Chris Evans "overjoyed" with CarFest (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Chris Evans "overjoyed" with CarFest

6:40pm Thursday 30th August 2012 in News By Helen Morton

THOUSANDS of people from around the UK flocked to CarFest South near Overton at the weekend.

Despite heavy showers on Saturday, the 15,000 sell-out crowd enjoyed an eclectic mix of music, supercars and food, along with events such as welly-wanging, dancing diggers and culinary competitions. The outbreak of sunny weather on Sunday also added to everyone’s comfort and joy.

The event, raised at least £350,000 for BBC charity Children in Need and was the brainchild of DJ and presenter, Chris Evans, who told The Gazette he was “overjoyed” with how well it had turned out.

He said: “I’ve had so many people come up to me and tell me what a great time they’re having.”

The family festival, held at Laverstoke Park Farm, Overton, owned by former Formula 1 champion Jody Scheckter, had something for everyone. But one of the biggest draws was a hill climb, showcasing classic and extraordinary cars, which was held on both days.

Crowds lined the route to drool over 11 categories of rare vehicles, including Mr Evans’s own Magnificent Seven Ferraris, as they drove past, along with cars owned by Mr Scheckter.

Categories included a Supercar Seven – which featured an Aston Martin Vanquish – a Motorsport Seven and a Million Pound Seven in which each car displayed was worth at least one million pounds, including a Bugatti Veyron.

Visitors then had the chance to bid for their own dream car at a Pride and Joy auction, with all kinds of cars sold at prices ranging from a few thousand to tens of thousands.

One of the lots – a 1964 VW Campervan, was sold by a man who had pledged to give all the proceeds to charity.

Throughout both days visitors were also able to look round a paddock crammed with beautiful, unusual and wacky cars. There was a car which doubled up as a bed, the car from the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and a DeLorean which was the exact replica of the car in the film Back to the Future.

While the cars were the main attraction on the ground during the days, the skies above Laverstoke were the setting for some incredible aerial displays.

Aerobatics and flypasts were performed by the Royal Navy’s helicopter display team – The Black Cats – along with RAF Tornadoes, The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, the veteran Vulcan jet bomber, Red Arrows and The Blades stunt team. Jody Scheckter said he was delighted to have been involved.

He said: “It’s a wonderful event. I met Chris Evans a few years ago at a party and found that we had a lot in common – mainly cars and food. That’s probably why we get along so well.

“This all came about from a conversation we had and the next thing I know he’s announcing it on the radio.

“It’s great to see the children playing and dancing and having fun here. That’s what it’s all about really.”

*See Thursday's Gazette for more on CarFest.