A MOTORING club roared into town to celebrate a milestone anniversary.

The Spadeadam Motor Club had a 60th birthday celebratory gathering in Brampton town centre on Sunday, as part of a road run across three counties.

A new event for the group, participants took their classic cars on a route of more than 100 miles throughout Cumbria, Northumberland and the Scottish Borders.

Beginning and ending in the centre of Brampton, prizes were distributed after the conclusion of the road run to the participant who had travelled furthest to take part, as well as the owner with the oldest car, and the vehicle judged to be most desirable.

Club member Eric Ritchie wanted to extend his gratitude to the Brampton community for always making them feel welcome in the town.

“This type of event was a first for the club,” he added. “The enthusiastic support shown by the entrants has given us the appetite to embrace another hugely popular part of our motoring passion.”

First formed in 1959 by Rolls Royce and De Havilland employees at the Spadeadam rocket test site, the group expanded to include motoring fans from the surrounding area in the mid-1970s, when Spadeadam became an RAF station.

Throughout its history, the club has been involved in a number of events both competitive and social, including a mixture of racing events from road and stage rallying to soap box derbies - unpowered downhill kart racing.

The group holds monthly club nights at the nearby Skitby House in Smithfield.

One of the biggest events in the club’s calendar is the Blue Streak Targa rally, taking place this year on Sunday August 11.

Based in the Brampton area, the rally is a time-based - or targa - competition, with drivers and navigators vying to complete a complex course in the shortest time possible.