Sunday 20th September 2009 and I'm off to the Croxley Green show for the first time. I was going to Gamlingay the day before but was unable to make it so Tony mailed me to ask if I fancied going here instead. Paul also caught me in the week to ask if I was going, so I said I'd follow him over. We left Hemel at about 9:20a.m. and it only takes 15 minutes so no long haul this time. Cars were already there, as was Tony, but as luck would have it I managed to park one car from him . Tony wasn't around when I arrived and I'd guessed he was at the steam fair with his Grandson.

The cars kept coming and the common was soon filling up. All sorts of cars parking next to each other, which is a nice way to look at cars in my opinion. I found Tony and we started to wander around the Scammell lorry display at the end of the common. Carters Steam fair is a wonderful 'real' fair that takes you back to the good old days. The rides are 'old fashion' by today's standards but are much better value and just as much fun. Two of the rides are still steam powered. The fair is also pulled by original old lorries and caravans. It travels the south east of England for seven months of the year and is well worth a look.

We then wandered around the ever filling common looking at the wide variety of cars that people have brought. Everything from Fiat 500's to hot rods. I find a nice Austin A30 which was my first ever car and find something very interesting on it. It has a 'Viva Drivers Club' badge on it!! (Picture below). The owner is standing by the car so I ask him about it. He says he doesn't think it was anything to do with a Vauxhall Viva. He thinks he got the badge in the early sixties and he got it second hand, but he can't remember where from. He did have a HA years ago but he had the badge first he thinks.

After a cuppa and a bite to eat we go and have some fun on the, now open, fair. Well I don't, I just take some pictures. To scary for me. Tony spends the next hour or so screaming like a little kid while his grandson keeps an eye on him. On the coconut shy they had five balls each and his grandson beat him 2-0. He's only five!

We both leave at about three and I decide to take the slower, scenic route home, via the country lanes and villages. It was great. The sun shone, the window was down and the noise from DHR's exhaust sounded great as it echo off the narrow village streets. Wonderful.

The following day at work I get a nice e-mail from a John Harrison who read about my search for DHR/VLT registration numbers at the show. He suggested some avenues to try, but I'd already tried them. But it was still a nice thought and he has given me some advice to follow on VLT and that's my next step. Thanks very much John.