Boxing Day Run - 26th December 2006

Abingdon Square is always full of MGs on Boxing Day, but this year's event proved to be a record breaker, with 49 cars attending. We were treated to a mild (and mainly dry) day - perfect for a drive through the surrounding countryside. Organiser John Harris reports:

"This year saw the Boxing Day Run take place for the thirteenth time. Mostly I have been there to send off those taking part. Up until this year the highest turnout was about 40 cars (on one of the occasions when John Innes stood in for me). This year I had quite a few phone calls before the event asking for details which led me to suspect that I might have underestimated the interest. Thus I decided to make 10 more copies of the route than usual (50 in all)."

"By the time Mike (my son-in-law) and I arrived with 'Doris', my YA, and 'Lucky Eddie', my PA, there were already a dozen or so cars parked in the Abingdon square. The business of registering the entrants and issuing the routes was brisk to say the least. Chris Callaghan kindly counted the number of cars already present and arrived at the figure of 49 (one or two had merely come to see us off). Still they kept coming, and it is with great thanks to Dave Smith that we were able to accommodate the majority of the cars actually in the square, some of which had to use the overflow park behind the shops. By the time everyone set off we had only one copy of the route left, indeed a record entry. This year saw a Christmas tree in the square, which used a few spaces, but added to the festiveness on the occasion. We do appreciate the Abingdon Town Council allowing us to use the square for this event. I hope we will continue to be able to do so following the alterations."

"I understand that a few folk 'got lost' partly due to a lack of signposts at one or two junctions and an error on my part on one (for which I apologise and will go to the bottom of the class).

This year the run finished at the Dog House at Frilford. In previous years we finished at the Foxcombe Lodge Hotel where the proprietors Jill and Roger Hicks gave up their 'Family Christmas Day' to provide us with their excellent hospitality, entirely voluntarily and at their own expense. Due to illness Jill will be unable to continue. We showed our appreciation by sending her a nice Christmas arrangement of flowers. Jill came to the finish to thank us for them."

Click here for a short history of the Boxing Day Run.
Click here for full-size photos


Text: John Harris
Photos: Malcolm Bailey and Martin Charles