Recent Events across Monmouthshire
Back to MonmouthshireCruise Control Abergavenny, August 2008
On 17 August 2008 Fairfield Car Park in the centre of Abergavenny was transformed into a motor sport event venue, with the name Cruise Control. Among the attractions were:
· professional drivers demonstrating their skills;
· young local drivers entering the autotest competition;
· local rally and autotest clubs, and rally enthusiasts displaying their cars;
· a concourse of beautifully maintained cars;
· a competition to see who could change four wheels on a rally car the quickest;
· an opportunity to watch the emergency services at work with a full extrication, including the Police helicopter overhead;
· an opportunity to test your on-road skills with an approved driving instructor;
· Police and Fire Service personnel on hand to chat about their vehicles and their roles within the emergency services.
The weather was kind, and slowly the venue filled with families with young children and older siblings, groups of teenagers, fathers and sons, grandparents and Sunday shoppers. They were kept entertained by the events in the arena. Events were also shown on a huge screen mounted on an articulated media lorry, which had travelled overnight from Northern Ireland, and had narrowly escaped being trapped by the floods.
The event was opened by Dr Brian Gibbons of the Welsh Assembly and the Chief Constable Mr Mike Tonge. Mr Tonge was also brave enough to take a car around the autotest course.
Prizes were presented by Nicky Grist, ex-World Champion Rally Co-Driver, and a member of the organising team.
The residents of Abergavenny were supportive of the initiative, and it is hoped that this event will become a permanent fixture in the calendar, and perhaps will be taken up by other Police and Local Authority areas to help them with their own young driver problems.
