With 10,000 visitors through the gates, classic bikes galore and hundreds of trade stalls and dealers, the brand new show was the first of what will now become an annual event… and goes to prove just how strong the classic biking movement is.

Star guests Steve Plater and Alan Carter kept the crowds highly entertained throughout the weekend and as the effervescent former British Superbike Champion Plater enthused: “It’s been absolutely mega!”

The event was the perfect place to bag a bargain and grab some inspiration from the superb motorcycle restorations on display - including the machine that took the highly coveted Best in Show prize for £100 which was won by Malcolm Nettleship’s 1969 Yamaha YAS1.

Meanwhile the Best Club Stand was taken by the CBX Honda Owners’ Club, whose members were delighted with their £750 prize.

Exhibition manager Nick Mowbray said: “The weekend has been a huge success - we are absolutely delighted with the feedback and are already building on plans for an even bigger and better show in 2013. Many traders have already booked their pitches for next year, having notched up business far beyond their expectations.”

All four enjoyed a whistle-stop tour through the world of two wheels, checking out all the latest models from the leading manufacturers and being thoroughly entertained by the interactive activities on offer. With four halls packed with over 250 stands and six live features, it’s difficult to fit everything in to one day at Motorcycle Live, but that hasn’t stopped visitors from all over the country from trying.

“We’ve come all the way from Bristol today and we’ve had an absolutely brilliant time,” said show visitor Richard MacLeavy. “I’m really impressed with everything on offer this year. As well as making our way round all the different exhibitor stands and doing a lot of shopping, we managed to catch the Ramp’d Up display, try out the Silverstone simulator, have a go at remote control racing on the Honda stand and see some of the stage entertainment with Whitham and Parrish. We’re struggling to get back to the car with all the bargains we’ve got and I’m looking forward to putting my feet up, but it’s been a fantastic day.”

Motorcycle Live continues until 27 November and the ticket price is completely all-inclusive, meaning visitors can enjoy everything the show has to offer at no extra cost. Tickets are £19 for adults, £12 for seniors, £8 for children aged 6-16 and kids under five accompanied by a paying adult go free. Visit www.motorcyclelive.co.uk or call 0844 5812345. For the latest news and updates, visit www.facebook.com/motorcyclelive or follow @motorcyclelive on Twitter.

Having been showered with gifts and the odd cheeky kiss, Pedrosa made his way to the main stage for a MotoGP-themed Q&A with James Whitham and Steve Parrish. He was then joined by BSB stars Chris Walker, Gary Mason and John Reynolds and road racer Ryan Farquhar for the Fast Bikes Question of Bikes quiz.

Next on the agenda was a visit to the Honda stand, where Pedrosa offered his expert tuition to one lucky young lad at My First Honda Licence. He guided the delighted youngster around the course and presented him with his mock-up licence at the end of the session.

“I’ve had a great day at Motorcycle Live,” said Pedrosa at the end of his visit. “I couldn’t attend yesterday as planned because of the bad weather but I managed to re-schedule for today and I’m happy that I was able to make it. I am grateful for the support of my UK fans and I’ve really enjoyed being able to meet some of them here today. Thanks to Arai for the invite.”

Motorcycle Live continues until 27^th November and the ticket price is completely all-inclusive, meaning visitors can enjoy everything the show has to offer at no extra cost. Tickets are £19 for adults, £12 for seniors, £8 for children aged 6-16 and  kids under five accompanied by a paying adult go free. Visit www.motorcyclelive.co.uk or call 0844 5812345. For the latest news and updates, visit www.facebook.com/motorcyclelive or follow @motorcyclelive on Twitter.

For newcomers to biking, the industry-backed Get On campaign is offering free 20-minute taster sessions for anyone over the age of 16. Over the past three days, hundreds of people have taken advantage of the feature, learning the basics of riding in a one-on-one briefing with fully qualified instructors.

For those already fully fledged on two wheels, a range of the latest models from the leading manufacturers are available to try out in the Test Ride Zone supported by Shoei, Sidi and Spada. Wannabe off-road riders can sample life on the dirt in the Yamaha Off-Road Experience, while kids are catered for with My First Honda Licence and the Suzuki Off-Road Experience.

After all that exertion, today’s visitors took the chance to rest their feet and enjoy the entertainment on the Blackhorse Stage, which included a bumper edition of Fast Bikes Question of Bikes with double World Superbike champion Troy Corser, British Superbike champion Tommy Hill, BSB contender Josh Brookes, BBC commentator Matt Roberts, SBK star Sylvain Guintoli, World Supersport riders Sam Lowes and Gino Rea and eight-times world champion Phil Read.

The action at Motorcycle Live continues until 27 November and the ticket price is completely all-inclusive, meaning visitors can enjoy everything the show has to offer at no extra cost. Tickets are £19 for adults, £12 for seniors, £8 for children aged 6-16 and  kids under five accompanied by a paying adult go free. Visit www.motorcyclelive.co.uk or call 0844 5812345. For the latest news and updates, visit www.facebook.com/motorcyclelive or follow @motorcyclelive on Twitter.

Rainey proved an incredible hit with fans, with his stories both on and off the racetrack, with unprecedented crowds flocking around to hear his tales of trials and tribulations.

Competing with the American racer for the crowd’s attention was undoubtedly the most superb selection of classic motorcycles on display in the UK; this coupled with a record stand attendance, once more proved that the Carole Nash Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show is unarguably the biggest and best show around for visitors.

Another huge success was this year’s rideouts, with the public lining up to test the latest machines from top manufacturers Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Triumph - demonstrating that this really is a motorcycling event for everyone.

It was once more a cracking weekend for Bonhams Auction too. The first motorcycle in the sale, the 1955 DB34 Gold Star BSA which was last on the road in 1968 and in need of a full restoration, made £7200 - well over its estimate. While the biggest sale of the weekend, the Brough Superior SS100 “Moby Dick”, made a huge £190,000 under the hammer.

Malcolm Wheeler, director of show organiser Mortons Media, said: “Like everybody else that attended the show, I was completely blown away by guest of honour Wayne Rainey. It was a fantastic weekend and judging by the huge crowds and how people were spending money, it was superb to see how the classic scene remains so healthy in hard economic times.”

The 18^th Carole Nash Eurojumble at Netley Marsh on Friday September 9 and Saturday September 10 saw big crowds out in force once again, and to coin a well-worn phrase, everyone was a winner - whether from the trading, or from the many awards.

Show manager Nick Mowbray said: “It was a brilliant few days, and with the weather we’ve endured this summer in Britain it was lovely that it kept clear for us. It meant we saw a great number of classics and an even broader array of bits and pieces for sale than ever before.”

One of the many highlights was the Katana Owners’ Club celebrating its 30^th anniversary with a rally on the Saturday morning, ending at the Eurojumble, and it was fitting that members scooped the best club award.

The full list of winners was:

- The Classic Motorcycle Award (1900 to1940) - 713, Hugh Knott, 1946 Triumph 3T DE 350

- The Old Bike Mart Award (1941-1950) - 717, Pete Briggs, 1950 Sunbeam 58

- The Classic Bike Guide Award (1951 to 1960) - 795, Ian Thorogood, 1960/61 Triumph T120r Bonneville

- The Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Award (1961 to 1980s) - 703, Sharon Winslow, 1969 Triumph T20 Super Cub

- Real Classic - Best Modern 1990 to present - 710, Adrian Bader, 1955 Vincent Comet 500

- Motorcycle Sport and Leisure Award - Longest Distance Ridden - 721, Pedda (Germany), Suzuki Katana 1200

- Classic Racer Award- Best Competition Motorcycle -   714, Colin Baker, Greeves/Triumph Comp Special

- BEST CLUB AWARD - Katana Club

Organisers are now getting on with the mammoth task of sorting out next year’s event, with 2012 having a lot to live up to!

For more details and all the highlights visit www.classicbikeshows.com

The 2011 Pageant was extended to a third day for the first time this year, with Friday being used by competing drivers and motorcyclists to put in some high-speed practise laps in front of the spectators, as well as for the event’s ‘Magnificent Marques’ sponsors - Bentley, Jaguar and Ford - to invite guests to experience the testing Cholmondeley circuit for themselves.  The addition of the Friday also meant even more visitors could get close to the international field of famous cars, racing drivers and motorcyclists in the paddocks.

Another highly-successful new feature for the 2011 Pageant was the purpose-built Rally Stage, which played host to nearly 30 iconic Group B rally cars blasting across the Cholmondeley estate.  Also new was the Green-Car-Guide-Live! area, which introduced visitors to a host of environmentally-friendly road and race cars.

The competition for fastest lap time on the 1.2-mile circuit was as hotly contested as ever, even if sporadic showers meant that last year’s outright lap record remained intact.  However, the holder of that record, Nikki Faulkner, claimed the Pageant’s fastest lap once again, achieving a blistering best time of 63.54 seconds in his Lamborghini LP570-4 Performante.  He was pushed hard by rally ace Mark Higgins in a Subaru Cosworth Impreza STI CS400, which proved unbeatable during the rain-affected track sessions.

The Combat Power display by the British Army and the RAF - a unique event in the UK - gave the tens of thousands of spectators the chance to witness how the armed forces operate in real-life combat situations in Afghanistan.  To the accompaniment of numerous ground-shaking explosions, smoke and constant machine-gun fire, troops assaulted an ‘enemy’ position right in front of the spectators.  Tanks and helicopters were used to drop the troops in the heart of the action and then extract ‘injured’ casualties.  As well as thrilling the crowds, the display helped raise much-needed funds for the Pageant’s designated military charities: Combat Stress, Remount and the Mercian Benevolent Fund (MBF).

Out on the largest of the Cholmondeley estate’s lakes powerboats performed 120mph-plus runs on the venue’s lake, while overhead bi-planes, helicopters and gyrocopters provided further adrenaline-fuelled distractions.

During a balmy Saturday evening a biggest-ever crowd arrived for the Pageant’s Fireworks Concert, which concluded with a Proms-style programme accompanied by a helicopter flypast, and cannon salute courtesy of the local Mercian regiment.

In total there were more than 1,200 cars on static display, and 175 racing cars and bikes took to the Cholmondeley circuit.  It is anticipated that, in spite of the wet weather during Sunday, attendance figures comfortably exceeded the record 50,000 total from 2010.

“Despite the occasional intervention of the notoriously unreliable British summer weather, the 2011 Pageant lived up to all our expectations,” commented James Hall, event director at the Cholmondeley Pageant of Power.  “We added a day, introduced some new features and brought in more famous cars, motorcycles, boats, aeroplanes and helicopters to intensify the action.  The feedback has been fantastic and thanks to our sponsors, supporters and a dedicated Pageant team we’ve been able to build on the event’s nationwide reputation as an unbeatable day out.  We’re already working on the 2012 Pageant, and hope to deliver a range of new attractions to thrill the crowds.”

Provisional attendance figures show that despite the cool weather and competition from the FA Cup, Moto GP and Croft BSB, attendance held up well, bargains were being snapped up and likewise, traders big and small reported an excellent weekend.

More test rides too were on offer than ever before and Honda, Harley-Davidson, Suzuki and Ducati reported brisk business with Ducati in particular on their first ever attendance at the BMF Show running well over 50 test rides!

BMW, Kawasaki, Rieju, Royal Enfield and Moto Guzzi, while not running demos, were nevertheless kept busy and as BMW spokesman Scott Grimsdall said; “The BMF Show is an important place for us to be to meet the right kind of people in the right kind of setting.”

Smaller traders too were pleased, with many reporting it as their best BMF Show for many years and generally praising the organisation carried out by BMF’s new event organisers, the Mulberry Group.

A giant screen TV kept race fans happy with live coverage of the French round of Moto GP, contrasting neatly with the sidecar racing, vintage speedway and the ever-popular Moped Mayhem running in the adjacent arena.

The Vertical Trix Stunt Show certainly put on the style and a queue soon developed of those wanting to try their hand at tethered wheelies on their wheelie machine!

The BMF Show wouldn’t be complete without its competitions of course and the Honda Owners Club celebrated its 50^th anniversary year in style by winning National and One Make Best Club Display while the Pyeratz MCC won Best Local club.

The prestigious Best in Show competition attracted top quality entries but it was the stunning Rewaco RF1 GT Trike of Trevor Whittmore that took top prize.

Entirely run by volunteers on the day, the festival welcomed BSB racing stars, racing machinery from a bygone era and everything in between.  The relaxed atmosphere and stunning weather created a celebration of everything two and three wheeled with something for all the family.

With representation from most major motorcycle brands, dealer and motorcycle clubs, the event also welcomed the UK debut of the new Morgan 3 Wheeler. With the smell of Castrol R in the background visitors wandered through the exhibition stands having a great day out. The charity auction raised nearly £3,000 on the day ably supported by BMW rider Richard Cooper auctioning his own shirt!

Event organiser Gordon Downie, commented, “We were absolutely delighted with the turnout at the very first Prescott Bike Festival. The sunny and warm weather naturally helped, but with the backing from many manufacturers, local dealers and owners clubs, visitors were able to enjoy an event that offered them something really unique, the chance to not only to come to the show but be part of it. I’m pleased to report that the event raised in excess of £50,000 for the charity, which is a huge boost to our work. We would like to say a very big thank you to everyone that helped, exhibited, participated and attended the very first Prescott Bike Festival.”

In fact, the inaugural event was so successful that the team behind it has already announced the dates for the 2012 event - April 15th.

As usual, the clubs went all out, all eager to win the highly coveted prize money. Although there were many fantastic club displays to choose from, this year saw the New Imperial Owners Association walking away with the £750 award with The Royal Enfield Owners Club and The Wells Classic Motorcycle Club following closely behind with a respective second and third.

Best in Show, this year, was awarded to a delighted Eric Coombs for his 1958 pre-production Triumph Bonneville. Based on a Tiger 110, it was originally constructed in June 1958, some months before the Bonneville went into production. It was eventually dispatched from the works in December 1958, as a full Bonneville though the specification Eric has restored it to is its ‘prototype’ guise.

Speaking after the show, Exhibition Manager Nick Mowbray said. “I am utterly over-the-moon with the record crowds we have had here this weekend. Although we knew we were greatly up on advanced ticket sales we have been bowled over by the sheer amount of visitors here at Shepton Mallet. Traders, as expected, are thrilled with the response and we are already starting work on next years show due to the early demand for stand space - Bristol Show certainly beat the credit crunch!”