Northern Group AGM 2019, Hosted by Kia at Nunsmere Hall

The Annual General Meeting for the Northern Group of Motoring Writers (NGMW) has taken place in Cheshire, again hosted by Kia at Nunsmere Hall near Winsford.

Along with hosting the event, Kia staged its traditional driving day, with a fleet of models from across the brand’s range — from the tiny Picanto X to the Stinger sports saloon, and its Sportage and Sorrento SUVs. This activity always proves popular, with the 30-strong Group membership commonly having every vehicle out on the roads at once.

The roads of Cheshire always prove an ideal place to test-drive, although we weren’t able to sneak onto nearby Oulton Park. Damian, as we’d expect, found some mud and puddles to play in with the Sportage — and there were plenty more besides as, despite the mid-June date, the weather was not entirely kind.

With the fun out of the way, it was down to the main business of the AGM: electing a new chairman.

It’s a role that Julie Marshall had filled since the very same meeting — also hosted by Kia at Nunsmere — in 2017, and Group tradition holds that the chairman steps down after two years in office, to be succeeded by the vice-chairman.

That meant Andy Harris would become the new NGMW chairman, and custodian of the famous ferret, with website editor Andrew Evans voted in as the vice-chairman for the next two years.