Beloved British car show, Brits on the Beach will return to Transfer Beach for its 19th annual gathering.
British cars, trucks, and motorcycles from all over B.C. will gather at Transfer Beach on July 14. Organizers are expecting 250 vehicles to be on display.
The event is organized by the Central Island Branch of the Old English Car Club of B.C.. Other clubs have exhibition events as well, but according to Jim Stewart, vice chairman of the Central Island Branch, Brits on the Beach is one of the most popular events among club members.
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“There are several things that make the event unique that I think have driven the success of the event,” Stewart said.
There are no entrance fees for the event, either for drivers displaying their vehicles, or event goers. The club does not require preregistration for vehicles, so drivers are not obligated to turn up, they show up because they want to.
“It’s also a fairly social event,” Stewart said. “Unlike other car shows, we don’t ask people to put their cars in for judging… I was talking to one of the founders of the event and he was saying they started it as a relaxed Sunday afternoon affair, and that’s still what it is.”
Although the event has a relaxed atmosphere, it takes a large amount of organization to pull it off.
Al Ramsay, chair of the Central Island Branch is responsible for arranging transportation to and from Transfer Beach. He also arranges the parking plan for hundreds of vehicles. Ramsay’s job could be done by a number of volunteers, but he chooses to do it on his own. Ramsay and Stewart contact drivers throughout the year and invite them to Brits on the Beach.
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Stewart thanked the Town of Ladysmith for their continued support of the event over its 19 year history.
“The mayor does everything he can to make our lives easy,” Stewart said. “We work extensively with the parks and recreation department, and they’re wonderful, they give us tremendous help… We get such great help, and it’s such good fun working with the Ladysmith people. It’s a Ladysmith event.”
“I was talking to some people in Kamloops from the other branches of the club, and they all know it’s Ladysmith, they all know it’s Transfer Beach, they all know it’s the second Sunday in July, and a bunch of them are coming down.”
The event is sponsored by the Ladysmith and District Credit Union, which provides funding to offset costs for the event. That funding also goes towards prizes for children. 49th parallel donates food to the event for a post-show volunteer barbecue.
Brits on the Beach is free to attend, however donations are encouraged. All funds raised by Brits on the Beach go towards supporting the Ladysmith Food Bank.
