It was all about the unique supercharged teardrop special – Bristol conversion at the 5th Beaulieu One Hundred Club Gala Dinner this year!

Over 70 Beaulieu One Hundred Members and guests attended this sparkling evening which began with drinks, canapés and live music in the motor museum. This gave everyone the chance to catch up with fellow members and their partners as well as meet and welcome new members to the event.

There was also the opportunity to explore the museum taking in the excellent exhibits and view Michael Waller’s Teardrop Special – Bristol conversion which was on proud display in the main entrance.

From here the ladies were transported to dinner on an old London bus where they were joined by the gentlemen outside the stunning 13th Century Domus, within Beaulieu Abbey, which provided the enchanting setting for our Gala Dinner!

Entering the atmospheric Domus was very special, with the huge fire roaring, exposed beams and the beautifully decorated tables. We were invited to sit at our tables to enjoy a sumptuous four course meal served by the extremely attentive staff.

The whole evening was delightful and ended with the traditional ‘end of evening’ auction where guests at the glamourous black tie event raised a dazzling £6000 for the National Motor Museum.

It was a really memorable night!

And for some it didn’t end there…

For Members and guests staying over on the Saturday night at The Master Builder’s Hotel, there was an opportunity, after a hearty New Forest Breakfast, to take their ‘special’ cars down the centre of Buckler’s Hard Village and park on the hill for a very unique photo opportunity (by kind permission of Jane Mills , Manager of Buckler’s Hard). With views over the Beaulieu River, it’s difficult to imagine a more picturesque setting!
This was then followed by a car tour of the New Forest, taking in the famous Ornamental Drive, passing the spectacular Rhinefield House Hotel and eventually arriving at the Sammy Miller Museum which houses one of the finest collections of fully restored motorcycles in Europe.

We took advantage of refreshments in the Tea Rooms where tables had been reserved for the Beaulieu One Hundred members before taking the opportunity to view the excellent collection of motorbikes, memorabilia and personal Sammy Miller artefacts. A fitting end to a memorable weekend!

Kaye Crouch