The Blenheim Palace Festival of Transport is gearing up for the 12th annual weekend celebration on 27 - 28 August, Bank Holiday weekend.

Perfect for auto enthusiasts and families, the Festival of Transport is a celebration of vintage, classic and modern classic cars, exhibitors, trade stands, competitions and motoring history.

For the first time in 2017, the Festival of Transport will also feature the Electric Automobile Association's (ElectrAA) Electric Vehicle Zone sponsored by OVO Energy, the UK's leading independent energy supplier. The Electric Vehicle Zone features an exciting new section of electric cars and motorcycles. Full electric, hybrid, bridging cars and classics converted to electric will be on display plus the latest production electric cars and bikes, most of which will be available for test drives.

Sunday 27 August will feature the Classic Car Show and Monday 28 August will include not only the Classic Cars but also motorcycles, Minis and VWs, Customs, Hot Rods and Americans, Kit and Sports Cars.

The Bank Holiday experience once again features a full vehicle concours lead by MC Les Clayton who brings over 19 years' experience as an MC and commentator at classic vehicle events. Les' interactive approach will get all the family excited about the vehicular spectacle. Expect plenty to see and do around the grounds.

Leading vehicle event organisers Classic Shows have been running specialist car shows for over 30 years and know exactly what gets the 'petrol head' in all of us hot under the bonnet.

From young to old the Festival of Transport is a true celebration of motoring history and achievement with plenty of exciting things to see, hear and do to keep all the family entertained.

Matthew J Harvey, Managing Director of Classic Shows, said: “Classic Shows is delighted to be working with ElectrAA and OVO Energy on this ground-breaking new event. The idea to combine classic and electric vehicle content is an innovative concept and the Electric Vehicle Zone will be the largest exhibition of electric vehicles and electric vehicle content seen in the UK to date. To this effect, Classic Shows, ElectrAA and OVO Energy are leading the way in promoting the electric vehicle movement.

Tom Pakenham, Head of Electric Vehicles, OVO Energy said: “We are excited to sponsor ElectrAA's Electric Vehicle Zone as part of the Festival of Transport. With the momentum for electric vehicles growing rapidly across the UK and the number expected to reach one million by 2022, we are helping to power the emerging electric vehicle revolution. We're thrilled to fuse the electric experience with a celebration of classic cars at Blenheim, ushering in a new age for motoring.”

The Genting Arena will stage international netball this November as England face Malawi.

After the roaring success of Super Ten, Tracey Neville’s side will come to the Midlands for the third and final match of the Vitality Netball International Series.

It will be a brilliant opportunity to see the Roses in action in their last International Series of 2017 as preparations for the 2018 Commonwealth Games and England’s hunt for gold intensifies.

Malawi are currently ranked sixth in the official INF world rankings and are always real crowd pleasers with their flair, energy and passion.

The first two matches of the 2017 series will take place at in London on 24 and 26 November.

The teams then move to Birmingham for the last – and potential deciding – match of the series, which will take place on Wednesday 29^th November at 7:45pm.

It promises to be a thrilling battle between two dynamic, world class teams and tickets are expected to go fast so don’t miss out on your chance to be courtside!

World record ticket sales, historic firsts, entertaining presentation and a fun spectator experience have all combined to help make the IAAF World Championships London 2017 a hugely successful event.

Held in the UK for the first time ever, 2,200 athletes from 203 nations travelled to London while fans from across Britain and the globe poured into the London Stadium and onto the capital’s streets to make history.

The Championships will go down as the best ever for ticket sales after organisers were awarded an official Guinness World Record for the number of tickets sold for an IAAF World Championships in front of a packed London Stadium on the closing night.

The figure recorded on the official Guinness World Record certificate is 701,889 but with that taken two days before the end of the Championships, it will be updated to reflect the over 705,000 eventually sold. Session 12 on the morning of Saturday 12 August was the best ticketed session at 56,620.

The London Stadium was not the sole focus for the Championships with the men’s and women’s marathons, held on the same day of the Championships (Sunday 6 August) for the first time ever, and attracting 150,000 spectators around its landmark filled 10km loop course.

With a backdrop of Buckingham Palace, crowds also flocked to The Mall in their thousands to witness the first ever Festival of Race Walks (Sunday 13 August), which saw all four races held on a single day for the first time ever.

Arguably the unexpected star of the Championships was the official mascot Hero the Hedgehog, who brought laughter for those watching live in the stadium or at home during every appearance.

With over three times the amount of applications to places available, it took the help of 4,500 volunteers, known as Runners, to stage the Championships. The Runners brought with them fluency in more than 65 different languages, helping spectators enjoy an engaging experience.

Niels de Vos, Championship Director and CEO of UK Athletics, said: “As the organising committee of the IAAF World Championships London 2017, we are extremely proud to have delivered a Championships that has received such great support from the athletes and the public, whether watching in the stadium or at home.

“Over ten days of world-class athletics both in Stratford and across central London, we have witnessed the world’s top sportsmen and women perform at their very best. The response has truly shown the impact athletics continues to have on the UK and beyond.

“From our record-breaking ticket sales to the fantastic dedication of our Runners and even to our official mascot Hero, it has been a pleasure to stage these Championships for every single one of the 2,200 athletes from 203 nations involved.”

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “The IAAF World Athletics Championships really captured the spirit of London and will live long in the memory as another chapter in an unforgettable summer of sport in our great city. We’ve seen medals won and personal bests smashed, and there’s no better honour for London than staging the final championship races of legends Mo Farah and Usain Bolt.

“More than 700,000 people filled the London Stadium, beating all previous attendance records, while millions around the globe have been watching what has been a truly memorable World Athletics Championships. I am so proud London was the first city to host both the World Para Athletics Championships and the IAAF World Athletics Championships in the same year, proving once again that London really is the sporting capital of the world.”

Simon Morton, COO of UK Sport and London 2017 Board member, said: “The World Athletics Championships has broken records and brought back the spirit of London 2012 to London and the UK.

“From our enthusiastic crowds, dedicated volunteers and of course this spectacular venue, we have once again shown why the UK is the best place in the world to host major sporting events.

“This wouldn’t be possible without National Lottery players’ support for our major events programme at UK Sport, and we look forward to continuing to bring events like this one to the UK for many years to come to inspire the nation.”

Britain’s World 4x400m relay heroes will be among a stellar line up of 19 London 2017 world champions and 40 medallists, competing at the Müller Grand Prix Birmingham this Sunday.

Silver medallists Eilidh Doyle and Zoey Clark will line up in the 400m hurdles and 400m respectively at the Alexander Stadium.

Doyle, Clark, Laviai Nielsen, and Emily Diamond ran a brilliant race in the London Stadium, clocking 3:25.00, to finish in second behind an outstanding USA team and hold off Poland down the home straight.

Eilidh said: “After seeing the incredible performances from both the sprint relay teams, we were really fired up to do well and it paid off. To win a world silver medal on home soil is amazing and it’s given me a real boost going into the Müller Grand Prix Birmingham next Sunday, where I’ll be looking to end my UK season with a good result in the 400m hurdles.”

She added: “Lots of the GB team will be competing in Birmingham and it’s always a great meet, so we can go to the Alexander Stadium and enjoy ourselves and celebrate a fantastic summer.”

All four of the bronze medal winning men’s quartet of Matthew Hudson-Smith, Dwayne Cowan, Rabah Yousif and Martyn Rooney, will race over 400m at the Müller Grand Prix Birmingham.

The men produced a superb performance in the world final, recording a season’s best of 2:59.00 seconds to finish behind Trinidad and Tobago and the USA, taking the British medal tally to six.

Hudson-Smith said: “Winning a world bronze medal in the 4x400m was brilliant and I can’t wait to go back to race at the Müller Grand Prix Birmingham on my home track, as a London 2017 medallist.”

All four gold medallists from Britain’s World Championship winning men’s 4x100m relay team, and the silver medal winning women’s sprint quartet, will also be celebrating in style at the Alexander Stadium. That includes mens 4x100m gold medallists; CJ Ujah, Adam Gemili, Danny Talbot and anchor Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, whilst the women’s 4x100 silver medallists of Asha Philip, Desiree Henry, Dina Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita.

Philip said: “To win a world silver medal as part of this amazing relay team was incredible, and we’re all going to be racing at the Müller Grand Prix Birmingham, so we’ll get another chance to celebrate together. We’ll be lining up against each other as well as the some of the world’s best sprinters and it’ll be a great opportunity to thank the British fans for their awesome support this year.”

All the Brits and many of the international athletes know from experience that the fans in Birmingham really love their athletics and they are some of the best spectators in the world. So, everyone can expect a fantastic atmosphere at the Alexander Stadium this weekend,” he added.

The IAAF Diamond League meeting will be the culmination of an outstanding summer of global athletics events in the UK and include Mo Farah’s last ever track race on home soil.

The Müller Grand Prix Birmingham, supported by Birmingham City Council, takes place this Sunday, August 20.

Rugby 7s is a fantastic showcase of sport, demonstrating energy, skill and passion, with both players and fans actively engaging in the game.

As one of the Midlands’ premier sports stadiums that successfully hosted Rugby World Cup fixtures for the 2015 Championship, Villa Park Stadium, with 42,700 seats and home to English Football League club Aston Villa, was the obvious choice for hosting Rugby 7s, as part of Birmingham’s 2022 Commonwealth Games bid.

Aston Villa Chief Executive, Keith Wyness, is fully backing Birmingham’s bid and believes the venue will host a spectacular Rugby 7s tournament:

“Villa Park is a great sporting venue and an iconic Midlands sports institute. It has an amazing sporting history dating back to the 1900s and, as well as our regular football fixtures and the two Rugby World Cup 2015 matches, we have hosted many major events over the years, from boxing matches to concerts for music legends such as Springsteen and Take That.

“Rugby 7s is a fantastic event, providing a great day out for sports fans. I am sure that many Villa fans would want to be there and will be thrilled that Villa Park is playing a role.

“Our players and coaching staff would also welcome the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. There will be great opportunities to share information in the pursuit of sporting excellence and it would just be fantastic to be part of the event.

“Everybody at Villa Park said that hosting the Rugby World Cup was one of the most fulfilling things we have done for our community. We are a great community based club and it is important that we play our part in delivering the best ever Games in 2022.

“Being part of Team Birmingham and helping to bring the Commonwealth Games to Birmingham is something we are proud to be doing. This will be another first for Villa and we look forward to playing our role.

“I spent five years managing The Olympic Club for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and then seven years on the board of the SECC Hydro Arena, which was a focal point for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. I have seen multi-sport events close up and know the amazing effect they can have and the positive impact they can bring to a host city.

“It is fantastic to be part of Birmingham’s Bid and with the role of the Commonwealth likely to become more important for Britain going forward, we will do all we can to bring the Games here.

“Bring it on!”

Villa players agree and cannot wait to see the Games come to Birmingham. Aston Villa FC and Wales national team player, James Chester said:

“Villa Park is one of the most inspiring stadiums a sportsperson could wish to compete in. It is both a traditional and iconic arena.

“Emerging from the tunnel and walking out into a wall of noise from all four stands is an uplifting experience. The Rugby 7s teams will have an incredible experience playing at Villa Park during Birmingham 2022 so let’s back the bid. ”

James Rodwell is England’s most capped Rugby 7s player of all time. He won a Silver medal at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in the sport’s inaugural Games and is a two-times Commonwealth Games player (Delhi 2010, Glasgow 2014). Having studied at University of Birmingham and played for Moseley Rugby Club, Rodwell is championing Birmingham’s bid:

“Rugby 7s is one of the most popular events at the Commonwealth Games. The atmosphere is electric and the fans get passionately involved so, as a player, it is an amazing experience to be part of. I have great memories of competing at the Commonwealth Games and would love to be representing England at Villa Park in 2022. Rugby fans who watched the Rugby World Cup fixtures at Villa Park will agree it was sensational. Let’s back Birmingham 2022 so we can recreate that again.”