Autumn Leaves draws 2026 season to a close

MG Car Club Tyne-Tees Centre brought the curtain down on another season of road runs at the start of October, with a fully -subscribed Autumn Leaves run.

Once again, the run linked the Blacksmith’s Coffee Shop at Belsay with the Cook and Barker Inn at Newton-on-the-Moor, the same start and finish as last year.

This time, though, the route-setters swapped some of the sheep for foliage, steering the field along quiet Northumberland lanes at their autumn best.

The route covered 43.7 miles and threaded through villages including Stamfordham, Matfen, Ponteland, Dinnington, Prestwick, Mitford, Swarland and Felton, passing Morpeth along the way, before arriving at the Cook and Barker

With 28 cars on the start line this year’s Autumn Leaves run was a full field of entries with five of those belonging to members of the MGCC from the Netherlands, who were visiting the UK and were keen to join the event.

The entry list showed the breadth of MG ownership with pre-war elegance represented by Christine Fair’s 1939 MG TA Tickford.

The 1950s brought a strong showing of MGAs, among them the 1600 Mk2 and a Coupe, alongside a 1958 Magnette ZB.

The MGB register turned out in force, with roadsters, GTs and a V8-powered GTV8 from the 1970s.

More recent machines were well represented too, with Fs, TFs, joined by a ZR, ZS and MG3 showcasing seven decades of motoring in a single car park.

Best Car went to Christine Fair for Hermes, her MG TA Tickford and the Spirit of the Event award went to Ian Graham. who did not take part this year but joined the run at the start in his MG TC, Jessica and helping out the organisers.

Our thanks go to Jo and Guy at the Blacksmith’s and to the staff at the Cook and Barker for looking after us and, of course, thank you to everyone who took part.