The North West Region eagerly accepted an invitation from Ninemeister’s Colin Belton to visit their new Customer Centre & Showroom in Woolston, near Warrington, just a stone’s throw from Junction 21 of the M6. The initial idea rapidly developed into a full-blown open-evening with hospitality, to which PCGB members from adjacent regions would also be invited.
Come the day, 118 guests arrived to see the new facilities - fortunately, members had been asked to notify R5 if they were attending, so the large number was not a complete surprise and the level of catering had been adjusted accordingly. Most of the visitors were from Region 5, but others came from R6, R7, R8, R12 and R18. Roving reporter Chris Horton was also present, compiling an article for a future edition of Porsche Post.
The splendid new premises include a customer reception area and lounge (and associated office suites), as well as a showroom and a comprehensive range of workshops. Although there was no official “tour”, everyone was able to wander through the showroom, service bays and restoration area, with the friendly staff answering questions, an arrangement that worked very well.
Stars of the show had to be the 9m-branded cars in the showroom, like the 9m93 Speedster and the competition oriented 9m93RS-R. In fact, it is Ninemeister‘s intention to increase the number of bespoke 911‘s that it builds. Moving on to the restoration area, it was a pleasant surprise to see local member Barry Dolton’s 993S in the final stages of a glass-out re-spray in it’s original colour, Zenith Blue. The attention to detail of the work being carried out on this and other projects was something to behold.
A huge buffet was provided throughout the evening, together with endless tea, coffee, wine, beer, soft drinks, etc. So a big “thank you” to Colin Belton.