VISITORS to Lower Castle Park were transported back to yesteryear with a magnificent display of classic vehicles from a bygone age as part an annual charity event.

The Essex Classic Vehicle Show, which is held in Colchester every year as a fundraiser for the brain injury charity Headway Essex, raised £10,000 the organisation in what was regarded as a highly successful day for all involved.

More than 2,000 people marvelled at gleaming cars and motorbikes which have stood the test of time before the event concluded later in the afternoon for another year.

The show is well known on the classic car circuit, with owners having travelled from across Essex, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, and Kent to show off their motors which have been meticulously maintained by owners over the decades.

In many cases, owners were clad in dress which matched the era of their classic cars.

One couple, for example, were dressed in 1950s racing kit as they rolled into the arena in an Aston Martin DBR1 – a model which is still famed as one of the manufacturer’s greatest cars.

In all, there were more than 250 classic vehicles on display at the event, which was opened by Mayor of Colchester John Jowers, and his wife, Mayoress of Colchester Susan Jowers.

Plenty more entertainment was on show over the day, with performances from vintage harmony singers The Harmonettes, and a crowd-pleasing rock ‘n’ roll performance from LJ’s Jive School.

Team Kinetix, a Witham-based free-running and parkour team, impressed with a typically hair-raising display before the cars entered the arena for the final show of the day.

Headway Essex’s fundraising manager, Sarah Wilson, said: “It was an absolute delight to see so many people having a good time and raising such an amazing amount of money.

“Local support for the charity is critical as we rely on fundraising to provide our services to help local people struggling to recover from life changing effects of acquired brain injury.

“We are incredibly grateful to all the classic vehicle owners for their support in making this such a wonderful event and this year’s sponsor Blackwater Law.”

Photos were kindly provided courtesy of www.gilmourmachado.com.