CLASSIC car owners from across the UK have descended on County Durham for an international rally.

About 100 lovingly restored and maintained motors are taking part in the annual Jowett international rally throughout the bank holiday weekend.

Yesterday (Saturday, May 24) the vehicles were on display in the grounds of The Bowes Museum, at Barnard Castle, and owners will also enjoy a scenic run around the Durham Dales and a trip to Locomotion: the National Railway Museum, at Shildon.

Events co-ordinator at The Bowes Museum, Rosie Bradford, helped secure the venue as a stop during this year’s rally and had her own family connection to the event.

Miss Bradford’s 88-year-old grandfather, Eric Eaton, of Doncaster, was an engineer with Jowett which manufactured cars and light commercial vehicles in Bradford, West Yorkshire, from 1906 to 1954.

He was part of the team that created the first Jowett Jupiter sports car, one of the company’s most popular models, in 1950.

Yesterday he awarded a silver swan prize- symbolic of the museum’s famous automaton- to his favourite model on display.

He chose a green 1913 model owned by Ian Jowett which was steered by rudders instead of a wheel.