If you’re into your trucks, and believe bigger is better when it comes to all forms of road transport, then you won’t want to miss the upcoming Trucking Live Shropshire truck show.

Happening on the Oswestry Showground over the weekend of 24 and 25 September, this is not only one of the Midlands’ biggest displays of big road machinery, it’s also a two-day get-together for lots of the leading lights from the region’s car industry.

Centre-stage will be the trucks - hundreds of them - including some examples from leading manufacturers’ latest fleets, while there’s the chance for anyone interested in trucks, whatever form that takes, to take home some merchandise to show off their enthusiasm.

 

Stunt Show - And More

A big draw is sure to be the appearance in the main arena of the Moto-Stunts International team. Tony and Brandon Baily’s crew perform some amazing motorcycle, quad bike and 4x4 stunt routines, from the classic wall of fire to some of their own unique showpieces.

You can whet your appetite by watching a series of video clips of the team’s most famous stunts here.

Also sure to draw people to the main arena will be the appearance of the Backdraft Wheelie Fire Truck, a 20-ton fire truck which can pull wheelies just like a stunt motorbike.

Then there’s the Kangaroo Kid, who’ll be hopping all the way over from Australia to show off his quad bike stunt routine, and the riding skills which have earned him numerous Guinness World Records.

 

Friendly affair

The Trucking Live Shropshire show’s organisers like to call their event “the UK’s friendliest truck show”, on account of the fact that it brings together truckers and their trucks from right across the UK.

It’s even a place where you can buy a truck if you’ve been in the market for one to help you build your business, while representatives from local dealerships will also be on hand to offer advice and hand out all the sales literature to help anyone make the right choice of vehicle for them.

But outside of the showrooms, you’ll find that all the sales staff are really friendly types, who love talking about the vehicles they sell, and will be more than happy to answer any of your questions about them, in a completely casual, no-pressure environment.

The trucks you’ll see on display are also gathered to compete for a long list of honours which will be awarded by the show’s committee, including:

• Best Working Truck
• Owner Operator
• New Truck
• Customised Truck
• Rigid Truck
• Light Commercial
• Fleet
• Construction Vehicle
• Recovery Vehicle
• Vintage (Pre-1984)
• Non-working/Restored
• American Truck

So the trucks at the show on either day are very carefully presented by their owners/operators, who want to earn a top prize in their category to justify all the hard work they put into preparing their rigs, and keeping them running day-in, day-out.

Above all else, Trucking Live Shropshire really celebrates the hard work of these people, as well as all those behind the scenes who ensure that they can deliver all the goods we often take for granted that we can pick up off the shelves.

It’s a huge industry here in the UK, and shows such as this give some of the enthusiastic people involved in it a chance to let people appreciate their contribution to our daily lives.

 

Spot The Celeb

The celebrity guests dropping in for Trucking Live Shropshire won’t just be seen from a distance doing a mass crowd wave from the centre of the main stage - they’ll be mingling with the paying public, and will be happy to sign autographs and pose for the odd selfie.

So, in line with this article’s mission to tell you what you should bring on the day, you should add to the list an autograph book - or any other material you’d like to have signed - along with your camera. Your phone will do if you can’t stretch to something a little more specialised.

Saturday’s headline guest is Anthony Cotton, better known to millions as Sean Tully, a factory worker and part-time helper behind the bar of the Rovers Return who’s won various awards for best actor and funniest performance in national TV and soap awards. He also spent time in the jungle for series four of I’m A Celebrity... , and did even better when he took part in Let’s Dance For Comic Relief in 2013, when he emerged the winner.

Sunday’s big guest line-up is a real family affair, comprising brothers Ryan and Adam Thomas, who’ve built hugely successful and long-running careers starring in separate soaps; Ryan in Corrie, where he played Jason Grimshaw for more than 15 years, and in nearly 4,000 episodes, before leaving this summer; and Adam, who before joining the cast of Emmerdale, playing the character Adam Barton, in 2009, had a three-year stint as a member of the original cast of BBC soap Waterloo Road, in which he appeared as Donte Charles.

 

Book Early And Save

As a family-friendly, weekend-long event, the Shropshire Truck Show also offers camping facilities for anyone who wants to get the most from all the attractions and catch all the special guest appearances.

An advance weekend camping ticket is available up to Friday 23 September which, for £45, gives admission for two adults and children aged under 15. This also allows you to pitch your tent or park up your caravan or motorhome, then take in all the weekend’s events at your leisure. There are also toilets and showers available on-site.

Individual tickets for each show day can also be booked in advance, at £10 per adult and £5 for under-15s, and there’s a family admission deal, through which two adults and up to two children can see everything on either day for £25.

If you don’t want to commit yourself too far in advance, you can, of course, turn up and get in on the day, but in this case, entry will cost you a little more.

There are also a number of hotels in the area which are offering limited-availability special deals to guests for the weekend, and from where guests can still take in all of the Truck Show’s attractions, but can lay down their heads in slightly more palatial surroundings.

One such is Sweeney Hall, situated less than 10 minutes’ drive from the show site, which offers rooms, suites, and even its own self-contained, self-catering cottage. But we should stress that you’ll have to be quick to snap up any rooms left, as events at the Oswestry Showground always bring an influx of extra guests to the town.

Your Festival What-To-Bring Guide

There’s lots of fun to be had at largely outdoor events such as the Shropshire Truck Show - but they’re all the more enjoyable when you’ve prepared well in advance, and have packed for most eventualities.

Being resourceful types ourselves, we at Philip Paul thought we’d offer our own checklist to help you get the most from what’s likely to be a long day, or even a busy weekend.

• Waterproof, lightweight outer clothing layers: because, well, you know what the great British summer can be like;
• A warmer inner layer: then you’re ready for whatever the weather throws at you;
• Comfy shoes and/or boots: see above, but also because you’ll want to be able to wander freely around the showground without having to pay for it in sore feet for days afterwards;
• A spare pair of socks: again, the comfort factor comes in here, but also, you never know when you might encounter a puddle which renders a pair unusable - or as the event is taking place on a grassed area, it’s best to be prepared if rain turns it into a mudbath;
• Foldable or inflatable chairs: if you’re making a weekend of it, you can’t expect to stay on your feet constantly, so something lightweight to sit down in and take the weight off them will be a real boon;
• A rug, groundsheet or something else suitable for laying on the ground to sit on: Just as for a day out at the beach, this can prevent you from having to sit spaced out around any obstacles, as well as meaning that you’ve got somewhere on which you can lay out a picnic; speaking of which;
• Finger food and snacks such as crisps: There’s no point in preparing elaborate platters when you’re going to have to eat the contents from paper plates - it’s much better to pack plenty of self-contained small nibbles, which will also minimise waste;
• Disposable plates and cutlery: A picnic without these isn’t really a picnic - it’s just eating outdoors;
• Disposable wipes: You might not usually have any need for them, but these come into their own on a picnic or generally at any event held on a big field - you try finding a clean towel on one of these occasions!;
• Camera: With so much going on over the weekend, it’d be a shame not to capture plenty of the action for posterity. And maybe bring a spare memory card too, because you wouldn’t want to run out of storage with lots of the weekend’s action still to come;
• Binoculars: You can’t be in two places at once, but then again, you might also find yourself some way from the main arena action. Zoom in on everything that’s happening and don’t miss a thing by packing a lightweight pair of binoculars;
• Video camera: Lots of the weekend’s best action is sure to come from the moving attractions in the main arena, so if you want to re-live the event afterwards, it’s a wise idea to take along one of these;
• Notepad and pen: Not just so that you can be a geek and write down the particulars of all the trucks, but just in case you need to take note of any of the exhibitors’ details for later reference. Old-tech, but it always does the job;
• Mobile phone: Of course you won’t forget it - but at events such as Trucking Live, it’s easy to lose a member of your family or group among the crowds, so it really can come into its own for reuniting everyone, and for carrying most of this;
• Weatherproof backpack: The right means of carrying all you need for up to a whole two days is vital if the weekend isn’t to turn into one long haul. So a good quality backpack will ensure that you know where all the stuff you need to get your hands on quickly is. You might also appreciate it for carrying away some of the freebies which you could pick up too, not to mention those impulse buys you’re quite likely to make at such an event.
• First aid kit and any essential medication: Just the basics will do, but when you’re out in a big arena with lots of people around - not to mention such hazards as tent pegs and guy ropes - it’s good to be able to patch up any minor wounds. And of course, if you’ll be away from home for the whole weekend, you might need to pack the medicines that you regularly take too.

 

Finally, don’t forget to have a good time!

This might sound like a lot of effort for a day or two’s fun and excitement - but if you’re properly prepared and equipped, you won’t have to worry about missing any opportunity to provide yourself with some enduring reminders of this big annual event.

After all, you’ll have nearly a whole year to wait before you can go back and do it all again!

As it’s happening right on our doorstep, we hope lots of people will come along and see Philip Paul while they’re in the area for the Shropshire Truck Show. We’ll have our regular great selection of quality used cars for you to check out, and will be happy to talk to you about how we can help you swap your own wheels for something a little shinier and more prestigious - if not exactly a monster truck!