Author: Rhys Gregory

Date: Sunday 7 September 2025Time: Public access from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm | Vehicle displays from 8:30 am to 10:00 amAdmission: Free for general public Location: Barry Island Beach, South Wales – famously featured in Gavin & Stacey, just 5 miles from Cardiff What to Expect Step into a nostalgic California scene with retro vibes, Californian-style attire, and an eclectic mix of pre‑1990s vehicles—air‑cooled classics, hotrods, scooters, low‑rider bikes, and early water‑cooled cars. Expect show‑and‑shine awards, independent food stalls, makers, music, merch, and of course, Barry Island’s beloved beach and amusements in the backdrop. Vehicle & Bike Displays Cars, buses & 4‑wheelers (pre‑90s…

I’m a big believer in steering wheels. Not just because they make your car go where you point it (although that’s pretty important), but because they fundamentally change the driving experience. It’s your primary connection to the car — the bit you grip, turn, lean on. When it’s right, it elevates everything. When it’s wrong… well, you feel every misplaced inch of it. Now, I’ve changed steering wheels before — on newer cars, it’s often as simple as picking the spec you want online: flat-bottomed? Carbon? Alcantara with an LED display strip? Pay a premium, wait a few weeks, take…

If you’ve ever wound your way through the B4391 that gloriously twisty ribbon of tarmac cutting through North Wales — and thought “I wish there was a proper place to eat, rest and nerd out over cars”, then listen up: The Bryntirion Inn is your new favourite stop-off. Fresh from a £1 million facelift, this historic pub-turned-gastropub-with-rooms now sits proudly at the gates of the five-star Palé Hall estate in Bala. But don’t let the posh postcode fool you, this place is pure petrolhead gold, wrapped up in stone walls, open fires and a hell of a lot of character. Welcome…

You may recall in my last blog, I recently swapped out the old sealed beam units on my 1966 Gilbern GT for a rather modern set of LED headlights. In theory, the job was fairly simple – same fitment, same connectors, and the physical install was straightforward enough. But in practice, if I wanted to unleash all the cool features these new lights offered – like the crisp daytime running lights and integrated amber indicators – I was going to need a bit of extra help. That’s where this story picks up. Getting the LEDs working properly The headlights were…

What’s better than a Sunday run-out in a convoy of MINIs? One that takes in the best of Gavin & Stacey filming locations, ends on the beach at Barry Island, and raises money for two fantastic charities. Cardiff Mini Club absolutely smashed it again this year with their annual charity run, and I was lucky enough to tag along for the ride. If you’ve been following along, you’ll know I went to my first Cardiff Mini Club event last year – a day I’ll never forget. So when I heard about this Gavin & Stacey-themed charity run in aid of…

On 11 April 2025, the new BMW M2 CS firmly etched its name into Nürburgring legend, setting a blistering lap time of 7:25.5 minutes around the infamous Nordschleife. At the wheel was BMW M development ace Jörg Weidinger, who guided the 390 kW (530 hp) compact weapon through the 20.832-kilometre “Green Hell”, beating the previous best time for compact cars by eight full seconds. This isn’t just another fast lap—it’s a statement. With this run, the M2 CS doesn’t just raise the bar in the segment; it reinforces BMW M’s reputation for building track-ready cars that thrill on the road…

Ahead of the Rallye Rouergue Rodez Aveyron Occitanie this week (3–5 July 2025), Alpine revealed the A290 Rallye: the first electric rally car in its carbon‑neutral line-up designed for privateer racers. Developed by the Viry‑Châtillon team and built at Alpine’s Jean Rédélé competition workshop in Dieppe, the A290 Rallye celebrates Alpine’s 70th anniversary by providing a gateway to electric rallying while preserving the marque’s racing heritage. Rooted in the road‑going A290 platform and compliant with current FIA rally regulations, the A290 Rallye is versatile enough for one‑make series and open rally events. Alpine plans a one‑off national rally challenge in…

This week, the 1966 Gilbern GT is finally heading in for its first proper inspection at a local garage here in Cardiff. It’s also (hopefully) going to get its seatbelts sorted—though I’ve only made it halfway through fitting the passenger side before hitting a bit of a stumbling block. But that’s a story for another time. In preparation, I’ve been getting the car shipshape for its trip to the garage. You know, doing those little pre-flight checks and a once-over to make sure nothing’s dangling, leaking, or hissing where it shouldn’t be. Then I went to start it… and nothing.…

One of the great debates when owning a classic car is whether to keep everything completely original or venture into the world of restomods by upgrading parts of the car with modern tech to improve performance, reliability, or usability. With my 1966 Gilbern GT 1800, I’ve been toying with this question ever since I bought it. My original plan was to keep things largely authentic. I love the character of the Gilbern, and with it being a rare Welsh-built classic, I feel a certain responsibility to preserve its identity. But I also want to drive it more regularly — potentially…

If you’ve been following the blog, you’ll know I recently bought my first classic car: a 1966 Gilbern GT. In case you missed it, I wrote about why I bought this rare Welsh-built car and the story of its previous owner here:Why I Bought the Welsh Car You’ve Probably Never Heard Of As a first-time classic car owner – and Gilbern owner – I’ll be totally upfront: I have no idea what I’m doing. Modern cars have made me soft. I’m used to power steering, Bluetooth, touchscreens, air con that works… The Gilbern has none of that. It’s like stepping…