Registration Numbers Club

Rally review

The Registration Numbers Club held another successful rally on Sunday 5 July 2009 at the Yorkshire Air Museum, RAF Elvington, York - the runway here is the longest in the north of England and was the scene of the BBC TV Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond’s spectacular accident back in September 2006.

Almost 100 vehicles arrived by early afternoon, a record attendance in recent years with the weather being kind until a heavy but, thankfully, short lived thunderstorm passed through. It was good to have many long time members come along and some new ones join us too. We also welcomed a couple of large family entries. The Heaton’s brought eight vehicles, most bearing WDH plates whilst the Taperells had just a few more nearly all with TAP plates. Members travelled from all over the country with the longest journey being over 350 miles from Devon. The classic car class was well supported with Jowett, Ford, MG and Volvo being represented.

Many awards were presented with results being voted for by the members themselves in a simple self voting system which has been tried and tested over the years. Special awards were made for high quality displays, good presentation, long distance and oldest registration present. The latter was won by a splendid plate, K 2, belonging to local enthusiast, Keith Snowden. A well supported prize-draw ended the proceedings late in the afternoon.

On the previous evening a member’s dinner was held at the York Pavilion hotel at Fulford just outside York where 29 members enjoyed an excellent meal.

Next year is our 33rd

The club has already secured a venue for its 2010 rally which will be held at the Haynes International Motor Museum at Sparkford near Yeovil in Somerset. Rally 2010 marks the 33rd year of the RNC and will be held on Sunday 20 June 2010. Please check with the club website nearer the time for further details.

There will also be a celebratory dinner on the previous evening at a venue close by … again details will be published on the website in due course. It is hoped that as many members as possible will come along to the Haynes museum which is a splendid location and well worth a visit.

Congestion charges by stealth

After the Manchester congestion charge was defeated at the end of 2008 by a massive 79% to 21%, it is possible that the Government could still introduce road pricing by stealth.

The small print of the ‘Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill’ gives new powers to unelected bodies to control transport policy - including the power to levy new taxes.

The bill gives the Secretary of State the power to create new combined authorities made up of two or more local authority areas that could control economic development, regeneration and transport policy. The very small print in the Bill would allow unelected combined authorities to impose local charging schemes in the form of congestion taxes, road pricing and workplace parking taxes. These proposed new laws are the antithesis of local democracy with yet more unelected quangos taking power away from local people.

Cherished plates hold their value

Whilst new car prices are well down and house prices too have dropped considerably since the credit crunch, it seems that cherished registrations have held their value well. Sales have, of course, dipped from previous years and some people have let plates go at very low prices due to sheer desperation, but in general market prices have remained fairly static with only small discounting being shown. Again quality counts and the best plates will always offer the best return with auctions still seeing very high prices paid for them.

More articles