Supercars Take to the Streets of this Northumberland Village (and You Won't Believe What Car Showed Up)
What may appear as quiet rural village in Humshaugh, Northumberland, is anything but when these supercars arrive...
The sun’s beaming down on a gravelly country road, the pollen count is through the roof, you’re sipping an ice cold beer outside a traditional countryside inn – and then a convoy of 20 plus supercars rumble up the road and park out front. It’s not your common trip to the boozer, is it? Especially not one in rural Northumberland. But head to The Crown Inn at Humshaugh on a summer evening and it might just be what you get, as pub landlord David explains.
‘I organise a monthly supercar meet here at The Crown, but we also do lots of separate events. Last Sunday there was a Ferrari drive out to the Lakes, and The Crown was the finishing point, so we welcomed them in and had loads of Ferraris out front,’ David explains. ‘In a few weeks time we have 20-odd McLarens coming on a random Tuesday lunch time. We do other vehicle meets too, like big tractor days for the village farmers, three-wheelers, all sorts,’ he continues. ‘A couple of weeks ago we did a Supercar Sunday, and a McLaren Senna turned up – a million pound car. It came all the way from Surrey, and that car was chassis number 001, meaning it is the first ever McLaren Senna off the manufacturing line. It sounds ridiculous, but people in the village now don’t even turn their heads to it. I don’t mean to sound blasé, but it really has become the norm for them.’
‘The way I see it, if you walk into a Wetherspoons you could be anywhere in the country. I want The Crown Inn to be memorable’
David’s love for motors is immediately apparent upon arriving at The Crown, with his own personal collection of micro cars sitting proudly on the frontage – but it doesn’t stop there. Enter the pub to find a petrol head’s paradise, as well as an engaging community space.
‘The way I see it, if you walk into a Wetherspoons you could be anywhere in the country. I want The Crown Inn to be memorable. For example, I have a collection of micro cars that I always make sure are parked out front, so when people come in there’s a talking point. I just don’t want to be boring!’ David laughs. ‘We try our hardest to have something for everyone – we do car days, motorbike days, we do a buskers’ night once a month, we have four pool teams here, we do quiz nights. No one of those things individually makes a pub, but combined, it makes a huge difference.
‘We serve what I’d describe as traditional pub food done properly seven days a week, we make everything from chips to pies, it’s a busy foodie inn,’ he continues. ‘We have local real ales and even a quirky barbecue made out of the front end of a VW Golf. Unsurprisingly, the pub does have a bit of a motor theme, from having a table made out of a Vespa to the lights above the pool table being made out of bike helmets. I even have a collection of model Ferraris in a display cabinet in the pool room.’
Although supercars are a fan favourite at The Crown, they also host a wide range of the aforementioned themed surprise days: from micro cars and vespas to their infamous Tractor Day.
‘We did three-wheelers and micro cars few weeks ago, and we do those annually, but Tractor Day is without a shadow of a doubt the number one event in the village. All the farmers get involved, it’s busier than New Year!’ David exclaims. ‘We have live music on all day, we bring the barbecue out, honest to God – Tractor Day is mental,’ he laughs. ‘The farmers are absolutely crazy, they come over the hills after a hard day’s work and they’re so ready for it. You know back at school when you used to have an end of term party? That’s the way the farmers treat it, it’s tremendous. They’re all mad for karaoke too. I despise it, but they begged us for it and so it turns to karaoke in the evening. I must admit, it is brilliant.’
Unfortunately, due to demand, the special car days aren’t advertised in advance. They’re kept a secret, acting as pop-up events to surprise and amaze watchful pub goers. David wishes he could make it so everyone could attend, but out of respect for the local area he makes sure that the events don’t become over crowded. Instead, word spreads through a mix of word of mouth and chance, with patrons often coming for a drink in the hope that they’ll catch a glimpse of motoring excellence.
‘In a way it’s a shame that we don’t advertise them. I have two little boys, and when I was their age I’d love to have known about a show in advance,’ David continues. ‘But I know for a fact that if we did advertise it then we would be inundated, and it’s not fair on the rest of the village.’
While we can’t disclose when the next big convoy will turn up at The Crown’s doors, we are sure that it’ll be a blast. Who knows? Maybe next time you nip out for a pint, you’ll catch sight of a supercar or two yourself.
