Paulerspury People Summer 2010
The newsletter of The RREC Paulerspury Section Paulerspury People - July 2010
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Paulerspury People - July 2010
Paulerspury People
Summer 2010
The newsletter of the Rolls Royce Enthusiasts Club - Paulerspury Section
Contents Not a Lot of People Know That
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Chairman’s Bit
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Editor’s Comments
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New Members Visit to Hunt House 21st February
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Leather Seminar 6th March
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Hertfordshire Pub Lunch 21st March
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Rugby School Tour and Lunch 28th March
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Visit to Johnson Matthey 14th April
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St Georges Day Run 25th April
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Lake District Rally
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Future Events
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Member’s Bits
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Annual Rally and Prize Winners
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Notes from The Secretary
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New Members
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Section Contacts
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The quality and quantity of the content of Paulerspury People is provided by our members for the enjoyment of others. If you have something to tell us about, do let us know, by email preferably editor@rrecpaulerspury.org.uk and we will do our best to include it. Supporting photographs are especially welcome. We are keen to revive ‘Me and my car’, so do let us know about yours. Front Cover Photograph: Barry and Ruth Gallafent’s Silver Shadow SRH19651 Outside The Old Rectory, Great Easton, Market Harborough, Leics.
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Not a Lot of People Know That The very first owner after the formation of the Rolls Royce company in 1906 was a minor celebrity: Paris E. Singer. Paris (he got his bizarre name because his globetrotting old man called his offspring by the name of the town where they happened to be born - hence his brother Washington, also an owner) took delivery of a dark-green Rolls Royce with a rear entrance. Mr Singer was the heir to the Singer sewing machine millions, quite a few of which he lavished on Isadora Duncan, the dancer. Second in the Rolls Royce Hall of fame was Sir Oswald Mosley Bt. and third, a Guinness.
The ruler of Alwar owned six Silver Ghosts. Rolls Royce refused to carry out certain modifications, so the old man, in an unbelievable fit of pique, had all six converted in to refuse trucks.
The most careless owner on record must be the un-named Cheshire businessman who reported to the company in 1909 that he had lost his Rolls Royce ‘somewhere in Belgium’.
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Paulerspury People - July 2010
Chairmans Bit On checking my last ‘Chairman’s Bit’, I noticed I mentioned that Linda and I had done the second recce for the Lake District visit. Quite frankly, I’m amazed the event has come and gone! Where does the time go to – I’ve no idea?
Chairman - Chris Ball
Having mentioned the Lake District Rally, I want to say what a great success it was. All the participants had a great time and this is evidenced by the good write-ups put together by some of the members who came along. You can read them in this edition of the PP.
Another well-attended event was the New Member’s lunch in February. I decided to combine one of our county pub lunches with a new member’s lunch and it worked very well. The St George’s Day Run was a great success with many members and their cars attending. The day was ably organised by Alan and Margaret Fuller who have never organised an event before. Many thanks to them for doing a grand job. We could do with more members coming forward with ideas for events. Don’t be shy. Just let Jan Dolan the Events Organiser or me know your ideas and we can go from there. Many interesting events are on the calendar for the season, not least the Annual Picnic on Sunday 15 August at Claydon House. There are still spaces left so come along and make it a memorable occasion in the section’s 30th year. The Cognac Rally is also eagerly awaited by those who are going and is the first European Rally for the section in nearly five years. Don’t forget to look on the section’s website and the PP for other events taking place this year. I mentioned in my last ‘Chairman’s Bit’ that I was setting up a Chairman’s Charity in aid of the RNLI Harwich Lifeboat during my tenure and it gives me great pleasure to tell you all that, so far, over £700 has been raised for this worthy cause. It’s down to you the members of the section for giving so generously and I thank you all very much. I would like to take this opportunity to announce that Kathy Martin is giving up the editorship of the Paulerspury People. Kathy (and Mick) has done a magnificent job over many years and I know many of you appreciate the sterling work she has done in preparing the PP and keeping us informed of what is going on in the section. I am sure that I speak for you all when I thank her for her efforts on our behalf. Paulerspury People - July 2010
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We are fortunate that Barry Gallafent has come forward to take over the production of the PP. Barry lives in Milton Keynes with his wife Ruth and joined the section just over a year ago. He is a keen member who attends regular section events. Barry has already implemented some drastic changes and has lots of exciting and interesting ideas for the PP, but it is also your newsletter so please send anything of interest to him for inclusion. I’m sure you will join me in wishing him well as the new editor. Barry prefers email submissions to editor@rrecpaulerspury.org.uk All that remains for me now is to say happy summer motoring and if the weather at the Annual Rally was anything to go by don’t forget your warm woollies and gloves!
Chris Ball Editor’s Comments Hello everybody. Some of you may know me and others not yet, but welcome to you all. I have been entrusted with the care and production of Paulerspury People as your new editor and being quite a new member, I am delighted and privileged to have been so. Thank you to Kathy Martin who handed over the reigns to me. Kathy became Treasurer in a most difficult time for the section and still managed to produce full editions of the PP. I hope relinquishing this task proves to be a relief and not a worry for her! I hope you like some of the changes that have been implemented so far, I think the inclusion of colour throughout will make the publication far more enjoyable and do justice to some of your wonderful photographs. Since publishing is my background, it is my aim to produce and distribute both Paulerspury People and The Flyer at no cost to the section. This will provide a welcome boost to our funds and I am certain, can be spent in others ways and perhaps to greater benefit. Paulerspury People would be nothing without the content which I understand is willingly supplied by members organising or attending events and seminars, and I would greatly appreciate your continued support in providing such wonderful copy to me. Email is my preferred method of receiving articles or photographs and although most formats can be accommodated, Word documents, JPEG’s and PDF files are most welcome. 6
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Expanding the content of Paulerspury People, I would like to include articles of interest outside the section perhaps, or on member’s vehicles if you feel they have a particular story to tell, a famous owner perhaps or a sinister past! Who knows, but all submissions will be welcome for consideration. Of course if you come across that photograph of one of our marque in peculiar use or circumstances, do send it in. Well that is all from me this time, I look forward to your support.
Barry Gallafent New Member’s Lunch 21 February On Sunday, 21 February new and existing members met at the Hunt House. I had decided to incorporate a new member’s lunch with one of our four-county lunches. The weather was bad, but it was good to see so many people turn out on such an awful day. One of the new members who attended, Clive O’Neil, summed up the day and is quoted as follows: ‘I joined the RREC about a year ago, but didn’t really feel as though I could participate until I bought a suitable car before Christmas, although it has been hibernating ever since. I decided to attend the Member’s Open Day at the Hunt House, but it was snowing quite heavily. As I got nearer to Milton Keynes it did brighten up but there was still snow on the ground at Paulerspury when I arrived. I was introduced to Chris Ball at the entrance, given a name badge and then met some of the other members over a cup of coffee. It was then time to go into the lecture theatre for a brief introduction to the club and the section for the benefit of about 12 new members, followed by a tour of the Hunt House. This included the reading room, the workshop, a small museum and a look at the very extensive archive collection, as well as some interesting memorabilia and other fascinating exhibits, photographs and by-gones. Eventually it was time to browse the shop before heading off to the ‘Betsy Paulerspury People - July 2010
From Left to right New members Paul & Judith Frowde, Barry & Ruth Gallafent, James & Wendy Gordon-Colebrooke, Keith & Pippa Davies, Clive O’Neill and Kay & Mark Warnock at Hunt House
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Wynne’ where a very nice lunch was enjoyed. The weather had cleared up by now and it was a very pleasant afternoon journey home. I certainly hope to go along to other events as the year progresses, so thanks very much to all the committee members for arranging it and I hope to see you all again soon.’ Indeed, I am pleased to say Clive and other new members have attended events since and it’s been good to see them all again.
Chris Ball The Leather Conservation Centre on 6th March What a shock to the system this event was. Every thought I ever had about leather has been thrown out the window. I don’t really know where to begin. I will try to relate some of the technical side of the visit but please excuse me if there are some inaccuracies. This will be because my ancient brain can no longer absorb facts as fast as it used to. The day started off all right with 20 RREC members eager to learn how to make the leather in their cars soft and succulent. We had members as far afield as Yorkshire, so great the interest was. Yvette Fletcher, who runs the centre on the Northampton University Campus, explained that the centre was founded in 1978 and based on their requests for help from all over the world, she believes they are the only organisation in the world specialising in the conservation of leather. She set the scene for the day when she explained that she would demonstrate the techniques for repair and re-colouring of leather but announced that the best way to look after leather was to do nothing to it. There was general disbelief from all of us dedicated hide-food aficionados. Before we would understand why, we had to be told something about leather and its production.
Looking and Learning at the Leather Conservation Centre
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Roy Thomson, a retired leather chemistry specialist, gave us a detailed introduction to the history and production of leather. He first showed us some 20-odd different pieces of leather from all sorts of beasts. He passed round for us to feel Paulerspury People - July 2010
the leather of everything from cows and sheep to the inch thick leather from a hippo and the delicate skin of a toad. He explained that skin in all vertebrates is composed of collagens and would normally putrefy along with the rest of the animal if it is not treated. This is where tanning comes in. Tanning stabilises the collagen coils so they do not pull apart and cause the leather to disintegrate. In the old days of vegetable and alum tanning it could take up to 4 years to process the skin from animal to leather. Modern chrome tanning, of course is much faster. Our older cars (pre 1960s) have vegetable tanned leather using oak bark, while modern furniture and cars have chrome tanned leather. Alongside the changes in tanning over the years, the coatings have moved from nitro cellulose in the 19th century through pigments for the pre-war cars to acrylics and polyurethanes for the cars of the 1960s and 1980s onwards. This took care of the morning session. Following lunch and having explained the basics of leather, Roy & Yvette spent the afternoon talking about the treatment repair and restoration of leather. The best place to keep leather is apparently in an unused and unheated 2nd bedroom because the humidity and temperature would be perfect for the longevity of leather. As “her indoors” does not let me keep my cars in a bedroom, clearly some compromise must be reached. The secret is moderate humidity and temperature. Ideally leather should not be stored in a dehumidified garage for example. They were adamant that feeding leather with hide food to try and get back the “soft feel” was damaging to leather. ‘Leather is dead skin and cannot be fed’ was their constant mantra. Firstly, our older cars never had “soft” leather due to the finishes on them so to try and feed it would achieve nothing. Worse, however, the “foods” will weaken the collagen bonds that the tanning process creates and cause it to separate and split! There were just a few simple tips like should the leather become wet at any time, do not leave it to dry in the sun or use a heater to dry it as it will harden and shrink irreversibly. Let it dry under natural conditions. There then followed a practical session, when we were shown how to repair splits and fill and restore leather which had deteriorated and we experimented on samples of degraded leather, matching colours and cleaning and recoating various car leathers which had been brought in by members. I was surprised that PVA glue is the favoured material for use on leather patches. What a fascinating day! I do not pretend to cover everything we did but I hope I have highlighted the key points. We all were grateful to Kathy Martin for arranging this course and her very noble efforts in keeping us fed and watered. I feel certain that once these stories get round there will be a demand for a repeat of this course. Well done Kathy!
Chris Bellringer Paulerspury People - July 2010
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Hertfordshire Pub Lunch 21st March On a glorious sunny day we assembled at the Fox and Hounds in the pretty village of Barley. Another two miles east and we would have been in Cambridgeshire. After a convivial time gossiping in the bar, we all tucked into a good lunch with hearty helpings of food. Mealtime over, we crossed over the road to Mr John Foy’s workshop where we were intrigued by the renovations being done on several stripped down old cars. Amongst the various models being brought back to their former glory were a Bentley 1937 Drophead, a Swallow Jaguar and a Standard Convertible. The Standard looked magnificent in her newly painted livery of red and cream. The star of the show was an impressive navy blue Austin 6 20hp proudly owned by David Davis. Thanks to David and Diana for arranging such an interesting and nostalgic day.
Wendy Gladwin
Visit and Lunch at Rugby School – Sunday 28 March We had a wonderful visit to Rugby School. It was a popular event with over 80 members from the East Midlands and Paulerspury Sections. We were very fortunate with the weather – it didn’t rain, but it was cool on the outside parts of our tour. We drove down Barby Rugby School Road, through the Queen’s Gate, which was opened by the Queen on 12th May 1967 to celebrate the school’s 400th anniversary. When the Queen tried to unlock the gates, the key bent and another had to be used. The Queen’s (bent) key is in the museum (it appeared to be solid gold, a soft metal). It was quite a tight fit to drive our cars through those gates! 10
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Top Left: The New Quad with some of its classrooms Top Right: Inside the Main Chapel Left: At Lunch in The Old Big School Above: A Bentley S2 Flying Spur, A Rolls Royce Silver Dawn, A Rolls Royce Silver Spirit and a Bentley R type
We parked our cars in two lines between the headmaster’s house and the Chapel, overlooking the playing field. The cars ranged from a number of RR 20/25hps to a 2004 Bentley Continental GT. I felt the GT looked different (out of place?) compared with the 20th Century Club cars. Interesting cars included a red RR Corniche convertible with Spirit (1996) alloy wheels, two RR Silver Wraiths (including Adrian Denham’s), four Silver Cloud/S models, a S2 Flying Spur, two Silver Dawns and two Bentley MkVIs, Rodney Lewis’s 1996 RR Silver Spur, a Bentley Arnage Red label (in dark blue!) and a RR Silver Seraph. Our tour was in the area bounded by Barby Road, Lawrence Sheriff Street and Dunchurch Road. It includes buildings constructed mainly in the Victorian era and the large playing field. Most of the classrooms are on the other side of Barby Road. We started with coffee & biscuits in a large and high Victorian room, which was originally a classroom – very historic, like the rest of the tour. We were divided into three groups, my guide being Rusty MacLean, the school librarian and archivist (he was extremely knowledgeable and excellent). Our first stop was in the other corner of the Old Quad. We ascended a stone spiral staircase to an almost square class room. Within the room was a second floor with books all around the walls. The ‘stained glass’ window had pictures of headmasters mainly from 19th Century. Along one wall, there was a display of desk tops which pupils Paulerspury People - July 2010
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had inscribed with their names. We went back into the Old Quad, where we were shown a pump dated 1814. In the famous book, Tom Brown was ducked under this pump. Next, we visited the Memorial Chapel, which was erected in memory of Rugby School pupils killed in the 1st World War. All 686 names are inscribed in plaques on the wall, including the famous poet, Rupert Brooke. One appreciates the slaughter of this War when 686 pupils is more than the total number of pupils in the school (aged 13 to 18). Over 350 Old Rugbeians were killed in the 2nd World War. Then we moved to the Chapel, a large and high Victorian Gothic building built by Butterfield 1867-72. The famous headmaster, Thomas Arnold is buried just below the Chancel steps. It has a large organ of 3,700 pipes. From here, we moved to the playing field. First, we stood outside the Headmaster’s house. Its garden is almost a floor above the road (where we stood), and there is a small door. When the door is open, the Headmaster is available for consultation by pupils. The outside wall, to the garden, has a plaque to William Webb Ellis, and a roundal built into the road. In 1823, the boys were playing a game similar to Soccer when William Ellis took the ball into his arms and ran with it – founding Rugby Football. We moved to Queens Gate (explained earlier), and then ‘The Mound’. This is a Bronze Age burial ground. From 13th Century it was surrounded by a 20ft wide moat (it was drained in 1847). In 1797 the island was the scene of a pupils’ rebellion, when they blew off the door to the headmaster’s classroom and burnt their books and desks on the Close! They were protesting at bad food and beating of a boy for possession of gunpowder! The local militia were called, and the boys retreated to the Mound. The Riot Act was called, which gave the militia the right to fire on civilians. Subsequently, some boys were expelled – later to become renowned military leaders! Our final visit was to the museum, essentially two rooms with pictures and exhibits, including a picture of Rupert Brooke, his brother (who also died in WW1) and mother. It was a fascinating tour by an excellent guide – and we won’t forget listening to him beside the Queen’s Gate, with a very cold wind sweeping across the playing field! Finally, we went to a very good lunch in the Old Big School. This was built in 1815, and has the dimensions of equal width and height but twice the length. It easily accommodated 80+ RREC members and their lunch. A really excellent visit. Many thanks to our organisers, Adrian Denham, David Britton and our fascinating school guide Rusty MacLean.
David Towers 12
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Visit to Johnson Matthey – 14th April We were somewhat early so we sussed out the vast premises of Johnson Matthey then drove into the town of Royston to find some lunch. We found the Banyers Restaurant which was bright and clean with freshly cut spring daffodils on the oak top tables. The staff were very welcoming and polite and the food was excellent. Graham Swallow heads the line up outside Johnson Matthey
At 2p.m. Joyce and I arrived in Johnson Matthey’s reserved parking for Rolls Royce/ Bentley, closely followed by Peter Nightingale, Graham Swallow, Michael Digby and Chris Leigh. We then all walked round to the Reception where we were issued with visitor passes, and both cameras and mobile telephones were confiscated! We were then introduced to Dr. Jeremy Gidney who is J. Matthey’s European Test Resources Manager. He gave us an half hour introductory talk. Johnson Matthey are the leading U.K. manufacturer of car catalysts, those for commercial vehicles are manufactured at their Swedish plant. They employ 8,500 Worldwide, and of those 1,250 are employed at Royston where 500 million catalysts have been manufactured since mid 1980’s. Johnson Matthey also are concerned in the refinement of gold, platinum and silver. Dr. Gidney then escorted us through the Testing Laboratory for Scooters and motor bikes where they were testing Honda and Yamaha. From there we entered their Diesel Engine Testing Laboratory where they have in excess of £500,000 worth of computers. They also have four wheel road testing equipment, and we saw one engine being exhaust gas tested up to 900 degrees C. At the end of our visit several Johnson Matthey employees asked if they could view and photograph our cars. We have asked Dr. Gidney to email us a copy, which so far has not been forthcoming. In all, a very interesting tour if somewhat over my head. Our thanks in particular to Dr.Jeremy Gidney and also to Johnson Matthey.
Peter Parsons Paulerspury People - July 2010
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St George’s Day Run 25th April Friday and Saturday were such wonderfully sunny days so who would have believed it would have rained on Sunday? Well it did, but that did not dampen the spirits of our section who turned out in force for the annual St George’s Day run. In all there were thirty member’s cars, supported by seventy-three members and guests, a very commendable effort indeed. On arrival at The Falcon in Bletsoe, members lined up their cars facing the road under Alan’s strict guidance, producing a formidable display of British engineering and style for all to see. Coffee and Chef’s home made biscuits were served inside, providing just a little sustenance for those who had left home without breakfast perhaps, whilst outside, even more cars arrived.
An impressive turnout at The Falcon, Bletsoe, our starting point
Soon after 11:00 we were under starters orders and several groups began to move off clasping superbly detailed route sheets, offering the option of the full forty-four mile drive or the shorter twenty-seven mile version. We opted for the full route and quickly found ourselves in the company of two other Shadows belonging to Mark and Kay Warnock and Rob and Jackie Preece, enthusiastic new members like us. The rear of our group classically brought up by Keith and Pippa in their Silver Cloud 3. Soon we were ambling through the Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire countryside enjoying some spectacular views, at one point travelling on a road higher than the village Church steeple! A rapid descent took us down past the Church and along a beautiful river frontagevery picturesque indeed. After passing through the furthest point at Oundle, we headed south once more briefly joining the busy A605 before turning left for the final leg of our journey.
Keith Davies shows off his new top hat
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Our destination was The George of Spaldwick, a beautiful country pub and fine dining restaurant. The George was originally built as a private residence for the Dartington family, opening as a coaching inn in 1679. Here we arrived to find many of our number with their cars already lined up outside the pub front. Paulerspury People - July 2010
Some early arrivals at the George at Spaldwick (Inset: The cross of St George adorned by all)
With the sun now shining, the cars were being admired by a host of locals, pub customers and even the Chef! Called to order by Alan and Margaret shortly after one o’clock we moved inside to the dining room, which we can proudly say we filled completely. Such were our numbers that additional dining space had to be used adjacent to the main room to accommodate us all. The venue was excellent, as was the food. Never quiet for long, Chairman Chris announced Diana Davies who delighted us with an amusing verse, this was followed by young Thomas Hennessey and his very eloquent insight in to how the Red and White flag of St George came about. This culminated in the fact that proudly worn on a soldier’s chest, it provided an excellent target for the enemy! After lunch each lady was presented with a floral gift, which had been beautifully hand crafted in red and white. Now for many it was time to depart, whilst others took to the outside seating, some enjoying a last chat and others anxiously studying road atlases in order to find their way home. The weather (eventually), the cars, the venue and the company, all came together to make this day so enjoyable but of course none of this would have been possible had it not been for the considerable hard work put in to the organisation of it by Alan and Margaret. Our thanks, and I am sure that of all attending members and guests are sincerely due to them for doing such a wonderful job.
Barry and Ruth Gallafent Paulerspury People - July 2010
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Lake District Rally – May 2010 Wednesday 26th May It was a beautiful start to the day for our long drive up to Cumbria and the Lake District. Chris and Linda had arranged for us all to stay at the Rampsbeck Country House Hotel on the western shore of Ullswater and we were looking forward to our stay very much. We joined the dreaded A17. ‘Dreaded’ - because it is 60 odd miles of slow, boring, lorry laden, single carriageway, threading its way up to Nottinghamshire, through the Fenlands of Lincolnshire and smelling, in turn, of either onions or cabbages that seem to be the main crops grown in the fields alongside. It’s like being in the middle of a stew! The A1 by comparison was flowing freely, so freely that we caught up with Danny and Val Yates in their Corniche and whizzed passed them (with horn blowing and waving of hands) and we had a good run up to where we turned off to join the A684 which took us across the beautiful Yorkshire Dales via Wensleydale. We stopped At home in the lakes outside the Rampsbeck Hotel for lunch at a much recommended fish restaurant, The Wensleydale Heifer in the village of West Witton, and continued our journey, by this time in the rain, to join the M6 at Sedburgh. Then it was the home run, up to Penrith and the relatively short distance to Ullswater and the Rampsbeck Hotel - and a welcoming cup of tea with our fellow rally participants. Later, we all met in the lounge for a ‘welcome’ champagne reception and it was good to catch up with those friends we had not seen for some time. We were then called into dinner, for the first of many great evenings together. Thursday 27th May So, the first morning in the Lakes so to speak. The day’s itinerary read and understood, car cleaned, courtesy of the Chairman (the things he’ll do to get a write up!). What could go wrong? The noise around the breakfast tables indicated that the rest of the group was as excited as I was. It was all going so well then disaster struck. The Chairman had forgotten that he was the official Keeper of the 16
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Marmalade. No marmalade and breakfast was nearly over. Having duly informed the Chairman of his faux pas he scurried up to his room and returned within seconds, red faced, bearing the marmalade. Phew, it doesn’t get scarier than that. The day’s itinerary consisted of a “gentle” drive to Windermere, boat trip, then a visit to the Lakeland Motor Museum. The drive took us over the Kirkstone Pass, a challenging drive given the width of the car and the narrowness of the road. The instructions said “watch out for any sheep on the road”. I was more concerned about the caravans and other drivers to worry about a few sheep! But we arrived safe at Was it the gentle rocking motion or a pint or two of Bluebird ale that sent these merrymakers of to sleep? Windermere in good time for the boat trip. This was a couple of hours of relaxed sightseeing with a buffet lunch. Windermere is an interesting lake, having been, and still is, used to provide Manchester with fresh water. To do this the level of the lake has been raised twice, by 54 feet and then in the 1930s by a further 96 feet. The lake is now over 200 metres deep but not as deep as the sleep Danny Yates and others were in after lunch! After docking back at the quay we drove to the car museum. This is an old museum that has just moved to spanking new premises, which display the exhibits to perfection. The museum has 30,000 exhibits consisting of cars, bikes, vans, badges, and all sorts of motoring memorabilia plus a section No Madam, I am not an exhibit, I am a visitor said Jim on Campbell. It is an absolutely great place to visit. A couple of hours is not enough though, especially when the Chairman persuaded the owner to let some of us look at the artefacts still waiting to be restored and displayed. It was from here that a certain photograph was purchased (by our chairman of course) which would make Mr Sykes blush! Apparently it’s for “the men’s shed” Well Linda you won’t be seeing much of Chris once it’s stuck up in there! A superb meal in the evening had been preceded by canapés and drinks and was followed by even more drinks, plus a lot of banter and laughter. Things don’t get much better than this. Paulerspury People - July 2010
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Friday 28th May Without “The Struggle” we negotiated Kirkstone Pass and found our way to Coniston village. Once there parking was held up by our Chairman’s car failing to proceed, but he was powered into the Sports Club parking by 7 Rolls Royce enthusiasts. We left Chris sorting out LOU and led by Linda we went first to the cemetery to visit Donald Campbell’s grave where Linda left one of our rally plates to commemorate our visit. We then walked on to Coniston Brewery. Half of us entered to be shown round, the other half having to wait at The Black Bull pub which was a bit rugged for them! The Brewer gave us a run down on their process although they don’t brew on Fridays and were just cleaning up. They produce approximately 720 gallons a week and brew 8 different ales and these are distributed to the adjacent Black Bull and other local outlets. I tried the Bluebird which was quite a light ale rather like a lager (?) and was very nice indeed. Chris and Ron returned to join us and the problem with LOU was a stuck solenoid which unstuck itself! Just as well as the enthusiasts were well oiled by this time and suffering a certain stickiness to the bar stools. Everyone sorted out their next activity, some going to the Ruskin Museum others for a walk round Coniston and/or a trip on the launch which would take you to Brantwood. We drove to Brantwood which is the former home of John Ruskin overlooking Lake Coniston. The whole atmosphere there was very tranquil. In the drawing room one was invited to play the Wolkenhauer baby grand. However the music on display for this purpose was called “At Marmion’s Grave” and rather put me off! Ruskin’s study was a lovely cosy room with several photos of him writing in there. The dining room had a lovely window overlooking the lake complete with a sleeping room steward dozing in a chair - we thought he was Ruskin’s ghost. There were only two rooms open upstairs, one of which was Ruskin’s bedroom. He had designed and had built a wonderful little corner turret giving a beautiful view of the mountains and lake. Unfortunately his Turners were sold off after his death but prints are hung of some of the original pictures that used to hang there. Ruskin formed the Guild of St George and his aims were to establish schools, museums and libraries for all classes of people to use. The library at Sheffield has proven to be the most successful and still continues today. Ruskin’s coach and his boat the “Jumping Jenny” are preserved and housed in the original coach house. The gardens had lots of meandering paths leading to little glades with sudden views of the lake framed by beautiful Rhododendrons. In one view we spied the steam launch puffing its way steadily along Coniston lake. The whole atmosphere of Brantwood seemed to have been frozen in time and had a Victorian/Edwardian feel. 18
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On returning to the car park we managed to extract our car with some difficulty due to lack of space and the Chairman’s car, we left for the drive back to the hotel passing the looming height of Helvellyn on our right. We all met - yet again - in the bar before a very tasty dinner with wine and yet another late night. Saturday 28th May As the group had been together since Wednesday afternoon, everybody had begun to fall into the usual routines like helping sixteen other section members to push the Chairman’s failed Rolls-Royce off the road so that the rest of us could enjoy our motoring. I was asked to write about the Saturday of our trip, a free day and the penultimate of the tour. Odd thing to write about actually as I haven’t got a clue as to what the majority got up to that day! However, six of us decided to cash in on Gordon’s gift to the over 60’s and have a free day on the buses without the cars. Peter and Joyce Parsons, David and Diana Davis and Karel and I set off for the ten minute drive into Penrith courtesy of the Hotel’s people carrier. The men in our group were assigned the task of identifying where and when the buses left for Pooley Bridge while the women went diligently on their way shopping to buy nothing. Us men however, strictly against instructions, bought a pair of socks for Peter who is The Grand Master of the Odd Sock Lodge. Joyce had particularly asked David and I to lose Peter somewhere but I am afraid we failed in this respect. After a two bottle lunch in Penrith, the local bus was located and we set off for Pooley Bridge. Our intention was to take a sun-blessed cruise up and down Ullswater with the soft breezes wafting through our hair. In reality, the Heavens opened and we spent the full 1½ hours cooped below deck with hundreds of screaming children and loads of filthy walkers. It was an immense relief to get back to Pooley Bridge and the welcoming arms of Stephen who was our head waiter at the hotel and had come to meet us in the hotel bus. It was a Black Tie Dinner that night and it was delightful to leave all that Free Day stuff behind and sample some of the pleasures of life. The meal was as exquisitely prepared as ever with Asparagus Soup followed by Scallops leading into the main course of Beef Wellington. The Baked Alaska with Raspberries finished the meal off perfectly. As with every night there were ample wines to flush it all down; all within the all inclusive price. Chris and Linda were presented with some interesting little gifts and a large sum of money in recognition of all their hard work, to swell the coffers of the Chairman’s RNLI charity. This was an evening of presentations and Derek and Sylvia Freeman were presented with the St George’s Trophy for their sterling work in organising the Somerset Rally in May last year. For once in his life, Derek was lost for words! Paulerspury People - July 2010
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A surprise awaited us after the meal in the form of “Bags” a rather eccentric FireEater and his trusty side-kick Titan. Among other strange tricks he set fire to a wheelbarrow and his bicycle and balanced the latter on his chin (as you do!). We can only be amazed and grateful for the attention to detail that Chris and Linda spent in putting this tour together Sunday 30th May Sunday started with a leisurely breakfast and time to browse through the papers before we set off for an interesting drive. Turning right out of the Rampsbeck driveway to go over Pooley Bridge and through this pretty town, which was already busy with visitors making the most of the bank holiday weekend. Our route took us around Ullswater, where we could see the Rampsbeck on the opposite side. We were surprised to see so many camp sites along the eastern shore of the lake, a very popular spot where many young families were out walking and judging by their faces it was obvious that twenty or so Rolls and Bentleys was the last thing they expected to see. On into Howtown after which the road narrowed to wind its way through the steep hairpin bends of Martindale Hause to the isolated St.Martin’s Church at the top when we were snapped by our own ‘paparazzi’ photographer in the guise of Margaret Fuller bravely perched on a ledge above us. After visiting the church we retraced our steps taking in the splendid view of Ullswater as we made our way down. Turning towards Tirril the scenery became less dramatic as we drove on through beautiful countryside with little hamlets and saw some of the best preserved dry stone walls we’d ever seen. Through the valley of Mardale, where we spotted our first red squirrel, we arrived at Haweswater, originally a natural lake, now a reservoir to service Manchester. When the controversial dam was built the water level increased by ninety five feet, losing some farming villages to create a reservoir four miles long and almost half a mile wide. The Haweswater valley is the only place in England where golden eagles nest and there is an RSPB observation post in the valley of Riggindale. Lunch was taken at the Haweswater Art Deco Hotel set on the shore of the reservoir. Sitting in the lounge area overlooking the terrace, we spied another red squirrel and watched the shadows of fluffy clouds (no puns intended) gradually make their way down the slopes of the hillside and across the water. After a good buffet we could either make our way back to the Rampsbeck following the cross country route provided or choose to visit a favourite attraction, spend the afternoon walking or just find a quiet spot to chill out. Steve and I decided to divert from the return route towards Kendal. Driving the length of 20
Paulerspury People - July 2010
Shap Fell, usually the first place in England to get the first snow of the winter, to give the car the first real run of the season. Back at the Rampsbeck thoughts turned to packing but not before a walk in the gardens. Later on, we gathered in the lounge for another champagne reception and this time it was to celebrate the wedding anniversary and birthdays of Danny and Val Yates. It was another great evening. Our congratulations to Chris and Linda for a well organised and interesting weekend in the Lake District. Thanks from the ‘organiser’s go to: Ron and Kate Church, Mick Martin, Val and Geoff Mitchell, Chris and Karel Bellringer and last, but not least, Steve and Janet Dolan for their excellent ‘despatches’
Steve and Janet Dolan’s 1960 Bentley S2 Continental BC81AR by H J Mulliner
Future Events 15th August 2010 - Picnic at Claydon House You may still be in time for this event but your booking form is required. Organisers - Chris and Linda Ball 3rd October - Prescott Hill Climb You may still be in time for this event but your booking form is required. Organiser - Mia Murray Sunday 17th October - Autumn Amble This year will be pretty much the same format as 2009 except we will be driving around the leafy lanes of Bedfordshire. Paulerspury People - July 2010
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We will meet for coffee before taking a drive of approximately 45 miles arriving at our destination in time for a superb two course Sunday roast lunch at a beautiful country pub/restaurant featured in the Good Food Guide. The cost is £28.50 per person and £14.00 each for child’s half portions. Please book as early as you can to avoid disappointment as places are limited. Organiser - Kathy Martin Sunday 21st November 2010 - Bedfordshire Pub Lunch This will take place at The Five Bells in Stanbridge, North of Dunstable and well signposted to the west between Dunstable and Hockliffe off the A5. The pub dates from the 15th century, it has a large car park and a good reputation for food. A three course lunch will cost £25 per head including coffee or tea. There will be a choice of four dishes for each of the three courses. Booking form with this edition of the PP. Organiser - Robert Kennedy Sunday 12th December - AGM and Christmas Lunch Mitchell Hall, Cranfield. Organiser - Val Yates Sunday 16th January 2011 - Hertfordshire Pub Lunch The venue is yet to be advised. Organiser - TBA Sunday 20th February 2011- Buckinghamshire Pub lunch combined with New Members visit to Hunt House Venue to be advised. Organiser - TBA Sunday 20th March 2011 - Northamptonshire Pub Lunch The venue is yet to be advised. Organiser - TBA Sunday 17th April 2011 - St Georges Day Run The venue is yet to be advised. Organisers - Alan and Margaret Fuller
AGM Advance Notice Sunday 12th December 2010 The Paulerspury Section Annual General Meeting and Christmas Lunch (see above) will once again be held at the Mitchell Hall, Cranfield University. The AGM is open to all Paulerspury Section members (just turn up, no need to book) and booking details for the Christmas Lunch will appear in the Autumn Flyer. 22
Paulerspury People - July 2010
Sunday 22nd May to Friday 27th May 2011 - Paulerspury Section Northumberland Rally Have you ever driven up to Scotland thorough beautiful scenery in the very north of England and vowed to stop off there one day? Well now’s your chance to do just that as we are organizing a five night rally in Northumberland. There is so much to see and do in the area so we can promise you won’t be disappointed. Our base will be the Langley Castle Hotel near Hexham. As the name suggests the main building of the hotel is a castle which was originally built in 1350 during the reign of Edward lll. The hotel is set in its own 10 acre woodland estate. In the castle building itself are the main dining room, lounge, bar and function room plus nine of the bedrooms. The remaining bedrooms are of a very high standard and have been recently converted from existing Grade1 listed buildings in the grounds. They all have fantastic views across the lawns to the castle. The price of the rally is based on the room choice as detailed on the booking slip and will include dinner with wine, breakfast, afternoon tea and scones on arrival at the hotel, a reception on the first and last evenings at the hotel, entrance fees to two places of interest, plus full itinerary and local tourist map. We still have a few Castle View Suites and Castle View Rooms left so book as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. A deposit of £100 per couple/room is required and further payments will be requested before the end of the year and prior to the date of the rally. If you are a single traveller, please contact us for prices. For more information about the hotel, visit www.langleycastle.co.uk Organisers - Mike & Kathy Martin
Members Bits Sunday, 17 January 2010 The Buckinghamshire pub lunch took place at The Old Beams, Shenley, Milton Keynes on a bright, sunny, winter’s day. Many members attended with their cars and, as always, there was much friendly banter and laughter. The lunch was excellent and my thanks go to Steven and Mia Murray for organising it. I have to say that these lunches have proved very popular with everyone in the section and will be included in our 2011 calendar. Don’t forget, though, to come along to the lunch scheduled for Sunday, 21 November this year at the ‘The Five Bells’ at Stanbridge near Leighton Buzzard. Annual Rally Along with many other folks, Linda and I attended the Annual Rally at its new venue, Rockingham Castle. It was good to see so many more cars and people attending over the whole weekend than in the past. Rockingham seems to be an ideal venue for such a large event. Paulerspury People - July 2010
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I am also pleased to announce that Barry and Ruth Gallafent’s Silver Shadow SRH 19651 (Registration No. 1 BMG) won a first in the Conservation class picking up the Doug Thomas Trophy and many congratulations go to them.
Barry and Ruth Gallafent delighted with a win first time out
Morning refreshments at the Gunn’s
Carole kept us very well fed and watered
Many members visited Rodney and Carole Gunn’s Bentley 3½ drop head for the pre-lunch tailgate party on the Sunday and had a great time. My thanks also go to them for acting as hosts this year.
Rodney’s In Car Entertainment System
Chris Ball
Paulerspury Section - Annual Rally Prize Winners Class 001 - 1st - J M Fasal Esq. 1910 Silver Ghost - 1419 Class 006 - 1st - R Raynsford Esq. 1932 20/25 DHC by Graber GRW59 Class 12 - 2nd - T J Franklin-Smith Esq. 1958 Phantom I Tourer by H J M BC2FM Class 13 - 2nd - Restored by Hillier Hill - 1962 Silver Cloud III - LSCX27 Class 23 - Winner - F Luscombe Esq. 1928 Phantom I Tourer by Marsh 31WR Class 25 - Winner - Mr & Mrs B Gallafent. 1974 Silver Shadow - SRH19651
Selling Your Club Car? Before you enlist the services of a broker or advertise your car privately, why not tell your fellow members about it in either Paulerspury People or The Flyer? We do not intend to make a charge for this facility, but having learned of the disappointment of some members when a car that they particularly admired ‘disappears’, we thought it might be worth a prospective vendor announcing their intention to sell a little closer to home, giving fellow members the opportunity to purchase and perhaps retain the car within the club. To be included, contact the editor by email editor@rrecpaulerspury.org.uk. 24
Paulerspury People - July 2010
Notes from The Secretary Committee Membership Formal notice of the 2010 Paulerspury section Annual General Meeting, which will take place on the 12th December 2010, will appear in the autumn issue of the Flyer. In the meantime, nominations for the 2011 committee are invited. All existing members who wish to remain on the committee have to stand for reelection each year. There are ten committee positions which are not all currently filled. In the event that there are more than ten nominations for the committee, a ballot will be held at the Annual General Meeting. If you are interested in the possibility of becoming a committee member but would like to know more about what it entails, please contact me or any other member of the committee for an informal chat. Whilst committee members are usually expected to organise at least one event during the year or make some sort of contribution to the running of the section, the job is certainly not onerous and there is usually a lot of fun to be had - not all committee meetings are boring, laughter-free zones, certainly not in Paulerspury Section! Please give this matter some consideration. The Section always needs new people coming along with fresh ways of thinking and new ideas for events. This is what keeps the section going. Help us to maintain our reputation as a section that has a broad and interesting variety of events and a vibrant membership. I will provide nomination forms on request.
Robert Kennedy
New Members The Paulerspury section would like to extend a warm welcome to the following new members and we very much look forward to seeing them at some of the wonderful events listed on the previous pages. C. Bullock Esq., Wappenham, Northants. I. Coomber Esq., Felmersham, Beds. D. Wells Esq., Hitchin, Herts. J. Wycombe Esq., Letchworth Garden City, Herts. Paulerspury People - July 2010
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Section Contacts Chairman Chris Ball (Linda) 01525 860880 chairman@rrecpaulerspury.org.uk chris.ball@rrecpaulerspury.org.uk
Treasurer 01234 714092 kathryn.martin@rrecpaulerspury.org.uk treasurer@rrecpaulerspury.org.uk
Secretary Robert Kennedy (Jill) The Knoll 14 Harpenden Road, St Albans, Herts., AL3 5AD 01727 858833 (Home & Fax) robert.kennedy@rrecpaulerspury.org.uk
Committee Members Mia Murray (Steven) Tattenhoe Hall Farm Tattenhoe, Milton Keynes, MK4 3AA 01908 504606 (Home & Fax) 01908 600687 (Work) 07956 074859 (Mobile) mia.murray@rrecpaulerspury.org.uk secretary@rrecpaulerspury.org.uk David Davis (Diana) 01462 674347 david.davis@rrecpaulerspury.org.uk Ray Hillier (Karen) 01234 714268 (Work) sales@hillierhill.com ray.hillier@rrecpaulerspury.org.uk Val Yates (Danny) 01234 708513 val.yates@rrecpaulerspury.org.uk
Events Coordinator Janet Dolan (Steve) 191 Baldwins Lane, Croxley Green, Rickmansworth Hertfordshire, WD3 3LL 01923 778207 (Home & Fax) 07841 989608 (Mobile) janet.dolan@rrecpaulerspury.org.uk events@rrecpaulerspury.org.uk
Newsletter Editor Barry Gallafent (Ruth) Office: 0844 504 9500 Home: 01908 216804 Mobile: 07785 398271 barry.gallafent@rrecpaulerspury.org.uk
Website Coordinator 01926 812347 adrian.denham@rrecpaulerspury.org.uk
PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS IN THE NEXT EDITION OF PAULERSPURY PEOPLE Restaurants - Hotels - Boutiques Health Spas - Dress Hire Formal Wear - Artists - Travel Companies - Automotive Specialist Services - Accountants email: editor@rrecpaulerspury.org.uk to request a rate card or to book an advert. It will cost you far less than you think! FREE DESIGN SERVICE AVAILABLE
Don’t forget to look at our section web pages which can be accessed via the Members pages at www.rrec.org.uk 26
Paulerspury People - July 2010
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Paulerspury People - July 2010
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Paulerspury People - July 2010