one moment during the meeting that there were “210 cars and motorcycles…and a boat”. Well, the boat had to be someone’s pride and joy so why not?

Jeff started the “Pride & Joy” meetings back in 2017. His ethos then and now is “to give everyone a chance to show off their pride and joy vehicles, scooters, motorcycles etc”. When he started organising these meets all those years ago he was on his own. He did the publicity, the arranging of the venues and even the marshalling when there may have only been ten or twelve vehicles arriving to be shown. Now, he is very much the head honcho supported by his family and a stalwart army of volunteers who share his passion to keep the show on the road.

“I like to see people enjoying the shows and the interest in some of the fantastic vehicles that turn up. From the old, to the new, cars, trucks and pushbikes. Anything that has wheels.”

Sorry Jeff, but you forgot to mention the motorboat.

Any funds surplus to the costs of organising these events such as venue hire and the all essential public liability insurance are donated to a local charity for young adults with learning difficulties that is sponsored by the forthcoming venue, The Exbury Club.

Since this meet at The Cuckoo Inn Pride and Joy has now become the victim of it’s own success. With effect from the meet at the Exbury Club entry for exhibits will be restricted to pre 2000 vehicles. There are exceptions and if anyone who reads this wants to take their own personal “pride & joy” along please check the Facebook page.

He wants his events to be totally inclusive with anything from a Ferrari Dino to a Citroen DCV to be welcomed, shown off and admired. The reputation of these meetings is growing by the season and now it is not unheard of to have people bring their vehicles from Swindon, Dorchester London and Wales.

The next “Pride & Joy” meet will be at The Exbury Club (W3W Location hardening.racks.traps). Please check the Facebook page for times, rules, terms and conditions.)