If you find yourself in the beautiful North Staffordshire countryside and it happens to be the third Sunday morning of the month, you might want to consider diverting from your route and stopping off at the Lymestone Brewery. It’s not the craft produce we are suggesting stopping for, although we are sure that’s very good, but a one of a kind breakfast meet.
Appropriately dubbed Breakfast at the Brewery, this monthly meet is organised by the Reapers UK Car Club and is a must for anyone with gasoline running through their veins.
Let us introduce you to the Reapers UK Car Club
As the passionate club behind the popular monthly Breakfast at the Brewery meet, the Reapers UK are a fully inclusive club for all those who like to have fun with old cars!
We caught up with Colin Wynne and Steve Grannon, club organisers, to find out more…
The story of the Reapers Car Club…
The Reapers roots actually lie in Holland where the club was first established by friends back in 1998. The Dutch pair enjoyed a shared interest in old cars, but neither had a great deal of spare cash to lavish on their hobby. This lead them to buying old classic cars for under a thousand pounds and gradually over time repairing and improving them.
Word got around and more like-minded people got involved… the Reapers Car Club was born.
Their mantra was to promote a club where money and wealth was not a key factor. It was all about having fun with old cars and driving them until they were no longer useable. Inspired by this, the club became known as the Reapers – it’s all about notion of cars being driven to their end as the drivers were mostly their last.
Social media had a huge impact on the club. The club rapidly grew from 2 to 2,500 followers on Facebook and interest developed around the world. People became more interested in the concept, and many enquired about making their own chapters.
Just over 20 years later, there are now Reapers chapters not just in Holland, but also in Sweden, Australia, in several States in America, and thanks to a small cohort of petrolheads, England too.
The Reapers in the UK…
The British chapter of the Reapers was established by Steve Grannon in 2014. Staffordshire based Steve initially formed the group to attract dedicated classic and custom car fans in the Midlands, but the group quickly welcomed members from all over the UK.
Still focussing on those original core values, Steve wanted to create a club that was fully inclusive. A club that is friendly, family orientated and fun. Where both men and women feel comfortable, the kids are catered for and the precedent was focussed on having fun with old cars!
Over the past seven years, that legacy has now developed to include all forms of transport, and a large contingent of the club now include bikers as well as car freaks.
What’s more encouraging is how the club has evolved over time. Colin tells us that with over 90 full members, and hundreds of visitors to their Sunday morning meets, the club remains fee free. “There is no hierarchy. No chairman. No politics. Just drop in and enjoy the atmosphere, its all very laid back”, says Colin.
Breakfast at the Brewery…
The clubs main meet is Breakfast at the Brewery which starts at 9am on the third Sunday of the month from March until September. The Lymestone Brewery open their doors for hot breakfasts all morning and offer countless cups of tea and coffee to fuel banter that turns from blower assemblies to cubic inches vs. cubic centimetres and all things ‘petrol head’!
The club has two areas reserved for members to park up and show off their rides which over time has evolved to encompass all sorts of vehicles. From show quality hot rods and custom cars, to original classics, motorcycles, scooters, American pickups, as well as pre-2000 modern classics and modified vehicles plus everything in between. In fact, the organisers actively encourage differing styles of vehicles to attend. CL: As we are just over an hour away in Hinckley, hopefully we can join you one morning!
What makes the event so unique is the way participants interact with one another. Colin tells us, “if there’s a shared interest in the internal combustion engine, regardless of its origins, big or small, standard or modified then there’s always something to talk about”.
On the road in the community…
Members involve themselves and the club in charitable events too. Raising money for local causes, institutions and organisations. For Christmas 2019, the Reapers organised a charity Christmas shoebox appeal providing gifts for disadvantaged youngsters in the Midlands. They collected a staggering 130 boxed gifts!
What’s next for the Reapers UK…
Future aims of the club are to develop stronger links with both the local community and strengthen their links internationally with Reapers organisations across the world. “2021 sees the third international meetup in Australia where members from all clubs and all continents can collectively share ideas, values and thoughts for the way ahead in the future… all washed down with a few tinnies I suspect!”, says Colin.
So, these are the people behind one of our favourite clubs. Working hard behind the scenes to maintain a club that honours its core values and welcomes everyone. The Reapers UK Car Club, thank you for being our club of the month.
ClassicLine Insurance offer a range of car club insurance schemes that can provide revenue for your club as well as benefits and discounts for your members. To find out more about this and our specialist club liability insurance, visit our car clubs page.
To find out more about the Reapers UK Car Club and details on Breakfast at the Brewery, visit their Facebook Page.
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