Gearing up for next annual celebration of motoring

STRATFORD-UPON-AVON town centre streets are set to be thumping with the arrival of this year's Stratford Festival of Motoring next month.

The annual May Day Bank Holiday event, which attracts around 20,000 extra visitors, looks like being among the best yet thanks to a major new sponsorship deal with local motoring dealership Listers.

Listers Group Marketing Manager Toni Dunk said: “Stratford Festival of Motoring is quickly becoming a firm favourite in the Listers annual calendar of events. We are totally thrilled to be the main sponsor this year and look forward to once again displaying our very own unique brand of horsepower with an incredible range of Audi, Honda, Lexus, Toyota and Volkswagen cars on display right in the heart of Stratford on Bridge Street and the Waterside.”

Event organiser Ruth Wood from Stratforward BID said: “As the biggest local motoring dealership we are delighted that Listers Group recognises the value of supporting an event on their doorstep.”

The two-day spectacular on 1st and 2nd May, will see the historic town centre streets throbbing with the sound of more than 300 high performance and classic motors and a cavalcade will tour the town each lunchtime before parking up for all to admire.

Sheep Street, Wood Street, Meer Street, Bridge Street, Henley Street and Rother Market will all be shut to allow the thousands of visitors to get up close to everything from vintage classics like a 1913 Model T Ford, 1934 Bentley 3½ litre, 1938 Armstrong Siddeley and 1928 Buick Tourer, unusual cars like an East German Trabant and a Bond Bug to supercars like the Lotus Esprit, Ferrari and Noble.

Contributing towards the fun family-friendly atmosphere will be live music, street entertainers and extra themed entertainment. Full details of the event will be issued in the coming weeks. The event is free.