enthusiasts club bulletin ISSUE 279 November/December 2006

enthusiasts club bulletin ISSUE 279 November/December 2006

2 ROLLS-ROYCE ENTHUSIASTS CLUB The Hunt House, High Street, Paulerspury, Northamptonshire NN12 7NA Telephone: (01327) 811788 Facsimile: (01327) 811797 Shop: (01327) 811489 E-mail: admin@rrec.org.uk http//www.rrec.co.uk Office and Shop open 9.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday President: Lt. Col. Eric Barrass, OBE PRESIDENT Lt. Col. Eric Barrass, 7 Shirley Gardens, Rusthall, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN4 8TG. Tel: 01892 526072. Fax: 01892 529677. CHAIRMAN Ian Rimmer, 148 Sandylands Park, Wistaston, Crewe, Cheshire CW2 8HE. Tel/Fax: 01270 569283. E-mail: ian@rimmeril.supanet.com DEPUTY CHAIRMAN Suzanne Finch, 7 Kingsmill, Stoke Bishop, Bristol BS9 1BZ. Tel: 0117 968 3082. E-mail: suzanne@trinfinch.fsnet.co.uk MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE Trevor Baldwin The Brook, Stamford Road, Marholm, Peterborough PE6 7HX. Tel: 01733 262680. Fax: 01733 262530. E-mail: atthebrook@btinternet.com John Clough Dukes, Main Road, Danbury, Essex CM3 4DT. Tel/Fax: 01245 225852. Paul Farnill 4a Graveley Thorpe Road, Whitkirk, Leeds LS15 7EH. Tel/Fax: 01132 944522. E-mail: paul.farnill@ntlworld.com Duncan Feetham 154 Magdalen Lane, Hedon, Hull, North Humberside HU12 8LB. Tel: 01482 890040. Philip Hall C/o The Hunt House. Tel (home): 01327 857600. Eri Heilijgers Baddow Park, Great Baddow, Essex CM2 7SY. Tel/Fax: 01245 477133. E-mail: eheilijgers@btconnect.com Tony James Bengal Farmhouse, Greens Norton, near Towcester, Northamptonshire NN12 8BG. Tel: 01327 350145. Fax: 01327 350175. E-mail: james@bengalfarmhouse.freeserve.co.uk Benno Th Müller Sunnmatt 4, CH-8126 Zumikon, Switzerland. Tel: +41 44 918 14 30. E-mail: rrec@rrec.ch Jane Pedler Barn House, Church Street, Ewell Village, Surrey KT17 2AQ. Tel: (home) 020 8394 0511; (work) 020 8785 1488. E-mail: JEPedler@aol.com Malcolm Tucker Butlers Farm, Gangbridge Lane, St. Mary Bourne, Hampshire SP11 6EP. Tel: 01264 738173. E-mail:maltuck@btconnect.com SUB-COMMITTEES Finance Chairman/ Finance Director John Clough (see Management Committee). Company Secretary Keith Lanchbury. Additional Members Jane Pedler, Ian Rimmer (see Management Committee), Charles Tabor (see Chief Judge). Annual Rally Chairman Trevor Baldwin (see Management Committee). Chief Marshal Jane Pedler (see Management Committee). Chief Judge Charles Tabor, Sutton Hall, Rochford, Essex SS4 1LQ. Tel: 01702 545730. Fax: 01702 541927. Trophy Master Paul Farnill (see Management Committee). Trade Co-ordinator Patsy Baldwin (address as Trevor Baldwin, above). Tel: 01733 262680. Fax: 01733 262530. Hospitality Suzanne Finch (see Deputy Chairman).

3 CLUB HEADQUARTERS General Secretary Wg Cdr Julian Spencer. Visits and Research Philip Hall, C/o The Hunt House. Library Philip Hall, C/o The Hunt House. CLUB SERVICES Bulletin Editor Wg Cdr Julian Spencer. Club Shop Manager Helen Saxby, C/o The Hunt House. Tel: 01327 811489. E-mail: shop@rrec.org.uk. Webmaster Sophie Scales, C/o The Hunt House. Tel: 01327 811788. Chassis Cards and Ring Barbara Westlake at The Hunt House, quoting chassis number Car Build Histories or email barbarawestlake@rrec.org.uk. Cost varies with model. Valuations Car valuation forms are available from The Hunt House on receipt of 35. Completed forms are to be sent to the Valuation Officer with photographs of the car. For cars insured on an agreed-value basis, Richardson Hosken requires a revaluation every three years. Valuation Officer Bill Medcalf, 42 Clay Hill, Enfield EN2 9AA. Tel: 0208 363 9111 Chief Instructor, Seminars Steve Lovatt Tel: 0115 978 5834 Seminar Bookings Penny Thorburn, C/o The Hunt House. Tel: 01327 811788. Special Tool Hire Tony James (see Management Committee). Films and Photography Colin Hughes, 6 The Birches, Boxmoor, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire HP3 0LJ. Tel: 01442 269306. CONSULTANTS Insurance For quotations apply to Richardson Hosken, Library House, New Road, Brentwood, Essex CM14 4GD. Tel: 01277 206911. Fax: 0870 420 4622. DVLA registration enquiries Please contact The Hunt House. European Liaison Eri Heilijgers (see Management Committee). Translates both ways Dutch, French, German, English. Organises European tours. Ombudsman Richard Shaw, 1 Wildwood Road, Hampstead Garden Suburb, London NW11 6UL. Complaints and recommendations in confidence. Spares Secretary Tony James. Tel: 01327 350145 (between 6 pm and 10 pm please). Advice on spares new and used. SAE with letters please. Technical Co-ordinator All enquiries to The Hunt House. Trademark Attorney David C Evans (contactable through the General Secretary). Shadow Help-line Mike Hall: 6 pm-7 pm weekdays and 1 pm-2 pm Tuesday and Thursday telephone 0208 640 9962. SIR HENRY ROYCE MEMORIAL FOUNDATION Chairman Charles Tabor, Sutton Hall, Rochford, Essex, SS4 1LQ. Tel: 01702 545730. Fax 01702 541927. Curator and Chief Executive Philip Hall, The Hunt House. Tel: 01327 811048. E-mail: philiphall@henry-royce.org. ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION (DUE 1 JULY) UK membership 46 Overseas membership (includes rest of Europe and Eire) 41 Overseas membership airmail (includes rest of the world) 63 Joint membership (add this amount to the above subscription) 7 New member joining fee (add this amount to the above subscription) 30 Junior membership (under 20 years). Note: New member joining fee not applicable 20

4 Section Secretaries Overseas AUSTRIA Chairman: Mag. Helmut Goigner, Staatsbahnstr. 58, 2136 Laa an der Thays. Tel: 43 2522 2603. Gerwald Anderle, Brucker-Bundesstrasse 100, 5700 Zell am See. Tel: +43 0664 2002028. E-mail: rrec-austria@aon.at BELGIUM (Flemish) Chairman: Mar Van de Kreeke, Het Steedie 44, 3530 Houthalen-Helchteren. Tel: 0032 1181 3590. Guy Rousseau, Oosthoevestraat 127, 2950 Kapellen, Belgium. Tel/Fax: +32 3315 0515. E-mail: rrec@skynet.be BELGIUM LUXEMBOURG Chairman: Baron M. t Kint de Roodenbeke, La Ferme du Vicaire, Hédenge, B-1367 Autre-Eglise, Belgium. Tel: +32.81.87.88.50. Fax: +32.81.87.88.51. E-mail: michelkr@roodenbeke.be DENMARK Jens Kjaerulff, Nordvestvej 12, DK - 3360 Liseleje, Denmark. Tel: 0045 4792 4006. E-mail: familien@kjaerulff.dk FINLAND Matti Sortila, Särkiniementie 19 B 25, FIN 00210, Helsinki, Finland. Tel: 358 40 5928728. E-mail: secretary@rrec.fi FRANCE Antoine-Pierre Blondet, 2 rue Rossini, Paris 75009. Tel: (33) 01 48 01 95 65 direct. Fax: (33) 01 48 01 95 59 secretary. E-mail: rrec@tea-cerede.com GERMANY Chairman: Hans-Rudolf Koch, Bergrade 16, 23898 Duvensee, Germany. Tel: 00 49 4543 808667. Mobile: 00 49 172 3255463. Fax: 00 49 4543 1249. E-mail: florianannakoch@gmx.de Secretary: Götz v. Kayser, Menzelstrasse 7, 14467 Potsdam, Germany. Tel: 00 49 331 2001977. Mobile: 00 49 171 4251180. Fax: 00 49 331 2001978. E-mail: mgkayser@gmx.com HOLLAND Robert Jan Tjeenk Willink, 25 Wildernislaan, 7313 BC Apeldoorn, Holland. Tel: +31-55-355.33.54. Fax: +31-38-33.15.201. Email: tjeenkwillink@wxs.nl HONG KONG Secretary: vacant IRELAND Chairman: Raymond Moffatt, 100 Omagh Road, Drumquin, Co. Tyrone, BT78 4SP. Tel: 02882 831217. Mobile 07712 871514. Carol Plunkett, 2 Fortfield Terrace, Rathmines, Dublin 6, Ireland. Tel: 00353 14975118. ISLE OF MAN Chrissie Parkes, The Round House, Lonan, Isle of Man IM4 7PP. Tel/Fax: 01624 861920. E-mail: roundhouse@enterprise.net ITALY Davide Bassoli, Viale Risorgimento 54/B, 46015 Cicognara (MN), Italy. Tel: 03 7578 1155. E-mail: bassolidavide@libero.it NORWAY J. E. Ronneberg, Neils Juels gt 14, 0272 Oslo, Norway. PORTUGAL Elvio Santos, Centro Comercial, Marina Vilamoura, Loja 23, 8125 Vilamoura, Portugal. Tel: 3519 1781 0024. E-mail: vilamoura@rocketmail.com SOUTH AFRICA Cape Town Chairman/Secretary: Stuart Halsall, 3 Sleigh Crescent, Somerset West 7130, South Africa. Tel: 021 855 5792. SPAIN Chairman: Roger Fry, CBE, C/o Maestro Lasalle 46, 28016 Madrid, Spain. Mario J. Hernáez, Maestro Lasalle 46, 28016 Madrid, Spain. Tel: 0034 91359 8800. Fax: 0034 91369 2767. SWEDEN SWITZERLAND Göran Berg, Rönntunet 2, S-181 48 Lidingö. Tel: (Sweden) 0708 108 118. E-mail: berg@karlebo.net Chairman: Arthur G. Sutsch, Ober Geriwil 41, CH-1715 Alterswil, Switzerland. Tel: 0041 264 94 18 89. Fax: 0041 264 94 31 07. E-mail: asutsch@rrec.ch Jürg M. Bihn, Jonastrasse 17c, PO Box 406, CH-8636 Wald ZH, Switzerland. Tel: 0041 792 93 52 74. E-mail: jbihn@rrec.ch UPPER CANADA Chairman: Peter Neilson, 34 Kings Garden Road, Toronto, M8X 1S6. Roger and Eleanor Hadfield, Mazemoor, RR1, Milton, Ontario, Canada L9T 2X5 Tel: 905 878 6864. WESTERN CANADA Basil Fox, 470 Seaward Way, Qualicum Beach, British Columbia, Canada V9K 1T8. Tel: 250 752 8910. Fax: 250 752 2022. Home CENTRAL SOUTHERN Ted Meachem, Little Stammerham Farm, Two Mile Ash, Horsham RH13 0PG. Tel: 01403 731451. E-mail: emeachem@hotmail.com EAST ANGLIAN Terry Wright, Engine Cottage, Fordham, Downham Market, Norfolk PE38 0LW. Tel: 01366 385534. E-mail: 23241@tiscali.co.uk EAST MIDLANDS John D Newton, 64 Breach Road, Heanor, Derbyshire DE75 7NJ. Tel: 01773 768883. E-mail: john.newton2005@gmail.com ESSEX Michael Batt, 30 Carlton Close, Upminster, Essex RM14 2YR. Tel: 01708 222223. Fax: 01708 222205. E-mail: mikebatt2000@hotmail.com GREAT WESTERN Pat Smith, 11 Mansel Close, Saltford, Bristol BS31 3LE. Tel/Fax. 01225 872005. MIDDLESEX David Oxford, Brantwood, 11 Court Way, Colindale, London NW9 6JG. Tel: 020 8200 1255. NORTH EASTERN Martin Vinson, Cleveland Lodge, Cold Kirby, Thirsk, YO7 2HL. Tel (direct line): 07929 650192. Tel/Fax: 01845 597141. E-mail: Jmartin.Vinson@btinternet.com NORTHERN Graham Eastwood, 37 Brentwood Avenue, Crosby, Liverpool L23 2UY. Tel: 0151 924 2516. E-mail: graham@lov76.com OXFORD Gerald Garratt, Sycamore House, Tacks Lane, Thame Road, Haddenham, Buckinghamshire HP17 8EW. Tel: 01844 292481. E-mail: gerrygarratt@onetel.com PAULERSPURY Mia Murray, Tattenhoe Farm, Tattenhoe, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK4 3AA. Tel: 01908 504606. E-mail: mia_murray@ampthill1.freeserve.co.uk SCOTTISH Peter Kendrick, 51 Jamaica Street, South Lane, Edinburgh EH3 6HG. Tel: 0131 225 7289. E-mail: stirton@blueyonder.co.uk SOUTH EASTERN Stephen Beker, 7 Roseacre Lane, Bearsted, Kent ME14 4HY. Tel: 07749 626720. E-mail: stephen.beker@btinternet.com SOUTH WALES Kelvin Price, The Hendre, 45 Village Farm, Bonvilston, Cardiff CF5 6TY.Tel: 01446 781688. SOUTH WESTERN Mrs Beryl Stone, Stewart Heights, 2 Petroc Drive, Newton Abbot, Devon TQ12 2LT. Tel: 01626 363722. E-mail: beryl.stone@btopenworld.com SURREY Andy Courtney, 25 Upper Teddington Road, Hampton Wick, Kingston-upon-Thames, KT1 4DL. Tel/Fax. 0208 977 5369. THAMES VALLEY WESSEX David Evans, More Place, Betchworth, Surrey RH3 7AD. Tel: 01737 843794. E-mail: moreplace@btinternet.com Chess Ferrier, 315 Bursledon Road, Sholing, Southampton, Hampshire SO19 8NE. Tel: 02380 392007. E-mail: wessex@chessf.com WEST MIDLANDS Brian Bremer, Chylowen, 9 Beechcombe Close, Pershore, Worcestershire, WR10 1PW. Tel: 01386 556945. YORKSHIRE Ian Hick, 4 St. John s Avenue, Kirby Hill, Boroughbridge, York, YO51 9DL. Tel: 01423 322133. E-mail: ianhick@yahoo.co.uk Register Registrars Silver Ghost Tim Forrest, Botley House, The Green, Chiddingfold, Surrey GU8 4TT. Tel: 01428 684208. 20hp (to 31December 2006) Keith Jay, 14 Kingsway, Craigweil on Sea, Bognor Regis, West Sussex, PO21 4DQ. Tel: 01243 266575. E-mail: rrec20register@yahoo.com Cyprus (winter months) 00 35 7269 47013 (from 1 January 2007) Tom Jones, 11 North Hill Park, St Austell, Cornwall, PL25 4BJ. Tel: 01726 61180. E-mail: tom@chez-jones.demon.co.uk 20/25, 25/30, Wraith Tony James, Bengal Farmhouse, Greens Norton, near Towcester, Northamptonshire NN12 8BG. Tel: 01327 350145. Fax: 01327 350175. E-mail: james@bengalfarmhouse.freeserve.co.uk Derby Bentley Douglas Reece, Polcouta Farmhouse, Veryan, Truro, Cornwall, TR2 5QQ. Tel: 01872 501203. E-mail: doug-eliz.reece@tiscali.co.uk Derby Phantom Malcolm Law, 18 Herbert Road, Emerson Park, Hornchurch, Essex RM11 3LD. Tel: 01708 442394. E-mail: mandjlaw@btconnect.com Mk. VI and Silver Wraith Tony Jenkin, Fair Acres, Bampton, Oxfordshire OX18 2AA. Tel: 01993 850801 (evenings). E-mail: uptheclump@witneyserve.net Silver Clouds and S types John Fox, 13 Llandennis Avenue, Cyncoed, Cardiff CF23 6JD. Tel: 02920 752587. Post-65 Andrew Meakin-Scott, 3 Seaside Road, Lancing, West Sussex BN15 8DD. Tel/Fax: 01903 761034. Alan Mowbray, Tollfield House, 6 Prebendal Green, Yarwell, Peterborough, East Northamptonshire, PE8 6PJ. Tel: 01780 781570. E-mail: alan@mowbray25.freeserve.co.uk All new members are invited to contact their nearest Section Secretaries for information of local activities. You will be sure of a warm welcome among people of like interests! The opinions expressed and advice offered in the Bulletin do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Directors. R.R.E.C. Ltd accepts no responsibility for the results of following contributors advice.

5 Chairman s Notes The Rally season is now more or less over. The North of England Rally at Harewood House was a great success with nearly four hundred cars and with two anniversaries being celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Bentley Mk VI and Silver Wraith and the centenary of Rippon Bros coachwork on Rolls-Royce. A big thanks to Ian Hick and his team. At the end of August I was privileged to participate in the Euro Rally centred on the Norwegian Fjords. The scenery and driving experience in Norway was magnificent. Although Euro Rallies might appear expensive, they give extremely good value and members should try to attend one at least once in their lifetime. Next year s will be in Germany. September saw the principal celebration of 60 years of car production at Crewe. This started with the Mk VI and Silver Wraith Register rally in the Lake District and culminated in a joint event between the Club and Bentley Motors at their Crewe factory. Congratulations to Malcolm Hobbs on his splendid organisation. The Isle of Man Section organised a very good rally to celebrate the centenary of Charles Rolls victory in the 1906 TT race. This attracted over fifty cars which drove around the original TT course. Organiser Jim Myson had done a lot of work which included an extensive photo display and the original trophy had been borrowed for the occasion. This year s season of technical seminars will be concluded in November with the Historic weekend. Each of the lectures will commemorate a particular anniversary within Rolls-Royce and Bentley history. The technical weekends start again in the New Year and come highly recommended. IAN RIMMER Grace Barrass It is with deepest regret that we have to inform members that Grace Barrass, the wife of our President, died on 4th November. This occurred just as this Bulletin was going to press. An obituary will appear in the next issue. On behalf of members, the officers of the Club offer their most sincere sympathy to Eric at this very sad time. Enthusiasts Club Bulletin Number 279 November/December 2006 Editor: Julian Spencer The Bulletin is published every other month. Photographs, illustrations, features, members letters and announcements are always welcome. Deadline for material for next Bulletin: 4 December 2006. Although every effort is made to ensure accuracy, we cannot be held responsible for statements published in good faith. Reproduction of material published in this issue in part or in whole without written permission is expressly forbidden. Copyright is normally vested in the contributor and application should be made in the first instance to the Editor. Designed and printed at Acanthus Press Limited, Wellington, Somerset. In this issue Chairman s Notes...5 From the Editor...6 CARs...13 North of England Rally...14 Technical: Advantages of a Miss-spent Youth 18 Goodwood News...27 50th Anniversary A Great Opportunity... 28 The 18th Annual Euro Rally to Norway...30 Junior Members...37 Spares Corner...38 Riverside Spectacular...42 Registers...46 Section News...56 Correspondence...80 Events List...85 Front cover: Klaas de Boer s 1910 Silver Ghost (1302) in Solstrand, Norway Back cover: Lady of the Lake? The Spirit of Ecstasy on Larry Riches 1935 20/25 (GPG41) by the River Lima in Ponte da Lima in Northern Portugal, Spring 2006

6 1 1 (above) 1933 Phantom II (8MY) in St Wolfgang, Austria From the Editor (The comments contained in this editorial are strictly those of the Editor and do not represent those of R.R.E.C Ltd, the Club or its officers.) During June and July of this year, Jens Pilo took his Phantom II on a touring rally in Austria and then drove through Italy and France on his way back to England. The round trip was 4100 miles of trouble fee motoring which is a strong testament of the quality and reliability of these cars. Picture (1) shows Jens 1933 Phantom II continental (8MY) by James Young in the town of St Wolfgang in the Salzkammergut region of Upper Austria. Picture (2) shows 8MY on the alpine road to Grossglockner. Chairman of the South Africa section, Stuart Halsall, sent in a picture (3) of his section s cars lined up outside the Tulbagh Hotel owned by fellow Club member, Ron Hamilton. The car shown at the head of the line-up is Stuart s 1920 Silver Ghost (26PE) Robinson tourer. 2 2 1933 Phantom II (8MY) on the High Alpine Road to Grossglockner, Austria

7 3 (above) 1920 Silver Ghost (26PE) tourer by Robinson The Archives article No 4 (Bulletin 276, pp 44-45) discussed Claude Johnson s (CJ) patronage of the composer Gustav Holst and CJ s interest in the wider arts. Lack of space precludes an Archives article in this issue. However, the next article will explore the relationship between the artist Augustus John and the family of Claude Johnson (CJ). If you would like to learn of Augustus John s social blunder with CJ s wife then you will just have to wait for the next Bulletin. The highly successful North of England Rally 2006 took place on 6 August at the impressive venue of 3 Harewood House in Yorkshire, the home of HM The Queen's cousin, the Earl of Harewood. An account of the Rally is in this Bulletin. Margaret Jago wrote in about the recent return of her family s 20hp (GVO74) to the home of its original owners. Picture (4) is a recent photograph of GVO74, a 1929 20hp Barker limousine. Margaret s late husband, Dr Nick Jago, purchased GVO74 in 1978 and improved the car considerably, including a total overhaul of the engine, during the subsequent years. Margaret informs me that earlier this year GVO74 was sold back to its original home, Copped Hall in Essex. Copped Hall was owned by the Wythes family from 1869 to 1951. The Whythes gained their wealth through the construction of railways. In 1929, GVO74 was purchased new by Mr Wythes for use by Mrs Wythes. (Mr Wythes had his own Rolls-Royce.) Each Rolls-Royce had its own chauffeur. Before she died in 1951, Mrs Wythes gave GVO74 to her chauffeur so he could start his own chauffeur driven car hire business in Epping. A condition of the gift was that he would drive her in the car whenever she required. Later the car was sold and after a small fire in the electrics was sold again before it was acquired by Dr Jago. Copped Hall was devastated by fire several decades ago and was left as a burnt-out shell although the essential 4 (below) 1929 20hp (GVO74) Barker limousine 4

8 5 6 7 identity of the Georgian mansion still remained. In 1995, the Copped Hall Trust purchased the shell and since then has made progress in restoring the mansion and gardens for educational and community benefit. In 2006, the Copped Hall Trust purchased GVO74 so it has returned to its original home. Davide Bassoli sent me a picture (5) of a Phantom III that has been identified by 5 (top left) 1937 Phantom III (3BU32) 6 (above) New Grecian prototype? 7 (left) Unknown Silver Ghost in Petrograd 8 (below) Silver Ghost discovered in Sussex 8

9 Steve Stuckey. It is a 1937 Phantom III (3BU32) that was rebodied by F L M Panelcraft in the early postwar era. The original body was a Barker sedanca de ville. Steve says that only one other photograph of this car with the 2-door coupé body by Panelcraft is known to exist. That photograph was published on page 9 of B230 together with some further interesting information on the history of 3BU32. Douglas Newton took a photograph of a rather strange car (6) whilst on holiday this year on the Greek island of Skiathos. Douglas asks if anyone can identify this model could it be a prototype?! Llyn Small sent in two intriguing photographs of Silver Ghosts. The first picture (7) was purchased recently by a friend of his. A handwritten inscription on the reverse of the picture reads: Petrograd 1917, Frank Cook with Russian soldiers, British Embassy, Petrograd. I initially thought it was 27CB a 1915 Silver Ghost Barker tourer that was used by Field Marshal Mannerheim in Petrograd around that time. However, the car in Llyn s picture has different wings and a louvred bonnet. Can a reader identify the Silver Ghost? The second picture sent in by Llyn (8) was taken this summer in Sussex when a Silver Ghost rear axle and wheel were discovered after having been buried for fifty five years. The chassis was also found a few days after the picture was taken. Llyn says the chassis number was difficult to read but he believes it to be 58UG. My research of 58UG revealed the following. On the chassis card for 58UG it says it was a 1921 Alpine Eagle enclosed cabriolet by Barker and the first owner was HRH Prince Edward, The Prince of Wales, eldest son of King George V. This is backed up by the dispatch card and the guarantee book which both list the first owner as The Prince of Wales. There is also some circumstantial evidence that Prince Edward could have owned 58UG in that he clearly favoured Barker bodies. His first eight Rolls-Royces were all bodied by Barker. It was only his last two (both Phantoms) that had a different coachbuilder (Gurney Nutting). However, this is very intriguing because 58UG is not listed in the late Andrew Pastouna s book Royal Rolls-Royce Motor Cars which is widely regarded as the definitive list of all Rolls- Royces owned by British Royalty. However, the evidence in the archives shows that 58UG belonged to Prince Edward, Prince of Wales. Prince Edward was a great enthusiast of the marque and owned ten Rolls-Royce motor cars (eleven if 58UG is included) including 20hp, Phantom I and Phantom II as well as Silver Ghost. There is a good picture of Edward, The Prince of Wales, on page 180 of John Fasal s book on the Twenty taken during his visit to the Derby Works on 21 February 1928. I have 9 (above) 2006 Rolls-Royce Phantom (SCA1S69065) discovered that, of all the Rolls-Royce models, Prince Edward was most enthusiastic about the 20hp and he personally owned no less than six 20hp chassis: 57S6, GA14, GPK27, GPK49, GYK49 and GXL15. 57S6 and GXL15 belong to Club members today. King George V died on 20 January 1936 and Edward ascended to the throne as King Edward VIII. However, as we know, his relationship with Wallis Simpson led to his abdication. The rest, as they say, is history! Coincidentally, as I was researching the subject of Prince Edward s Rolls-Royces, the Club s archives revealed a fine photograph which is the subject of this Bulletin s centrefold. The picture was taken in the early 1920s in the USA when HRH The Prince of Wales was on an official visit. HRH is in the centre. On his right is General Trotter and on his left is Major Oscar Solbert, his military aide. The picture is taken in front of James A Burden House at Syosset, Long Island. The car appears to be a Springfield Silver Ghost. Can a reader identify the chassis, provide other details on the car or the date when the picture was taken? Moving now from the earliest Rolls-Royce product range to the latest, Klaus-Josef Roßfeldt sent me a fine picture (9) of Otto Rausch s 2006 Rolls-Royce Phantom (SCA1S69065). The photograph was taken when Otto Rausch attended a Club meeting near Aschaffenburg that was organized by Hans-Guenter Zach. I am pleased to say that the number of junior members in the Club is rising. One of the most recent young people to join is Craig Hall, aged 7 years, who is featured on the Junior Members page in this Bulletin. Talking of young people, I strongly advise Club members in the UK who conduct weddings or other activities with their cars that involve carrying children to make themselves aware of the new Child Seat/Child 9

10 10 10 (above) 1922 Silver Ghost open tourer (68ZG) Passenger regulations which came into force on 18 September 2006. Non-compliance with the regulations is a 30 fixed penalty notice. If a case goes to court, the maximum fine is 500. The lengthy regulations cannot be reproduced here but a noteworthy new regulation is one concerning children aged under 3 years. Children under 3 years must use the appropriate child restraint; there is no exemption for them in vehicles with no seatbelts, such as classic cars. However, a child aged 3 years and over may travel unrestrained in the rear seat of a vehicle if seat belts are not available. This regulation is significant to Club members with older cars. In a nutshell, if your car does not have seat belts installed then you are not permitted to carry a child under 3 years in your car. All information is available on the official Department of Transport (DoT) link: "http://www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk/campaigns/childca rseats/childcarseats.htm" A free leaflet offering advice on choosing the right child car seat and fitting it correctly is available from DoT. For a copy, call the DoT on 0870 1226 236 and quote product code T/INF/697. Club member in California, John Harris, sent me an action photograph (10) of his fine 1922 Silver Ghost open tourer (68ZG) travelling at speed somewhere in the heartland of the USA while competing in the 2006 Great Race. The team in 68ZG consisted of John Harris as driver and Cyril Kenzie as navigator. The Great Race (formerly known as the Great American Race) is somewhat of a misnomer. It is actually a club rally for road-legal vintage cars at least forty five years old. Vehicles must use original factory parts, and modern navigational aids like GPS are prohibited. First held in 1983, it is an annual event conducted over a 14-day period. The course usually runs from east-towest or west-to-east on a 4000 mile journey across the continental United States. The course typically avoids large cities, instead winding along secondary highways and back roads through small towns in America's heartland. While the towns that the course runs through are publicized in advance, the actual route itself is kept secret from the drivers. Points are awarded, not on the basis of speed, but on the accuracy of a driver and navigator to match a time and average speed over a predetermined course. Points are also awarded on a handicap system that awards bonus points to older vehicles. Prizes are awarded in several categories. One week after the Geneva Motorshow 2006 closed, Michael Ehrhard and Ulrich J Lehmann were generously lent a Phantom EWB demonstrator by

11 11 11 (above) Michael and Ulrich with the Phantom EWB demonstrator Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. Their experiences with the car will be recalled in an article written by Michael in a future Bulletin. Picture (11) shows Michael and Ulrich with the Phantom EWB. A prospective Club member sent in a photograph (12) of a Bentley 3 1 2 litre that belonged to his father in the 1950s. The correspondent informs me that he would like to buy the Bentley if it ever becomes available. The car is chassis number B166EF and was built in 1935 and delivered in October of that year. The registration number CGH 926 was issued to the car from new. The coachbuilder was Freestone and 12 12 Bentley 3 1 2 litre (B166EF)

12 13 13 (above) Bentley in Bentley. 1953 R Type (B19SP) Webb who fitted a four-door, four-light saloon body. However, the first owner, Gino Rovere, bought another Bentley 3 1 2 litre (chassis B52HK) in 1936 and, for some reason, transferred to it the body that was on B166EF. B166EF was then re-bodied by the coachbuilder Park Ward, again as a four-door saloon. The Club s archives can trace the car through various owners up to when it was sold to F Brian Thomas on 9 January 1953, after which the trail goes cold. However, according to DVLA records, the car is still on the road in the UK. The car is not listed on the Club s database and so the owner is unlikely to be a Club member. Does anyone know the whereabouts of B166EF? This is the last Bulletin before we embark on our Club s fiftieth anniversary year in 2007. To record the milestone, the intention is that much of the material in the Bulletins published in 2007 will cover various aspects of the Club s history and development during the past fifty years. My aspiration is to publish the memories, anecdotes and comments of some of the more longer-standing members who have personal knowledge of the Club s early years. Peter Perrow, who joined the Club in 1960, will start the ball rolling in Bulletin 280 (Jan/Feb 07) with his recollections. I would be grateful for inputs from other long-serving members. On a journey to the car ferry in Hull, Keith Ryan came across the village of Bentley, near Cottingham, in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The picture (13) shows Keith s 1953 Bentley R Type (B19SP) in Bentley Lane in Bentley. There are four (possibly more) other villages in England called Bentley that are in South Yorkshire, Warwickshire, Suffolk and, Hampshire. Perhaps a member can submit a picture of their Bentley in another village of Bentley. Finally, on behalf of the editorial team, thank you to all of you who have made contributions to this Bulletin during 2006. The Hunt House staff and I wish every reader a very Happy Christmas, a content New Year and, of course, the utmost enjoyment of our many Club activities during 2007 our Golden Anniversary year. JULIAN SPENCER

13 CARs Corrigenda, Addenda & Responses B269, p32, line 9 Martin Coomber s Bentley R Type is chassis B124TN and not B262TN as stated. The engine number is B262T. B277, p13, PICTURE 15 and B278, p12, CARs Will Morrison has confirmed Andre Blaize s previous identification of this car as the October 1938 Paris salon Wraith (WXA11) by Vanvooren and kindly submitted another picture of WXA11 below. Andre also informs me that there was a picture of WXA11 in a David Baldock advert published in Club Advertiser 92, page 35, and that the car was offered for sale on the web in 2003 by a Sonia Coimbra of Portugal. 1938 Wraith (WXA11) by Vanvooren The picture is from the Automobile Engineer of November 1938 which carried the commentary: In particular French coachwork appears to be following British lines when applied to British chassis. A case in point is a four-door four-light saloon by Vanvooren on a 25-30 h.p. Rolls-Royce chassis, which was shown on the Rolls-Royce stand. In this a pronounced angular treatment of the roof, cant rails, quarters, and luggage boot is followed, and the body is eminently suited to the characteristic radiator and bonnet shape of the chassis. Even the wings and running boards in this case are more typical of British than French design, although the lower edges of the wings and running boards have a rather pronounced swaged moulding. The doors are hinged on their rear pillars, concealed hinges being used, and the lower edges are given a slight outward sweep which results in a very clear line. Ventilating panels are fitted to the rear door windows and traffic indicators are concealed in the quarters. The finish of the car is interesting as it is grey above the waist line and black below, there being a thin chromium-plated moulding running from the scuttle to a point just above the rear wings. The door handles are planted on the moulding. The leather upholstery is in pleated style. B277, p8, PICTURE 6 and B277, p12, CARs Tony Flood provided further information on the convertible Camargue JRX31741. The car was built for the National Auto Agencies in Saudi Arabia. After initial parts assembly at Crewe in the summer of 1977 it was dispatched to the Mulliner Park Ward (MPW) factory in London for completion on 17 August 1977. However, due to a protracted industrial dispute at the MPW factory during the latter months of 1977, the car was not completed until 17 March 1978. It was one of the last fourteen to be completed at MPW prior to all Camargue production being consolidated at Crewe from mid- 1978. JRX31741 was actually used at the Brussels Motor Show in 1978 when the company had a larger than usual display stand because a new dealer had recently been appointed in Brussels and the company was seeking maximum publicity for the product and the new dealer. B278, p9 and CENTREFOLD PICTURE Andre Blaize informs me that the Phantom II (23RY) was restored by Fred Buess in 2000 and is now probably in California. B278, p10, PICTURE 12 Andre Blaize informs me that the Silver Wraith may be LDLW122, a Park Ward limousine imported from the USA in 1998 or 1999. JULIAN SPENCER

14 The North of England Rally 2006 IAN HICK A brace of Rippon bodies. Hugh Illingworth s 1949 Silver Wraith 2-door coupé (WFC29) and Trevor Baldwin s 1952 Silver Wraith sports saloon (WVH4) The Rally, for some members travelling from a distance, starts on the Friday, when they arrive at the imposing Majestic Hotel in Harrogate. This large Victorian establishment has been the most notable in the town for over 100 years and now, as part of the Paramount Group, offers superb accommodation and excellent hospitality with its wide range of facilities. By late evening an impressive line of members cars graced the main entrance to the hotel, providing them with an excellent public relations/publicity opportunity. After a leisurely breakfast around thirty cars left the car park and headed north to the village of Ripley before turning off on to the side roads which took them past the Warner Hotel at Nidd Hall, through Scotton to Boroughbridge. The cross-country route then passed through Sessay, Coxwold and Ampleforth bringing them into the busy little town of Helmsley. Views of The White Horse, on the hillside above Kilburn, and the ruins of Rievaulx and Byland Abbeys provided added interest as the intrepid motorists passed through Hawnby (which was badly flooded last year), Osmotherley, before skirting Northallerton and on down into Bedale. Drivers chose varied places to stop and view the magnificent scenery, or take refreshment, and returned via Masham, Fountains Abbey and Ripon to the Hotel, covering around 100 miles of byroads through God s Own County. The route had been carefully checked out a couple of weeks before by David Towers and John Newton, of the East Midlands Section, and thanks go to them for setting up this interesting test of members map reading skills. Once back at the Hotel there was a relaxing spot of tea and a chance to get the breath back before dinner in the rather impressive dining room. Whilst this tour was being completed members of the Yorkshire Section were busily laying out the numbered lines in front of Harewood House necessary to accommodate the 350 or so cars that had booked to attend on the Sunday. Pitches for the stallholders were carefully marked out, tables and chairs arranged in the marquee and the arrangements for the brass band s protection and comfort completed. Areas were marked

John Booker from Hull arriving in his 1984 Silver Spirit (ECH09769) out for the Merlin engine display and the parade of cars and, by 1730hrs, everything was in place and ready to receive the entrants. By 0800hrs on the Sunday, stallholders were putting together their displays and checks were being made on the lines to make sure that everything was still where it should be as the first car hove over the horizon just after 0830hrs - we have some really enthusiastic members you know. The car in question had been driven seventy eight miles to get there before the rush and after being neatly parked disgorged its occupants with rugs, seats, picnic contents, etc. There s nothing like being prepared is there? At least there was someone out there to help test the PA system as it was being installed! Over the next four hours a steady stream of members cars was carefully controlled by Richard Harrison s efficient team of marshals, including strong support from Harefield Estate staff. A wide range of refreshment provision quickly became evident from the tartan blanket on the ground to quite impressive tables, chairs, cloths, candelabra, wine glasses and china. It s amazing what these cars will hold! Quite a large number of members of the public were now in evidence, wandering Martin Dawson of Oldham in his 1924 Silver Ghost tourer by Hooper and Wilkinson (85TM) Mermie Karger of Exton, Pennsylvania, USA, in her 1939 Phantom III Gurney Nutting saloon (3DL122) through the lines of cars, consulting their programmes, and marvelling at the display of a section of motoring history. The usual questions were asked and answers provided with patience and understanding. I, personally, enjoy listening to these conversations as you learn about the fascinating life these cars and their owners have led and the trials and tribulations experienced as they were restored to their former glory, often over many years and sometimes involving painful interviews with bank managers. The afternoon saw the parade of cars selected to show a little of the history of Rolls-Royce and Bentley, most ably described by Roy Brooks, rounding off with the presentation of trophies to those adjudged to be the best in various categories an almost impossible task. To provide something of a Grand Finale Peter Grieve, and his son Joseph, brought their Merlin XX aircraft engine into the ring and ran it for a few minutes as a somewhat different example of the wide-ranging output of the Company. This was another example of the effort put into a valuable restoration. The engine had been dug out of a field in West Sussex, where it had lain twenty feet below the surface for thirty seven years following the crash of a Beaufighter in 1941. Twenty two years Tony White of Colwyn Bay and his 2000 Silver Seraph (YCH04409)

16 later, after 3000 hours of meticulous work the engine ran once again and is now displayed around the country as a living memorial to the crew who died in the crash. (Editor s Comment: Peter Grieve s Merlin engine was one of a pair fitted to Beaufighter IIf, serial No R2335. It served with the Fighter Interception Unit at Ford, West Sussex, and was employed in the testing of Airborne Interception Radar. 450 Beaufighters were built with the Merlin XX, the rest (the vast majority) had the Bristol Hercules 14 cylinder sleeve-valve radial engine, with a similar power output. R2335 was out testing a radar on the night of 4/5 September 1941. When coming in to land, the pilot, Flying Officer DM Lake, found that the undercarriage had failed to lock down, so he regained altitude and manoeuvred the aircraft to attempt to shake it down fully. At this point it appears that he entered into an uncontrollable spin and the aircraft dived into farmland 4 miles to the west of Ford, killing all on board.) Harewood Trophy Best Car in Show 1936 Bentley 4¼ B127JY Appleyard Rippon Trophy Best pre-war Car 1925 Phantom 1 88MC Lancaster Trophy Best post-war Car 1965 Phantom V 5VD51 Richard Forder Paul Owram Joseph Springthorpe Bentley Motors Trophy Best Crewe built Bentley 1954 Bentley R Type B57WG Mike Blunson Margaret Wiggins Trophy Ladies Choice of Car 1936 Bentley 4¼ B171GP Richard Doncaster JCT 600 Trophy Best 2-door Car in Show 1993 Continental R PCH42668 Ian Dunford Photographs courtesy of Alick Hadwen

17 Opposite top left: The Chairman of the Rally Organising Committee, Ian Hick (centre foreground), relaxes by taking his usual chair, playing euphonium, in the Knaresborough Silver Band Opposite top: Ian Rimmer, Club Chairman, with Nicola Young, Senior Events Co-ordinator for the Harewood Estate, presenting the Harewood Bowl to Richard Forder for the Best in Show with his 1936 Bentley 4¼ Vanden Plas saloon (B127JY) Opposite bottom: Roy Noble of Chipping Norton in his 1933 20/25 Rippon sports saloon (GEX24) making its first appearance at the Rally Above: Peter Grieve and his son unleash 1280hp from 27 litres of Merlin XX engine Above left: Richard and Wendy Doncaster and the Margaret Wiggins Trophy awarded for their 1936 Bentley 4¼ Mulliner sports saloon (B171GP) Below: Line up of prize winners in front of Harewood House. Left to right: 88MC, B171GP, B57WG, 5VD51, B127JY and PCH42668

18 TECHNICAL SECTION Advantages of a Miss-spent Youth by Michael Forrest A sound pair of bonnet locks came my way for 37LC: it was originally so fi tted, but they are one of the fascinating features of these cars and I was determined to fi t them whatever the Order card said. Keys ordered long ago to fi t the switchbox were nowhere near opening it, so drawing on my murky past a set of miniature picklocks was devised which soon had it open, and the keys, wildly inaccurate, corrected. Bonnet locks, corroded and seized, needed more determined treatment before they eventually gave in, and it seemed a good idea to doctor these locks to operate with the same key as the ignition lock. This was done long ago, and it was only as this article was started that it occurred to me to check the chassis cards to see, if by chance, bonnet locks and ignition locks were made to the same key. And, of course, they were. It does mean the person who steals the ignition key can also switch the petrol on, but as they are all on the same keyring, does it matter? As lost, missing or inoperative keys and locks are not known, those who spent a more virtuous youth may care to become tainted. I have no idea how professional locksmiths might tackle this task: those I asked were notably reticent. Any in the Club may care to tell us how it ought to be done. Anonymous articles acceptable. Picture 1 One was jambed open, one lock was irretrievably closed, barrels seized on both. The steel back is lightly rivetted in position by the raised lugs, left and right of the casing. Light fi ling and insertion of a fi ne blade will quickly ping the back off. After cleaning out the spiders, note the mechanism. I looked at a modern equivalent, which simply had a fl at strip turning between the catches and forcing them apart, crude beyond the imagination. 1 This mechanism allows the catches to lock positively in either the open or closed position, permitted by the rectangular projection on the circular central plate, which drives the peg on the camplate in the appropriate direction after it has completed one full turn. The camplate locks in the seers at the end of its travel, holding the catches in or out. Or it would, if anything was prepared to turn. The hairpin springs lift out and are away into the far corner if you do not take precautions, the catches lift out and the two countersunk screws eventually come out, releasing the catchplate and the cam. Make a note to replace rusted steel screws with brass on replacement, although the obscure thread which ought to be 7BA but certainly is not, nor anything else I can recognise, may thwart that idea. The innocent might assume the lock barrel will now drop out it will not, held in position by several decades of corrosion and four brass pegs.

19 Picture 2 This unprepossessing collection will get you inside a Yale type lock very quickly if it is clean and operative, less easily if it is well gunged up. Top is a piece of.001" shim steel, slightly curved in cross section to slip between cylinder and housing. Below that is a wire pick to wiggle each tumbler in turn so the discontinuity between the two parts of the tumbler can be penetrated by the fi ne shim. When all four have been so disabled, the lock will turn, and the barrel can be pulled out, scattering little brass tumblers and tiny springs in every direction. So next time, you withdraw it with infi nite caution, catching and identifying each piece as it is liberated. But for locks jammed and inoperative, life is more diffi cult. If a lock is well worn, the barrel slightly sloppy, it is much easier, for you may be able to use a thicker and more robust slip than the.001" shown. But life is rarely like that, so item no. 3 is devised. Shim steel, and even feeler gauges are made of mediocre material at best, very fl imsy in fi ne section. The miniature oar-like device is made from fi ne piano wire, which is somewhere near the 100 ton condition as drawn, forged fl at until it is reduced to.001" thickness. It took about 3-4 heats to reduce it, and surprisingly it did not burn away at bright red heat. Rehardening after forging was not a success, as it was too brittle, but in the as forged condition, it was about right. Item four is just a beefed-up version of the pick at number two. While the tools are out, it will pay to make several little fl at piano wire blades. You will need them. 2

20 3 Picture 3 So we show it who is boss, demonstrating the triumph of man s intellect over inanimate objects, which has got the world into its present mess. This operation can only be done from the back, as the front of the barrel has a ledge which makes such operations exceedingly diffi cult. Before starting work on a well seized lock, it can be soaked overnight in paraffi n or any penetrating fl uid, followed by a cautious soak in Altrans or similar metal brightener. The seers always have some slack, so a fi rm but gentle to and fro wiggling may produce some slight movement. Similarly, gentle taps on the front and rear faces of the barrel alternately will eventually produce a little slack in that direction, after which further rinsing in paraffi n, further wiggling, will make the barrel comparatively free. It is worthwhile persisting beyond this point as this may loosen any of the plungers (seers) which may be stuck. It must be emphasised that this requires gentle persuasion, not the big hammer approach, which may damage the lock irretrievably or even prejudice your chances of ever getting it open. Your handcrafted fi ne blade, left, is gently eased into the minuscule gap between barrel and body, gentle movement dislodging any gunge causing obstruction. Anything more vigorous will crumple your blade, so you make another. If the gap opening up is slightly wider than the.001" you allowed yourself make the next blade marginally thicker, for its stiffness is proportional to the cube of its thickness ie. increase thickness from.001" to.0015" and stiffness is increased 3 3 /8 times, with a 50% increase in thickness. As soon as the fi rst seer is reached (draw lines on the blade), reach in through the keyslot and gently oscillate the end of the seer until the blade picks up the discontinuity where the two parts of the tumblers meet, when it can be insinuated in, and gently down until it contacts the second seer/tumbler. Repeat for three and four. It gets more diffi cult as feel is lost, but you get plenty of practice. The safebreaker s old trick of sandpapering the fi nger ends to increase sensitivity might be worthwhile. Tumblers three and four are reached more easily if the pick is transferred to the other end of the barrel. Those who have struggled so far without success will be relieved to hear that this photograph was posed after the event, and I got it wrong the blade should be on the right, the pick on the left, for the seers/ tumblers are in the thick, eccentric part of the body. But then you had all spotted that, hadn t you?

21 Picture 4 When, some time later, all four tumblers have been nobbled by your cunning, the barrel will turn via a short blade or similar inserted in the slot. Turn so the barrel plungers, which are not spring loaded, are upright, with the lock body in the position shown. 4 Gently withdrawing the barrel will expose the spring loaded tumblers and as each appears, hold fi rmly with tweezers until it can be lifted out, identifi ed. Ideally remove the bronze spring at the same time. Repeat for all, remove barrel completely, tip out loose tumblers and place with respective spring loaded tumblers. From this picture, operation will be clear. Pairs of tumblers are of different relative lengths, but when the ones in the barrel are positioned by the vee cuts in the key, all the gaps line up, and the barrel will turn. The key cannot be withdrawn away from the locked position as the fi xed plungers are restrained by the body, but when withdrawn in the locked position, the spring loaded plungers rise and lock the barrel in position, allowing the key to withdraw. The loose tumblers, in contact with the key, have rounded, shallow conical tops to engage the vees in the key, with slightly domed bottoms to follow the curve of the barrel and allow for random rotation. The sprung tumblers, in the body, have fl at tops and bottoms. All tumblers have lightly rounded edges to accomodate small errors and wear. If you are adapting the locks for another key, or if the tumblers are badly worn, then keeping them in order is not important, for they can be remade readily from.001" brass rod. 5 Picture 5 With the selected key in place, a new set of tumblers is trimmed so slightly domed tops just break the surface of the barrel. Leave marginally overlong initially, as it is easy to take a fraction off, diffi cult to stick it back on. Check, one tumbler at a time, that it will turn smoothly in the body, trimming if necessary. Check with the second key, and identify any discrepancy before fi ling anything. It is not unusual for a pair of keys which both work well in one lock, to have differences when tried in another lock. The problem usually lies with differences in the angles of the vees in the keys and the

22 6 conical ends of the various tumblers, not the overall length. Unwise and hurried correction could make your keys fi t the bonnet locks, but no longer fi t the ignition lock. Picture 6 With key withdrawn, tumblers fall back. In position, the springloaded tumblers will follow, locking the barrel. They fall onto a ledge which holds them clear for reinsertion of the key. 7 Picture 7 Now make a set of spring loaded tumblers to drop into the barrel atop the loose tumblers. Length of these is not critical, but must be long enough to protrude suffi ciently to lock positively across the divide between barrel and body, while not so long that it will not sink into the body with its spring underneath. All need not be the same length, but it is an advantage if they can be while fulfi lling the earlier criteria. If making anew, do not aim for a close diametral fi t. As with clocks and automatic gearboxes, a little slop in the right places makes things work. Picture 8 To reassemble, position body with eccentric bit down, making holes for springs and tumblers visible. Position barrel by any convenient method. Key not essential but advisable. Then progressively insert springs and tumblers in the body (tweezers) and slide barrel in, one hole at a time, until all are secured by the barrel. 8 If all goes well, when the barrel is fi rmly home, it will turn freely with the key in position. Turned to the locked position, the key should withdraw, leaving the barrel locked. More crucially, when the key is reinserted, the barrel should free and turn. Unless major errors have been made, while the key may not free the lock initially, some manipulation against the slight shake in the lock will free it. Do this several times, withdraw the barrel complete with key, not forgetting to restrain the spring loaded tumblers, look for polished high spots on the ends of the tumblers, and ease them fractionally. It is worth making a dummy barrel of the right diameter but no holes, from a piece of scrap, to push out the real barrel, holding

23 9 the sprung tumblers in place, reversing the procedure to put the barrel back. Any resistance at any time suggests a tumbler is out of place and you are probably guillotining the precious spring. Replacement springs can be wound from bronze/brass wire. Under no circumstances use steel springs other than stainless steel ones, otherwise the lock will eventually seize up permanently from rust. lock proper, and it is probable the complete lock, less internals, was nickelled, although just possible the body was plated apart from the lock, then peened in position. As fresh nickel cannot be plated onto any existing nickel, the body will have to be electrolytically stripped before replating. 10 Picture 9 Reassembled, cleaned up a little, new hairpin springs in place, the two locks demonstrate the unlocked (left) position, and the locked (right). In practice, both are locked, the former locked open, the latter locked closed. The back can be clicked in position, given a little manipulation, and need not be peened shut permanently, for the fi xings in the bonnet will hold it together. Picture 10 Finished locks ready for trial fi t, apart from fi nal nickel plate. Some original nickel is visible around the junction of the body and

24 11 The three holes used by Rolls-Royce for fi xing are apparent: the lower (central) one has a rivetted-in sleeve (see picture 9) to prevent buckling of back and front plates when tightened down. The two corner holes are well supported by adjacent edges, but rivets fi tted through these holes and clenched will invariably buckle, especially as the locks are separated from the bonnet by a substantial spacer, giving even longer rivets. Pragmatists might conclude that discreet bolts with rivet look heads and square shanks under, as in pictures 13 & 14 of the previous article might be a better idea. The two small holes on the bottom edge have no function in the Rolls-Royce installation, and probably relate to the commercial origins of this lock as one used for roller shutter/sliding door installations or in chests and trunks. Picture 11 Bonnet locks engaged (left) and free, (right). Original latchplates have rivetted over the open side, a thin brass plate, which appears to have no function other than to ensure that anything falling into it remains there and jambs the lock either from closing, which is bad enough, or from opening, which is disastrous. Its function is not to prevent the hooks from slipping out sideways since the entire bonnet side will prevent this. I leave it out. Purists will put it in. Picture 12 Lock in its natural habitat, fi xed with round head bolts, square shanks, and nuts, all in stainless steel. Presumably the steel body was nickelled, probably dull, with the external body only polished. There were no signs of nickel on the two hooks, and one assumes they were left in natural metal. 12

25 13 Picture 13 The switchbox lock is fundamentally the same barrel and body, and the same techniques are used. Unlike the bonnet lock, the end fi ttings are rivetted on, but after these are fi led/drilled out, small screws can be substituted. If you have a functioning key, once the end fi ttings to the barrel are removed, the barrel can 14 be withdrawn, taking precautions as before to retain springs and tumblers from the body. With no functioning key, slender blade as before. Usually relatively easy with ignition locks, as they are much more used, more worn, plenty of room for a substantial blade. Picture 14 Barrel on the way out. The lock can be picked but not removed from the front, if by chance it is not accessible from the rear, but it is much more diffi cult, more chancy, especially if you get caught. The technique is as for combination locks, to pull the barrel with a hook as if to rotate it. Then with a hooked pick, feel down for the tumbler which feels tight. If right fi rst time, press it down until it goes slack, and at the same time a slight rotary movement will be felt on the barrel. Feel for the next tight tumbler, repeat the exercise, until all four free, when the barrel should turn. Be aware that if at any time you relax the turning pull on the barrel, the friction holding the released plungers will be lost, they all slip back, and you start again. The feel of a tight plunger will not always be defi nite, and you may need several goes before all falls into

26 place. Calm, patience, big glasses needed. Steady hand and sandpapered fi ngertips help, too. Put Mozart on the CD player. Picture 15 Ignition lock internals revealed. Unless in poor mechanical condition, the key you received which did not fi t, or the blank can now be fi led so the tumblers for the barrel look like picture 5, for, of course you appreciate that the ignition lock was done fi rst, long before bonnet locks came my way. As a whole, the keys were a poor fi t all round, and Theo Hendrickson supplied me with a fi ne pair of original blanks. Before putting everything back, have a double check that all keys fi t all locks in all circumstances, otherwise the problem could come back to haunt you, miles from anywhere and in pouring rain. And dark. You will wish you had chanted to yourself Quidvis recte factum, Quamvis humile, praeclarum. If, perchance, you have a pair of matched, properly functioning bonnet locks and keys, but wish all locks to have a common key, then it makes more sense to doctor the ignition lock to match the bonnet locks, halving the effort. Picture 16 Pair of ignition keys cut to original numbers some years ago by a major distributor who should have known better. The bottom key, with the sadly defi cient plating, is as received. Note the vee cuts on the underside one comparatively deep, three almost non-existent. Above it is the other one of the pair after being recut to fi t the original lock. Note how much deeper are all the vees, although the pattern is the same. 16 15

27 Goodwood News ANDREW BALL ROLLS-ROYCE CONFIRM NEW MODEL SERIES At a private function at the Paris motor show at the end of November, Ian Robertson, Chairman and Chief Executive of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, confirmed that work has begun on a new model series. It will be launched within the next four years. The new car will be smaller than the Phantom and cost between 200,000 Euros and 300,000 Euros before tax. Planning permission has been granted to expand business operations at Goodwood. Sales of Rolls-Royce Phantoms are forecasted to be around 800 cars by the end of 2006, marking a fourth consecutive year of growth. The Phantom and extended wheelbase version will soon be joined by a new convertible model that will be unveiled in 2007. NEW MANUFACTURING DIRECTOR FOR ROLLS- ROYCE MOTOR CARS Xaver Franz (52) joined Rolls- Royce Motor Cars in September as the new director of manufacturing. He has worked in the automotive industry for 28 years and joined BMW Group in 1978. He has held a number of senior positions within the manufacturing function, most recently in Total Vehicle Quality Management at BMW plant, Dingolfing. Franz takes over his new role from Hermann Bohrer. Bohrer (50) joined Rolls-Royce in 2003 and successfully directed the production ramp-up of the Phantom, the launch of Phantom with extended wheelbase and the development phase of the new convertible, due for launch in 2007. Bohrer leaves Goodwood to take over new responsibilities as plant manager BMW Berlin. ROLLS-ROYCE AIMS FOR 75 PER CENT RECYCLING Rolls-Royce has set a new target to recycle 75 per cent of all waste materials generated at its Goodwood facilities by the end of 2007. As part of the company s commitment to sustainability, a new dedicated waste management centre has been set up at the manufacturing plant and head office to recycle all types of waste materials. Employees are encouraged to recycle wherever possible and currently over 60 per cent of all waste items are recycled, from paper and cardboard to glass, cans and bottles, from redundant computer equipment to scrap metals. Parts ordered for production of the cars are delivered to Goodwood packaged in recyclable containers, which are returned for re-use. Remnants from the wood shop are utilised by manufacturers of wooden products. Leather off-cuts are sold to buyers all over the world for use in other industries,for instance the fashion industry. Even the landscape debris and the weeds cleared from the lake, in the 42 acre grounds, are composted for use on the Goodwood Estate organic farm.

28 2007 A Great Opportunity In March 2006, I informed members at the Club Conference that the Management Committee intended to make the most of the opportunities to celebrate the Club s fiftieth anniversary in 2007. The events listed below are the current plans for the special celebrations. In addition, of course, the South of England and North of England Rallies will both have special touches to mark the significance of the year. I do hope this article manages to whet your appetite for what is in store. If I succeed, then you will have pen in hand, ready to take the appropriate action, before you reach the end! 15, 16, 17 June 2007 ANNUAL RALLY & CONCOURS D ELEGANCE Kelmarsh Hall Further information regarding this event can be found elsewhere in this Bulletin. Kelmarsh Hall Saturday 16 June 2007 ANNUAL DINNER AND DANCE Paramount Daventry Hotel Our Annual Dinner was oversubscribed this year and many members were disappointed not to be able to attend. We were determined that this situation should not be repeated in 2007 and therefore, some time ago, we booked the Paramount Daventry Hotel. This hotel is a little distance from the rally site but has excellent facilities and is the nearest with a banqueting capacity sufficient for our needs. The function suite can hold 350 people and we will be pulling out all the stops to make this an enjoyable evening, with the emphasis on fun rather than formality, although there does have to be a modicum of the latter. Teddy Fullick, who has been so well received for the past couple of years, has been asked to provide the music for dancing and Rolls- Royce Motor Cars will be sponsoring the evening with a reception prior to dinner. Preferential room rates have been negotiated at the Daventry Hotel, as well as at various other hotels within striking distance of Kelmarsh Hall, although unfortunately the Kettering Park Hotel is not available to us in 2007. If you would like to receive more details of hotels and a booking form for the Dinner in advance of the usual Annual Rally information packs which will be available in February, please write to: June and Mike Wright, 12 Holden Gardens, Basildon, Essex SS14 3LF

29 Sunday 12 August 2007 WHEELS ON ROADS As explained in B277 (p 27) all sections will be organising events on this day, which marks the anniversary of the inaugural meeting of the RREC in 1957 at Paternoster Farm in Yarnton. Keep an eye on the section in the Events List dedicated to this date and try to join in wherever you are. Our aim is to record 10,000 Club cars on the road be one of them! 14,15,16 September 2007 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION WEEKEND & PRESIDENT S DAY at Walton Hall, Wellesbourne, Warwickshire Walton Hall On Sunday 15 September 1957 the first Club event took place and so it seems entirely appropriate for us to choose this weekend to round off our season of celebrations. Walton Hall has recently had a multi-million pound refurbishment to become the flagship of the Paramount Group. The main building is neo-gothic in design with a remarkable history (in parts it dates back to the 1500s) and is set in 65 acres of Warwickshire countryside. When we first drove down the mile-long entrance road and tree-lined driveway, and the manicured lawns and weeping willows alongside the lake came into view, we knew we had found the dream site we had been seeking. There are 195 bedrooms and we will have exclusive use of all facilities. There will be a wide range of activities to choose from during the weekend. Look at a map and you will see within a 20 mile radius of Walton Hall there are several important National Trust properties, including Coughton Court and Charlecote Park, two of England s great Tudor buildings, and Upton House, the home of the Trust s finest art collection. In addition, the Gaydon Motor Heritage Centre, the Cotswolds and Stratford-upon-Avon are all on the doorstep. To give all participants maximum choice, group rates at several venues are being negotiated and there will be a coach available for trips into Stratford or Warwick Castle, providing there is enough demand. The Saturday evening extravaganza will be a black tie affair with a twist; rather than a formal dinner with speeches, the emphasis will be on superb catering and entertainment to reflect the significance of the occasion. Any Club members who cannot attend the whole weekend may still join in the fun on the Sunday President s Day. Parking for a further 500 cars amongst the beautiful wooded and grassed hotel grounds will allow us to create a cosy and special atmosphere, redolent of the smaller rallies of days gone by. We will be arranging a variety of diversions throughout the day for your enjoyment some instructive, some purely for amusement. Costs: For a two-night stay in a standard room, including most meals, entertainment and the Sunday rally the subsidised cost will be less than 250 per person. To assist our planning and in order to ensure the benefit of the exclusive use of the hotel and grounds, we need your commitment as soon as possible. Please complete and return the slip enclosed with this Bulletin to receive further details and a booking form. Alternatively, contact me, Suzanne Finch, direct by telephone or e-mail (details on page 2 of the Bulletin). SUZANNE FINCH DEPUTY CHAIRMAN Walton Hall

30 The 18 th Annual Euro Rally to Norway a test for man and machine JANE ELSE Waiting to board ferry at Newcastle Docks With no Euro Rally in 2005, Eri Heilijgers had a chance to recharge his batteries and, firing on all cylinders, organise this year s Rally to Norway. Twenty one pre-war cars and seventy five post-war cars took part. Twelve nationalities were represented. With this excellent mix of people and cars in the melting pot, the promise of some exhilarating driving in a beautiful country plus the fact that Kjell Andersson had put him in touch with Yngve Sjøberg of Norway Travel, Le Chef had the recipe for success. For many this was their first Euro Rally and/or their first visit to Norway. They were not disappointed. Seventy cars assembled at Newcastle for the Fjord Line Ferry to Haugesund. Three of these, including the eye-catching 1910 40/50 Silver Ghost belonging to Klaas and Luus de Boer came on the ferry from the Netherlands to join us. Work being done on Bob and Mo Standbridge s 3½ litre Bentley was not complete. Determined to come, they used their Bristol which we certainly did not hold against them! The North Sea crossing was as calm as a mill pond and a warm sunny welcome awaited us in Haugesund. Having disembarked, we set off in an easterly direction to Lofthus. In no time we were driving In no time we were driving through a landscape of lakes, green pastures and austere mountains with the last remnants of snow through a landscape of lakes, green pastures and austere mountains with the last remnants of snow. At every bend a new view opened up and we were soon experiencing the first of the many tunnels through which we would travel. Along Åkrafjord the road burrows through about ten of them. The sound of rushing water announced the first of many spectacular waterfalls that we would encounter - Langfoss with its water cascading down the rocky mountainside from a height of 1969 feet (600m). Entering a deep canyon we were confronted by the impressive Låtefoss waterfall which rushes down through two vertical clefts in the mountainside. Once out of the canyon we entered a wide valley and followed the route along the east bank of Søfjord. The gentle sloping mountainsides, rich soil and climate have produced a traditional fruit growing

00 31 Arriving in Norway area since the 13th Century. Fruit trees and little stalls with apples, plums and cherries lined the route. Beautiful, breathtaking, splendid, spectacular were words which would be used time and again in the days to come. The family run Ullensvang Hotel at Loftus was our first port of call. Participants from Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, Finland and Norway had arrived already. Delightful children in traditional dress greeted us at the door and helped with luggage. Like all the hotels at which we stayed, it was in an idyllic spot with mountain views, and at the water s edge. Consequently, it was no time before some members of our team were diving into the fjord! It is little wonder that Edvard Grieg gained inspiration here and used a little hut which stands in the garden to compose in peace and quiet when he visited the area in 1877-1878. We were particularly pleased to have Ian Rimmer, the Club Chairman, and his wife Thelma with us on this Rally. The evening began with a short speech by Ian in which he spoke of the great friendship among nations that the Euro Rally fosters. Hans Edmund Harris Utne gave a brief history of the hotel founded in 1846, introduced his grandmother Ellen Utne who was the third generation to own it and told us of plans for the following day. We then proceeded out onto the lawn where a large beacon of wood had been lit and to the strains of an accordion we partook in a delicious cocktail with cherries which sank to the bottom. Too Kviknes Hotel, Balestrand

32 1952 Silver Wraith Freestone and Webb (WOF58) on the old Måbødalen road good to miss they could be retrieved only at full tilt of the head or with fingers when no one was looking! Hans Edmund had organised a real treat for the following day. He had gained permission for us to drive up the old Måbødalen road, normally closed to public traffic and now used solely by a so-called Troll Train for tourists. He arranged for the train to stop for half an hour so that we could experience the thrill of driving up this masterpiece of engineering. It is steep, winding and narrow with passing places. Started in 1898 the road was blasted into the mountain side with several hairpin bends and many tunnels. In 1915 a successful test drive by Christen Winthertun was carried out in a 1913 Opel to the top of the valley. From here there was a bridle-path to the Fossli Hotel. A driveable road to the hotel was not finished until 1921. After a few improvements had been done to the road it was open to the automobile. Helen Lobb recalled driving up it in 1978 in a Triumph Herald when, since it was the shortest, it was the main route from Bergen to Oslo. The mind boggles at the thought of wagons coming in the opposite direction even if there were passing places. By 1986 the upper curves of the old road had disappeared into new large tunnels. While the final part of the new road was being built during the last two years of the old road s use as a main thoroughfare, a traffic light system was in operation. Amazed and exhilarated, having climbed up this steep, wild valley to 3280 feet (1000m), we reached the place where the Vøringfossen, one of Norway s most spectacular waterfalls descends over a sheer drop of 597 feet (182m). It was unknown to all but a few local inhabitants until it was discovered by Professor Christopher Hansteen from Oslo, who travelled over the Hardanger plateau in 1821. He is said to have calculated its height by throwing stones over the edge and measuring the time before they reached the bottom, using his pocket watch. With heart rate and blood pressure back to normal after coffee and waffles at the Fossli Hotel perched on the edge of the precipice over the waterfall, we proceeded to our next stop. The chance to drive across the great Sysen Dam, built with rock blasted out when the new part of the road had been built, was not to be missed by those still thirsty for adventure. From here we continued across the wild, harsh environment of the Hardanger plateau to our lunch stop at Halne Fjellstova. Having consumed locally caught trout from the lake and

33 Concours Day traditional fare of cloudberries and krumkaka we set off on the drive back along the same route exchanging the old road for the new. The experience of driving through the new tunnels opened in 1986 can only be described as driving down a giant corkscrew! The following morning we left the orchards of Hardangerfjord behind us and headed north for our three night stop at Loen. We caught the ferry from Brimnes to Bruravik and while some took the 4.7 miles (7.5km) long Vallavik tunnel route to Voss, others opted for the steep climb up from Ulvik. The narrow road continued along the pretty, wooded Espelandsdalen. We passed by the Skjervefossen near Voss and the Tvinnefoss on the road to Vinje, from where we ascended up and across Vikafjell at 3235 feet (986m). On the descent to Vik, the impressive Sognefjord, the longest of the Norwegian fjords, came into view. With Trevor and David Lewis 1929 New Phantom limousine de ville bowling along in front of us the scene was complete as we continued on our way to Vangsnes and our next ferry crossing. Watched over by the enormous statue of Fritjov the Viking, given to the Norwegian people by the German Emperor Wilhelm II in 1913, we took the ferry from Vangsnes to Dragsvik and thence drove to picturesque Balestrand, favoured by artists since 1820. Lunch was arranged at the very interesting Kviknes Hotel dating back to 1877 and owned by the same family ever since. In the 19th Century architects travelled to Europe and were taken by the Swiss style of architecture. A wooden structure with its balconies, verandas and series of gables, Kviknes is a typical example. Kaiser Wilhelm came here and two chairs which he used are on display. It seems early tourists were quite prepared to pay to sit in a chair used by royalty or the like! After this welcome break we set off again on the final leg of our journey to Loen. We continued along the pretty Bårddalen valley, up and round the inevitable hairpins to a viewpoint where we could look down on the twisting road below, then along Gaularfjell to Moskog and Lake Jølstravatnet. The road from Skei to Byrkjelo took us through a wide open valley where a herd of goats refused to move for Gwen Page but help was at hand. Richard Smith had already cleared the road of an obstinate cow. One word (or was it a look?) from Richard and the goats retreated without further ado. We climbed to 2067 feet (630m) on the mountain road from Byrkjelo to Utvik. The views were stunning as we looked back down the valley. Pale golden fjord Marek Milik Memorial Trophy winner Jürgen Sauthoff and his 1934 3½ litre Bentley Park Ward fixed head coupé (B144CR)

34 Kids playing in the road near Moskog! ponies grazed unperturbed at the roadside. Once on the other side of the Utvikfjellet the blue waters of Innvikfjord came into view and with the descent to Utvik we were on the last few miles along the narrow road which skirts the fjord to the Hotel Alexandra at Loen. Concours day came with the usual washing and polishing followed by the parade of winners and presentation of cups and trophies. Congratulations to them all. A list of winners is at the end of this report. In the afternoon some took advantage of our being not far from the Briksdal glacier, a branch of the great Jostedal glacier, driving the short distance to Olden then up the valley with its turquoise lakes to the glacier. Spectacular and awe-inspiring sums it up. The day ended with a wonderful Gala dinner-dance and, as is the custom, we all brought home our menu in the shape of a beautiful Villeroy & Boch plate. The following day a truly exciting coach tour was planned for us that included a trip on Geirangerfjord. We were taken via Stryn and Hornindalsvatnet, Europe s deepest lake at 1982 feet (604m), to Hellsylt. We stopped en route to stretch our legs at a spot where the old road crossed the river by way of an ancient stone bridge. At the end of the bridge was a circular stone through which, legend has it, a bride-to-be wriggled to prove she wasn t pregnant! This feat was demonstrated by one of our number, purely for the photographers! Having joined the ferry at Hellesylt, we spent an hour of sheer magic gliding through the waters of Geirangerfjord, surrounded by peaks reaching 4921 feet (1500m). It is an area of completely unspoiled natural beauty although it has been a tourist attraction for well over a century. Cruise ships have been sailing here since 1869. Suitably named waterfalls - the Bridal Veil and the Seven Sisters - fall from great heights. Opposite the latter is a waterfall called the Suitor. Its waters part over the rocks to reveal an easily defined bottle shape. The legend tells that, unlucky in love, the suitor drowned his sorrows. Abandoned farm buildings perched on meagre patches of grass halfway up the mountainside filled us with amazement. Until thirty or forty years ago they were farmed and often only accessible from the fjord. We disembarked at Geiranger where coaches took us to the Union Hotel for lunch and a visit to the owner s museum of pre-war tourers. These had been imported to take early tourists from the cruise ships to the hotel. Soon it was time to move onward and upward once again along the winding road opened in 1885 with more magnificent views back over the Flydal gorge to Geiranger. Ahead, the summit of Dalsnibba, our destination, was pointed out to us and our guide wasn t joking! We reached Lake Djupvatnet and took a left turn up the narrow Nibbevegen through a landscape strewn with huge rocks and boulders, negotiating the sharpest of bends on an unguarded road. We reached

35 1932 Phantom II Barker sedanca de ville (40JS) on the old Måbødalen road the summit at 4905 feet (1495m). Spread before us was a vast panorama with the snow capped Sunnmøre peaks in the distance and Geirangerfjord a very long way down in the valley below. Reassured by the driver that the coach really did have special brakes, the ladies took a deep breath as we began the descent understanding fully why early travellers really did make their last will and testament before coming to Norway! We rejoined the main road and the route taken brought us to the beautiful Hjelldal valley, Lake Strynvatnet and finally back to Loen. What a fantastic day out! Thursday was departure day from Loen and the start of the great trek home. We returned as far as Moskog the same way as we had come. From here we continued in a westerly direction to Førde then south to Vadheim and along Sognefjord to Lavik where we caught the ferry to Oppedal. Continuing through the Romarheim valley and numerous tunnels, we arrived in Knarvik crossing first the Haglesund Bridge with a main span of 820 feet (250m) followed by the very interesting Nordhordland Bridge which took us across Salhusfjord. This bridge is in two parts. The first part is a 4708 feet (1435m) long floating bridge on pontoons, which leads to an elegant structure 590 feet (180m) long under which ships can sail. We pressed on to Bergen and in about another twenty miles arrived in Osøyro and the Swiss Style Hotel Solstrand dating back to 1896. Its views across Bjønafjord, with its little On the old Måbødalen road tree covered islands like floating cushions and the Hardanger mountains in the distance, made it the ideal resting place after a long day s drive. Good use was made of the free day here. While some visited Grieg s house with its wealth of mementoes, some visited Norway s oldest (1146) Cistercian monastery ruin at Lysekloster and others went into Bergen. During dinner that evening children from the local school sang and played the piano for us. Further entertainment was provided by David Webster who gave a most enjoyable impromptu performance on his fiddle. Finally, a spectacular fireworks display announced the end of a very successful Rally. Of course, for some, things didn t always go according to plan but there was always a helping hand close by. On the day we arrived, John and Sue Haresnape came to the rescue and brought Claudine and the luggage to the Ullesvang Hotel when the dynamo bearings failed in Pierre-Michel Singer s Phantom II. When Graham Thompson s Bentley threw a tantrum Wolfram Schmid turned up in his Silver Dawn, produced a remedy in the shape of a rotor arm and Graham was on his way. Derek Harris had the distributor brush which Doug Clark needed, Dennis Haynes assistance and advice was much appreciated and Yngve Sjøberg s presence proved invaluable. The late afternoon departure of our ferry to Newcastle gave us the best part of a day to spend in Bergen. Yngve Sjøberg had gained permission for us

36 to park in a beautiful square, the Festplassen, where the local people could come and look at the cars and we could go and visit some of the many delights which the gateway to the fjords has to offer: the famous fish market; the Bryggen with its old merchant houses; or, the one room in an attic Theta museum commemorating a secret radio station during World War II. Very many thanks to Eri and Annie, Heinz-Günter Schuhl and Yngve Sjøberg. We all appreciate how much you put into this unforgettable Rally. It was a truly enriching experience. Of course, it will be a hard act to follow but we know that next time Eri will pull something out of the hat and it won t be a rabbit! EURO RALLY 2006 PRIZE WINNERS Rippon Trophy (Best Saloon) Peter Nightingale Nationality: British 1967 Phantom V James Young touring limousine Swedish Anniversary Trophy (Best Drop Head) Ludwig Brechmann Nationality: German (Denmark based) 1963 Silver Cloud III H J Mulliner drop head coupé European Trophy Sweden Marek S Milik Memorial Trophy (Best Bentley) Jürgen Sauthoff Nationality: German 1934 3½ litre Bentley Park Ward fixed head coupé Concours D elegance (Hotel Choice) Klaas de Boer Nationality: Dutch 1910 40/50 Silver Ghost J Mitchell Roi des Belges Best Continental Entrants First: Pierre-Michel Singer Nationality: Swiss 1934 Phantom II Thrupp & Maberly drop head coupé Second: Klaus Oemchen Nationality: Swiss 1986 Bentley Continental Mulliner Park Ward drop head coupé Best Uk Entrants First: Trevor Lewis 1929 New Phantom Barker limousine de ville Second: Dr Ibby Ibrahim 1998 Olympic Silver Spur III LWB Saloon Scenic view from Ullensvang Hotel PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF ANDREW HONOUR

37 JUNIOR MEMBERS On 1 July 2006, the Club introduced a junior membership category for the first time. In the first three months alone, fourteen junior members have already joined the Club in their own right. The Bulletin will periodically carry a Junior Members page reserved exclusively for comments, anecdotes, reports and, of course, pictures submitted by our junior members. One of the recent junior members to join is Craig Hall and I leave it to him to introduce himself. Craig Hall aged 7½ months, Euro Rally, Heidelberg, 1999 Dear Editor, My name is Craig Hall, I am 7 1 2 years old and a member of the Essex Section. I would like to be a junior member of the RREC as I have been on many car events. I have been on six Euro Rallies, the first being when I was only 7 1 2 months old to Heidelberg. There was a picture of me on page 58 of Bulletin 237. Craig Hall (centre) aged 7 years with his Australian cousins in 2006, and 1936 20/25 Barker sedanca de ville (GLJ75) We now do most of the rallies in Dad s 1931 Phantom II as there is lots of room for me to spread my toys out! I have spent many hours in the back of that car travelling all around the different countries (and quite a few hours sitting on the side of the road when Dad s car fails to proceed). I was really pleased to hear that there are going to be junior members in the Club. Yours sincerely, Craig Craig Hall (centre) aged 7 years with his Australian cousins in 2006, and 1930 Phantom II Hooper landaulette (165GY) JUNIOR MEMBERS

38 Spares Corner The front passenger door of my Bentley T2 would not open. In addition, the central locking worked correctly except for the recalcitrant passenger door which locked and immediately unlocked itself. Usually, these are symptoms of a problem in the linkage to the door lock. However, in this case, the knob on the rear of the window sill has no effect. Pressing the knob caused the door mechanism to lock and immediately unlock itself, just as the central locking did so. Therefore, something else was causing the problem. I decided that the door panel had to be removed in order to investigate the cause of the problem. To remove the door panel with the door shut on a T Type or Shadow is not an easy task. It is considerably easier if the door is open so I pressed the button in the handle and applied a strong pull. The door opened half an inch. Encouraged by this small but positive step in the right direction, I closed then opened the door several times, muttering an incantation using words my Mother would not understand. It worked and the door opened. The cause of the problem was that the rubber seal around the door had split and wrapped itself around the lock assembly. The seal had become brittle and broke into pieces as I attempted to remove it. I ordered a replacement seal, part number UB 31535 from Jack Barclay. It arrived next day and fitment was straightforward using a blunt screwdriver. I checked the remaining door seals and treated them with rubber renovator, a clear liquid. A suitable renovator is part number 82149400195 from a BMW garage. The remaining seals were checked again a day or so later and found to be flexible. Replacement of the door seals, particularly the front ones, reduces wind noise. Just as the condition of the spare wheel carrier under the boot is a good indicator of the condition of Shadow/T Types or derivatives, a quick indicator of whether these models are regularly serviced is the sponge filter under the air intake grill on the scuttle at the bottom of the windscreen. The part number for this filter is UB 19273 and it should be intact under the air intake grill. If the black plastic sponge material is not visible in the slots of the grill, the Shadow or T Type to which it is fitted is likely to have spent some time since its last service. The clean and glistering 1927 Hooper Limousine Phantom III owned and cared for by Clive and Enid Green is a regular sight at Southern Sections and Derby Phantom Register rallies. I am indebted to by Tony James SEPTEMBER 2006 Clive for a tip about parts for Stromberg carburettors such as the twin choke type fitted to the Phantom III. A single stroke Stromberg carburettor was fitted to 25/30s, 25/30 Wraith, Silver Wraith and Silver Dawn. They were also fitted to the famous flat bed side valve Ford V8 engine. If you are on-line to the internet, look for www.stromberg-97.com and select Stromberg Service Parts from the menu. Before your intrigued eyes will unfold an array of illustrations of new parts which have not been seen for years. For those of you who prefer traditional communication methods, Stromberg Carburettor Ltd, IP12 4PS, England can be contacted by telephone: +44 (0)1473 811 700 or fax: +44 (0)1473 211 508. For many years, Healey Bros Ltd in Irthlingborough has supplied parts particularly for early post-war cars from Mark VI and Silver Dawn through Silver Cloud/S Types to Silver Shadows. As well as mechanical and electrical parts, Healey Bros has supplied repair panels for these models. Eric Healey has decided to retire and therefore he has arranged a merger of all his parts and panel sales with Introcar Ltd who, from 18 September 2006, supply all Healey Bros parts as well as their own from their premises at 1 Manorgate Road, Kingston upon Thames, KT2 7AW, Tel: +44 (0)20 8751 5642, Fax: +44 (0)20 8546 5058. Eric says that the joint stock holding will exceed 3million. My Silver Cloud has a full set of original tools. However, I keep an extra tool in the boot at all times. Have you ever been frustrated when, as a result of a puncture, you have attempted to remove the offending wheel? Over exuberant tightening of wheel nuts at the tyre centre means that the puny wheel nut spanner and T-bar in the tool kit are not powerful enough to slacken the wheel nuts. Thus the tool in my Cloud s boot is an extending L-bar wrench set. This has a half inch across flats male end which fits into any standard half inch socket. Just select one which fits your wheel nuts. This tool is available from various suppliers. Mine is a Draper, part number WM 17/19 and is available at any motor accessory shop or from Draper Tools Ltd, Hursley Road, Chandlers Ford, Eastleigh, Hants, S05 5YF, UK, e- mail: sales@drapertools.com. If you have difficulty obtaining one, it can be ordered, part number S0472, from Sigen Tools, Tel: +44 (0)1284 757 500. A useful tool which I have mentioned is a noncontact digital infra-red thermometer with a built-in laser point to indicate the point of temperature measurement. I have received several contacts stating that the supplier I mentioned no longer

stocks the item. In response to each enquiry, I search for a new supplier because no company seems to stock this item for very long. However, S C Parts Group has advertised the thermometer and has informed me that they will do so for some time Tel: +44(0)1293 847 200 or on-line at www.scparts.co.uk. They have a sister company, LIMORA, which holds the same parts in Bucholz, Berlin, Aachen/Aix la Chapelle, Amsterdam, Paris and Warschau. From time to time, I receive requests about how to fit an alternator to models fitted with dynamos. Provided that the alternator has a built-in regulator, the task of replacing the dynamo is relatively straightforward provided that suitable brackets can be made to position the alternator so that it can be driven by the fanbelt. How much more convenient would it be if the alternator looked like and had the same dimensions as a dynamo? It may also be possible to fool concours judges perish the thought! However, if you really fancy doing so, S C Parts Group advertises an alternator with a built-in regulator which looks like the original Lucas dynamo. You could have an authentic charge of the lights brigade. There are occasions when the passing of a character, whose ardent and lively interest in Rolls- Royce and Bentley motor cars, is the cause of more than usual sadness and mourning. Such a character was Frank Cooke in the USA who combined enthusiasm for and profound knowledge of the marques with a strong desire to inform and educate anyone willing to listen. On Saturday 23 September 2006 an historic event took place at The Vintage Garage, North Brookfield, Massachusetts, USA, home of the Frank Cooke collection. On that day, Bonhams & Butterfields held an auction of automobilia and motor cars from Frank s collection. The cars included several Bristol and Springfield 40/50hp Silver Ghosts complete with original or replica coachwork such as a replica armoured car. There were several rolling and display or test-bed chassis. A Phantom I chassis had an estimate of $1200-$1500 and a Silver Ghost rolling chassis was at $25000-$35000! The automobilia section was a veritable treasure trove of parts magnetos galore, lamps in abundance, instruments, Klaxon and Bosch horns, steam engines, a Paddle launch, and even a horsedrawn sleigh. The estimated prices were obviously set at levels to tempt enthusiastic buyers. For example, a 3½ litre Bentley test-bed engine was estimated at $1500- $2000 and Springfield Phantom I test-bed engines at $3000 to $4000. There was even a Merlin engine at $12000 to $14000! 2007 20 MAY 2007 CHARTERHOUSE The South of England Rally in 2007 will be held at Charterhouse h on 20 May 2007. As members will be aware, 2007 is a special year for the RREC and this will be the fi rst major Rally in our 50th anniversary year. The Rally will largely ly follow the usual pattern but the school has requested that as far as possible, for security reasons, members pre- book. To be sure of a place on the Rally fi eld in front of the school, therefore, members will need to have pre-booked their place. This will ensure that there is no overcrowding on the main fi eld itself and that we know in advance who is coming. Formal notifi cation of the Rally will be sent out in the next Bulletin. DAVID EVANS

40 Please send your address and cheque (made payable to ʻRREC Northern Sectionʼ) to: Grosvenor Ltd, Bridgeside, Squires Gate Lane, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY8 2SN

41 2006 ANNUAL RALLY AND CONCOURS 17-18 JUNE 2006 KELMARSH HALL, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE Following on from the report and photographic coverage in the last Bulletin, I wish to add my sincere thanks to all of the team who managed and helped with the setting up, hospitality and catering at this year s Annual Rally and Concours giving special thanks to all the marshals and judges. Without your support and dedication there would be no Rally. It is worth mentioning again that we are all volunteers giving our time and services free for the benefit of you the members of our Club, striving to provide a professional event for everybody to enjoy. We cannot please everyone but from the letters, e-mails and phone calls received, Kelmarsh Hall proved once again a popular venue being well located and accessible together with the ground being relatively flat and unobstructed allowing a more compact layout. The return to a prize-giving parade ring and bringing forward the prize-giving timetable worked well and will continue for 2007. Unfortunately, some of the area was not useable due to heavy rainfall during a previous event. We don t have control over the weather! As you no doubt have read, we are returning to Kelmarsh Hall for 2007. The Rally team is currently planning this event with full co-operation from Kelmarsh to include some unique and special attractions for this very special weekend. One of the main specific displays will be a marquee depicting the growth and milestones in the Club s first 50 years. If you have or know of any artefacts, photographs, cars, etc, particularly from the 1950s and 1960s, please call Duncan Feetham who is coordinating the display. His contact details are on page 2 of this Bulletin. The Rally field layout will be similar to this year which proved to be a very practical and workable arrangement. A comment regularly received is how spread out the event is and could we not be more compact or choose a site that is. Whatever site we use or however it is laid out, parking in excess of 1200 cars with necessary roadways, collecting area and prize ring, 60+ trade sites, Club marquees, Bonhams and caravan parking area, fills approx. 50 acres (20 hectares). While on the subject of car parking, our Chief Marshal, Jane Pedler, has asked that if you would like to offer a little of your time to marshal cars Left: Douglas Reece s 1936 William Arnold sports saloon (B39GP) GOLDEN JUBILEE 2007 ANNUAL RALLY AND CONCOURS 16-17 JUNE 2007 KELMARSH HALL, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE into their respective classes - she would be very pleased to hear from you. Her contact details are also on page 2 of this Bulletin. The more marshals we have the less time each will need to be on duty and free to enjoy the day. Speaking with our Chief Judge, Charles Tabor, he would very much like to recruit more Judges. Judging is a very important aspect of the day as without judges prize giving would be very difficult! Being a judge really is rewarding as it gives the opportunity to scrutinise the cars entered and talk to their proud owners. Does this appeal to you? If so, please ring Charles straight away - he really will appreciate your call. Evening 01702 585889, Office 01702 545730, Mobile 07773 408461. The usual application form for the Annual Rally entry pack will be included in the Jan/Feb 2007 Club Bulletin. Included in this Bulletin are Suzanne Finch s advance details for the Club s Annual Dinner Dance which this year will be held in Daventry. Thank you for your support. TREVOR BALDWIN Annual Rally Chairman

42 Riverside Spectacular 16 SEPTEMBER 2006 One of the more unusual events in which the Club has participated, the Riverside Spectacular was a most memorable occasion enjoyed by well over a hundred RREC members in some sixty cars. The venue comprised the grounds of five riverside houses and the Staines Sailing Club along the River Thames at Egham. Were all the properties symmetrically-placed and with easier access by car and by foot life may have been simpler, but far less interesting! Moving from house to house, and lawn to lawn through gaps strategically placed in hedges (and in one case via a moored pontoon kindly provided by the Environment Agency) made it all great fun. Parking all the cars on various lawns and driveways was only accomplished with the cheerful cooperation of everyone who attended for which the hard-working Surrey Section marshals were grateful. Provision for non-club cars was through a park-and-ride from nearby Thorpe Park courtesy of Bell and Colville who kindly provided a number of Subaru vehicles for the day. P & A Wood were very supportive of this charity 1928 20hp (GFN71) H J Mulliner saloon Voted Best Car of the Day Dunkirk Little Ship Hilfranor event, with Andy Wood and his staff bringing a new Phantom demonstrator, the famous and delectable 1912 Greyhound London to Edinburgh Silver Ghost, a couple of classic Rolls-Royce motor cars for the auction and a 27 litre Merlin aero engine which they fired up to everyone s delight. It says quite a lot for our host and the brains behind this charity day Professor Donald Longmore that he could call on the support of such a prestigious establishment as P & A Wood but, as we were to find out, Donald clearly had many good friends in high places who responded warmly and freely to his charitable aims. A number of Dunkirk Little Ships, proudly flying their colourful bunting and burnished brass plaques graced the riverbank, while their owners provided a fascinating static display of their Association s continual efforts to preserve an important part of our Second World War heritage. After seeing their presentation one was left feeling somewhat ashamed of our government s negligible efforts to preserve such a tangible part of our history while at the same time very grateful to these cheerful volunteers who devote their lives to such a cause for the good of the nation. It seems that the continual task facing the Association of Dunkirk Little Ships is to raise funds to rescue a vessel from oblivion and then, having restored it, to sell it on - invariably at a loss as the restoration costs are high before moving on to save another. Needless to say it is a very deserving charity. Sadly its Honorary Admiral, Raymond Baxter, who was to join us, passed away in hospital the day

43 Lord Jeffrey Archer (auctioneer for the day) before at the age of 84. Raymond Baxter was of course famous for his part in Tomorrow s World, as a radio and TV presenter and a Spitfire pilot. He was also the only RAF pilot to have shot at a V2 Rocket (it took off vertically in front of him as he was low-level strafing over northern France, and he couldn t resist giving it a burst. He remarked that afterwards he was rather pleased it didn t explode!) After a barbecue lunch provided on the lawns of the Sailing Club, the event was officially opened by His Worship the Mayor of Runnymede and a Blessing given by the local Reverend. Donald Longmore then explained that the idea of the day was to raise money for three worthy charities - the Association of Dunkirk Little Ships, CORDA the Coronary Artery Disease Research Association and the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation and asked everyone to bid generously in the forthcoming charity auction. It was announced that the winner of the Best Car of the Day, as chosen by general consensus, was John & Vicky White for their delightful 20hp H J Mulliner saloon, registration number UL7174. There then followed two remarkable musical renditions, the first by the Ladies section of the Magna Carta Barbershop Chorus followed, after the auction, by the equally entertaining Male section. Lord Jeffrey Archer took the gavel for the auction sale and showed the enthusiasm for which he is wellknown in getting the best out of bidders in the name of charity. Although some of more expensive motor cars failed to sell, good prices were realised on many of the lots. These included a family day ticket to Thorpe Park which sold for 175, a weekend for two at the Runnymede Hotel for 225 and two trial helicopter lessons which reached 400. A 150 mile flight in one of only two remaining WWII two-seat Spitfires seemed cheap for such a unique experience at 1400, as too was 300 for a flight for two in a Cherokee around the Isle of Wight as guests of Bert Thompson the ex-senior surgeon at St Thomas Hospital, and Sir Stan Simmons, ex-president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. A healthy 600 was accepted for a flight in a fully restored 1930 Gypsy Moth piloted by Andy Wood. This aircraft was originally sold to Bentley Motors and is similar to the one used by (Sir) Francis Chichester for his historic round-the-world flight. A weekend sailing for two in an en-suite cabin in a 28 ton sailing yacht in the Solent fetched 500 while a cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance scan at the Royal Brompton hospital worth over 1500 fetched a slightly disappointing 1200. The use of a Lotus, Saab or Subaru (with a full tank of petrol) went for 250 while a magnificent vintage, fully restored and epoxied Dragon Class yacht suitable for classic yacht races such as the St Tropez classic week, reached 3500, just under the reserve, but was sold later by negotiation. One of the highlights of the sale was Fermain V, a magnificent 40 foot Dunkirk Little Ship which had been running free trips up and down ready for us during the day. Sound and ripe for conversion from an open boat into a splendid motor yacht, this was offered at a very modest reserve but failed to sell. The condition and priceless historical value of the vessel were tempting, but any prospective buyer is of course faced with the enormous problem of its mooring and upkeep. A trip for ten people in a 109 year-old steam launch with its original engine (built for Maxim Gorky originally to power an aircraft) from Cowes with lunch and a visit to the Royal Yacht Squadron castle fetched a worthy 500. A beautiful and very sporty slipper launch was knocked down at 16000 - just below its modest reserve so whether it changes hands will depend on some negotiation with its charitable donor. A 12ft Fairey Marine Firefly dinghy, handsomely restored by our host Donald Longmore reached a satisfactory 700 while a new wooden skiff a work of art and the ideal boat for lazy summer afternoons on the Thames sadly did not find a bidder willing to meet the seemingly low 5000 reserve. Two items, both of a historically related nature, were purchased after keen bidding by our auctioneer Jeffrey Archer, who humourously remarked that he would have some explaining to do to Mary when he got home. The first lot was a hefty chunk of oak from Nelson s HMS Victory along with the essential Certificate of Authenticity for which he paid 400. The second was a round veneered dining table, made from oak from HMS Victory which fetched 4000. At the time of writing the total amount raised has yet to be tallied, but the day, as well as being most novel and enjoyable for those who attended, raised a considerable sum for the three worthy charities. Our thanks to everyone, especially our hosts, our helpers and our sponsors, for making it such a success. ANDY COURTNEY Surrey Section Secretary

HRH Prince Edward, Prince of Wales (see Editor s Notes)

46 REGISTERS Goodwood Revival at the start line Derby Bentley Ramblings I had the great pleasure of going to the Goodwood Revival in early September 2006 where just walking through the pre-66 car park is a treat in itself. A pleasure made greater by the sight at the exit from the car park and at the entry to the main concourse of a Derby Bentley. I wish I could report on an E Hall style Derby Bentley taking on the WO Specials and Napier Bentley, themselves a great sight at full stretch, but alas cannot. Instead I can only offer the thought of A35s driven by Jackie Oliver and Tony Jardine pushing Derek Bells Mark 1 Jaguar to the limit. I do not remember the A35s of my youth ever going that fast or holding the road that well. A good number of our members were wandering around both the race track and the vast array of stalls and when I met the Tinkerer, for once not telling tales in his garage workshop, he kindly passed me a couple of articles he had acquired. One was on the 4 1 4 and published in June 1936 in Motor Sport and the other by Raymond Mays in November 1944 in The Motor. Both make fascinating reading and I will pass you various excerpts in future Bulletins. In order to tempt your senses and remind you of the marvellous writing of that time, the following is a small excerpt from the June 1936 Motor Sport article on the newly launched 4 1 4. Driving the car through London traffic, there is little to suggest the high performance obtainable on the open road, though the close set steering wheel, the controls all ready to hand and the good visibility leave no doubt as to its suitability for handling at speed when the opportunity occurs. A gentle murmur from the engine, coming as it appears from a great distance, is all one knows about the source of power, and the car wafts along noiselessly on top gear almost down to walking pace,

47 CLM972 Park Ward 4 1 4 per The Motor Sport June 1936 picking up cleanly when the accelerator is depressed. In a word, a car of perfect manners, well suited for playing the town carriage when the owner s work or pleasure takes him into streets and built up areas. The performance in top gear is equally striking at higher speeds, and unless the absolute limit of performance is required, there is rarely need or even inclination on a main road run to drop down to third. Main road hills such as those leading up to the Devil s Punchbowl near Hindhead, with a gradient of perhaps 1 in 12 and usually climbed at sixty on third by the average sports car could be negotiated at 65 to 70 mph on top with the Bentley in a silent and DYY783 1937 4 1 4 Park Ward Drophead (B186KT) effortless climb. Undoubtedly the Magic Carpet up to date. If there is a legitimate reason for the utmost haste, a train to meet, a forgotten appointment or just a fine summer day when ones (sic) feeling of joie de vivre becomes irrepressible, the Bentley is more than competent to cope with the situation. The picture of B3GA accompanies the article a Park Ward four door saloon with an interesting provenance in that it started life as B83FC. Of course once the 4 1 4 was announced the demand for 3 1 2 chassis disappeared and so B83FC was accelerated along the production line to become the magnificent vehicle which inspired Line up at the Northumberland Weekend such poetic prose and huge plaudits from the reviewer. Report on the Northumberland Expedition Cars from the length and breadth of Great Britain and the Channel Islands arrived at Linden Hall outside Morpeth for another great gathering of minds, thirsts and stories. A lovely autumnal day enticed some to Alnwick to see the gardens and castle and others to Lindisfarne for the peace and sheer spectacle of Holy Island. The cars sparkled and we all enjoyed the sheer delight of motoring on almost deserted roads in truly unspoilt scenery. The company was tremendous with old friends and new all lingering far too long, unwilling to break up their little gathering to move to the next stage of our timetable. Food and drink were plentiful and exceedingly good and the staff at the hotel were smiling, welcoming and nothing was too much trouble. It was a sybaritic experience throughout. Julian and Libby are to be congratulated and thanked most thoroughly for putting together a marvellous weekend. On the Saturday evening our Registrar, Douglas Reece, made a presentation to James and Sian Tucker for their long service to the Register. This was the result of a most generous collection from the members and they received a beautiful hand made glass vase, a truly period suitcase encased in Morgan leather straps and an

48 Presentation to James Tucker on the Northumberland Weekend envelope containing theatre tokens. James was greatly touched by these lovely gifts and thanked all those there and those missing, not just for the superb gifts but for the companionship and friendships which they had enjoyed and appreciated so much throughout the life of the Register. He reminisced on some of the incidents over the many varied trips enjoyed by the Register and congratulated Douglas on raising the Register to new and greater heights and Julian on providing even better fun and frolics than ever before. James and Sian send their heartfelt thanks to all members for the great support given to the Register and especially for the friendship and help they have enjoyed so much. James then went on to make an award The Spirit of the Register. This was to be an annual award made at the discretion of the Registrar, although this first time Douglas had kindly allowed James to choose the recipient. He said it was to a member who had shown the truly great attributes of a good Club and Register member; namely a gentle kindly eccentricity, great good humour, big hearted generosity, and support and encouragement to members, non members, and the Register itself. He singled out Ian Tierney to receive the award for 2006 a slightly ridiculous but very beautiful ceramic hare. Ian was chosen because of his marvellous and utterly ridiculous but always kindly good humour, his willingness and ability to make all feel welcome, his great contribution of technical articles throughout the years, and his enormous generosity of spirit exemplified by the sharing of his technical knowledge, his resources and his time to the benefit of others. He is truly a worthy first recipient. Of those attending, several were Derbyless due to some rather nasty unmentionable problems. This gave rise to the following poetic musing from one of our Scottish number: Our Derby broke, which was rather sad Coz it s taken us all over, But the weekend was great, what fun we all had And at least we were dry in the Rover! On Sunday, it was slightly damp and misty to start with as Julian had arranged in order to add spice to the treasure hunt! Finding a gibbet in a swirling fog in the middle of a totally barren moor is a true experience in life s rich tapestry. After a great lunch the lovely weather returned so we could appreciate the scenery and even find the road. An altogether great weekend. Correspondence I received a letter from Colin Hughes expanding on the last moment change to the Derby Bentley Radiator (see July/August Bulletin). He writes: James, In your Bulletin article on the Derby Bentley, you mentioned that Cowen instigated the change to the radiator just before the launch of the car. I don t disagree with that, but the reason he did so was because Pass of Pass and Joyce and Jack Barclay both felt it looked cheap and that the shell was like an American car or a Vauxhall. This I picked up browsing some of the Rolls-Royce correspondence Peter Baines put out along with other papers on a Friday before a Derby Bentley Technical Seminar about four years ago. The thing that interested me was that they switched from a thermostat in the water circulation (eventually used in 1938 with the M series) and the wire stone guard to full thermostatic operated shutters like the Rolls-Royce. The cost must have been substantially higher than the Rolls-Royce version as all the shutters are different sizes and handed while the Rolls-Royce ones are all the same. Why didn t they

adopt fixed shutters and the thermostat? Were they also still worried that antifreeze mixtures weren t good enough or that customers would forget to put antifreeze in? I didn t see that in that particular correspondence. Late Silver Ghosts had thermostats in the coolant flow, but switched to manual shutters with the New Phantom, almost certainly because of the lack of decent antifreeze. Does anyone have any well founded knowledge of how they arrived at this decision? The inevitable speculation is that given the Company s belief in and attention to quality, and thus major testing programmes on all aspects of their vehicles, the only choice they had at that late stage was to adopt a well known and proven approach regardless of cost. I delved in to Nick Walker s Bentley 3 1 2 and 4 1 4 book as I vaguely remembered that he too had delved through that correspondence. He mentions that there had been some Continental testing of the radiator set up earlier in the year and, as such problems as had shown up then could be solved relatively simply, it gave them sufficient confidence to incorporate the change at the very last moment. He also mentions quite a number of other last minute changes which had to be worked upon and there is little doubt that there was a great deal of pressure on all concerned to meet the timetable of announcement in September, the Olympia Show in October and deliveries starting in November. A time of year when anti freeze should be on one s mind! Other comments would be most welcome. JAMES TUCKER Correspondence Following my article on door locks in B277, I received this e-mail from Keith Munro which he has allowed me to reproduce brave man! Dear Douglas, I thoroughly enjoyed your article in the Bulletin. I suffered a similar problem with my VDP Pillarless. Unfortunately access to the door lock assembly is not so easy in my car and I have still to fathom a way to access it without dismantling the whole door. As a temporary measure to maintain security I purchase a pad lock with a removable hasp that could be fastened round the two n/s door handles. The other doors can be locked internally. This worked admirably until last year when on our way to the Annual Registrar Event we stopped for a comfort stop near Swindon. It was not until we came to restart the journey that I found that I had slid the lock onto the hasp with the keyhole on the inside(!), just sufficiently to prevent inserting the key. OOOPS! Have you ever tried to call the AA to a pre-war car, especially one with a foreign registration number? A somewhat bemused patrolman eventually managed to insert the key by dint of reducing the length of the key so that it could be inserted with a pair of long nosed pliers. (Thinks! must get one of those pen knife things to carry in the pocket, all my tools were (locked) in the car). Ian Tierney s article on steering and front suspension in the last Bulletin raised several points which need to be addressed in greater depth. During the production run of our Derbys the factory became aware that certain cars were prone to the dreaded jaggers and produced a modification to help overcome this problem. It is planned to publish details of this in the next Bulletin. Very many thanks to Julian and Libby Paul for planning such a superb Register event in Northumberland which was greatly enjoyed by all. DOUGLAS REECE Registrar Finally A very Happy Christmas and Tremendous New Year to all members from your Bell Ringing Registrar, Douglas Reece, your Master of Enjoyment, Julian Paul, and your Occasional Scribbler James Tucker. We all look forward to your company during 2007 and to the continuing enjoyment of our fabulous cars. JAMES TUCKER News Editor for the Derby Bentley Register 20hp 49 The generosity of the 20hp owners is amazing; donations have exceeded 2000; my sincere thanks. It goes to show that the members want an active Register. I am delighted to say that Tom Jones has agreed to take over as the Registrar from 1 January 2007. Tom s contact details can be found on page 4 of this Bulletin. The 2007 Tour to Louviers, Picardy, has been very well supported and I had to decline some bookings as we were at capacity. Twenty five 20hp motor cars with four other Club cars are booked and three 20hp had to be refused as there were no rooms available. Plans are in hand for 2008 and the region has been decided, the choice is the eastern Le Loire, which we have never visited. A survey trip is being undertaken in April 2007. The biggest problem was to find somewhere within 185 miles or so of the French ports and which would offer a variety of interesting venues. The 20hp on the Le Loire trip which failed to proceed was due solely to clutch wear and not oil on the clutch plate. The clutch plate was down to the rivets! The motor car arrived back with the owners ten days later by low loader from France complete with everything inside a wonderful service given through Red Star - the Club insurers. The majority of motor cars insured on their policies are automatically covered. I suggest you sit down and read all the documents issued with the insurance policy. If you do not own a 20hp motor car but are interested in the model and the Register, you can become a member of the 20hp Register without owning a 20hp. Just send the full details of your name and address, phone and e-mail details please. If you would like to enclose a donation towards the Register, this would be appreciated. Unfortunately, as one attends events, sometimes some slight

50 1928 Weyman saloon (GYL49) damage to the bodywork on one s car is discovered, once you are home after the event. Recently when attending an event, a Club member, unwittingly, was running his hand around the wing of a Club car. I pointed out to him that he might be unaware but the buckle/strap on his wrist watch was in fact catching the paintwork he had completely overlooked the fact and had never given it a thought. 1926 Barker coupé (GZK39) Once it was pointed out to him he was very apologetic and was completely unaware of the problem which could be caused. Reflective waistcoats. By now, I trust you have obtained at least one and keep it inside your Club motor car and also your everyday transport not in the boot! They MUST be worn by ALL in the motor car prior to exiting your motor car on the public highway in the event of failing to proceed. When you are out of your motor car and on the public highway it is too late! Ensure that they are readily available to put on whilst INSIDE the motor car. I believe it will soon be a legal requirement in the UK as it is already in France and Spain. Recently, returning home after the opening of The Peter Baines Wing, we saw a 20hp stopped on the roadside so we turned round and offered assistance. The owner was very pleased with the offer. The car was a 1928 20hp doctor s coupé by Windovers. I was unable to solve his problem but thought it could be the condenser - the mag did not appear to work petrol was getting to the carb. We left him after about an hour once he had arranged a tow home. Fortunately, he lived locally. We discovered there was no chassis plate on the car which he had owned since 1956! And he knew nothing about the workings of it! Amazing what one comes across in the wilds of Hampshire on a Sunday evening. Having sold our Silver Dawn we went out to look for another Club car and we found a Bentley Brooklands Mulliner. Having checked it out and purchased it, we then discovered that it was too wide for our garage! We had asked the width prior to purchase and were told 78. Knowing our garage entrance to be 83 we thought there would be no problem. However, when we got the car home we discovered the car was 80.5 wide and the wing mirrors did not fold in! The car had to be returned to the seller. We have now decided that the six cylinder cars, such as Silver Cloud I or S1 are the best and they will fit our garage. So we are once again looking for a very nice one in excellent order. The moral is: Do not trust others, always check yourself! The next 20hp Newsletter will be out before Christmas once again it will go to all 20hp owners in the Club, with the final chance to complete and register your 20hp motor car and naturally yourself on the 20hp Register. Application forms to join the 20hp Register are

51 1927 tourer (GRJ56) at Chateau du Plessis, Loire Valley available from me (with SAE please) from The Hunt House or in the next 20hp Newsletter. With the colder weather approaching, now is the time to do those jobs on your motor car. If you are laying up for the winter and do not wish to use her. Then apart from the annual oiling, changing the oil, putting her up on axle stands unscrew the plugs, put a trickle of Red-X into the plug hole, give the engine a half turn on the handle and replace the plugs finger tight for the winter. Either disconnect the battery or put it on a trickle monitor charger. Check you have the correct amount of coolant in the system. I have a dehumidifier in my garage and do not cover the car, as I think that this can lead to paint problems and micro blister. As oil does collect moisture, even when standing, it is worth considering oil changes twice a year. My UK telephone number is 01243 266575. However, my winter phone number is 00 357 26 947 013 (note: local time is GMT + 2 hours). KEITH JAY Registrar Mark VI & Silver Wraith Diamond Jubilee Rally On Sunday 10 September 2006, having serviced and checked over our 1952 Silver Wraith Rippon Bros sports saloon (WVH4), we left Peterborough for the 218 mile journey to the Inn on the Lake, Glenridding on the shore of Ullswater for the start of the Rally. When we arrived in the afternoon there were already several of the thirty five expected Bentley and Rolls-Royce cars in the car park. We were warmly welcomed by Malcolm and Sandy Hobbs and Peter and Joyce Parsons and given the all-important folder giving in great detail the events they had arranged. Members of the BDC whose 70th Anniversary International rally overlapped ours, joined us for a reception. On Monday we were split into two groups to visit Brantwood, home of John Ruskin and Bill Bateman s Motor Museum. The visit to Brantwood was made by a Solar Launch, which had borne Donald Campbell s body to his final resting place. The day dawned a little bit grey and misty and for those of us who took the launch in the morning, the journey was quite ethereal and the mirror images on Lake Coniston quite spectacular. Brantwood is the former home, and now museum, of the 19th Century Prophet John Ruskin, an artist, painter and social critic who did much to bring to attention and improve the working and living conditions of ordinary people. Bill Bateman turned out to be an energetic ninety year old, who was in his element describing the background to his interesting collection of rare cars, motorbikes and Automobilia. Most of his cars were peers of our own steeds, being built in the 50s and 60s. They included Alvis, Rileys and Sunbeams, Daimlers, Hillmans, a Nash Metropolitan and our organiser s favourite, a rare drophead Bristol, to name but a few. The return route took us via Hawkeshead a little town with quaint and delightful shops and tearooms and Windermere. Anthony and Iris Porter, R Type (B456TN), were grateful for a hand to enter their car having locked the keys inside and Rex and Brenda Crevald, Silver Wraith Hooper Teviot (WCB60), showed

52 Lake District Weekend. Three of the four Red Label cars picked out at Bentley Motors: left to right; B4AK, the first production chassis of the Mk VI cars and owned by Selwyn Crabtree; Anthony Attwood s Mk VI saloon, B35MB; and, Keith Meehan s delightful Facel Metalon Mk VI coupé the conversion to LPG to interested members. Tuesday 12 September 2006 was brewery day. The journey to Cockermouth included the Whinlatter Pass. We followed Terry and Janice Ward s Arnage Red Label (YCX04019) and Edward and Sylvia Dedman s Continental R (VCH53433). It was a test for both drivers and cars prior to parking in a private field and being ferried by mini bus into Cockermouth and Jennings Brewery. Not all toured the Brewery, with some preferring to enjoy the lovely town and rummage through the many antique and bric-a-brac shops. Vic Clark reported that the Brewery building looked immense, reminiscent of a 19th Century workhouse. However the inside was filled with modern stainless steel brewing equipment. The guide explaining the production process pointed out that whilst they have an abundant supply of soft water from the fells, some brews needed this water to be hardened. Opportunities were taken to taste the ingredients and the Chocolate Wheat received universal disapproval. Ugh! At least that was made up for by the delicious smells emanating from the fermenting tanks. After the tour the tasting room proved very popular, the only restriction being that which could be safely consumed before driving home! Three return route options were offered to allow for condition of steed, nerve of driver and depth of wallet for those amongst us that found the delights of shopping in Cockermouth irresistible and who were favoured with a direct route along the A66. We took the longest route via Crummock Water and Honister Pass, having a 25% gradient in a few places, en route to Keswick. WVH4 needed first gear near the summit, as a descending motorist did not give it priority. Bob Riding was about to leave the Slate Museum in his Silver Dawn (SPG79) as we passed. Those who took the Northern Route, via Caldbeck, also reported stunning scenery. On Wednesday 13 September, a short drive took us to the Mediaeval, Tudor and early Georgian Dalemain House and gardens where a very knowledgeable guide explained the significant features and happenings during its lifetime in the same family since 1679. A garden tour had also been arranged specially for those who had a deeper understanding of horticulture and they were rewarded with lots of tips on growing plants and shrubs which like arid conditions. The cars of Malcolm and Sandy Hobbs Mk VI 4 1 2 Freestone and Webb sports saloon (B80BH), Trevor Baldwin s Silver Wraith Rippon Bros sports saloon (WVH4), Vic and Christine Clark s R Type Continental (BC6A), Dick and Sally Lees Mk VI 4 1 2 saloon (B382MD) and David and Yvonne Hall s Silver Wraith (FLW52) (owned by their family from new)

53 We were to learn later that four intrepid heroes had taken the 155 mile 1946 route, which crossed the bleakest moors and avoided all dual carriageways, and had accomplished this feat in a journey time similar to the easier route we had taken Laurie Allen, Chairman of the Rolls-Royce Testers Association, enjoying a chat with Register member Anthony Attwood during the Ullswater Cruise parked in front of the house for a photo shoot with the local press and with all other cars neatly parked in the courtyard behind the house. Having toured the house and gardens we were free to either return to our hotel or drive to Alston where the film Oliver was shot. However, late afternoon found us all trooping down to the jetty for a very relaxing trip on Ullswater aboard The Raven, where we partook of delicious canapés and fizzy drinks! Prior to and after dinner we were entertained by Laurie Allen, a test driver at Crewe during the era our cars were made. His stories and video, which included actual film footage travelling through France in a Silver Wraith and on the MIRA test track in Olga, proved these cars were really tested. During dinner our grateful thanks and gratuities were directed to the lovely staff that had looked after us so well in the dining room and delivered excellent food. This brought to a conclusion part one of a rally, which had so far proved well organised, entertaining and delivered balmy weather, for which the Lake District is renowned! No one was complaining. On Thursday 14 September, with suitcases packed and stowed in our cars, we left Ullswater for Shrigley Hall in torrential rain. Our organisers detailed several route options, all of which were ignored by most of us! We were to learn later that four intrepid heroes had taken the 155 mile 1946 route, which crossed the bleakest moors and avoided all dual carriageways, and had accomplished this feat in a journey time similar to the easier route we had taken. Much to the amusement of the organisers, we Bob Riding s Silver Dawn (SPG79) with Malcolm Hobbs Mk VI Freestone & Webb Sports saloon, (B80BH) spent some hours in a traffic jam just short of the M6! However, all cars arrived safely, joining the weekenders for the Crewe celebration weekend who had similar tales of woe to impart. The rally was now seventy four cars and 143 people and that first night was taken up with getting to know each other. Those of us who started on Sunday were beginning to get used to having to choose routes and we were not disappointed. Friday gave us the choice of being educated on the industrial revolution at Quarry Bank Mill or testing our cars still further on a route around High

54 Peak. Linking both options was a visit to the Anson Engine Trust. The scenic route took us to the Cat and Fiddle, where a lot of the early test drivers used to have lunch. The views were fantastic, but the PVC windows showed that nowhere is safe from the march of progress. Anson Engine Trust has a vast collection of Crossley and Gardener engines, including an Atmospheric engine dating from 1875, which was started up for our benefit. Many other rare makes were present and tucked away in one corner was a Rolls-Royce Crane! Amongst the more rare engines was a Fielding oil engine, which Malcolm Hobbs unearthed from a tarpaulin in the Yard with much glee. It transpired that he had served his time with that firm and his father had commissioned that engine around 1925. Not that he knew how it worked! Front of Dalemain House Everyone brushed up nicely for the Gala Dinner in the magnificent church, built by the monks when Shrigley Hall was a monastery. It was an evening of good food, good wine, lots of laughter and excellent speeches from Richard Charlesworth, Head of the Bentley Experience, Bentley Motors and Ian Rimmer, Chairman of the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts Club. Commiserations were sent to Jenny Ford, Chairman of the Bentley Drivers Club, who gallantly had decided that her duty lay in overseeing the move of the BDC Headquarters that weekend. All of this was accompanied by the music of the Newlights Big Band, who proved to be fantastic, not too loud, so we could still chat and catch up on the day, whilst playing all the tunes we like to dance to. And so it was up early on Saturday for the great day at Bentley Motors. The organisers expressed disbelief in the fact that everyone had left Shrigley Hall by the appointed hour, but such are the manners of Bentley and Rolls- Royce owners that most of us cannot imagine anything different. Mind you, the tantalising thought of a good lunch was a significant incentive! B124MD, owned by Dana Milik from Belgium, did have a failure to proceed in Macclesfield, but in proper Bentley fashion, the car made it to Crewe, with help from a breakdown truck, which, mercifully, no one photographed. Once again the group expanded, with a further thirty four cars driven by members of both clubs, who were joining in the Bentley Motors celebrations for the day. We were also joined by members of the Rolls-Royce Tester s Association, led by Laurie Allen, now an old friend of the Rally. Our cars were divided into three

groups. The first group were the red labels, of Selwyn Crabtree s B4AK, the earliest Mk VI chassis, wearing one-off H J Mulliner coachwork, Anthony Attwood s superb standard steel Mk VI 4 1 2 Bentley (B35MB), Keith Meehan s gorgeous Facel Metalon Mk VI B98KM and the last Rippon bodied car, Trevor Baldwin s Rolls- Royce Silver Wraith (WVH4), which collectively provided a vista of the range of styles offered to the lucky owners just after the War. This benchmark group of cars formed a backdrop to the entry to the lunch marquee and later took pride of place inside the factory for Sunday s Open Day. The blue labels were a collection of Register cars, which illustrated further the diversity of style between 1946 and 1955, from Mk VI, R Type, Silver Dawn, Silver Wraith, R Type Continentals and the specials, the latter having brought new leases of life to the sturdy chassis whose original bodies had passed their sell-by dates. Those without labels provided a montage of the sixty years of Crewe production, from the Mk VI to the Silver Seraph and tucked away in the line up was Suzanne and Nick Finch s 3 1 2 litre Derby Bentley with Thrupp and Maberly saloon coachwork. They claimed they were providing the heritage bit. Legislation permitting, most of the cars present should still be providing joy to the world in sixty years time. Bentley Motors did us proud. We had a marvellous two and a half mile walking tour of the factory, where we saw the Continental GT, Flying Spur and Arnage models in various states of undress. We marvelled at the technological advances that the Company has made in manufacturing method, the attention to detail at every stage and the options that we could specify from Mulliner. The lunch provided in the marquee was of a standard that the best hotels in the world would find difficult to match, when catering for some 250 guests. Bentley Motors Chairman and Chief Executive, Dr F-J Paefgen welcomed us and past Managing Director of Rolls-Royce Ltd, Motor Car Division, Sir David Plastow, then stated in reply what we all knew from the earlier tour, that the Crewe workforce were still delivering products of which they could be justifiably proud. After lunch, most of us made haste to the Bentley Shop where they were having a Sale, which delighted many, as could be seen by the number of black and silver carrier bags being toted around! Keen drivers hurried to the driving tests, designed by Bentley Motors and RREC Club member John Beecroft. The Bentley test involved throwing an Arnage around a circuit carefully designed to test your ability to adapt to a new car. Nick Collins took the honours on the day. To win John s test, you had to know your own car and that honour went to Colin Hughes, driving someone else s car! Meanwhile, the ladies selected their favourite car, Vic Clark s Bentley R Type Continental. Bentley Motors asked Selwyn Crabtree to leave his Mk VI in the museum. We understand that they are still negotiating! All too soon it was 1600hrs and the cars had to be moved into the factory area for display on the Sunday at the Open Day. Having tucked up our cars for the night and availed ourselves of a muchappreciated cup of tea in the reception area of the main building, we returned to the event field, where we found that the luncheon marquee had been turned into a bar area, various mobile food outlets were doing a brisk trade and the fairground had started up. We had all been given orange plastic wristbands to wear and these, we found, had the miraculous effect of ensuring that the food and drink on offer was free of charge throughout the evening. As the light faded on a surprisingly balmy evening, activity on the outdoor stage commenced. The main act was a performance by an excellent Queen tribute band not to everyone s taste perhaps, but hugely enjoyed by many of us as 55 well as the thousands of Bentley employees and their families who had joined us for the party. While the Freddie Mercury look-alike strutted his stuff, preparations were being made for the finale, a truly amazing firework display. To say it was impressive would be an understatement and there was a buzz of excitement on the coach as, tired but happy, we returned to the hotel. This will henceforth undoubtedly be the benchmark against which any future firework display will be judged! The coaches were used again for our trip to the Wedgwood Visitor Centre the next day. The tour was self-guided, commencing with various displays and information on the history of the company from its beginnings to the present day. Did you know that the company was originally Wedgwood and Bentley, Josiah Wedgwood having formed a partnership with his friend Thomas Bentley in 1769? Although our visit took place on a Sunday, a few employees were there to demonstrate their skills as we moved on to the manufacturing process and this proved fascinating. Inevitably, the tour concluded in the ubiquitous factory shop where many men could be seen with hands firmly in pockets. Whether this was through fear of knocking over any of the displays or because they were protecting their credit cards is up for debate! At the allotted time, we were rounded up to be guided to the Wedgwood staff dining room where an excellent traditional Sunday lunch had been laid on especially for us. As this was our last meal together, Trevor Baldwin took the opportunity on behalf of everyone to express warm thanks to Malcolm and Sandy Hobbs and the rest of the organising team for what had been a memorable and fitting celebration. Finally, we boarded the coaches for the return trip to Crewe to be reunited with our cars before departing for home. TREVOR BALDWIN, SYLVIA DEDMAN, VIC CLARK & SUZANNE FINCH

56 S E C T I O N N E W S Central Southern Section The picnic season is now finished for our Section and, as far as I can remember, not one meeting has been adversely affected by the weather. As there is little else to report other than past events I will mention them briefly. At the beginning of August 2006 I hosted, for the third time in four years, a hog roast on the lawns at Staddles in Fishbourne near Chichester. After lunch we were entertained by a demonstration of archery by the local club calling themselves the Chichester Bowmen. Following that, members were encouraged to have a go themselves under the guidance of the six bowmen. It was a popular event, which attracted one hundred members and guests. Later in August 2006 Maurice Pitchford had arranged a visit to Glynde Place House near Lewis where Lord Hampden himself conducted tours of the house for some groups he being the owner! This year s Section Annual Rally was superbly organised by Anne and David Steel, where sixty or so members stayed for a week in the Mosel Valley at Mulheim in Germany. Several other RREC rallies in the past have used the Hotel Richtershof and, I must admit, the food, wine and accommodation was up to the high standards to which we have become accustomed. Besides a riverboat trip and a tour of the Roman town of Trier and others, we visited the Nurburgring and drove round the circuit. Our thanks go to Anne and David for the excellent rally they did four recces to make sure it all went as smoothly as clockwork! The last event before signing off was a repeat visit to the Hollycombe Steam collection at Liphook in Hampshire where we could return to our childhood days and go on the steam driven fairground rides once again. Our thanks to Simon Buck and Andrew Honour for the event. TONY LEACH Future Events Sunday 3 December 2006: Christmas Lunch and AGM, Southdowns Country Hotel, Trotton Sunday 21 January 2007: Lunch, The Spur at Slindon Sunday 25 February 2007: Lunch, Petersfield Golf Club Club cars on display at Trier with our host for the visit Gilbert Haufs-Brusberg and Malcolm Henderson (with hat)

57 East Anglian Section Our motoring season has been one of the very best for some years and we will have full reports in our Section Newsletter and in Bulletin 280. The reports are not in this Bulletin for two reasons: one is that my laptop will not send e-mails from where we are in Spain at the time of writing and the other is it is late due to a broken aeroplane. But, as they say, that s another story. Our trip to the USA for the Frank Cooke auction went very well. Again, photographs and a report will have to wait until Bulletin 280. We have most of the programme for next year sorted but there are two events for you to note in your diaries. As you all know, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Club in 2007 and our Section also celebrates its 40th year. We will be having our Section s 40th anniversary rally at Fanhams Hall Hotel, Ware from 21 to 24 August 2007. All Section members will get a booking form with their next Newsletter. Also, for the Wheels on Road event, on 12 August 2007 we will be holding a celebratory luncheon and picnic at the Three Horse Shoes at Wareham, Wells Next the Sea, Norfolk. Details and times will follow in our Newsletters. The Section AGM and Christmas luncheon will be held on 10 December 2006. I am looking forward to seeing you all there; happy motoring for the rest of the season. TERENCE G WRIGHT The monthly pub evenings continue to be well supported and will be held over the winter months at: First Tuesday: A new venue has been arranged details as follows: The Dun Cow, Cowpit Spalding (Pam Herd for details on 01775 72237) Second Tuesday: Wayford Bridge Hotel, Wayford, Nr Stalham (John Bebbington 01493 669433) Third Tuesday: The Wheatsheaf, Stow, near Cambridge (Victor Stirling 01223 293193) Fourth Tuesday: The Three Horseshoes in Warham. From 18.00. Meals are available from 18.30 20.30, (Iain Salmon 01328 710547) Fourth Thursday: Mikes Barn, Woodbridge area (Mike Darby 01473 735075) Future Events 10 December 2006: AGM and Christmas Luncheon, Diss, Norfolk 12 August 2007: 50th Anniversary Wheels on Road, The Three Horse Shoes, Warham, Norfolk 21 to 24 August 2007: Section Rally to Commemorate the Section s 40th year, Fanhams Hall Hotel, Ware East Midlands Section This report contains details of the final two months of our summer programme. From October 2006 we revert to one main (Sunday) event a month and the pub meet at The Anchor Inn at Hathern on the 3rd Thursday of the month. We have had a very popular and busy season of summer activities, generally with good weather. The events since the last Bulletin report have included: Harewood Weekend 4 6 August 2006 Thirteen of our Section members stayed at the Majestic Hotel in Harrogate, the hotel arrangements being made by Section member Jeff Dennis. On Saturday, the drive was very popular and extra copies of the route had to be printed. It was about 100 miles, driving to Helmsley and then through narrow and winding roads past Rievaulx Abbey to Osmotherley, and back to Harrogate via Northallerton and Masham. Many thanks to David Towers and John Newton for organising this interesting and scenic drive. The Sunday rally at Harewood House was very popular with over 400 Club cars on the grass in front of the house. Two of our Section members cars were in the parade John Newton s 1949 Bentley Mk VI (B398EY) and Giles Orton s 1960 Bentley S2 Continental 2 door convertible(bc82ar). There was an interesting (and noisy) demonstration of a 27 litre Merlin aero engine at the end of the day. Picnic at Elvaston Castle and Tom Telfer Trophy Sunday 13 August 2006 John Newton organised this Chairman s picnic at Elvaston Castle, near Derby. It has been owned by Derbyshire County Council for over thirty years, but only basic maintenance has been carried out. We were given an interesting guided tour of the house, which ended in the orchid house on the top floor. Ken and Jean Brittan brought a friend who had been a student there in the early 1940s and she was able to see her bedroom of more than sixty years ago on the top floor. At this event, the Tom Telfer Trophy was awarded for the best post-1965 car. Tom Telfer was an enthusiastic committee member, and held the posts of Secretary and Chairman. Sadly, he died in 2001, and this award is in his memory. Rob Bell and Les Barker judged the cars and, after careful consideration, they judged Fred Davenport s 1982 Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit (CCH04245) as the winner. The trophy was presented to Fred by the Section Chairman. The weather for this event was probably the least good of the summer. Although it was cloudy and often threatening, the only significant amount of rain was about a quarter of an hour during the afternoon. Thank you, John Newton for organising this interesting and enjoyable event. At this evening event last year it rained heavily

58 20/25 tourer (GSR47) at Lupin Farm just as we left. This year, it rained heavily in the afternoon before we arrived and there was no electricity when we turned up at 1930hrs! So, our first round of skittles was in candlelight! It was a competition between owners of 6 cylinder and 8 cylinder cars, which was won by the 8 cylinder cars. Electrical power resumed for about half an hour, just sufficient time to produce some hot food. However, just before starting to eat, there was another power cut, so we ate our food also in candlelight! The second session was a knock-out with each member having three lives. Sharon Carnell was the winner of the second session and Marion Carnell (Martin s mother) won the prize for the first session. It was a most enjoyable evening despite the power cuts! Many thanks to Jo and Rob Bell for organising this event, and keeping us in order! Classic Vehicles Event at Lupin Farm Sunday 20 August 2006 Edwin Tipper, a Section member, invited us to this annual event at his farm near Alrewas (between Burton-on-Trent and Lichfield). Our cars were parked in a field adjacent to the main area where the other cars were parked. A number of non-members parked with us, including a very attractive 1930 20/25 tourer (GSR47), a late Bentley Turbo RT (WCH66337) and an early Silver Spirit with four round headlamps (like later Bentleys). There were 200-300 other cars at the event, mainly ranging from the 1950s to 1970s. It was a credit to their owners for maintaining these cars, which are now becoming historic. It was a very interesting and enjoyable day, and Edwin raised over 3,200 for local charities. Picnic at Carsington Water Sunday 3 September 2006 George Milburn organised this event at this reservoir near Wirksworth, north of Derby. As we drove towards Carsington, a large number of Ford Model Ts passed in the other direction. On arrival at Carsington, George arranged for us to park in a special area close to the Visitor Centre. Dennis Swain from Ashby came in his recently acquired 1995 Rolls-Royce Flying Spur (No 36 of 50 built) (SCH55437). Essentially, it is a Silver Spur (long wheelbase Spirit) with a Bentley Turbo R engine. Unlike almost all post-1955 Rolls-Royce cars, this one had a floor change, like a Bentley Turbo R. R A Babington came in an attractive 1938 Rolls- Royce 25/30 Park Ward limousine (GZR12) in yellow and black. It was a most enjoyable day, with shops and exhibitions close to our cars. Thank you, George, for suggesting and organising this interesting event. View of cars at Elvaston Castle

59 Fred Davenport and his 1982 Silver Spirit (winner of the Tom Telfer Trophy) Weekend at Hunstanton 15 17 September 2006 Jo and Rob Bell organised this event at the Caley Hall Hotel at Old Hunstanton. Old Hunstanton is on the north-west corner of the Norfolk coast, a couple of miles from new Hunstanton, the well-known holiday resort. After settling down and enjoying the Friday evening meal, most members went on the drive on Saturday. It passed through (new) Hunstanton, past Sandringham (the winter residence of HM The Queen) and then along very quiet roads to Walsingham. Then past the Thursford Museum (surprisingly closed on Saturdays) to Holt, with its famous school. From there we drove to the seaside holiday resort of Sheringham. Finally, we drove west along the coastal road, through the historic villages of Blakeney, Stiffkey, Wells-nextthe-Sea, past Holkham Hall and back to the hotel, almost 100 miles in all. After parking our cars in a special area, we had Saturday dinner together, joined by Paul Mackey, Carol, Carol s mother and David Towers who were staying nearby. On Sunday, many members went to the Craft Fair at nearby Sandringham and visited other local places of interest. It was a very enjoyable and relaxing weekend at a very comfortable hotel with good food. Many thanks to Jo and Rob Bell for organising this event. Future Events Future Events are listed at the end of this report. Our pub meet continues at the Anchor Inn at Hathern (between Kegworth and Loughborough on the A6) on the third Thursday of the month. In addition, we have our monthly Sunday lunch for the winter season. Special mention must be made of our spring weekend in June 2007, details of which are given below. For a number of years, Jeff Dennis has organised these excellent action packed weekends; they are not to be missed and they are open to members outside our Section. Jeff writes: Weekend near Whitby 2 to 4 June 2007 This year we will be staying at the Raven Hall Country House Hotel (www.ravenhall.co.uk). It is dramatically situated in the North York Moors National Park, overlooking Robin Hood s Bay, with breathtaking panoramic cliff-top views. We will arrive on the Saturday and play relaxing games on the lawn or enjoy a pleasant walk along the quiet beach. Sunday will start with a drive to the Eden Camp Museum (www.edencamp.co.uk). It is housed in a former WWII POW Camp consisting of thirty two Nissen huts. It is a unique and fascinating place. This will be followed by a visit to the North Yorkshire Motor Museum which has an extremely interesting collection of classic cars, commercial vehicles and motorbikes. The day will finish with a spectacular drive over the moors. The evening gala dinner will commence with a champagne reception, finishing with music and dancing from the 50s and 60s era. The dress code (optional) for the evening is anything associated with Heartbeat, Harry Potter and the 50s and 60s era. On Monday we will travel to Whitby, ride on the only vintage steam bus operating in the World, have lunch at the famous Magpie Fish and Chip Restaurant and finish the day by visiting the lovely quaint fishing village of Robin Hood s Bay. It is hoped that members will stay for the full two days and leave on Tuesday, but you can choose to leave on Monday afternoon, if you wish. There are so many attractions in the area that members can stay at the hotel but follow their own programme. This is totally acceptable. The cost for the Saturday is 130 per double room, dinner, bed and breakfast. For the Sunday and Monday it is 92 per double room (per night) dinner, bed and breakfast. There will be an additional charge to cover other costs, which will be confirmed at a later date. This weekend is open to all Sections and everyone is most welcome. Our recent spring weekends have been very successful, so early booking is advisable. Skittles at Griffin Inn, Swithland Thursday 17 August 2006 Further details on booking reservations will appear in the January 2007 issue of the East Midlands Section newsletter. Members outside the Section should contact Jeff Dennis on 07966 492333 for further details. DAVID TOWERS Future Events Pub Meet at Anchor Inn, Hathern. These are held on the 3rd Thursday of the month 21 December 2006, 18 January 2007, 15 February 2007 and 15 March 2007. Contact Richard Haskings on 01509 672 243 Sunday 10 December 2006: Christmas lunch at Scalford Hall, near Melton Mowbray. Contact David Towers on 0115 962 1513

60 Sunday 28 January 2007: New Year lunch at Donington Manor Hotel Contact Richard Haskings on 01509 672 243 Sunday 25 February 2007: AGM at Morley Hayes, near Derby Contact John Newton on 01773 768 883 Thursday 8 March 2007: Visit to MIRA near Nuneaton Contact Jeff Dennis on 0116 241 9371 Sunday 18 March 2007: Belvoir Drive and Lunch at Horse and Plough at Bingham Contact Jo & Rob Bell on 01455 282 491 Sunday 13 May 2007: Picnic at Uttoxeter Races Contact Martin Carnell on 01332 840 262 Saturday 2 Monday 4 June 2007: Spring weekend near Whitby Contact Jeff Dennis on 07966 492333 Essex Section We have had a busy and successful summer and by all reports the varied events were well attended and enjoyed which is a great encouragement for those on the committee. A visit to Bletchley Park in September 2006 was most interesting and educational for Second World War buffs. The professional guide, who was one of the original enigma code breakers, gave us the most interesting tour and account of this previously highly secretive location and operation where up to 5,000 people worked at one time. We completed the day with a photo shoot of our cars parked in front of this now famous house. Our May weekend 18/20 May 2007 is planned at the Old Mill Hotel in Bath, located beside the river Avon with beautiful gardens and stunning views over the countryside. A full itinerary has been arranged. To celebrate the Club s 50th anniversary on Sunday 12 August 2007, the Wheels on Road event we have arranged for our Section members is to drive their proper cars to a planned venue where we will be holding a tea dance in the afternoon and early evening. Members attending will qualify for a Certificate of Participation and entry into a Book of Record to be kept at The Hunt House. Many of our Section members have attended rallies on the continent this year, held by the Registers, Austrian Section and the Euro Rally in Norway that saw sixteen cars with members from the Essex Section. With the above in mind, our Section will be holding, for the first time, a long weekend rally in France in October 2007. Watch this space. Our pub nights are really gaining popularity. In September 2006 the car park was full with Club cars and in the bar and restaurant we had the opportunity of meeting new members in a good atmosphere. We meet at the Black Bull, Fyfield on the third Thursday of each month. Please come and join us. Please be mindful of the fact that you should make every effort to use your cars over the winter months, or at least take them for a spin around the block periodically. To wrap them up in cotton wool for six months can be costly. They will not shrink if they get wet or catch pneumonia if cold but will object to lack of lubrication, fluids lying in pipelines and corrosion building on disc, etc. Be warned, I speak from thirty years of experience working with the marque! Our Section would like to wish all Club members a Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year. TONY COPSEY Future Events Sunday 10 December 2006: Christmas lunch at Stockbrook Manor Thursday 21 December 2006: Pub night at the Black Bull, Fyfield Thursday 18 January 2007: Pub night at the Black Bull, Fyfield Saturday 20 January 2007: Quiz night at Danbury Church Hall Sunday 4 February 2007: Annual General Meeting, Three Rivers Country Club Thursday 15 February 2007: Pub night at the Black Bull, Fyfield Saturday 17 March 2007: A talk by David Bright, Danbury Church Hall For further information of future events please contact Glen Grindrod on 01279 718858 Germany Section International Spring Meeting of the German Section 28 April 1 May 2006 in Mühlheim/Main The international spring meeting of the RREC Germany Section, organised by Club member and Regional Chairman Central Germany, Hans-Günter Zach, was one of the biggest Club meetings in recent years in Germany. The meeting attracted 106 participants and sixty vehicles. They travelled to the meeting from Belgium, Austria, England and France as well as Germany. Most members arrived on Friday afternoon in Mühlheim-Lämmerspiel at the splendid Hotel Waitz. Cars were parked in the hotel s grounds and the afternoon was spent sharing warm welcomes, exchanges of experiences and a good look at the numerous Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars. As always at RREC meetings, a large range of construction years were represented vehicles from the 1930s up to the latest Rolls-Royce and Bentley models. Bentley Motors and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars generously sent two new cars. Our Secretary Götz v Kayser arrived in a Continental Flying Spur, and our Webmaster Michael Ehrhardt was allowed

61 to chauffeur Dr Klaus Mehrlich, Manager Marketing, Events and Communication of RRMC, all the way from Munich in the new Phantom. The actual start of the meeting took place at 1930hrs with an official sparkling wine reception followed by a 4-course evening meal. The dinner was highlighted between courses with atmospheric songs performed by tenor Dirk Eisermann. The tasteful decoration and selected dishes contributed to the good cheer of the guests. Host H G Zach also presented a small textile toy lamb as a welcome gift at each place setting on the tables. The German and foreign visitors had the special honour of welcoming Ian Rimmer, Chairman of the RREC. The welcoming speeches by organiser H G Zach and our Chairman, Hans-Rudolf Koch, were followed with a brief address by Ian Rimmer. He linked his first visit to the RREC Germany Section in the proper style with a toast to the Queen and the Club, expressing the ties of the RREC with the traditions of England. Some guests spent a sociable end to the first evening with a visit to the hotel s Fledermaus Bar. A few latecomers arrived the next morning. Supported by the police and eight helpers and stewards from the Motorsportclub Mühlheim, the big excursion through Offenbach County started shortly after 1000hrs. Because he arrived by plane, Chairman Ian Rimmer drove with the Bentley Arnage of Club member Zach. He had already expressed his gratitude for being loaned the Bentley in his welcoming address, but regretted ironically that, as a former Rolls-Royce employee, he would have to steer a Bentley on his first drive on German soil! The eighty kilometre tour, with a detailed route description (compiled by Josef Fonzetti), was punctuated with a brief cooling water stop and included long stretches of open countryside and passing through many small villages, finally through Seligenstadt and Dieburg to the stately home of Schloss Heusenstamm. Due to the route, the convoy quickly segmented, but the cavalcade attracted many spectators despite the inclement April weather. After most of the vehicles were parked in the Schloss Heusenstamm courtyard, many other visitors to the stately home defied the rain showers and took the chance of seeing such an unusual number of Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars at close quarters. A highlight for many was Phantom II (188PY), the Star of India, the jewel of H G Zach s collection. The appearance was crowned with a guard in original Indian dress in the person of Mr Peter Beyer in a genuine Maharaja costume. The local mayor, Peter Jakoby, was also impressed and delighted, and officially received the rally participants in the stately home in front of TV, press and many spectators. Bus transfers to H G Zach s unique private museum began at 1730hrs. After a small reception 1931 Phantom II (AJS226) with sparkling wine, Offenbach County Councillor, Peter Walter, gave a speech. The visitors were greatly impressed by the number of cars (twenty one Rolls-Royce and two Bentleys as well as a wooden 1:1 model of a Phantom II Henley Roadster suspended from the ceiling) as well as the unusual presentation of the vehicles under the conjoining motto Man - Art Machine. This collection has already been frequently mentioned in the press, television and in the Club s own publications. Besides the vehicles, it is also a visual journey into many regions and stations in the life of Hans-Günter Zach, illustrated in large murals augmented with antique furniture and objects of art. H G Zach therefore rightly considers his museum to be also a temple of art enjoyment. The County Council Chairman also praised the social commitment of Club member H G Zach who frequently supports charitable events by providing vehicles from his collection. Ian Rimmer took the opportunity for a brief, heartfelt speech of thanks and a compliment for the museum to the organiser in the name of the RREC. During H G Zach s humorous speech of thanks, the participants felt 1953 Bentley R Type (B129SP)

62 1933 20/25 sports saloon that the museum symbolises his life s work. What began as a passion for collecting cars has now become an institution giving car enthusiasts the rare opportunity to admire very special vehicles in a private collection. The museum s openness and generosity reflects the philosophy of H G Zach. Not least, this and his well known activities are the reason why so many participants were willing to travel such a long way and why the meeting was such a great success. As well as during the museum visit, at the following dinner in the neighbouring culture centre Schanz, there was an agreeable musical accompaniment by the 14-strong a-capella ladies choir Females from Mülheim. As a small attraction, Germany s biggest man, 2.3 metres tall Conni Klein, welcomed the guests at the door. Local mayor Bernd Müller was also invited and inaugurated the evening with a brief address. (Editor s comment: 2.3 metres = 7ft 7in) Besides the extensive evening buffet, a large presentation of trophies sponsored by Hans-Günter Zach himself was the first highlight of the evening. The oldest participant, member Eberhard Roll (born 1929, coming from Leipzig with a 1970 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow drophead coupé), and the participant with the longest journey, Thomas Seebacher (from Vienna with a Rolls-Royce Silver Spur), were both honoured. The prize for the oldest car went to Mar van de Kreeke, Chairman of the Belgian-Flemish Section, for his 1933 20/25 sport saloon. H G Zach also presented friendship trophies with our national colours to all participants from neighbouring countries: RREC Chairman Ian Rimmer - UK; Chairman Mar van de Kreeke - Belgium; Marcel Hoffmann - Belgium; Bart Verheyen - Belgium.; Hans-Werner Conen France; Committee member Manfred Richter - Austria; and, Mag. Thomas Seebacher - Austria. Then the three finest cars chosen by all participants in a questionnaire over the preceding two days were awarded silver cups: 1st Prize: Claus Goldberg 1953 Bentley R Type drophead coupé, B129SP 2nd Prize: 3rd Prize: Rainer Linnemann 1931 lhd Rolls- Royce Phantom II Alexis Kellner cabriolet, AJS226 Burkard Jung 1963 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III four door cabriolet, LSNW185 But H G Zach reserved the finest prize of all for his wife who, accompanied by great applause, accepted the Patience Cup in recognition of her understanding for his time-consuming passion! Our Chairman H Koch then took the stage to honour H G Zach and his wonderfully prepared Club event with a huge trophy awarded with hearty applause in the name of the entire RREC Germany Section. More trophies were then awarded by the RREC Germany Section for those accepted as junior members twenty five years ago and actively dedicated to the Club until today: Klaus Natalis; Jürgen Smuda; Stefan Weidlich; Michael Ehrhardt; and, especially, Michael Ebinger because he organised the spring meeting exactly twenty five years ago and which juniors attended for the first time. At the initiative of Club Secretary, G v Kayser, instead of paying admission to the museum, no less than 1,500 Euros were collected during dinner as a donation to an organisation helping sufferers of osteoporosis and which has already enjoyed the special support of H G Zach for many years. The evening came to an entertaining conclusion with an unannounced 50-minute show of magic by Klaus Gutelli with three lady dancers and in which the participants were also involved. So many programme items meant that there were few opportunities for Club members to make contacts and swap petrol stories. At the end of the evening there was a Flamenco performance and spontaneous cabaret by guest Manfred Richter, Austria, in the style of Hans Moser. After the bus transfer back, the evening ended for some as on the day before with a last visit to the Hotel Waitz Fledermaus Bar. The international spring meeting ended officially on Sunday morning, 30 April after breakfast and a 1963 Silver Cloud III (LSNW185)

63 collective farewell. Sixteen members went by bus and another ten members drove their own cars with H G Zach to the Museum of Technology in Speyer a fine and interesting conclusion. Just as a reminder, this meeting was completely filmed and is available to all participants on DVD as a gift from H G Zach. Looking back, this meeting that was prepared with much love and effort is a great success for H G Zach, the participants and the Club itself. The weather played along, there were no incidents and it was a glorious start to the 2006 season for the RREC Germany Section. It was wonderful that the first all-germany meeting this year was attended by participants from all over Germany and abroad. We owe our thanks to H G Zach and his dedication for this opportunity of meeting and talking with Club friends again after so many years and of spending three days with them and their wonderful cars in this setting. THOMAS AND VALESKA PARPART Great Western Section Great Western 20th Anniversary Celebrations - Sunday 9 July 2006 What better excuse for a good party was there than the Great Western Section s 20th anniversary. The venue for our anniversary celebrations was Highnam Court near Gloucester thanks to our generous host, Roger Head, the owner. His magnificently restored James Pulham designed gardens coupled with tours of the Court by section member Tom Fenton, a descendant of Thomas Gambier Parry who built the Court, provided us with a magical setting to which to add good food, drink and, music from song to swing. To bring it alive, 106 of us, dressed to impress, were matched on the opposite side of the lawn by a handsome display of beautifully turned out motorcars. The Great Western Section has always enjoyed a good mix of cars and this day was no exception. Of the fifty one cars present, nineteen were pre-war, twelve were post-war pre-65 and seventeen were post-war post-65. Most models were represented, from the Silver Ghost to the Silver Seraph and for the Bentleys, the Derby to the Turbo R. The high standards for events set previously by some of the illustrious guests were daunting to the Committee. Most of the Section's founder members were with us. Many have worked on our Committee and some have moved upwards to the Club's Management Committee. Without their commitment over the years this anniversary party could not have occurred. Those present included Mark Griffiths (a past secretary) and Roland Billson, both regular attendees and the driving force twenty years ago behind creating this Section. Also there was Valerie Smallwood, another past Secretary, who penned the name The Great Western Section and still Founder Chairman, Malcolm Tucker, and former Treasurer, Suzanne Finch, prepare to cut the celebration cake organises superb events for us from time to time. Our Founding Chairman, Malcolm Tucker, who steered us through eighteen years with a light, but informed, touch on the tiller was present. And Suzanne and Nick Finch, past Treasurer and Secretary respectively, and masters of organising big events at National Level joined us too. One realises that the Section is not just fortunate to have such long term friends, but that those involved today in creating events have been well trained. Of course, time has brought its changes. Many of us missed the dry humour of Barry Harris and his fleet footwork on the dance floor. Apparently, the man who said a new section in this area would be unsustainable and then, with Gwynneth our current Treasurer did so much to ensure that it would be a success. We also missed the company of George Birrell and Mike Hase, but were delighted to receive from them messages of best wishes for the day. It was also time to say farewell to a long serving Bentley Mk VI (B31KL). Founder member Oliver Perks had decided that it was time to travel in a smaller more economical car and, to ensure that he would be recognised in his Austin Ruby at future events, he was presented with a Rolls-Royce cap! A grand display of Section cars at Highnam Court

64 well as novices taking part and, for good measure, section member Liz Carter s son, Andrew, competed which added that little personal touch to the event. It was a superb location and an interesting event. Our thanks to Gwynneth Harris for initially setting it up. CHARLES RENDALL Great Western Section s 20th Anniversary celebration cake So is the Section still up to it? According to Malcolm Tucker, the answer on the day was decidedly yes. He and Suzanne Finch cut the birthday cake and toasted the next twenty years. Prizes were distributed to David Smith and John Leighton David for bringing his James Young DHC 3 1 2 Derby Bentley (B39BL) - the car that our host Roger Head would most like to have left behind to complement his Barker bodied Silver Ghost tourer (135AU), and John, a new member of the Section, for bringing his Silver Spirit (BCH01624), judged by Malcolm Hobbs, Chairman, as the best presented post-65 car on the day. Margaret Ball, another founder member, our Deputy Chairman, collected from us 437.84 for the Pied Piper Appeal, our host's sponsored charity, which ended the formalities of the day. All that remained was to enjoy the music as the shadows lengthened before taking to our carriages at 1900hrs. Perhaps the nicest thing said about the day came from Mary Simmons with her paraphrased quote: "Truly an occasion on which whatsoever was done, was rightly done in true Rolls tradition." So, fellow committee members, thank you for all your hard work and fellow members, thank you for your support. We start the next twenty years on a high. To stay there we cannot just crank the handle, we must continue to find novel events and, to quote our Club Chairman elect, we must "keep the cars on the road and have fun doing it". MALCOLM HOBBS Wilton Horse Trials Sunday 30 July 2006 Held in the grounds of the Wilton estate with the impressive house in the background, this event was a perfect and relaxing way to spend a Sunday afternoon in good company. Centrally parked we had a panoramic view of all the various activities taking place. Approximately 250 immaculately turned out riders and horses took part in the competition consisting, of dressage, jumping, and cross country. There were top riders and horses as Clevedon Flower Show Sunday 27 August 2006 This was a really enjoyable day, traditionally English in its makeup from the Flower Show on the front and the sea to the Garden Party at Kenn where we all partook of the afternoon cream teas and several even played croquet. We were the biggest section present with our twenty Club cars ranging from Margaret and John Ball s Silver Ghost (YE55) to Ken Lane s Silver Seraph. However, strangely, the star of the whole day was a car that wasn t there! We all expected to be able to say goodbye to Oliver and Phillipa Perks 1951 Mk VI (B31KL) but unfortunately a flat battery put paid to that and instead they turned up in their treasure of an Austin Ruby. Of all the Club cars that Oliver has taken under his wing over the many years (and there have been nearly every mark represented), the Mk VI is to be the last but with a twist that completes this particular cycle. The car is going back to the Birley family that first owned it and we hear that the car will be bringing its new owner into the Club. We hope Oliver, who is a forty five year Club membership man, and Phillipa will continue to join us from time to time. They will always be welcome. GWYNNETH HARRIS Shhhhhhhhhhhh A Secret Location Wednesday 27 September 2006 We placed our trust in him and he did not fail us.. Such was the tenor of comments made at the end of a mystery trip on Wednesday 27 September when, not knowing what to expect, Richard Welch took us from Clevedon to the village of Drakelow which is in the middle of nowhere but somewhere near Kidderminster. All we knew was that we were going to see an establishment shrouded in secrecy for over fifty years that does not appear even on the local maps. We set off at 1615hrs in a luxury coach and, after collecting Nicholas Finch at Michael Wood, eventually we found ourselves alighting at the Crown and Sandy s in Ombersley where the staff provided us with a silver service of fish and chips or ham, egg and chips. Just after 1900hrs in the gloom of early evening dusk we found ourselves on private property with no public access and walking through a small door that clanged shut behind us, plunging us into a secret world 150ft below the Bunter sandstone of Blakeshall Common. Although an 1840 s village originally stood on the hill, it was derelict when, in 1936, the government first considered the need for increased aero engine production and by 1941 was planning the excavation

65 of over six million cubic feet of sandstone to create an underground factory, hastened no doubt by 14 November 1940 Coventry blitz. The maze of tunnels, bunkers and rooms covering 8,066ft of a 16ft wide main corridor and 8,928ft of connecting galleries mostly 19ft wide, took sixteen months to construct and fit at a cost of over one million pounds. Managed by the Rover Company of Birmingham, production of the Rolls-Royce Mercury and Pegasus and Bristol Hercules engines duly started. Drakelow, covering some 53 acres, was one of only four such underground factories and had its own dormitory, canteens, social club and sick bay as well as a BBC sound studio. In addition, hostel accommodation was constructed adjacent to the site. The site was a storage base for Rover in the 1950s, it reverted to the MoD in the 1960s as a nuclear bunker, as MoD storage in the 1980s and was then sold to a private consortium in the 1990s. Only a small part of the workings is now safe for guided tours through the damp and cold tunnels, paint peeling from the walls, flickering lights and sometimes torchlight, but the three enthusiastic guides who took us round are the only people now trying to preserve the area, and are fighting a losing battle to keep it open. It was all rather spooky, but a vivid reminder of war time shelters and the valiant efforts of engineers who built the complex that remained a secret from the world until the mid- 1990s. Rumours as to its previous and present use still abound and it would indeed make a splendid place for hiding anything or anyone, but the cost now of making good and maintaining even a small part of the works would be prohibitive so it faces an uncertain future. We were privileged to have had a two-hour tour of part of this little seen establishment and the chance to pay tribute to those who manufactured the aero engines for the planes that won the war. To Richard Welch our grateful thanks for his superb organisation of the event catering for our every need (including coach entertainment of Rolls-Royce events videos), to his wife Sheila for her excellent navigation and to John and Margaret Ball for allowing us to park our cars in their garden. ROD AND CELIA FITZHUGH Ireland Section On Saturday 27 August 2007 the Section was invited by David and Pauline Flood to attend a Jazz festival at Mount Stewart House featuring the New Orleans Jazz Band. Unfortunately, the weather was most unpleasant, the rain being incessant, so much so that when David and Pauline invited all present to accompany them to their nearby home, there was no hesitation and two Silver Ghosts, two Silver Clouds and one Silver Shadow plus passengers descended upon Hildegarda where they were, as expected, treated to the legendary Flood hospitality. It was such a pity that the weather, unlike that of last year, was so unkind, but nevertheless, a most enjoyable time was had by all. Thank you, Pauline and David. One week later, on Saturday 2 September 2006, on what must have been another of the wettest days of the year in Northern Ireland, we opened our marquee for visitors to the Kilbroney Show. We were delighted with the numbers of visitors at the Show who called at the marquee to renew old friendships and to strike up new ones. During the day, Shirley Marsden, Hazel Moffatt, Anne McSweeney and Dorothy Cooper kept all our visitors supplied with food and beverages, and special thanks are due to them for the cheerful manner in which they discharged their catering ministrations. Another special word of thanks goes to Arnold and Jean Imrie, who supplied copious quantities of wine and sandwiches, and, of course, we cannot forget Iain and Elma Kane, who also supplied those present with wine. It is recognised that many Section members are a generous lot. Also, during the day, we were visited by Alan and Elizabeth Bridgham just before they set off on a Round Ireland Challenge to raise funds for the fight against Diabetes. Along with others, they started the Challenge from Kilbroney. This praiseworthy event was masterminded by the Banbridge Old Vehicle Club to celebrate their 25th anniversary, and we congratulate them. This involved an arduous trip around Ireland without a lot of sightseeing, to quote one official. It is a source of pride to the Ireland Section of the RREC that Alan and Elizabeth were the outright winners of the event which raised the goodly sum of 2,500 for research into Diabetes, a disease which, as we know, can be controlled medically but which brings much anxiety and discomfort to sufferers, and can lead to dangerous complications. Even eighty four years after the isolation of the hormone Insulin by the brilliant team led by the Canadian doctor, Sir Richard Grant Banting (1891-1941) (Nobel laureate in 1923), whose family had some roots in Northern Ireland, a cure has not been found but determined research continues, as it must, and funds are constantly needed. When a proven cure is found, the eternal flame outside the Banting Museum will be extinguished forever. While on the subject of fund raising, we must congratulate the organisers of the Kilbroney static event on raising (during the last ten years) the total sum of 165,000 for various local charities. Old vehicles could not be put to more noble use. We were pleased to have twelve Club cars at our Kilbroney stand, all of them looking beautiful despite the soaking they received on their way to the event. On 15, 16 and 17 September 2006, in totally contrasting meteorological conditions, the Section held its Autumn Rally in glorious sunshine at the Park Hotel, Virginia (County Cavan, not USA!) We had a commendable entry of twenty three cars, and on the Saturday the participants all headed for Belvedere House in County Westmeath. The

66 restoration and preservation of this historic house is a fine tribute to the local Council s foresight in acquiring it years ago for restoration. During our visit we were treated to a falconry display in the grounds. While these birds of prey, with ferociously long and sharp claws, were on the loose, our Chairman s wife, Hazel, was seen to keep her much loved shihtsu, Timmy, under strict close order protection! Who would blame her, in the presence of those dangerous-looking, but utterly magnificent, avian residents, which were, needless to say, under the control of experts? At dinner that evening, it was announced that our Chairman s 1910 Silver Ghost (1283) had been selected by a vote of all the entrants as the most desirable car present. Raymond was duly presented with the striking Connaught Trophy, a hand-crafted faithful representation by Keith English of a Rolls-Royce radiator. This most suitable trophy had been generously presented to our Section by the Connaught Veteran and Vintage Motor Club in 2004. A true work of art, it emphatically displays the flair and talent of Keith English. After a short run on the Sunday, the entrants reluctantly departed for home, taking with them memories of another most satisfying outing. FINBARR FRANK CORRY Future Events 2 December 2006: AGM at Ashdown Park Hotel, Gorey, County Wexford Our long-suffering Secretary, Carol Plunkett, will be writing to all Ireland-domiciled members of the RREC with full details. All members are strongly asked to attend, so that the Section Committee will be able to gauge the requirements of our members into the future. 19-21 May 2007: Rally in Northern Ireland 29 June - 1 July 2007: Rally in West Cork 20-22 July 2007: Rally in County Wicklow. 12 August 2007: Wheels on Roads Rally at Glasson Golf and Country Club, Athlone, County Westmeath. Mid-September 2007: Autumn Rally To be confirmed Middlesex Section The majority of the meetings for this year have come to an end and it is rewarding to look back over a very successful season. We seemed to have been out every weekend in one or other of the Club cars to an event with our section or one of the surrounding areas. Unfortunately, Destination Westminster had to be cancelled because of the current security situation. I was really looking forward to another visit to The Mother of Parliaments this year. Chiltern Open Air Museum Why is it that the route to all these rural events is often along narrow roads with overtaking bays and you always meet someone on a bend or, in this case, a miniature version of the Tour de France? There had been rain the night before so when we arrived we had to be escorted down a pedestrian track by someone walking in front with a flag as the road was not passable. However, there was a wonderful turnout of all makes and models parked on Skippings Field. There was a lot to explore as the site covers over forty five acres with more than thirty historical buildings rescued from oblivion. The village green had a display of prams and cycles of all ages attended by people in period costume encouraging you to try and ride or push them. The green was bounded on one side by a barn, the home of The Hawk and Owl Trust, and on the other by The Thame Vicarage Room full of beautifully finished models of royal coaches. Other attractions included a toll house, cart shed and forge. Our thanks go to Brian Packman for arranging an enjoyable and different day out The Royal Hospital Chelsea On a wet and windy day in August we returned to the popular attraction of The Royal Hospital Chelsea to visit The Chelsea Pensioners and look around the Hospital. Apart from the surroundings it was memorable for the fact that we had more pre-war Club cars than post-war cars. We were greeted by Company Sergeant Major Keith Payne who was to be our guide dressed resplendently in his red morning coat and black shako. He gave us a brief history of how the Hospital was built by Sir Christopher Wren for Charles II and explained the living arrangements of the pensioners and how each of them lived in a 9ft x 9ft room. We walked through Light Horse Court which was originally built for Charles II s cavalry who would not mix with the ordinary infantry. Then to Figure Court which has, as a centre piece, a statue of Charles II covered all over in gold leaf and dressed as a Roman pro-consul, apparently the vogue of the day. We recognised this court as the setting for The Founders Day Parade always attended by one of the Royal Family. We had to wait while the service in the chapel finished which is attended regularly among others by Margaret Thatcher who was there as usual. On the wall are plaques to fallen heroes of the past with battle honours we can only speculate about today such as Lucknow, Badajos, Salamanca, Corunna and, of course, Waterloo. The Great Hall is used for meals and has the names of battles in which the British Army has fought on boards all around the walls including the latest, Afghanistan. It was even used for the court marshal of Captain Bligh of the Bounty,

67 army entrance examinations and the lying in state of The Duke of Wellington. From the ceiling hung various flags, four from the United States including a New York regiment which were captured in the early 1800s. We were invited into the mess for drinks before a very enjoyable lunch and talk with the pensioners, who have to change from their red frock coats into blue for eating. On route to return to the cars we visited their museum which is open to the public and well worth a visit. Some of the pensioners eagerly climbed on board when invited for a trip in our Club cars. Ashlyn s Hall On an overcast day towards the end of August we joined the Jaguar Drivers Club (area sixteen, Herts) for a car show at Ashlyn s Hall set in the beautiful Chilterns near Berkhamstead. Apart from the Jaguars which included some remarkably new models as well as the ubiquitous Mk 2 and charismatic E Type there was also a good smattering of other classic models and makes. We were parked separately and our Club cars made a striking display against the backdrop of the Hall. A piper in Highland dress had staked a claim to an area near us and we were regaled with the Black Bear, All the Flowers of the Forest and, more remarkably for being out of place, the European National Anthem. The owner of Ashlyn s Hall and Club member Bill Hughes had his Silver Ghost on show and gave rides in his 1911 Napier for donations to charity. As it was a Jaguar show most of the prizes went to that make but believe it or not the best car in show was a Bentley S3 Continental owned by Peter Ingram. I really enjoyed the day as it had everything you require for a great day out even a brass band whose rendition of the Dambusters March was very stirring. Our thanks go to Bill Hughes for arranging and organising the show and, knowing Bill, putting up and taking down all the show as well as decorating the field and more than likely doing the gardening as well! TIM NEALE North Eastern Section Visit To Souter Lighthouse, Sunday 3 September 2006 This was a new event thought up by Chairman, Cynthia Fairley, who is always on the hunt for something different for the Section. A pleasing turnout of twenty seven members and friends assembled in the lighthouse car park mid-morning with an assortment of cars of the two marques. It was particularly pleasant to meet new members Alan Laidler and his partner from north of the Tyne. Most of the group enjoyed a coffee and refreshments in the café before being formally welcomed by our guide Alan who explained some of the fascinating history of the world s first lighthouse to be powered by electricity. The north Durham coastline had probably the worst record of shipwrecks in the country during the Nineteenth Century, so Souter was built during the 1860s to provide the most technologically advanced solution to this problem. Alan explained the engine room and machines used for powering and maintaining a lighthouse, all kept in full and pristine working order, although this National Trust property has not functioned as a lighthouse for many years. We were then invited to explore the rest of the buildings with special displays and working exhibits, the highlight being a trip up some seventy six narrow steps to the lantern area with its wonderful views across both the Tyne and Wear harbour entrances. Our guide Marie was a fund of information. Early afternoon saw a procession of our cars proceeding along the South Shields coastline for a late Sunday lunch at the Little Haven Hotel overlooking the gateway of the River Tyne. We were able to see a small amount of river traffic entering and leaving the harbour. After a leisurely lunch the group departed for home and all agreed it had been a most interesting and informative day. Thanks to Chairman Cynthia for all her work and attention to detail in arranging this. (She told me to say this!) TONY FAIRLEY Northern Section Our late summer events have covered a diverse selection of venues, including a steam fair, an autojumble, a weekend in the Lake District, Tabley House and Northwich Salt Museum, Liverpool Cathedral and the Willis Organ maker, an after lunch talk by Martin Henfield, the ex-bbc news presenter, and our annual visit to The Hunt House. Although I am writing this in September, with temperatures in the mid 20s, by the time you are reading it you will be thinking about our Section Christmas Lunch on 10 December 2006. This year we are going to Briar s Hall Hotel which is one of our regular Noggin & Natter venues. We have had a couple of events there earlier in the year and they are promising us a superb Christmas Lunch, with all the trimmings, at a very attractive price. The day before, on 9 December 2006, we will be visiting BAE Systems at Warton. This is the home of the Eurofighter Typhoon and we expect to see the assembly hangars, as well as servicing areas for the Tornado, Harrier, Hawk and Nimrod aircraft. Plans for 2007 are already well in hand. On 21 January 2007 we are planning a lunch followed by a quiz which is being organised by Roy Books, our esteemed President Emeritus. On 11 February 2007 we will be repeating the successful Valentine Lunch and Tea Dance at Ferraris Restaurant near Longridge. Our AGM will be held on the 25 February 2007;

68 later than usual due to personal commitments of your Chairman and Newsletter Editor. GRAHAM MOORE Future Events Sunday 9 December 2006: Visit to British Aerospace, Warton Contact Graham Eastwood on 0151 924 2516 Sunday 10 December 2006: Christmas Lunch, Briars Hall Hotel, Burscough Contact Barbara Charlton on 01253 766 359 Sunday 21 January 2007: Lunch and Quiz, Padiham, Near Burnley Contact Gerry Cohen on 0161 766 4507 Sunday 11 February 2007: Valentine Lunch and Tea Dance, Ferraris, Longridge Contact Barbara Charlton on 01253 766 359 Sunday 25 February 2007: Annual General Meeting and Lunch, Park Hall Hotel, Stretton Contact Barbara Charlton on 01253 766 359 Sunday 11 March 2007: Springtime Lunch, Northop Hall Hotel, Northop Hall, North Wales Contact Tony White on 01492 580 883 Oxford Section On Sunday 6 August 2006 we entrusted ourselves to the vagaries of the weather and held an informal picnic at Cokethorpe School organised by member John Bond Smith who is one of the school governors. The school was founded in 1957 and is an elegant Queen Anne mansion set in nearly 150 acres of parkland estate. Thirty three members, spouses and friends met in this wonderful setting on what turned out to be a glorious summer s day. There was at least one Club car representing each decade from the 1920s to the 1990s, from David Crossley- Cooke s 1926 20hp doctor s coupé (GOK47) to Fred Timm s Silver Seraph (XCH02191). We were also delighted to see a 1939 Wraith owned by Stefan who had travelled from London to Petersfield to collect his car then drove it to Cokethorpe. There were also Silver Shadows, Bentley S Types, a Derby Bentley, a Bentley Mk IV and another 20hp. Interest was added by some non Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars: John s Ferrari 550 Maranello, an MGB tourer, an Austin Healey 3000 and my own MGTC (due to a leaking gearbox on my S3). It was an interesting, relaxed and very enjoyable day. Unfortunately, on Saturday 2 September 2006 the President s Dinner had to be cancelled due to lack of support. However, on Sunday 3 September 2006 we held our annual President s Picnic using the same venue as last year, Buscot Park near Faringdon. Numbers were well down on last year; only seventy eight cars were pre-booked but were swelled on the day by at least another twenty cars which brought a total of two hundred and twenty five people, less than half of last year s total. Fortunately, the weather cleared and we were well entertained all day by the roving jazz band whilst members walked around the gardens or visited the House and enjoyed their picnic with friends. Section members were pleased to receive many compliments on the day and everyone seemed to have enjoyed the event. GERALD GARRATT Future Event Sunday 10 December 2006: Christmas Lunch at Hartwell House Paulerspury Section It is with regret that we have to announce the death of Grace Davies at the grand old age of ninety eight years. Grace had been an enthusiastic member of the Section for many years, actively supporting her late husband Haydn who was our Secretary from 1993 until 2003. Those of you who knew her will be much saddened and our sympathies are with her family. The Section was well represented at her funeral service on 28 September 2006 at All Saints Church in Leighton Buzzard. We are becoming more involved in the wider classic car movement in the UK in both motor sport and rallies. The Silverstone Spring Meeting of the VSCC was, for many years, an opening event in our calendar fading out when the privileges of a sponsor ceased. The last Bulletin reported our presence at the Silverstone Classic in July 2006 continuing our affinity with that famous circuit. August and early September 2006 saw us take part in three more events although a clash with this year s Euro Rally to Norway and the undeniable draw of the Goodwood Revival depleted our numbers. Woburn Abbey has a long history of association with our Club. The RREC first held a rally there in 1964. The family s Rolls-Royce Phantom was brought out especially for Paulerspury Section to see on our Christmas visit to the House in 2004 and the revived annual Woburn Classic Car Rally has had our support since 2004. The 13 August could have had more clement weather for this year s event. Members were surprised to be presented with garden rakes on arrival. One is apt to forget that these beautiful surroundings are also part of the Duke of Bedford s deer park. The need for the rakes soon became obvious to clear away the residues of the usual residents from around the cars. Forewarned from previous visits was forearmed. We welcomed new members Kenneth Machin and Amaryllis Bigley at this event. The annual Knebworth Rally is a much bigger classic car rally spread over the Bank Holiday weekend of 27 and 28 August 2006. This year we had our own allocated display area on the Monday. Organiser Steven Murray thought that overall it was

69 not as busy as last year when we attended on the Sunday. The large contingent of American Classics was missing on the Monday so perhaps we will revert to Sunday next year. If you are attracted to this type of event look out for the dates next year and join us around the Paulerspury Section banner. The first weekend in September saw some Section members return to the Coventry Festival of Motoring finishing with the Coventry Historic Road Run on Sunday 3 September 2006. The whole population of Coventry seemed to turn out by the roadside with their picnic tables and often more substantial items of household furniture to help celebrate the history of car making in their city, watching and cheering the cars go by and remembering such long defunct makes as Hillman. Sadly, car production is now reduced to one company making taxis. Those who attended the whole weekend would quite rightly like the Section to make this date higher profile in our calendar next year. They were overwhelmed by the hospitality and organisation led by the Mayor of Coventry. While this was going on in the UK, Peter and Audrey Nightingale were winning the Rippon Trophy for Best Saloon Coachwork at the Euro Rally Concours d Elegance in Norway. Their 1967 Phantom V (5VF157) has now collected similar awards in Australia (2004) as well as at Annual Rallies since. They had plenty of support from the other Paulerspury People who joined them on that most successful rally. When approached by our travelling photographer for pictures after the presentation by Club Chairman, Ian Rimmer, Peter asked if an interview was also wanted. He should not have been surprised at the response No, we make those up. The weekend of 22/24 September brought to an end the third quarter of what has been a busy year with a visit to West Sussex organised by Ron and Kate Church. Eighteen Club cars and a Mondeo gathered with their occupants at the Spread Eagle Hotel in Midhurst. The Nightingales were forgiven for the Mondeo as it was more suitable for their follow on trip to France on the Sunday. Paulerspury people maintained the long line of illustrious guests who have reputedly stayed at the Spread Eagle; Queen Elizabeth I, William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens and Hilaire Belloc. Despite the proximity of Peter and Audrey Nightingale s 1967 Phantom V (5VF157) with the Rippon Trophy for Best Saloon Coachwork at the Euro Rally Concours d Elegance in Norway

70 Mike Martin and Jim Fleming lurking in the engine shed at the Bluebell Railway, Sussex Goodwood it was that other love of steam engines and railway travel that took us to the Bluebell Railway terminus on Saturday morning and a nostalgic train journey to Kingscote and back steaming through the Sussex Weald. Afterwards, a forty five mile gentle jaunt, using the word gentle advisedly, took us to the old town of Petworth and a genuine gentle ramble around the historic streets on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Sunday morning saw us off to Arundel and the famous castle, family home to the Dukes of Norfolk and their ancestors for over 850 years. Secure parking had been arranged on the lower lawns in the grounds of the castle and we set off on private tours. Breathtakingly beautiful after the ravages of wars and time from the Wars of the Roses through the Tudor Period to the Civil War, between the 1870s and the 1890s the House was almost completely rebuilt. The magnificent architecture in Gothic style is considered to be one of the great works of Victorian England. What better way to end an English late summer day than to have afternoon tea with genuinely home baked cakes and scones with cream and jam in the garden of the delightful home of Alison and Andy Street, Ron and Kate s daughter and son-in-law. Their home, The Lodge Cottage of Hawkhurst Court which first appeared on maps in 1288, lies in ancient woodland in an area of West Sussex known as The Mens Forest classed as an area of special scientific interest. Glassmakers leased coppice rights in the Sixteenth Century and in the Eighteenth Century it became a centre for iron making. During 1940/41 Hawkhurst Court was commandeered and used as Headquarters for the Canadian Second Army. It was here that the disastrous Dieppe raid was planned and mounted. Most of the men involved did not return and a magnificent Canadian Maple tree stands outside The Lodge, planted in their memory. We are grateful to Alison and Andy for entertaining us to tea One of the many old signs on show at the Bluebell Railway and to their neighbours for allowing us to park our cars around their secluded homes. Usually programmes of events start to wind down at the end of September but we kept going. As you read this we will have had horse racing at Towcester on 4 October 2006 with our own private chalet in the Paddock Pavilion Marquee overlooking the Parade Ring. On Sunday 15 October 2006 our autumn ramble, entitled the Apple Day Run saw us meet at the Art Deco Sywell Airport to finish, we knew not where, at an Apple Fair. The 8 November 2006 was lunch at the Colchester Oyster Fisheries. To round off the year before our AGM on 10 December 2006 we visited Bentley Motors, Crewe and the Kempton Great Engine Trust in November. Six events in the last quarter maintained our hectic schedule for the year. JIM FLEMING The committee are currently hard at work formulating the programme for 2007. A full list of events for next year will appear in our next edition of Paulerspury People, out in February, and also on the Paulerspury Section part of the Club website. Further information about any of our events can be obtained by contacting our Section Events Secretary Val Yates (01234 708513). If you have any interesting photographs that you have taken at Paulerspury Section events, please e-mail them to Janet Dolan (janetdolan@btopenworld.com) for possible inclusion in our Section web pages. KATHY MARTIN Future Events Sunday 18 February 2007: New Members Lunch, The Hunt House, Paulerspury 18 to 20 May 2007: Isle of Wight Weekend 22 to 29 September 2007: Paulerspury Section Scottish Rally

71 Scottish Section Twelve cars with twenty eight members and guests met on 13 August 2006 at Kelburn Castle and Country Centre, two miles south of Largs in Ayrshire. It was a fine, sunny day which showed off our surroundings at their best. Ian Joyce, the Assistant Head Ranger, led us on a one-hour tour of the grounds, explaining particularly the range of beautiful trees, including the Kelburn weeping larch and the Kelburn yew which are both listed in "The Heritage Trees of Scotland". We had our picnics by our cars, grouped together in the Centre's car park, and providing a point of interest for visitors throughout the day. After lunch, our guide Les Booth gave us a tour of the house, which is the ancestral seat of the Earls of Glasgow, with the oldest part dating to 1120 with later additions made in 1580, 1700 and 1880. The house is still the family home, not merely a museum piece, and we learned of some of the notable people who have visited it. The Section had a first when fifty five of us (in twenty cars) attended an international polo match (Scotland v South Africa) at the Dundee and Perth Polo Club, on 27 August 2006, on the Scone Palace Polo Grounds. Scone Palace was "the crowning place of Scottish kings". In the morning we had a conducted tour of the interior which one of our members, who had visited there previously, commented was more informative than any he had previously heard. After our picnic lunch, the polo match was a hard-fought affair, with victory going eventually to the Scottish team. Our hosts had our cars parade on the ground, to the accompaniment of a Pipe Band, both before and after the match. Our Scottish Section "island-hopping" in the Outer Hebrides, 31 August - 4 September 2006 attendance produced a useful contribution from our members to the Polo Club's funds, as well as to the Prince's Scottish Youth Business Trust charity. Our indefatigable member, Robert Wiles-Gill, was the organiser and leader of our five-day island-hopping event through the Outer Hebrides, travelling from the northernmost to the southernmost of the islands (31 August - 4 September 2006). This event was limited to forty people (because of the capacities of the delightful hotels we stayed at) and it is a compliment to Robert that it was fully subscribed within two weeks of being first announced, early in 2006. Our trip was blessed with clement, sunny weather. The water which we encountered Scottish Section cars at Kelburn Castle and Country Centre on 13 August 2006 (with Committee member Nicol Cleland alongside)

72 Scone Palace, Perthshire, visited by Scottish Section on 27 August 2006 was spray on three of our five ferry-crossings, the ones where cars were not enclosed in the bowels of the ship. Among the nineteen cars travelling the 200- plus miles on the islands (aside from some long journeys to get there) were four pre-war ones and another four that were pre-1965. The only problem experienced during the trip was a seized rear-wheel bearing, but the car was driven on to the ferry on the return to the mainland and brought home to Edinburgh by the AA. (The fault has now been corrected, including a new bearing and a new half-shaft.) During the event, Robert Wiles-Gill (ably assisted by John Cummings) raised 510 from those taking part, in aid of the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation. Kailzie Gardens ("A large domestic garden on a grand scale") and Traquair ("The oldest inhabited house in Scotland and once a pleasure ground for Scottish kings") were the places which twenty two people, in ten cars, visited on 17 September 2006. The visit to the Gardens was made in the morning, followed by lunch there and a short drive to Traquair. Though it looked at first as though the clouds would open, there was no more than a spot or two of rain early on, and the day was much enjoyed. PETER KENDRICK South Africa Section It is now quite some time since you have heard from this section as all that I could manage was to keep the section monthly activities going whilst restoring my Silver Ghost (26PE) and moving house! I m pleased to report that the Silver Ghost is finished and the alterations to our new home now also completed so life is returning to a normal hectic pace. We are right in the middle of our winter but on Sunday 19 August 2006 a lunch was arranged at the Tulbagh Hotel which is owned by members Ron and Diana Hamilton. Ron is a larger than life Belfast man and he plays his saxophone and Diana provided an excellent three course meal for twenty eight people. A free drink was provided on arrival and Ron had also arranged a wine tasting before the meal. We tasted two South African wines and two French wines and the talk given by the expert was most informative and appreciated. In addition to this, the Cape provided us with a fabulous winter s day so Ann and I went in Lady Moonpenny (the Silver Ghost) through Wellington and over the Bains Kloof pass. As you can well imagine the lunch lasted quite a long time so the latter part of our journey home was in the dark and we needed the rugs over our knees. Our normal meetings are usually held on the

73 second Sunday of the month and we very much welcome visiting members to make contact and join in whilst in the country. Please contact the Chairman for more details Tel/Fax 021 852 7570 and Cell 0827 187660. STUART HALSALL Future Events Sunday 17 December 2006: Christmas Lunch, Boschendaal Sunday 14 January 2007: Chairman s picnic, Somerset West 24/25 February 2007: Centenary Celebration, Cape Town South Eastern Section The end of another busy year! In recent months we have enjoyed: Sunday 6 August 2006 Wings and Things, Woodhatch This is an annual event. Thirty five of our Club cars joined scores of others on the ground. We enjoyed our picnic lunches while watching a spectacular air display. Sunday 13 August 2006 Filching Manor, near Polegate This privately owned automobile collection houses a working museum of veteran and vintage motor cars. There are Bentleys, Rolls-Royce, Mercedes, Bugatti and Peugeot to name but a few of this vast collection. Of special interest is the huge gathering of memorabilia from the racing legends Sir Malcolm Campbell and his son Donald Campbell. Sunday 20 August 2006 Barbecue at Cherry Lodge, Sittingbourne This is the home of Greg and Chris Bailey, past Section Secretary and members for many years. Twenty six Club cars plus four others parked in their garden and our generous hosts provided us with an appetising barbecue lunch. Later, the car enthusiasts among us visited Greg s interesting workshop. South Eastern Section cars in the grounds of Chateau de Namur South Eastern Section at Filching Manor Sunday 27 August 2006 Emmets Gardens, Ide Hill A new venue and a warm sunny day in which to enjoy our picnics and stroll around these extensive gardens of eighteen acres owned by the National Trust. Sunday 3 September 2006 Shadow Motors, Sittingbourne Twenty eight Club cars parked neatly behind this busy establishment where our members enjoyed the hospitality of the proprietor Peter Sharman and his family. We were treated to another superb barbecue, with a musical accompaniment. Later, several of our cars were put on the ramp and their owners were given the benefit of Peter s expertise. 5 to 14 September 2006 Belgium Rally, Namur What a wonderful ten days some fifty members and friends enjoyed in near perfect weather! The event was meticulously organised by Brian and Hilary Froud. After driving almost 170 miles from Calais (with stops to refuel our cars and ourselves) we arrived at the Chateau de Namur, which was to be our base for our stay in this warm and friendly country. On our first day we drove down into the town of Namur and enjoyed a privileged parking area, a civic reception and interesting talk at the Theatre Complex. The following day we drove to the site of the Battle of Waterloo where we were given a guided tour and the chance to brush up on our history. The magnificent panorama, erected in 1912, is breathtaking. This canvas, considered a masterpiece of military pictorial art, depicts the battle as it was at 4pm on 18 June 1815. The victory dispatch was sent out by the Duke of Wellington from the village of Waterloo thus giving the Battle its name. The Lion Mound is forty one metres high (the castiron lion weighs twenty eight tons) and marks the spot where the Prince of Orange was severely wounded. Only the fittest of us climbed the 226 steps.

74 Entrance to Chateau de Namur During subsequent days we toured the Citadel and a perfumerie travelling in a land train, relished a visit to a chocolate factory, a two hour cruise on the rivers Sambre and Meuseand a visit to the lovely gardens at Annevoire. A highlight of our rally was a tour of the Ardennes countryside with our friends from the Belgium (Flemish) and Belgium Luxembourg Sections each of our cars being escorted by one of theirs. The friendship and cooperation experienced on this day represented the true spirit of the RREC. Many of our new-found friends joined us for dinner that evening at the Chateau. Finally, our Rally ended with a Gala Night, during which our Chairman made a presentation to Brian and Hilary and we all received souvenirs of a wonderful occasion. Sunday 17 September 2006 Lunch at the Woodman Inn, near Sevenoaks Back on home ground but still enjoying an extended summer, about thirty of us met up at this popular hostelry to enjoy a typical English lunch. By the time you read this our AGM and lunch will have taken place and we will be looking forward to our Christmas Lunch at the Grasshopper Inn, Westerham. We will be having our usual winter lunches in the New Year, starting with the New Members Lunch at the Holiday Inn, Wrotham on Sunday 7 January 2007. Details of other events are in our Section magazine. A Happy Christmas to you all! ISABEL SPENCER South Western Section Visit to John and Liz Field's house, 30 July 2006 We all had a wonderful time exploring John and Liz's collection of veteran, vintage and classic vehicles. Their Rolls-Royce cars ranged from two breathtaking pre-wwi Silver Ghosts to a majestic Phantom VI with most models in between, all in concours condition. John and Liz's hospitality extended far beyond anything we had expected, with canapés and wine as we arrived, and cream tea before we left. There were about twenty Club cars and fifty members in attendance, so overall it was a very sociable event. We held a collection for John and Liz's local charity Escape Support Group, which helps children with all types of special needs, and their families. The total raised was 200. Thank you John and Liz! Dartmouth, Britannia RN College, 8 October 2006 Another excellent turn out with twenty three Club cars and sixty three people. After our picnic, we repaired to the parade ground where Bill Thompson (Senior Lecturer) had enlisted the help of volunteer(?) cadets to conduct a light-hearted driving test suitable for our vehicles with ages ranging over eighty years. However in the ball-pushing test, he failed to realise that John Schofield's Phantom III was high enough to ride over the ball and burst it! Judging was carried out by the cadets, and trophies

75 were presented by Commodore Tim Harris. The best Rolls-Royce and Bentley driver trophies were won by Terry and Sheila Lee, and Lenny and Victoria Windsor respectively. The best Rolls-Royce and Bentley car trophies were won by Douglas and Ruth Loram, and Bob and Christine Furzeland respectively. The outdoor events were followed by a cream tea in one of the College's grand halls. It was wonderful hospitality from our friends at Britannia. Grill Badge We have produced a South Western Section grill badge, just in time for Christmas. It will look elegant on any type of car, and features our iconic South South Western Section Badge Western coastline in chrome and coloured enamel. An ideal seasonal gift for that difficult friend or relative! The price, inclusive of fixing clamp, post and packing, is 22. Details from Tom Jones (01726 61180 or tom@chez-jones.demon.co.uk). TOM JONES Welsh Section Monmouth Rally On 20 August 2006 a very successful event was held at Monmouth jointly with the Daimler and Lanchester Owners Club entitled Castles, Cutlasses and Cars. Twenty nine cars (about half from each Club) parked alongside the ruin of the ancient castle by kind permission of the CO of the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers. Fortunately, the only evidence of cutlasses were those on display in the regimental museum where there was a wealth of other military memorabilia accumulated over centuries. After a most informative talk on this historic site we retired to the Queens Head Hotel for lunch. The afternoon took us on a pilgrimage past Charles Rolls statue in Agincourt Square to the town s museum displaying photographs of the man himself in various modes of transport as well as a collection of Nelson memorabilia amassed by his mother Lady Llangattock. It was good to welcome for the first time to our event Anthony and Teddy Beach-Thomas in 1949 Bentley Mk VI H J Mulliner saloon (B299EW) Registration JWR690 owned and restored by Ian Turner their elegant Phantom II sedanca de ville by Barker (81XJ), Mark Webster in his Bentley 3 1 2 litre Thrupp and Maberly saloon (B66CR) and Peter Edis-Bates in his Phantom V limousine (5BV73) purchased recently from the Vonier Museum, Austria. Tredegar House Rally Again this year we had a good turn out of some thirty cars on our Club stand at this extravaganza run in aid of the Leukaemia Research Fund. Our usual faithful Welsh supporters were supplemented by three Bentleys from the Great Western Section namely David Smith s 3 1 2 litre James Young drop head coupé (B39BL) Gwynneth Harris Mk VI H J Mulliner (B322MD) and Ken Woodman s R Type (B471SP) along with John Pennington from West Midlands Section in his Bentley Mk VI by Hooper (B385DZ). Towering above all was a 1928 Phantom I Hooper landaulette (71AL) which Nigel Taylor recently repatriated, beautifully restored, from Canada. It dwarfed his 20hp Barker landaulette alongside! He is still coming to terms with fuel consumption only bordering double figures. Miraculously with fog in the north and east early morning and rain in the west the weather stayed fine above us and we were proud that Club members played their part in raising well over 46,000 during the day for this vital charity. Future Events 10 December 2006: Christmas Lunch there may be last minute vacancies so if you can come ring Section Treasurer Peter Cross (01348-872803) to check before you send payment. All lunches must be booked and prepaid beforehand. 20-23 April 2007: Welsh Weekend. We are returning to The Metropole at Llandrindod Wells, which was most successful in 2006, to enable you to enjoy more unspoiled scenic delights of mid Wales with only little traffic. Although spring is a little way off, please book now as it helps both the hotel and us immensely to put things

76 1928 Phantom I Hooper landaulette (71AL) recently repatriated from Canada by Nigel Taylor in place for a super weekend. Regulars and newcomers, family and friends will be certain of a welcome in the hillside. This year the rally registration fee is included in the price. Details are: Date: Friday 20 April to Monday 23 April 2007 Cost: 210 per person for three nights, dinner, bed and breakfast on the basis of two sharing a double or twin room. There are a few single rooms. If you have to leave on Sunday then the price for two nights dinner, bed and breakfast is 165. Prices include VAT. Reservations: Book direct with Reservations Department, The Metropole Hotel, Temple Street, Llandrindod Wells, Powys LD1 5DY telephone: 01597 823700, fax: 01597 824828. Introduce yourself as a Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts Club member or you may be told the hotel is full. A 20 per person non-refundable deposit will be requested so have your credit/debit card handy. In case of difficulty ask for Sales Manager, Mrs Frankie Wakeford, during normal office hours. When you have booked, please send to Kelvin Price, Welsh Section Secretary, full details of the car you intend to bring ie. year, model, chassis number and registration number which you can amend nearer the time if necessary. It helps enormously if you do this as you book so I can produce an accurate entry list for everyone s benefit. The Welsh Committee would like to wish Welsh Section members and many friends outside Wales a very Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year. KELVIN PRICE Wessex Section The Section has enjoyed a full programme of events during the last few months, with several interesting sites visited, culminating in the Bradford on Avon rally, our first for several years. The weekend of 29 and 30 July 2006 was fully occupied by attendances at Axford Fete and Avington Park, the latter in conjunction with Central Members cars outside the Leigh Park Hotel, Bradford on Avon Southern Section. The Section s visit to Laycock Abbey on 6 August 2006 was very well attended by some twenty Club cars; we were able to park and picnic in a small field adjacent to the Abbey and the Fox Talbot museum. Henry Fox Talbot was a Victorian polymath and the inventor of the most successful photographic process, which was used essentially unchanged until the recent invention of digital cameras. The museum contains fascinating details of his researches and examples of his work. Club cars were present over the two days of the Hampshire pageant of motoring, Romsey, 27 and 28 August 2006. Always a good day out, the meeting is an opportunity to compare our cars with other makes amidst an atmosphere of friendly rivalry. There is also a small auto jumble in which to continue the search for that hard-to-find part. Enterprising Club members led by Chess Ferrier dismantled the fence to avoid the exit queue on the Monday, leading to an interesting drive across the remoter country lanes of south Hampshire before locating the M27. The picnic at Kingston Lacy near Wimbourne was a fine and pleasant day out with opportunity to explore the extensive grounds and explain the finer workings of the older cars to interested members of the public. The rally meeting at Bradford on Avon took place over three days, 29 September to 2 October 2006, and was enjoyed by all participants. The Leigh Park Hotel is comfortable with friendly and helpful staff, and the food was of a consistently high quality. On Friday night following dinner we were given a short talk by a member of staff on the hotel s own vineyard, and invited to sample the delicate and interesting 2002 Reichensteiner white. Our Saturday excursion into Bath by coach was most interesting with many things to see and do in the ancient city. Your correspondent bought himself a swimming costume and tried the newly opened Spa, well worth a visit; you come out floating on air.

77 A swim in the warm waters of the rooftop open-air pool is especially interesting in the rain. The gala dinner on Saturday night was followed by a Sunday morning visit to Corsham Court, a splendid small country house with an excellent collection of paintings, furniture and other works of art. We were privileged to be shown round by the owner/curator who was most knowledgeable about his possessions. Sunday dinner was followed by an extremely interesting quiz in which rare artefacts had to be recognised and their functions described, organised by Brian and Sheena Archer, who were also responsible for the whole event. Many thanks to the Archers for all their hard work; we look forward to enjoying similar events in the future. In addition to some pub and restaurant meets during the rest of the year, our Christmas lunch is at Springfield near Wareham on 17 December 2006 and the Section AGM will be held at Lymington on 14 January 2007. In May 2007 we are going to Brittany for the section s first overseas rally. JOHN SCHOFIELD Future Events 18 October 2006: Cock and Bottle, Morden 12 November 2006: Horton Inn 17 December 2006: Christmas Lunch Party, Springfield, Wareham 17 February 2007: Windwhistle Inn, Crewkerne/Chard 18 March 2007: Bentley s Dudsbury Golf Club Nick Northeast's 1934 Bentley 3 1 2 Park Ward saloon (B165BL) First Place Index Performance Western Canada Section Several members attended the Minter Gardens Classic Car show on Sunday 16 July 2006, located seventy miles to the east of Vancouver. The cars were interspersed between colourful flower beds and majestic trees. In attendance were: John Peirson, 1913 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Hooper limousine (1645); Dave Baron, 1951 Bentley Mark VI saloon (B386CF); Karl Stegeman, 1953 Bentley R Type saloon (B429SP); Ursula (Silke) Ydenburg and Roy Bossom in Silke s 1951 Bentley Mark VI saloon (B130NZ) and John Waite s, 1955 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith limousine (ELW5). About a hundred exhibitors showed their cars in glorious weather. Judging was done by owners of imported cars for domestic cars and visa versa. John Peirson won the People s Choice with his John Waite's 1956 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith H J Mulliner limousine (ELW5) Prettiest Car at the Event

78 John Waite's Silver Wraith and Karl Stedeman's R Type Silver Ghost and first choice in pre-1949 imports. John Waite won second place with his Silver Wraith in the 1950-1959 import class. Members of the Section finished the day at John and Nicky Waite s Abbotsford home before returning home. On the same day, a few members attended the Brits on the Beach at Ladysmith on Vancouver Island. There was no contest this year. JOHN WAITE Western Canada September Fuel Economy Run Twenty three cars, fifty one members and guests joined in the run from Qualicum Beach to Mount Washington on Saturday 16 September 2006. The evening before, a reception was held at the Qualicum Heritage Inn where everyone had a chance to talk about the events on Saturday and to see a display of model cars and photographs. Alan Norm Knowles's 1982 Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit (BCH03939) Best Mileage Petri was a guest and talked about his experience working on some of our type of cars from his vast experience in London, and about his shop he set up in Parksville. He discussed brakes, servicing and the essential things we should do or have done. Steve Harris, the host, arranged visits in Courtenay and Comox with the RCAF Museum and lunch at the Crown Isle Golf Club including their display of exotic American cars. This was followed by a visit to the Filberg House and Gardens. The fill-up was at the start of the morning and ended with a check of the fuel used. Then on to Mount Washington Alpine Resort, a steep drive up to where the accommodation and a West Coast Buffet were ready. The day s winners were Index of Performance First Place Nick Northeast 1934 Bentley 3 1 2 (B165BL), Best Mileage First Place Norm Knowles 1982 Silver Spur (BCH03939) 21mpg, Most Improved Nick Northeast 1934 Bentley 3 1 2, Prettiest Car John Waite 1956 Silver Wraith limousine (ELW5). Sunday morning after breakfast all members were invited to Steve s for refreshments and viewing of his excellent car collection. BASIL FOX Yorkshire Section Sitting in the back of the 20/25 on York Racecourse, with the rain rattling down on the roof and bouncing back off the bonnet, I looked at the other cars parked alongside and felt pride in my membership

79 of the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts Club. Then I got to wondering (as one does when one is sitting waiting for the rain to stop) what the dictionary gave as a definition of an enthusiast. Well, according to my copy of the OED, it suggests one who is full of enthusiasm and that sounds reasonable. However, it goes on to add visionary (sounds good) and self-deluded person - I think we ll maybe pass on that one. Enthusiasm is defined as ardent zeal for an object, cause, etc. - that is definitely a good description of the members attending the York Historic Vehicle Rally this year. The forecast didn t sound too good but there was a fair smattering of blue sky and it was quite warm as I pulled on to the rather wet and muddy site. It appeared that I was earlier than I thought as I was on my own in the large roped off area. Only for a few seconds though as Henry Nelson pulled up alongside in his 1988 Silver Spirit (JCH23664). Out came the coffee to accompany the usual exchange of pleasantries and then it was on with the walking boots for a wander round the large display of trucks, vans, military vehicles, cars of every make, size and shape, and stalls. By the time I returned for a coffee top-up, the allotted space was almost filled with a superb selection of Rolls-Royce and Bentley motor cars. Nick Clark s 1928 20/25 Hooper limousine (GLR82X) stood between John Harrison s 1956 Silver Cloud and Mr and Mrs Green s delectable 1939 Wraith, all positively gleaming in the sunshine. The Silver Cloud has a rather neat picnic table which folds out of the boot, complete with two small seats at either side - a very useful accessory much admired, and envied, by the rest of us. Gwen Neille looked the picture of contentment in the back of her 1953 Silver Wraith (WVH97) as it glided neatly into place alongside Tonie Dobby s Silver Shadow II (SRH33754). The organisers had an efficient team of marshals directing traffic so Tonie could have a relaxing day for a change. New Member Edward Waterson had come along to look at the cars and talk to a few other members, seeking advice, and ideas, to help in his search for 1939 Wraith WLB26 belonging to Mr and Mrs J A Green A true enthusiast - not put off by the rain a car. He seems to favour the Silver Cloud so a conversation with Stuart Dennison, and a look at his beautifully restored example, should have given him a few starters I am sure. At lunch time the weather forecast proved correct and the heavens opened with a vengeance and the grey clouds looked to have settled over the site, encouraging some members to leave. The stalwarts stuck it out though with Sheila Holmes concentrating on her Sudoku and Joyce Dobby working out how to get the picnic out of the boot without getting soaked. Patience paid off and the sun returned to round off the afternoon nicely, giving an opportunity to hear of the restoration of a particularly smart Freestone and Webb bodied Mark VI and its Mulliner bodied companion, which had come across from Pocklington. Listening to the detailed description of the state of the car when found and the work involved in bringing it up to its present very high standard that word enthusiast was ringing round my head again. When you look at the expressions on the faces of the members of the public listening with awe you can often see what they are thinking, ranging from what a marvellous, skilled, chap to this man s a lunatic he should be put away! Fortunately, there are enough lunatics out there preserving these important historic vehicles for posterity and willing to organise a wide range of events where people can see them and watch them strut their stuff. This brings me to the subject of the Section Committee, your organising team, which puts together a programme of events each year. Committees need a regular input of new ideas and new enthusiasm, and there is an opportunity for YOU to participate, bringing something different to the table. It s not an onerous task, in fact it can be quite fun, so why not think about giving it a try. Details are in the Section Newsletter - or you can chat to one of the present committee members and find out more. Go on - make it happen for you next year. IAN HICK

80 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR LETTERS TO Dear THE EDITOR Sir LETTERS TO THE EDITOR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR LETTERS TO THE CEDITOR O RLETTERS R ETO THE S EDITOR P OLETTERS N DTO ETHE NEDITOR C ELETTERS TO THE EDITOR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR DERBY BENTLEY BLIND SPOT REVISITED My letter Derby Bentley Blind Spot in Bulletin 273 was intended to promote observations or speculative comment on the absence of a post-war Bentley sports car. It was clearly unsuccessful insofar that only two responses were received. The fi rst response, in Bulletin 275, carried an erudite exposé by James Tucker, Registrar, of the pros, cons and evolution of the 3½ and 4¼ Derby Bentley whilst, diplomatically, avoiding extrapolation of the cars success into the post-war period. This, I believe, is because James may have overlooked my qualifi cation that a post-war chassis would be with trim and performance qualities of an updated Derby to equivalent standards of the day there being no suggestion that the pre-war chassis be carried forward for modifi cation. The second response, in Bulletin 276, Derby Bentley Blind Spot Vision Corrected from Registrar, Tony James, refers to my original letter but Tony completely misunderstands the content and robustly repels a non-existent shadow cast upon the 20/25 chassis. My introductory comments I can vouch for the pleasures and delight of the car (20/25) and the quality of engineering built into this pre-war chassis seem incapable of being misinterpreted any more than I would like to speculate upon the what-if of Rolls-Royce decisions for post-war designs and production. My letter dealt solely with the merits of the Derby Bentley and contained not one unfavourable reference to a 20/25 I choose to make no comment on Tony s reference to particular cars or bodgers and leave others to ponder that one. Alternatively, rather than the Don Quixote technique, Tony might have refl ected upon engineering certainties such as centre-of-gravity, mph/1000rpm, carburation, hp/kg, aerodynamics, etc, and then grudgingly awarded the Derby Bentley a new improved certifi cate. Motoring correspondents of the day didn t seem to have a problem in recognising the outstanding merits and advancing characteristics of the car. As to implied or imagined criticism, both Fairy Liquid and Bentley Motors regularly claim ongoing improvements without gratuitously denigrating their previous products. For the record, GOS44 (Hooper cabriolet 20/25) is not a concours car but it is properly maintained, upholds the dignity of the marque and has undergone substantial running improvement during my ownership. It has performed admirably throughout that period which includes some twenty thousand miles of Club and Rally motoring in the past fi ve years. It is more than capable of continuing to give me similar pleasures for many years to come at which time I will reluctantly hand it to someone else to transform into a perfect, but unused, museum object. Meanwhile, it would still be gratifying to know why a Bentley Sports car failed to materialise in the post-war years. TONY HERBERT CLUB VALUATIONS I have owned my 1950 Bentley MK VI for four years and have not previously had it professionally valued. So, for the purpose of re-insuring the Bentley through the Club insurance scheme, I decided to get it valued using the services of the RREC (during the past three years I have always used the purchase cost as the valuation fi gure). A couple of months ago I had my car valued by Bill Medcalf, the RREC valuation offi cer. I am so pleased that I made the decision to contact Bill as the service he provided was excellent. Not only did he provide a valuation fi gure that was higher than I thought, but he also included with his valuation certifi cate a detailed note outlining the observations he made whilst looking at the photographs I had provided. The level of detail he noticed and the comments he made were very helpful. For any member thinking of getting their cherished vehicle valued I would have no hesitation in recommending the professional services of Bill Medcalf. DOUGLAS NEWTON CLUB VALUATIONS (2) I recently went through the simple process of obtaining a valuation for my 20/25 for the Club insurer, Richardson Hosken. When Bill Medcalf returned the paperwork to me, he attached a very friendly and complimentary note, remarking on some of the details of the car that he had seen on the photographs I had sent. This was a really nice bonus and the extra mile that Bill went refl ects well on the Club. I called Bill to thank him and during a pleasant conversation I was surprised to learn that few members avail themselves of the agreed value facility. I assume from the level of premiums that we don t have too many write-offs per year! Nonetheless, the valuation process is easy and inexpensive, and could prevent so much disappointment and aggravation in the event of the unthinkable. Perhaps not everyone is aware, also, that account may be taken of recent restoration costs incurred by the present owner, if that pushes total expenditure above

81 current market value. That ll be most of us then! Anyway, for my money, the valuation scheme is worthwhile peace of mind for 10 a year! ANDY BUTCHER CRACKED RIMS The repair of a crack in a well based wheel rim was mentioned in Bulletin 277. The Achilles heel of these rims is the rolled edge which rusts internally and is, perhaps, impossible to prevent. Cracking of the (usually) outer rim is evidence of advanced rust in the whole circumference and not just in the portion which has cracked. Repair, then, is purely cosmetic and a rim in such condition is dangerous and should be scrapped. New rims are available. It seems that the causes of the problem include: the outer rim being exposed to the elements; condensation during garaging; and, of course, driving through water. Prevention can only amount to scraping and painting at the time of tyre change. I think we all would agree that steering, brakes and wheels must be in fi rst class order. Engine failure, in comparison, is a mere inconvenience. DAVID DAVIES DERBY BENTLEY HISTORY (1) I really must take issue with the version of events which appeared in the Derby Bentley Register pages in Bulletin 277. Although the article was a highly condensed history of the Derby Bentley, it nevertheless missed many of the fundamentals. Firstly, Bentley Motors asked Rolls-Royce to take them over. The truth lies in Sir Arthur Sidgreaves fi les of the period, which were among documents I hid away long before the Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust came into being, and they contain his papers on the take-over of Bentley Motors. The facts are that: 1. The Managing Director of Bentley, J K Carruth, wrote to the Managing Director of Rolls-Royce, Sidgreaves, asking Rolls-Royce to take Bentley Motors over. While the offer had its appeal, Sidgreaves replied that there was no way Rolls- Royce could take Bentley on as a going concern, because the extent of its liabilities was not known. 2. Carruth admitted to Sidgreaves that the fi nancial situation had become virtually untenable because the company had rushed new models to market over the years without carrying out adequate development testing fi rst, and that this had brought about very high warranty costs. 3. It was subsequently decided that Bentley Motors should be placed in receivership as this would simplify the problem of Bentley Motors debt liabilities. The idea was that Rolls-Royce should then take-over Bentley Motors. It was at that stage that things got a little complicated. As an operating company, Bentley Motors was owned by its shareholders, whose interests the Board were duty bound to safeguard. W O Bentley was not the Chairman, nor the Managing Director nor did he have a controlling shareholder interest in the company. In fact, his services were owned by his company! One suspects that Carruth might have been acting on the advice of Captain Woolf Barnato. Once in receivership, the destiny of Bentley Motors was no longer in the control of Carruth and the Board or, behind the scenes, of Barnato. W O Bentley had taken the initiative to begin working with Napier and may have done so without reference to his old Board colleagues. Whether this was in order to steer his old company into Napier s lap, or whether simply to fi nd a fresh chance to start, effectively on his own, and maybe in his own name, I do not know. He seems to have been unaware that he belonged to the bankrupt company as an asset - something Sidgreaves later had to sort out. It is true that Rolls-Royce then made its bid through a fronting organisation, and it beat the Napier offer. Thus, the original intent of Carruth (whether or not supported by the Bentley Board) became reality. It is interesting to note that Napier had been the original proponent of six cylinder cars, before Rolls- Royce, and that their most luxurious chassis cost far more than a Silver Ghost. Both companies turned to aero engines in the First World War, and both to very good effect. Despite the efforts of the odd Director in Rolls-Royce who tried to steer Royce away from aero engines after the war, the company continued in both car and aero work. Napier, on the other hand, dropped car production on the T75 and became aero engines only. All car makers found life increasingly diffi cult as the 1920s wore on, especially those at the luxury end of the scale (and that went for the US as well as Europe). Things got really diffi cult at the end of the decade as the depression set in. It is not generally known that the aero engine overtook the car at Rolls-Royce in terms of the company s bottom line in 1929. Cars did not really make a profi t for Rolls-Royce thereafter until 1946, so aero work, and fortuitously the development of the Schneider Trophy R Engine, provided the revenue fl ow. The RAF had eventually been allowed to re-equip because their First World War left-overs were hopelessly tired and dated. So Rolls-Royce s good fortune, timing-wise, was also Napier s good fortune. Both companies were natural future homes for the Bentley marque. So, why was Rolls-Royce so keen on the Carruth proposition? Well, if Rolls-Royce and Bentley were both losing money, it was partly because both competed in part in the same fi nite market. Either might have made it, but there was not room for both. It was the 8 Litre in particular which sat in the same market as the Phantom II, and, whatever might have been said about the chassis, the Bentley engine was superb. Secondly, there was the issue of what Rolls-Royce was to do with the Bentley name. From a distance in time, the killing-off of the Cricklewood products at fi rst

82 sight appears to have been an act of vandalism. With all debts written off perhaps they might have made money again, but not in a market split between Rolls- Royce and Bentley. To have kept both ranges would have been fi nancial suicide. One had to go. That left an honoured name without a car attached, and, yes, there was quite a bit of indecision before anything happened. Royce himself was growing old but was still active and there was a lot happening on the aero front. The Schneider Trophy was won outright in 1931 and the World Air Speed Record rose to 407.5mph. But there were other applications to which to adapt the R engine in pursuit of World Water and Land Speed Records. Furthermore, Royce was determined to turn the technology of the R engine to good effect. Focus for some time was on the embodiment of R engine features in the Buzzard from whence it had evolved (note that the Buzzard and initial R engine were both designed in Derby by R W Harvey-Bailey s senior Section Leaders in the Detail Drawing Offi ce). The engine was called the Griffon, but, after some testing, it was decided that it was too big a jump from the existing Kestrel (20 to 37 litres). So, as Royce s end in 1933 approached, his focus was on an engine of 1,000hp; it became the Merlin. Thirdly, there is the matter of the role of R W Harvey- Bailey (By). All this meant that there was little spare design capacity available. Even if there had been, there was little good reason to spend money on designing and developing yet another car model in such a depressed market. Neither Royce nor Sales (Conduit Street) had much to do with what happened. It was R W Harvey-Bailey who gave leadership to the initiative. There were already experimental Peregrine cars (designed, as it happened, under By) which had been sidelined because they were little cheaper than the 20/25 to build (almost the same number of parts, so there were the same man-hour costs). Peregrine already had wire-spoke wheels with knock-off wheel nuts and excellent road ability. All it needed was more power. Mechanical supercharging was tried, but it was then that Ernest Hives (Hs) made the inarguable point that Experi had developed the J1 engine as a next step for the 20/25, but that, at that time, the engine did not have a home. What followed was an exercise to create a car from the Peregrine chassis and larger J1 engine with the minimum number of new parts. By, Hs, and his car-side Deputy, W A Robotham (Rm) (Hs had Cyril Lovesey (Lov) as Deputy on the aero side) put together the 3½ Litre which proved fortuitously to be the best handling car Rolls-Royce had produced up to that time. Fourthly, did A G Elliott (E) play a part? The initial answer is No! E had been Royce s principal design assistant ever since Royce s health took him away from Derby in 1911/1912. Royce, of course, was the Company s Engineer in Chief until his death in 1933. It was only then that Elliott became Chief Engineer, and for four years at that, because once Hs had been appointed General Manager and become a Director in 1937, he split car and aero work. Elliott remained Chief Engineer on the Aero Division and Harvey-Bailey became Chief Engineer on the Chassis Division. ( Not that one might detect that from reading Robotham s book!) So where did Elliott sit at around the time of the Bentley acquisition in November 1931? That was exactly the time when he sensed that Royce was nearing his end and deserted Royce at West Wittering. Elliott returned to Derby to establish himself in the hierarchy. It is said that this nearly broke the old man s heart. Certainly, it was the one time anything he designed was least likely to gain Royce s approval. Finally, there was the matter of making profi t again out of making cars. When Hs came to power, he put R H Coverley (RHC) (ex-experi machining and fi tting boss) in charge of car production. His report to Hs showed that there was too much manufacturing cost built into existing models. As a result, By set out to rationalise the replacement range. He had plans to move the Bentley up to new levels of performance with the Corniche programme, but WWII intervened. It is, however, appropriate to note that the fi rst cars to emerge from Crewe were Bentley VIs rather than Rolls-Royces. It is equally worth noting that the Bentley VI chassis was virtually that of the Corniche (thinner gauge Bentley V) and that it was powered by the B60 - one of the rationalised range of engines designed under By back in 1938. The truth is that the Derby Bentley owed more to the leadership of By than to any other offi cial and the same can be said of the Crewe-built Mk VI and R Type, both of which were most competently carried forward by Rm. By kept alive the illustrious mark that W O Bentley had created, yet his name never appeared on its radiator. MICHAEL EVANS Chairman Emeritus, Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust DERBY BENTLEY HISTORY (2) I have been a long term enthusiast of the Derby Bentley and have, over the years, become familiar with the history of how the car was conceived and have researched with the help of both Alec Harvey- Bailey (AHB) and Mike Evans, former Chairman of the Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust, the men behind its birth. Thus, it was with dismay that I read the article entitled The Highly Condensed Story of the Derby Bentley published in Bulletin 277 s Register News Section as it gives a most misleading impression of the facts in many places and accords some decisions to the wrong people. The story of the Derby Bentley, particularly in its early days, is to be found in the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation publication entitled The Derby Bentley published some years ago and written by Alec Harvey-Bailey, formerly a Director of the Company and the son of Robert Harvey-Bailey (By). Both were

83 respected employees of the Company and the latter was a confi dant of Sir Henry. In later years Alec was conscious that the role that his father played in the Derby Bentley Story had been lost and certainly had not been helped by certain publications which emasculated, for whatever reason, the part played in both the early exciting days of the project and in the latter years of the 1930s prior to the Second World War. For the fi ftieth anniversary of the Mark VI, I was invited to give a lecture on the history of that car at the celebrations held to mark its anniversary and subsequently with the encouragement of both Alec and Mike Evans, I wrote a book entitled the The First Cars from Crewe published by the Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust. Without repeating too much here, the Mark VI story is a part of the later history of The Derby Bentley Story and I hope the book illustrates further the continued pivotal role played by Robert Harvey-Bailey. Whatever the large contribution of others to this success story, the Father of the Derby Bentley, from the Peregrine through to Mark VI, was Robert Harvey- Bailey. I promised his son Alec I would always try to highlight this fact as, for understandable reasons, he felt unable so to do. KEN LEA PS: For those who will say the Mark VI is a Crewe product, in production terms this is true. However, its antecedents and its design are truly of the Derby lineage. PHANTOM II RALLYING AND A THIRTY POUNDS PROFIT! At last I have got round to reading Bulletin 275 and, in the Correspondence pages, the letter from Christopher Leefe about our memories from the 1950s and the 1960s. In 1958, as a sixteen year old, I joined my father s company as an agricultural salesman in South Lincolnshire. I was given an Austin Mini and, perhaps like Christopher, soon fi tted a Downton conversion to it. Twin Amals really gave it some pep. It was a great rally car, nippy and fast, but it had one major problem. We young lads didn t quite have the mental ability of some of our competitors but we thought we might be invincible if we had a large team of navigators but, of course, the Mini had no room. I saw a 1932 Phantom II for sale near Boston for the princely sum of 50. She had a Gardener diesel engine and a Daimler bus pre-selector gear box. It had a dividing window behind the driver and two small occasional seats facing the large rear seats. I remember the mascot was removed and replaced with a soda siphon how irreverent can you get? Clearly we could fi t more navigators in her and we thought we would have to enlarge the silver cup shelf pretty smartly! Sadly it didn t work out that way in practice! The Phantom II was very thirsty for a young lad to fi nance, and not too nimble on the roads either. The biggest fault we had was 24v for starting and 12v for running fi ne until she stopped or stalled because the change over was under the passenger seat! Nevertheless, we had great fun for a while, and I sold the Phantom II for 80 to a chap from Boston fair. I was happy with the cash but saddened when he told me he only wanted the engine to drive his fairground roundabout. I think the car was sold for scrap. Sweet memories JAMES WHERRY ENCOURAGING JUNIOR MEMBERS We found the Junior Members page in Bulletin 277 an interesting initiative by the Club and is very welcome to us as a family and, we are sure, many other families. We regard or son Craig, now seven years of age, as being a member all his life. He has been on six Euro Rallies and Eri Heilijgers has always welcomed Craig and presents him with his own personalised Rally plaque at each event. Craig is very knowledgeable of Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars and enjoys walking around them at rallies which are now so familiar to him. We have heard it said on many occasions that children are our future. We would like to think that Craig s interest in these cars will allow him to continue to support our cars and others as we move on through this life. It is important that we all encourage these youngsters to take part and they in turn are made to feel part of the Club. We are delighted that Craig has been able to join the Club in his own right and to receive his own Bulletins. Craig has written his own letter to you with his own thoughts on the subject of being a Junior Member. KIM AND GARRY HALL (Editor s Comment: Craig s letter and photographs are the subject of the Junior Members page in this Bulletin) TECHNICAL ARTICLES, RADIATORS AND SUNDAY WORKING Thoughts on a couple of subjects arose in my mind suffi ciently strongly to encourage me to write. Firstly, I fi nd Michael Forrest s articles very interesting and read them in detail even though I do not always have the technical knowledge to understand every part. An introductory paragraph of half a dozen lines under the title would be very useful to those members who, like me, joined in recent years and do not know how this project originated. It could say what the car is, when Michael acquired it, what its condition then was, at what stage he decided that all this work would be necessary, when he began the work, and how he acquired all his knowledge. Such a paragraph would, I feel, give each article the context it deserves. Incidentally, in Bulletin 274 the effective radiator area of 46 feet by 46 feet sounded too large, so I repeated the calculation and arrived at 13 feet 3

84 in by 13 feet 3 in. Secondly, I have noticed a couple of examples of what appears to be Sunday working, both from Bulletin 275. On page 15 it states: On 25 September 1938, GZR37, bodied by Thrupp and Maberly, left the factory. That day was a Sunday. Would a Sunday delivery have had to be specially arranged I wonder? Also, on page 73, Martin Bourne said in his letter: Being the lad in the department, I used to get all the odd little jobs and this one started on 29 October 1967 when John called me into his offi ce That day was also a Sunday. Did those working for John Blatchley normally work on Sundays? CHRIS WOODS (Editor s Comment: If Michael Forrest would be kind enough to provide me with a potted history of the background to his articles I would be pleased to add it as a foreword to the articles. I would also welcome comments on the issue of Sunday working.) LARGER TYRES Tyre technology has shown considerable progress over the last decades. This has led to radial tyres being fi tted by many owners of cars from the Silver Cloud models series (and other model series, of course). However, alterations to what had been the standard tyre when Silver Cloud Is were delivered new, ie. 8.20x15 tyres, can be detected, too. This is obvious from the fact that 8.20x15 tyres from more recent production runs do not fi t into the separate tyre compartment in the boot these are simply too wide. On my 1957 Silver Cloud I (SFE395), that is fi tted with Dunlop 8.20x15, there was no choice but to place the spare wheel in the boot. With a cover similar to that found in several coachbuilt cars, I believe it looks ok. The separate tyre compartment offers suffi cient compensation for the lost capacity in the boot. KLAUS-JOSEF ROßFELDT PLUG FOR LEAK PLUGGER I have had success in getting my leaking Spirit II tyre fi xed. I had intermittent slow defl ation of one of them. I saw in the Sunday Times a reference to a specialist company who were able to cure this problem. I followed it up and fi nally got through to their local agent, Messrs Fletchers Garage, Bagshot Road, Englefi eld Green, Egham TW20 0RS, 01784 460881 who had the right equipment and were able to do a completely successful repair. The problem was found to be caused by microoxidisation of the alloy wheel edge at the rim where, under pressure, the tyre seats and makes it airtight. Very small intermittent movement was enough to allow a small, intermittent, air gap, through the corrosion. Other members might like to know this. THOMAS A LEE SILVER CITY AIRWAYS I read the article about Silver City Airways in the May/ June 2006 edition of the Club Bulletin and it brings back memories of our wedding. On 12 September 1954 my wife and I fl ew across the Channel from Lydd to Le Touquet via Silver City Airways en route to Switzerland for our honeymoon. At that time I could not afford either a Bentley or a Rolls-Royce, but was very satisfi ed with an MG TA. Furthermore, in 1982 I bought a motor cruiser and had it moored in San Rafael, Southern France, where Taffy Powell and his wife Marion lived at that time. I kept that boat for the next ten years and who should we engage as the custodian but Taffy Powell. We remained fi rm friends until we left San Rafael and heard many of his unique fl ying experiences during that time. G HALSTEAD 1957 Silver Cloud I (SFE 395) relocated spare wheel

85 EVENTS LIST Will Section Secretaries and Registrars please send all fi xture dates to the General Secretary for co-ordinating for the Events List. Members are advised to contact the Section Secretaries for further details of the events published below. Please note: Timely booking is essential. December 2006 2 AGM, Ashdown Park Hotel, Gorey, Co Wexford. Ireland Section 2 Carols and Christmas Party. Western Canada Section 3 AGM & Christmas Lunch. Central Southern Section 3 Traditional President s Chlaus Höck at Sunnmatt Lodge, Zumikon. Switzerland Section 3 AGM & Christmas Lunch, Perth. Scottish Section 9 Visit to British Aerospace, Warton. Northern Section 10 AGM & Christmas Luncheon, Diss. East Anglian Section 10 Christmas Lunch, The Grasshopper Inn, Westerham. South Eastern Section 10 Christmas Lunch, Hartwell House. Oxford Section 10 Christmas Lunch, Briars Hall Hotel, Burscough. Northern Section 10 Christmas Lunch, Scalford Hall, Melton Mowbray. East Midlands Section 10 Christmas Lunch, Coed-y-Mwstwr Hotel, Coychurch. Welsh Section 10 Christmas Lunch, The Livermead House Hotel. South Western Section 10 Christmas Lunch, Stockbrook Manor. Essex Section 10 AGM & Christmas Lunch. Paulerspury Section 10 Christmas Lunch, Albury Park. Surrey Section 10 AGM, The Hotel Baltimore, Middlesbrough. North Eastern Section 17 Christmas Lunch, Boschendaal. South Africa Section 17 Christmas Lunch, Springfi eld, Wareham. Wessex Section 26 Boxing Day Run with the Vintage Car Club in Vancouver. Western Canada Section January 2007 14 AGM, Passford House Hotel, Lymington. Wessex Section 14 Chairman s Picnic, Somerset West. South Africa Section 14 AGM in Rhenen, near Utrecht. Holland Section 28 New Year Lunch, Donington Manor Hotel. East Midlands Section February 3-4 AGM Weekend. Western Canada Section 3-4 Silver Shadows & T Types Seminar, The Hunt House 4 AGM, Three Rivers Country Club. Essex Section 11 Valentine Lunch and Tea Dance, Ferraris Hotel, Longridge. Northern Section 13 Visit to the Magic Circle. Surrey Section 18 New Members Lunch, The Hunt House. Paulerspury Section 24-25 Silver Clouds & S Types Seminar, The Hunt House 24-25 Centenary Celebration, Cape Town. South Africa Section 25 AGM, Morley Hayes, Derby. East Midlands Section 25 AGM and Lunch, Park Hall Hotel, Stretton. Northern Section March 8 Visit to MIRA, Nuneaton. East Midlands Section 17 Talk by David Bright, Danbury Church Hall. Essex Section 17-18 Mk VI, R Type, Silver Wraith, Silver Dawn Seminar, The Hunt House 18 Belvoir Drive and Lunch at Horse and Plough, Bingham. East Midlands Section 30 March-1 April CLUB CONFERENCE & AGM, The Hunt House April 13-14 Visit to St Davids, Pembrokeshire. Derby Bentley Register 20-23 Welsh Weekend, The Metropole, Llandrindod Wells. Welsh Section 22 Memorial Meeting, West Wittering. Central Southern Section 28 Concours Preparation (All models) Seminar, The Hunt House May 11-13 AGM, Annual Rally and Gala Dinner, Hotel Gyllne Uttern by Lake Vattern. Sweden Section 12-13 Silver Ghost & Derby Phantoms Seminar, The Hunt House 13 Picnic at Uttoxeter Races. East Midlands Section 18-20 Isle of Wight Weekend. Paulerspury Section 18-20 May Weekend in Bath. Essex Section 18-25 Visit to Normandy and Monet s Garden. 20hp Register 19-21 Rally in Northern Ireland. Ireland Section 20 South of England Rally, Charterhouse School, Godalming, Surrey 20-25 Brittany Rally. Wessex Section June 2-4 Weekend near Whitby. East Midlands Section 3 Borde Hill Gardens. Central Southern Section 10 Arundel Castle. Central Southern Section 15-17 50TH ANNIVERSARY ANNUAL RALLY at Kelmarsh Hall 16 ANNUAL DINNER AND DANCE, Paramount Daventry Hotel 29 June-1 July Rally in West Cork. Ireland Section 30 Hickstead. Central Southern Section

86 July 15 Hinton Ampner. Central Southern Section 20-22 Rally in County Wicklow. Ireland Section 22 GARDEN PARTY FOR 40 YEAR MEMBERS, The Hunt House 29 Mottisfont Abbey. Central Southern Section August 12 50TH ANNIVERSARY WHEELS ON ROAD Central Southern Section. Treasure Hunt, South Downs, West Sussex East Anglian Section. The Three Horse Shoes, Warham, Norfolk East Midlands Section. North of England Rally, Harewood House Essex Section. Tea Party, Baddow Park Ireland Section. Rally at Glasson Golf and Country Club, Athlone, County Westmeath Middlesex Section. Road Run North Eastern Section. North of England Rally, Harewood House Northern Section. North of England Rally, Harewood House Oxford Section. Venetian Picnic, Wotton House South Eastern Section. Garden Party, Guinea Hall, Sellinge South Western Section. Stover School, Newton Abbott Surrey Section. Drive through the Surrey Hills starting at Newlands Corner Yorkshire Section. North of England Rally, Harewood House 19 Stanstead Park. Central Southern Section 21-24 40th Anniversary Rally, Fanhams Hall Hotel, Ware. East Anglian Section 26-27 Hampshire Pageant of Motoring, Romsey. Wessex Section September 1-2 20hp, 20/25, 25/30, Wraith, Derby Bentley Seminar, The Hunt House 9-15 Lake District Rally. Central Southern Section 15-16 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION WEEKEND 21-25 Euro Rally, Bad Saarow, Germany 22-29 Heart of Scotland Rally. Paulerspury Section October 6-7 Bodywork & Interior Trim (All models) Seminar, The Hunt House 7 Tangmere Military Aviation and Gribble Inn. Central Southern Section 27-28 Silver Spirit, Silver Spur, Mulsanne, etc Seminar, The Hunt House November 4 London to Brighton Run, Pease Pottage. Central Southern Section 24-25 Heritage Weekend (Historic Seminar), The Hunt House December 2 AGM and Christmas Lunch. Central Southern Section Annual dinner dance PARAMOUNT DAVENTRY HOTEL 16 JUNE 2007 O ur Annual Dinner was oversubscribed this year and many members were disappointed not to be able to attend. We were determined that this situation should not be repeated in 2007 and therefore some time ago we booked the Paramount Daventry Hotel. This hotel is about 17 miles from the rally site but has excellent facilities and is the nearest with a banqueting capacity sufficient for our needs. The function suite can hold 350 people and we will be pulling out the stops to make this an enjoyable evening for all with the emphasis on fun, rather than formality although there does have to be a modicum of the latter. Teddy Fullick, who has been so well received for the past couple of years, has been asked to provide the music for dancing and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars will be sponsoring the evening with a reception prior to dinner. Preferential room rates have been negotiated at the Daventry Hotel, as well as at various other hotels in striking distance of Kelmarsh, although unfortunately the Kettering Park Hotel is not available to us in 2007. If you would like to receive full details of hotels and a booking form for the Dinner in advance of the usual Annual Rally information packs which will be available in February, please contact in writing: June and Mike Wright 12 Holden Gardens Basildon Essex SS14 3LF SUZANNE FINCH DEPUTY CHAIRMAN

87 OBITUARY Gordon Connelly 1926 2006 Gordon Connelly died on Saturday 16 September 2006, just a week before his eightieth birthday. He joined the Club some forty years ago and was made Section Treasurer at the inaugural meeting of the Thames Valley Section, later taking on the secretarial work, and serving as Section President for the last two years. His background as a Chartered Accountant was very useful to the Club, and his advice on various matters of finance was invaluable, leading to the formation of the Finance Committee in the 1980s. He was the Club Chairman from 1985 87, travelling to Europe and the US in the course of his Chairmanship. It was he (as Chairman) who handed over the new Eric Barrass Building to the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation on 6 September 1986. At his funeral, his daughter Joanne recalled his early years in motor sport, running hill climbs and race meetings at Silverstone with the 750 Club, and his meticulous attention to matters of crowd and participant safety. He always insisted on opening and closing every race himself. His children and their friends remember being taken regularly to Silverstone and left to their own devices all day while he would rush around the circuit before and after each race, often driving almost as fast as the competitors! He remained an Honorary Member of the 750 Club until his death. Gordon s attention to detail was carried forward into his life in the Club where those of us who worked with him on various events remember his meticulous paperwork. He and Jill ran the Annual Rally Dinner/Dance for many years and he was a stalwart of the South of England Rally, always taking charge when it was at Charterhouse which was his favourite venue. He also helped Brian Bilton- Sanderson set up the Annual Rally for many years which was when Rob first met him at Englefield. On that particular occasion he and Brian were setting out the field in their usual way, but in deference to the permanent residents of the deer park instead of using Vim they used flour. On arriving early on the morning of the Rally they found said residents had been round during the night and licked up every last scrap, necessitating a complete re-marking at the very last minute! Gordon adored his family and was very proud and supportive of all their achievements. He was a devoted father, stepfather and grandfather, and he and Jill had a very happy marriage. His stepdaughter, Diana, recalled many memories of enjoyable and amusing times. At the South of England Rally at Bradfield College in 2005 I was pleased to be able to present Gordon with an engraved salver for his services to the Rally over the years. The Club was Gordon s life for many years and it has lost a loyal and long-standing member. Many of us have also lost a good friend. I personally will miss his famous signature always in turquoise ink, his collar, tie and waistcoat, his infectious chuckle, and the bar in the boot of his car, always with at least one large bottle of Famous Grouse! His wife, Jill, wishes to thank all Club Members who have so kindly written to her at this sad time. JANE PEDLER