Paulerspury People April 2015
The Newsletter of The RREC Paulerspury Section
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Paulerspury People - April 2015
Paulerspury People
April 2015
The Newsletter of the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club - Paulerspury Section
Contents Not a Lot of People Know That
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The Chairman’s Bit
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Lunch at Whittlebury Park Golf Club
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Lunch at Shendish Manor
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Lunch at the Old Swan with Helicopter Flights
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Visit to DAF Trucks and The Commercial Vehicle Museum
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Future Events Diary
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Committee Contacts
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Front Cover Photograph: A ‘Post Office Telephones’ engineer struggles to restore service to the call box at the British Commercial Vehicle Museum
Paulerspury People - April 2015
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Not a Lot of People Know That The locks on a 1984 Silver Spirit are made according to a principle first used on the tombs of the Pharoahs, four thousand years ago.
No one is certain who designed the Rolls-Royce radiator grille or the interlinked R-R emblem.
In 1953 Rolls-Royce replaced the 4-Speed manual gearbox with a General Motors hydraulic gearbox that was essentially the same as the one in a $2,000 Pontiac!
Ronald Reagan, even in his movie days, made do with a Cadillac!
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Paulerspury People - April 2015
The Chairman’s Bit Spring is here, well it was yesterday, 25 degrees in Hyde Park. The Daffodils are wilting but the Bluebells are taking their place. The section has already had four events this year, Whittlebury Golf Club, Shendish Manor, The Swan at Astwood including helicopter rides and a visit to DAF Trucks and Commercial Vehicle museum, and its still April! All the events were well attended and each different. Derek Freeman - Chairman
Your committee has been busy planning the rest of the year and I do really think we have an exciting programme; from picnics to garden parties, from vineyards to Silverstone, from a train museum to classic car shows. Please look at the programme and book early! Don’t also forget the annual rally at Burghley House Friday 19th to Sunday 21st June, we will be having our traditional tailgate party hosted this year by Keith and Pippa from their S3 on the Sunday from 11.30. All section members and friends are welcome. Steve, your secretary and myself attended the RREC AGM and annual conference on the 11th and 12th of April. The AGM was well attended and passed without any controversy. The Conference mood was buoyant however club membership at the end of 2014 stood at 7,594, a 2% drop from the previous year and a 6.3% drop over the last five years, clearly of concern that we are not attracting enough new members. Much was debated on the issue particularly regarding attempting to capture the Bentley Continental owners for which the conference on balance thought was a good idea though clearly there were a number of very vocal dissenters. There was further debate about how the Club could increase its membership including obtaining Royal patronage though this idea was not carried by the conference who generally felt we should attempt to throw off a perceived elitist image. The Clubs budget for the next three years was presented which did demonstrate a declining dependence on the income from the Year Book was is clearly good news. There has been a decline in the number of entries and winners of club trophies and reasons for this decline was debated, including the view that many individuals do not feel they can compete against cars prepared by the restorers such as P&A Wood. Relations between the Foundation and the Club have clearly improved and there were two excellent presentations from the Foundation. The most exciting of which was the Paulerspury People - April 2015
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proposal to build an extension within the quadrangle on the Hunt House to display cars and memorabilia and create an environment which would attract more people to the Hunt House. Early days but the conference unanimously thought the proposal worthy of taking forward. The Foundation and the Club do I believe still have work to do in making it clear what the two organisations are about and why and how they coexist. All in all a good conference. I have to end on a sad note; Edna Moore passed away at the beginning of the year after a protracted illness. Many of you will remember David and Edna and their support of Club events over the years and very recently the sudden death of Karel Bellringer which has been a huge shock to us all. On behalf of all of the Paulerspury Section I would offer our very deepest sympathy and condolences to the families. They will be sadly missed.
Derek Freeman Sunday Lunch Whittlebury Park Golf Club - 25th January 2015 The first of our 2015 Sunday lunches was held at the Whittlebury Park Golf Club. It was an excellent venue, providing us with a Private Dining room and Bar, together with Reserved Parking. The 3 course carvery lunch was attended by 47 of us and a good selection of Club Cars. As it was Burns Night the majority of people added a touch of tartan to their dress. Peter Nightingale had his trews on and if there were prizes to be had, David Hennessy would have been well in the running with his Kilt. Derek our new Chairman attended with Sylvia and whilst it seemed strange for Barry not to say a few words after the meal, it was good to see Derek enjoying his new role.
Framed in the entrance to the bar
Many thanks to Jan for organising yet another highly successful event for the Section and to Steve who nearly froze helping us all park.
Dave Knighton 6
Paulerspury People - April 2015
Janet and David display their Tartan
Lunch is served
Douglas Newton’s MkVI fronts an excellent line up
Sunday Lunch at Shendish Manor - Sunday 22nd February 2015 Shendish Manor is today described as a Grade 11 listed Victorian Manor House. The Shendish Estate however was first mentioned in the Domesday book and history of habitation in the area goes back to the Stone Age with artifacts and evidence from the Bronze Age and Iron Age being found. We know the Romans were quite active in the vicinity. The present Manor was built in 1853 by Charles Longman, a partner in a paper making business with John Dickinson. The company of John Dickinson bought the house in 1936 and was a major employer in Hemel Hempstead until very recent times. In World War 1 it saw service as an army camp. Remnants of the paper making industry can still be seen at the nearby Frogmore Paper Mill, the world’s oldest mechanised paper mill and still producing 100 tons of specialised paper per year. Sunday 22nd February 2015. Weather forecast ; Clear skies and dry morning, rain and wind later. The clear dry morning was good enough to tempt most members to bring out their cherished club car, after all “Enthusiasts” are usually optimists. This optimism was repaid for some with a pleasant run to Shendish Manor at Hemel Hempstead. Unfortunately an accident on the M1 in the vicinity of Hemel had resulted in all southbound traffic being diverted through Hemel since about 10am that morning. By the time we arrived in the area Hemel was gridlocked. A further “incident”, involving a large number of police vehicles, at or near the infamous Magic Roundabout added to the confusion. The result was that many members were delayed, some by as much as 2 hours!! Once all the cars had arrived we were treated to a fantastic array of club cars from the classical, epitomised by Steven and Mia’s Silver Wraith through the models to the more modern ones which are now becoming quite acceptable!! By this time however, the rain had begun so viewing and ogling was somewhat limited. Paulerspury People - April 2015
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The delightful Shendish Manor Hotel
Before the rain came down
Presence if ever there was
Relaxing after some very fraught journeys
The sun shines through the orangery windows
Empty places as some didnot even make it through the traffic
Once most members were there, lunch was served at a little after 1-30, which had given members a little extra time for socialising in the lounge or drinking in the bar. With provision for later arrivals. The food was very tasty, well presented and served very professionally with little waiting for the different choices to arrive. 8
Paulerspury People - April 2015
We had been allocated space at one end of the large and airy Orangery with attractive views out over the gardens. There was a large table in the centre of the room occupied by a family celebrating a 90th birthday. With the usual chatter from 40 RR Enthusiasts, we hardly noticed their presence, even their rendering of Happy Birthday. The sharing arrangement worked quite well as there was adequate space for all, in fact it was refreshing to have plenty of space around our tables so that after the meal we could circulate and continue to catch up with old friends and make new ones. It was quite clear that this was appreciated by many members. On the whole the gathering was a great success and David and Sue Cooper are to be complimented on finding this venue and making the arrangements for us.
Graham Swallow Sunday Lunch at The Old Swan at Astwood- Sunday 22nd February 2015 Otherwise... On a Wing and A Prayer Her Ladyship was all doom and gloom. “It’ll be no good” she said “we’ll see nothing at all if it keeps on like this”. Admittedly, Saturday was a pretty grey and windy old day, and Her Ladyship was so so looking forward to her first ever helicopter flight. But foolishly, she gave scant consideration to the power of the Gallafents and connections with Him on high. For Sunday dawned bright and clear, with high patchy cloud and very little wind – just simply an ideal day for flying? And so the Continental R was extracted from his winter hibernation, cleaned, checked and fuelled for his first trip of the new season (and, as it turned out, also regrettably his last trip - more of that in a later PP, no doubt). We set off early, with Her Ladyship almost beside herself with joy. In fact, we set off so early that there was no-one at the pub when we arrived, and at the airstrip, only the organisers were present. No helicopter, no ground crew, nothing but a tattered old windsock.
Paulerspury People - April 2015
The tattered and torn windsock, still, at least.
9 If you were nervous already, this did not help!
Sylvia Freeman about to lift off
Ruth Gallafent’s grin says it all
Milton Keynes Hospital
Central Milton Keynes ‘Snowdome’
Caldecotte Lake
Woburn Abbey
10 General view across the County
‘Her Ladyship’, Pippa returns elated
Paulerspury People - April 2015
Things gradually picked up as the ground crew and fire safety team arrived. Still no helicopter, but slowly more and more Paulerspury members turned up. The land owner even popped out and put up a new windsock – such is the power of a mass gathering of the RREC. Surprisingly, quite a number of people had never been in a helicopter before and most of them were excitedly chatting away in anticipation of something new. Just a few were less keen to try the rotary technology. “You’ll never get me up in one of those things” said Bert Gladwin with a grimace. We were all scheduled to fly in groups of 4 at intervals of about 15 minutes per run. Excitement peaked as the machine arrived, and although first impressions were that it was very small for 4 passengers, the fit was snug but comfortable with three in the back and the lucky one at the front alongside the pilot. When our turn eventually came, Her Ladyship, of course, bagged the front seat, leaving the rest of us to crowd into the back row. Nevertheless, the view from every seat was good and our trip out across Chicheley, Newport Pagnell and on over Milton Keynes was just amazing. When seen from the air, landmarks like the Snowdome, Willen Lake and the Milton Keynes bowl all seem so small. Everything seems so ordered and tidy from above. There’s no litter and no unkempt gardens from up there! Our return route took us out over Woburn Abbey and the Safari Park, then back across Millbrook and Cranfield to Astwood. We thought that 15 minutes would not be long, but it was ample time to sample these delights from on high. Her Ladyship was once again beside herself (isn’t it amazing what a man with a chopper can do) and of course Barry was there to take pictures to prove the point. Cue even more excited chatter all round.
Margaret and David Wells safely strapped in
Paulerspury People - April 2015
Voila! The windsock was replaced
You won’t get me in one of those things says Bertie
11 Seven happy fliers all safely back on the ground
Gleaming in the sunshine
Simply the best garden ornaments
So many cars
We even spilled over in to the bar area
It’s the way he tells them!
I think we will win the prize Dennis tells Keith Dennis and Sue receive their magnum of wine from Bob
12 Cosy in the Snug
Paulerspury People - April 2015
Now many may have thought that the day could not get any better, but Bob, the landlord at The Old Swan had a trick up his sleeve in the form of fine ales and wines together with a quite excellent lunch. Many more Paulerspury members joined us for the lunch, in fact so many that we took over the entire pub save for an odd table or two of bemused locals, and the day really did get better and better. Bob’s now traditional choice of car of the day was justly won by Denis and Sue Sewell in their excellent Silver Cloud III who received a magnum of wine to add to their cellar – as if they need it! A day that I am sure will be remembered for many years to come. Grateful thanks go to Barry and Ruth for their immense efforts in the organisation of something so different and so much fun.
Keith Davies Visit to DAF Trucks and The British Commercial Motor Museum 7th & 8th April We met up late afternoon at the Best Western Leyland Hotel on the 7th April and the camaraderie and general sense of “we are going to have a good time” started immediately. Having checked in and met back at the bar, the staff were beginning to recognise us by now, we were joined for the evening by Mark and Huw from DAF. General discussion followed about the following day’s events and then the all important decision on where to have dinner had to be made. The view taken was that we should explore the delights of Leyland itself, which you can probably imagine did not take too long and we ended up in the local Chinese being looked after by a young Chinese guy with a sense of humour and a Lancastrian accent. A good time was had by all and the food was good as well.
Paulerspury People - April 2015
Nine men went to mow. Sorry, eat!
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The following day we arrived at the DAF plant just before 10:00am for coffee and a company presentation by the head of engineering development Jim Henderson. We were then taken into the production hall and were given a detailed tour with commentary of the processes involved in building a variety of different truck chassis all made for a specific customer. Those countries that drive on the left have the vehicles built in the UK, all other markets are produced at Eindhoven in Holland. Engines are sourced from Cummins in the UK but produced to DAF’s specification, the other power plants again come from Holland. Other major components such as cabs are produced by Renault in France and come in three different configurations to suit the three different chassis/engine combinations. The company is extremely successful in a wide variety of markets and the UK plant can produce over 15,000 trucks a year in a finished or semi finished state. The holding company is American based on the west coast, the PACCAR group also owns well know brands there such as Kenworth & Peterbilt. We had another fascinating presentation and had an insight into the use of 3D CAD which is used to design components and complete chassis, it is also possible to simulate a road test to ascertain how chassis, suspension and steering items perform on a variety of different surfaces. After the tour we had a brief look at the spare parts operation which was followed by a light lunch. Grateful thanks were extended to DAF for permitting the visit which is normally only available to existing or prospective customers. Regrettably, photography is not allowed in the DAF plant, hence none are included in this article.
A Scammell tractor unit
14 Morris Ice-Cream van
An array of Fire Appliances
Paulerspury People - April 2015 Leyland Motor Bus
Marko Popo addresses the people
Dave Knighton - strap hanging
Keith Davies tries out the Papal pew
Paulerspury People - April 2015 Beautifull re-trimmed interior of the Leyland Motor Bus
15 A comprehensive instrument panel
After lunch we made the short trip to the Commercial Vehicle Museum in Leyland and were looked after by Ken & Bob, this was a private visit which ensured that we learnt a lot more about the vehicles in the collection, Bob at the age of 92 was amazing and went into great detail about the development of the Diesel engine. Late afternoon saw us heading back down the M6 and hoping that it was not as congested as the day before, it wasn’t so the journey home was fine. Our sincere thanks to Barry for arranging this as it was not straightforward and took up quite a lot of time to pull it altogether.
David Davis
Keith attempts to ‘Get That Bus Out’
At the end of a super private visit, we say goodbye to our guides Bob and Ken
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Paulerspury People - April 2015
The Paulerspury Section 35th Anniversary To be held at The Hunt House High Street Paulerspury Northants NN12 7NA
Sunday 19th July 2015 from Midday Onwards Come along and meet up with friends old and new Join in the celebrations for just ÂŁ30.00 per person Price includes Buffet Lunch and ALL Drinks Parking for Club Cars Please reply to Janet Dolan by FRIDAY 4th July using the booking form enclosed with this issue
Paulerspury People - April 2015
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Future Events Diary Sunday 17th - Tuesday 19th May 2015 Three Day Break in the Beautiful Vale of Dedham ***SOLD OUT*** Saturday 23rd - Monday 25th May 2015 RREC International Weekend Venue: Folkestone Racecourse Organiser: Ted Meachem (Central Southern Section) Friday 19th - Sunday 21st June 2015 RREC Annual Rally and Concours Venue: Burghley House, Lincolnshire Organisers: Main Club Event
and liaise with Caroline once they have their tickets. Note: Vehicles must be at least 21 years old!** Coordinator: Caroline Sykes Booking Form Enclosed Wednesday 5th August 2015 Classics on Croxley Green Venue: Croxley Green, Rickmansworth, WD3 3NH Organisers: Steve and Janet Dolan Booking Form Enclosed Saturday 15th August 2015 Fête Champêtre with City Barge Venue: Sandhurst Military College
Sunday 28th June 2015 Broadwell House Driving Day & Picnic Venue: Broadwell House, Broadwell, Nr Rugby, CV23 8HF Organisers: Adrian and Linda Denham Booking Form Enclosed
This year we have been invited to join The Oxford (Founders) & Thames Valley Section and their friends at City Barge for a Summer Picnic which is being held at The Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst.
Sunday 12th July 2015 Kimbolton Country Fayre Venue: Kimbolton Castle, Kimbolton Cambs, PE28 0ER Organiser: Val Yates Booking Form Enclosed
Although at the time of going to press we don’t have any confirmed details we do hope that you will be able to join us for gondola rides on the lake, weather permitting, courtesy of City barge.
Sunday 19th July 2015 Section 35th Anniversary Garden Party Venue: The Hunt House High Street, Paulerspury, Northants, NN12 7NA Organisers: Derek Freeman and Janet Dolan Wednesday 22nd July 2015 Classics on Harpenden Common Venue: Harpenden Common, Herts **Attendees must book directly in advance www.classicsonthecommon.com 18
Please put this date in your diaries, more details will be published in the July PP and on the section website as soon as available. Organisers: Steve and Janet Dolan liaising with Oxford Founders and Thames Valley Sections Saturday 26th September 2015 New Lodge Vineyard Venue: Earls Barton, Northants, NN6 0HF Organiser: Karen Hillier Booking Form Enclosed Paulerspury People - April 2015
Midweek 28th/29th September Thames Barge Trip Venue: TBC Organisers: Derek and Sylvia Freeman Sunday 4th October 2015 Autumn Amble Venue: Verulam Golf Club, 226 London Road, St.Albans, Herts. AL1 1JG Organiser: Peter Kingaby Booking Form Enclosed Saturday 10th October Silverstone Circuit - Behind the Scenes Venue: Silverstone Circuit, Northants. Organisers: Steve and Janet Dolan Expression of Interest Form Enclosed for reserve list as currently fully booked Thursday 5th November 2015 Siemens Train Depot Visit Venue: Heathfield Way, Kings Heath, Northampton NN5 7QP Organiser: Karen Hillier Booking Form Enclosed
Paulerspury Section Committee
Treasurer Kathryn Martin (Mike) Tel: 01234 714092 kathryn.martin@rrecpaulerspury.org.uk treasurer@rrecpaulerspury.org.uk
Events Coordinator Janet Dolan (Steve) Address: See Steve Dolan above Tel: 01327 351460 Mob: 07841 989608 janet.dolan@rrecpaulerspury.org.uk events@rrecpaulerspury.org.uk
Editor Barry Gallafent (Ruth) 222b Wolverton Road Blakelands Milton Keynes, MK14 5AB Tel: 01908 216804 Mobile: 07785 398271 barry.gallafent@rrecpaulerspury.org.uk editor@rrecpaulerspury.org.uk Karen Hillier (Ray) Mob: 07881 802904 karen.hillier@rrecpaulerspury.org.uk
Chairman Derek Freeman (Sylvia) The Plantation, Village Road Bromham, MK43 8LL Tel: 01234 823255 (Home) Mobile: 07836 715351 derek.freeman@rrecpaulerspury.org.uk chairman@rrecpaulerspury.org.uk
Secretary Steve Dolan (Janet) The Old Stables Heathencote, Northants, NN12 7LE Tel: 01327 351460 Mob: 07739 848368 steve.dolan@rrecpaulerspury.org.uk secretary@rrecpaulerspury.org.uk Paulerspury People - April 2015
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