JEC Somerset & Swallows Event

Saturday 30th March was fantastic day for all those who attended JEC Somerset Regions first major event.

By the official start time of 10.30am, the numbers were telling us that something special had already been achieved; 120+ cars, over 160 guests, and well in excess of £3 million worth of cars on display. Somerset Region chairman Barrie March welcomed everyone on behalf of The Somerset region

Guests then split into groups for workshop demonstrations and talks.

Johnathan the owner of Exquisite Car Care who is one of the clubs partners provided an interesting insight on Detailing and how to clean both the paintwork and the leather interior, and had some interesting slides showing areas often forgotten when cleaning a car.

A number of members had the opportunity to have their cars on the ramp for a vehicle health check by Richard Thomson of Swallows, and were provided with a commentary and written details of areas of concern

Bruce Smith put his car in for the vehicle diagnostic demonstration by John Odam of Swallows, and an interesting insight of the wonders of computer technology

Ian Kerr put his car in for the Laser Alignment which most people were amazed at the capabilities of the equipment and the Swallows engineer, Ben Knight. We also had a brief discussion on the various adjustments the cars now have as prior to 2004 it was more complex with having to drop half shafts and change shims

Paul Spinks from Wortec Brakes had an array of specialist discs and callipers on show and explained the benefits of the various types.Paul Pashmore from Performance Oils by Castrol had an interesting pitch on the correct oil for the different engine types and we also had a discussion on the oil requirements for the new electric car market.

In the showroom Tom Robinson from Swallows gave a talk on the Jaguar Enthusiasts Club Toyo Tires & Watchdogapp.com GT & Saloon Car Championship with some exciting onboard footage that put you right in the seat of his 1995 XJR. All the talks were supported with audio visual equipment kindly supplied by our own regional manager Patch Jobson.The new JEC raffle car was also in attendance and proved to be very popular with £540 raised on the day for our Invictus Games Racing charity. As we moved into the afternoon guests were able to freely engage with the Swallows team, ask for advice, network and photograph the cars on display. Swallows chief Gary Robinson must have cloned himself as he seemed to be everywhere as guests tapped into his encyclopaedic knowledge of Jaguars gained from over 35 years in the business. The event concluded at 1.30 pm with regions heading out on organised runs, including our own Somerset region that made for our monthly HQ at The Ashcott Inn via a spectacular route through the Mendips driving up through the stunning Burrington Coombe, down through the amazing Cheddar Gorge and along the scenic Somerset Levels. We had a great lunch and the chance to reflect on a very significant day that will live long in the memory, and pride for the very first Somerset Region major event.