Once a year Prescott adopts a very Gallic flavour for the annual La Vie en Bleu weekend meeting that celebrates everything great about French automobiles. Naturally being the home of the Bugatti Owners’ Club, the marque featured prominently, not only with vintage models such as the gorgeous grand touring version of the Type 57 and the Type 59 King Leopold car with a huge historical background, but also the very latest Veyron ‘supercar’ and its predecessor the EB110.

There were also some fascinating veteran cars too, such as the 1904 Renault Grand Prix car, the period equivalent of today’s F1 model, and a 1906 Gobron-Brillie owned by Penelope Phelps, a car that’s been in her family for around 60 years! The eight litre engine comprises of opposed pistons and a racing version of the model was the first car to break the 100mph speed barrier in 1904. La Vie en Bleu also includes not only French manufactured cars, but those with French connections too, like the Tecno TF71 Formula 2 ELF Team Car for the 1971 season, once campaigned by Partick Depailler, Jean-Pierre Jabouille, Brambilla and Cevert and also the 1300bhp Renault powered Lotus 98T F1 Grand Prix car, formerly driven by the late Ayrton Senna.

Tim Jeffrey was competing in his Renault Alpine A610 which he’s owned since it was nine months old and has been hill climbing and sprinting with it ever since. Fellow Club Alpine Renault member Mark Rideout had entered his Alpine A310 the predeccessor to the A610 and a rare RHD specification car, one of only 65 produced. Maurice Fitzgerald purchased his Alpine A110 from an ex-Vietnam war Colonel in South Carolina and had it imported into the UK. The largest vehicle at Prescott was Robert Jowitt’s 1935 Renault TN4F Paris bus that had been in regular service since 1935 and is thought to have covered in excess of one million miles. It was rescued by Robert on withdrawal from service in 1970.

A most popular ingredient of the weekend are the Ooh La La, Can Can girls who provide a colourful dance routine in any weather come rain or shine! 'We’ve all danced together since we were very young and are always pleased to be invited back to Prescott for la Vie en Bleu', enthused Karen Jones. The Daleks also returned to Prescott for 2010 by popular demand. Other attractions included French club displays in the Orchard, collectors stalls and of course action on the hill.