Hi, my name is Dave Eastwood and I am the current chairman of the Ford Cortina Owners Club Mk1-5 and the sole founder/organiser of the Annual Ford Day in Blackpool.
How did it all begin? Well I have been involved in the classic car scene for over 30 years with Cortinas, which I used on a daily basis, attending shows with a club stand throughout the North West of England and beyond. I noticed that the Ford only shows were all down the South of England and nothing in the North West for the enthusiasts up here. So during 1997/8 i started to look at the options in my area. Being sand grown, meaning born in Blackpool, I thought this would be the ideal place to start. After endless searches and meetings, the middle walk was brought to my attention and as I had never done anything on this scale before it certainly was a learning curve. I must thank the Blackpool Council/Tourism Department for there help and continued support with this event.
At last after all the hard work my idea was starting to become a reality. I designed the ford day logo, entry forms and the plaques which are in the Blackpool Football Club colours and then informed all Ford clubs/owners and the media of this event and as they say, the rest is history.
The first ever Ford day took place on Sunday 12th September 1999 with over 200 fords attending. The sun was shining and the middle walk was full of Fords of all marques and years including Escorts, Granadas and Cortinas. The Ford Anglia Owners Club also celebrated their 40th anniversary. It was a superb sight to see all the Fords on the seafront and still is to this day. It brings Ford owners and clubs into Blackpool from all over the country, not forgetting the public, who come in there thousands to visit this annual event as well as see the Blackpool Illuminations and enjoy all the fun the town has to offer. It really has brought Blackpool to the forefront in the classic car scene. As the years have gone by, the interest and event has grown and 2008 was the 10th anniversary with all entrants receiving free sticks of Blackpool Rock, the kids loved it and I bet the adults did as well.
Enough of the past, what about the future? Well I hope that with the continued support of the Ford owners and clubs, who without this event would never have happened ("a big thank you to you all"), it will continue to be a major event for many more years to come.
How did it all begin? Well I have been involved in the classic car scene for over 30 years with Cortinas, which I used on a daily basis, attending shows with a club stand throughout the North West of England and beyond. I noticed that the Ford only shows were all down the South of England and nothing in the North West for the enthusiasts up here. So during 1997/8 i started to look at the options in my area. Being sand grown, meaning born in Blackpool, I thought this would be the ideal place to start. After endless searches and meetings, the middle walk was brought to my attention and as I had never done anything on this scale before it certainly was a learning curve. I must thank the Blackpool Council/Tourism Department for there help and continued support with this event.
At last after all the hard work my idea was starting to become a reality. I designed the ford day logo, entry forms and the plaques which are in the Blackpool Football Club colours and then informed all Ford clubs/owners and the media of this event and as they say, the rest is history.
The first ever Ford day took place on Sunday 12th September 1999 with over 200 fords attending. The sun was shining and the middle walk was full of Fords of all marques and years including Escorts, Granadas and Cortinas. The Ford Anglia Owners Club also celebrated their 40th anniversary. It was a superb sight to see all the Fords on the seafront and still is to this day. It brings Ford owners and clubs into Blackpool from all over the country, not forgetting the public, who come in there thousands to visit this annual event as well as see the Blackpool Illuminations and enjoy all the fun the town has to offer. It really has brought Blackpool to the forefront in the classic car scene. As the years have gone by, the interest and event has grown and 2008 was the 10th anniversary with all entrants receiving free sticks of Blackpool Rock, the kids loved it and I bet the adults did as well.
Enough of the past, what about the future? Well I hope that with the continued support of the Ford owners and clubs, who without this event would never have happened ("a big thank you to you all"), it will continue to be a major event for many more years to come.
