THE HISTORY OF BPPC

Bournemouth & Poole Preservation Club was founded in 1979 for residents of the locality who were interested in preservation, and wished to share their interest with others. Many of our members own vintage or classic vehicles, but we also have members who own collections such as bottles and lamps.  Some members even own a miniature steam engine or stationery engine, whilst others may simply have an interest in days gone by. The Club has over 150 members and meet in the second function room of Hamworthy Social Club on the second Thursday of the month at 8pm, and we are always pleased to welcome new members.  Anyone who has an interest in days gone by, or owns a classic car, bike, tractor, engine or collections will be more than welcome at any of the events.

You may enjoy reading about the Clubs history in detail since it was founded in 1979. The information has been sourced from some 298 archived newsletters and minutes, so please forgive us if we have left out some details, or if the facts are not quite as they are remembered. The pictures are of more recent years. Compiled by Sally Palmer & Nigel Curtis. 

1979: BPPC held its first meeting at Edward Webster Social & Sports Club on Tuesday 13th November and Steve Oliver was appointed as Chairman of the Club.  At the next meeting on the 2nd December members were treated to a film show about motor racing and a competition was started to design the Club badge!

1980: In January of this year, Corinne Cordingley the events officer organised skittles at a local hotel, and in February members held their first Collections evening.  By April, 50 membership cards had been issued and the Club held its first auction, raising a few pounds for the club funds. The Bournemouth Scout Group Steam Up & Country fayre was to be the clubs 'home event' because Steve and Gordon Oliver were already on the organising committee.  By August of this year 61 membership cards has been issued and at the first AGM in November Club assets totalled £156.45!  The badge competition was won by Gordon Oliver, with Albert Crittell being a very close contender!

1981: In May the Club held its own mini rally at Tucktonia in Christchurch, but the weather was not its kindest and that affected the turn out, although the event was enjoyed by the 15 members who did attend.  Club Nights included a Rustic Sports evening, the photographic competition, ladies night, collectors night, auction night and the Christmas Party. Members also enjoyed free refreshments at the meetings and boosted funds with the monthly raffle.  The AGM in November saw Dave Cox join the committee for the first time!

1982: The first Road Run was organised by a sub committee and took place in May.  It was sponsored by U.B.M. Dibben and ended at Butchers Coppice, where the cars were joined by static displays and stationery engines!  The road run, which visited Blandford and Upton House was reported on 2CR and even made TV South!!  By November of this year Club Assets had grown to £466.72, and the AGM saw David Lovering join the committee.

1983: This years Road Run suffered from terrible weather and though the route was similar to the first, with stops at Wimborne, Blandford and Upton House, this year it ended at Talbot Combined School. In June 1983 the first Bear Cross Steam Up was seen after the scouts gave up their event and Gordon Oliver and Max Field took over organising the event on behalf of the Club. A profit of £300 was made and donated to Bournemouth branch of Mencap. Mike Kerton joined the committee in November and Dave Cox rejoined them as Membership Secretary.

1984: 60 vehicles attended this years Road Run which stopped at Swanage Railway Station. The Mayor of Swanage inspected the vehicles and some of our members where amongst the first paying passengers to travel on the Swanage Railway.  June's weather was kind to the rally and in September £1,900 was donated to Mencap towards their mini-bus.

1985: Collections night was well supported with 30 collections brought along by members, including Audrey Greehalgh, Audrey Craig, Ray Driver, Mike Kerton and David Lovering. This years road run was blessed with fine, but very windy weather, and rain on Saturday of the Steam Up meant a fall in takings.  A profit of £504.00 was made though, and donated to the Multiple Sclerosis Society.  On 20th and 21st July the club helped to support the Bournemouth Station Centenary Gala, which was opened by Michael Oliver, with a line up of vintage vehicles.

1986: January this year saw the Club move its meetings to Bluebirds Club at Longham and raise its subs to £4 for a family membership.  Vandals started a fire at Longspee School, which members had supported by attending the school fetes.  The road run was again well supported with over 80 vehicles and was run in conjunction with an event called "Thirties and All That Jazz".  The rally was the most successful yet and £1900 was donated to the Macmillan Unit. David Lovering became vice chairman at the AGM and Dave Cox stood down due to ill health. Pam Maloy became treasurer.

1987: BPPC joined up with the South Hants Club for our road run this year and there was a total of 75 cars from each club, with reported crowds of 7,000 at the Pier Approach!  Prior to the rally 2 - 3,000 hand bills were handed out along the route of the Bournemouth Flower Festival and good weather on the weekend enabled us to give £750 to each of the following: The British Diabetics Ass, Tenovus Bone Marrow appeal, and Multiple Sclerosis Society.  Steve Keeping did the arena parade in drag and raised £200 that was given to the Poole Scanner Appeal. A coach trip to Kew Pumping station and gardens took place in August and some members took an evening trip up Wareham River too!  On a sadder note Marge Hookey passed away in April, and her funeral was attended by many club members.

1988: January found the Club losing another great friend when Brian Priestman died.  He had been one of the founder members of the Club, a committee member and Road Run Chairman, as well as a friend to many.  In March David became Chairman when Steve Oliver resigned after 9 years in office.  Steve continued to help with the Rally, but was presented with a commemorative plate for his work on committee over the years. April found club meetings move to BDH, and although the rally suffered some rain on Sunday we donated £2,000 to St Leonards Hospital. Some fun was had with a fancy dress football match between the car section and the tractor section. This was the year Ray Driver and Eddie Holley joined the committee.

1989: Collectors Night was still very popular with over 20 collections brought along, and the photographic competition was still held in September.  A mini rally held at the RSPCA headquarters raised £175 for the charity. Our dear friends, Daphne and Peter Holmes had moved to St Austell and were offering B&B to club members, which came highly recommended. Gordon Oliver and Max Field decided that it was time for a rest from organising the Steam Up and they were presented with clocks to thank them for their massive contribution over the years.  This year saw the rally sponsored by Exchange and Mart and donations of £500 were made to each of the four chosen charities; Winchelsea School, Dorset Red Cross Society, Shaftesbury Society and Children's Isolation Ward at Poole Hospital.  £100 was also given to Poole Scanner fund after a sponsored shave by Steve Keeping!

1990: A year for celebrations as Lily and Albert Crittell were presented with a clock to mark their Golden Wedding Anniversary, and Pam and Ken Barnes tied the knot! The rally was able to donate £500 to both Riding for the Disabled and East Dorset Headway, but after the event it was decided that next year it would move to Oakmead school to give us more space.  September saw the Club move its meeting venue once more, this time to the Unigate Social Club off Castle Lane, and in November Bev Keeping stood down because of health reasons and Peggy Butcher took her place on committee.

1991: Our road run finished with a civic tea in the Pier Showbar with the Mayor and Mayoress of Bournemouth, and Karen Bugler presented the Mayoress with a bouquet of flowers.  The Steam Up continued and West Way Motor Engineers sponsored an engine and Drinkwater Sabey donated the skips. Unfortunately the show had to close early on Sunday because it was the wettest June day for 20 years, and one that will sure be remembered well!  Donations were made to two charities and the school though.  In November Peggy took over the newsletter editing from Pam, who had been doing it since the club began, and it was at this time that paid adverts began to appear.

1992: At the road run in May the Marge Hookey trophy was presented to Dennis and Joan Knight for their 1932 Morris Minor, and in July the first mini rally was held on a Club Night.  Luckily the weather changed for our rally this year and a total of £3,500 was given to the Seaview Centre at Parkstone and the Medical Care Foundation at Poole Hospital.  The AGM in November saw Peggy retire from committee, but still remain as Newsletter editor, and Phil Littlemore, Francis Bugler and Dave Cox were all elected on.

1993: A family membership would have cost you £5 this year, but the membership draw was introduced giving you the chance to win £3 every month if you attended Club Nights which were held on the third Monday in the month, and still included collectors night, auction night and our friend George Kidner with his valuation evenings.  In this year Lymington Vintage Shows came to and end, and the Austin 7 Club held its first weekend show at Harmans Cross in July.  April saw Les Hookey and Maggie getting married, and the rally was one of the best ever with a £5,000 profit. This was used to give donations to CLIC, Lewis Manning House and Oakmead School, and to purchase benches in Upton House Park and the Upper Gardens in Bournemouth. November saw Pam and Len retire from the treasurer and secretary positions after 14 years, and Sally Palmer and Sylvia Jonas take on these roles. Len remained on committee, Pam was presented with a vase etched with the club badge as thanks for her many years service.

1994: Club meetings moved to the Hamworthy Social Club in April and were now held on the second Thursday of the month. In May 100 vehicles joined the road run and stopped for lunch at the Courtyard Centre.  The annual rally was a huge success and the funds of £6,000 were donated to Marion House, Osborne Day Centre, CLIC, St John Ambulance and the school. Len Maloy finally stood down from committee this year and received an engraved whisky tumbler as his retirement gift, and Phil Littlemore was welcomed onto committee.

1995: In the year that saw the introduction of the Tax Exempt Vehicle ruling, the annual rally enjoyed another fabulous year with gate takings in excess of £9,000. A total of £4,900 was donated to Poole Rotary Club, Children's Hospice Appeal, Parkinsons Disease Society, Slades Farm Outreach project, The PDSA and St John Ambulance Appeal.  Brain Hunt replaced Phil Littlemore on committee and all the men enjoyed the entertainment at the Christmas party from the two ladies in red from Eternal Flame!  This year also saw the formation of BPPC Steam Rally Limited!

1996: David Lovering and Barbara celebrated their golden wedding anniversary this year and we had a visit from Dogs for the Disabled at one of the Club nights.  In May the Club was invited to attend the Lions Club event at Brockenhurst. Ken & Sylvia Jonas organised this event, and this became a popular event for some of our members. Nigel joined the club and assisted the committee during the organised events. Once again the Rally did well and three charities were given £1,000 - CLIC, Wessex Kidney Club and Bournemouth Hospital Heart Club, with £500 going to St John Ambulance and Poole Leukaemia Fund.

1997: In January Ray's daughter Jane took over the job of Newsletter editor when Peggy decided it was time for a well deserved rest. In May of this year we were treated to a fashion show of period costumes courtesy of Gina Neate and some of our braver members who volunteered to be models! It was a great fun evening and something completely different. Unfortunately we lost another of our founder members when Les Hookey passed way. He had been motorcycle marshal for the Steam rally and is still missed by all his friends at the Club. The rally suffered again from wet weather and the only donation made was to Oakmead school for the use of their field. A trip to Hall & Woodhouse brewery proved popular in October and Eternal Flame kept us entertained at the Christmas Party again.

1998: The road run was well attended again this year and the route proved to be very popular with a stop for coffee at Lulworth Castle and the lunch time stop on the sea front at Swanage. The rally was still held on the school field but once again we had problems with youths causing trouble, and a swarm of bees caused their own type of trouble!  Once again we were able to make good donations to charities and those that benefited this year were Dorset Kidney Fund, Headway House and Bournemouth Heart Club who each received £1,000.  The school were given £2,000 and the 4th Bournemouth Scouts received £500. This year saw the first Club event at Harmans Cross organised by Sylvia & Ken in conjunction with the Swanage Railway, and everyone who attended enjoyed a lovely relaxed weekend.

1999: The road run altered its route slightly and stopped for coffee at Bovington and lunch at Swanage sea front.  The rally enjoyed good weather on Saturday, but rain on Sunday morning kept the public away so gate takings fell a little.  Donations totalling £3,100 were made to four charities; Friends of Forest Holme, Bournemouth & Christchurch Stroke Unit, British Disabled Water Ski Association and the Rotary Club, in addition to the school receiving £1,500. In November we had a change of committee members as Ray, Francis, Brian and Eddie all stood down for various personal reasons and Ann Deacon, Charlie Hathaway and Nigel Curtis were elected on.  Sadly this year, Corinne, Pam and Len's daughter died after a short battle with cancer.  Corinne was one of the first committee members and did a great job as Social Secretary for the club in those early days.  We also lost our very dear friend Brian Butcher after a long illness very bravely borne.  He and Peggy were also long time members.

2000: April this year saw Sally take over as newsletter editor, and thanks went to Jane for her efforts in keeping the newsletter going for us.  The road run changed direction this year and stopped for coffee at Wilton and lunch at the Alice Lisle Inn in the New Forest. After all the problems of the previous two years it was decided that the rally had to move from Oakmead, Nigel found a temporary site at Parley Court Farm near Hurn to keep the rally going.  The show went well, without any trouble at all, but football, the sun and Concorde all contributed to keeping the public away. We managed a small profit and £300 was given both to the Rotary Club and 30th Bournemouth Scouts for their assistance.

2001: Subs for this year were raised to £6 for a family membership, and although another new field had been found for the Steam Rally the foot and mouth outbreak meant it has to be cancelled, along with many other events that year.  In May we managed to hold a one day event at the Bournemouth Aviation Museum where cars, bikes and engines enjoyed a warm sunny day alongside the planes housed in the museum.  In April we lost another dear friend when Frank Joblin, friend to many members, passed away after a brave battle with cancer.  Foot and Mouth didn't stop the show at Harmans Cross though and we had a wonderful, warm weekend and once again we put on a great show for the Railway.

2002: Dave Lovering stepped back and allowed Nigel to coordinate the clubs events. Parley Court Farm was once again the venue for the rally, although a change of field had been called for.  Once again the weather was not on our side and takings were down due to rain on Sunday.  We still had an enjoyable weekend though and donations were once again made to the Rotary Club and 30th Bournemouth Scout Group for their duties with gate duties and car parking.  The Swanage event was again very popular with well over 200 entries attending over the course of the weekend and everyone enjoying their rides on the train.

2003: This year was a quiet one for the club as after Nigel & David negotiated with Canford Park Arena, it was decided that the cost of the ground was too high to make holding a rally there a viable proposition, and members decided they did not want to return to the farm site.  Our event with Swanage Railway was also a non starter after groundwork's meant the field could not be used.  The road run went ahead, but Mike was disappointed with the turn out and we are still wondering why this event is not as popular as it once was. We did hold a mini rally/barbeque just for members at Three Legged Cross in September and we all enjoyed a warm, relaxing day whilst Nigel slaved over the BBQ heat!

2004: 25 years later with a membership of just under 100 families.  Quite an achievement and so many people to thank for all their years of commitment and hard work, too many names to mention. David stood down as club Chairman and Mike Kerton took on the role, with Nigel appointed as Vice Chairman. Nigel negotiated further with Canford Park and June 2004 saw our (Silver Jubilee) annual rally held at a new venue Canford Park Arena. Raising £5000.00 thus ensuring our continued success of those former years. BPPC chose the Domino Appeal as their nominated charity by donating at their Sept presentation evening £2000.00 from the funds raised, and supported other charities by presenting the Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance £2000.00.  The 4th Bournemouth Land, Sea & Air Scouts £500.00. and Julia’s House £500.00 from the balance. Quite an achievement for the new formation. Our event at Harmans Cross in September was set to be a great success too. Nigel & Sylvia took over the organising of the event from Swanage Railway at their request. BPPC opted to raise funds for the Swanage Steam Railway, holding the vehicle rally in conjunction with the Swanage Steam Gala and Folk Festival Weekend. This event raised £3100.00.awarding £2000.00 to the Swanage Steam Railway. The Domino Appeal £500.00. St John Ambulance £500.00 & Charity Folk Re: Langside School £100.00.   

2005: June saw our annual Steam & Vehicle Rally held for the second year at Canford Park Arena. Despite a very hot weekend we cleared £3000.00 after expenses ensuring our continued success. BPPC continued to support the Domino Appeal by presenting Mike Denny £1250.00 at a presentation evening held on the 8th Sept at the Hamworthy Social Club, Magna Road, Poole. A presentation of £1250.00 was also made to the Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance representative Sue Crowfoot, and £500.00 to the Butchers Coppice Scout Camp representative. September, BPPC were again fund raising for the Swanage Steam Railway at Harmans Cross. BPPC presented £3,820.00 to Swanage Steam Railways representative David Green and £250.00 to the St John Ambulance, a total of £4070.00 raised at this event. 

 2006: Again our annual Steam & Vehicle Rally was held for the third year at Canford Park Arena. Despite a very hot weekend we did cleared a sufficient amount to award £600.00 to charity after expenses and reserves banked, ensuring our continued success despite the ever increasing costs of organising such events. BPPC continued to support the Domino Appeal by presenting them with a cheque for £200.00 bringing the total raised for the appeal to £3,950.00. A presentation of £200.00 was also made to the Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance making a total of £3,450.00 raised, and a further £200.00 was presented to the PDSA. In September again BPPC were again fund raising for the Swanage Steam Railway at Harmans Cross Bursting at the seams at this now popular venue. BPPC presented a further £4,500.00 to the Swanage Steam Railways making a total of £10,320.00 presented by BPPC over the last three years. £250.00 will also be presented to the St John Ambulance. At the November AGM a new committee was appointed for the now to be Limited Club. Nigel was appointed Director Chairman. Owen Cockram Director Vice Chairman & David Lovering back on as Director. Mike Kerton, Ann Deacon & Sally Palmer retired from committee and were awarded crystal glassware for their contributions to the club. Furthermore Mike was elected president of the club for a year term. The New Club logo was designed by Owen & Nigel for the New BPPC Limited.

2007: The annual road run in April saw over 40 vehicles take to the New Forest roads and Plowmans Garden Centre for lunch. Maggie Gardner was awarded for best car, the Marge Hookey Trophy for her 1962 Minor 1000. Some concluded a beautifully hot summers day at Bournemouth’s Pier, joining The Classic Cars on the Prom. In June our annual Steam & Vehicle Rally was held for the Forth year at Canford Park Arena. Despite a very wet spring with other events being cancelled, and just meeting thier costs, we did manage to see some sunshine during our weekend event. Each section had increased in the number of exhibits to become the best display ever. However due to the surrounding weather conditions the public attendance was disappointing. A sufficient amount was still raised to award £2000 to charity ensuring our financial stability. We continued to support The Wessex Autistic Society by presenting them with a cheque in September for £1000, bringing our total raised for their appeal to £4,950.00. We also presented £1000 to The Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance, making a total of £4,450.00 raised for them over the last few years. In September we were again fund raising for the Swanage Steam Railway at Harmans Cross. Additional land was negotiated at the last minute to relocate the camping as even more exhibitors registered to attend the event. The event was held over Three days, which proved to be even more popular. BPPC presented a further £5,500 to the Swanage Steam Railway at the December club meeting, a total of £15,820.00 being presented over the last Four years. The club was promoted and well represented at other local rallies and carnivals during the year with a club stand or precession. Club membership for the year had increased by 50% to 145 plus members. New club merchandise was negotiated for 2008. At the November AGM the 2007 committee was re-elected unchanged to serve another term for 2008. What a great year!

Bournemouth & Poole Preservation Club Limited

11 Moordown Close, Moordown, Bournemouth, Dorset. BH9 3DH

Phone/Fax: 01202 512168  E-mail: curtiscrew@talk21.com

www.bppcltd.co.uk