paulerspury people january 2011

January 2011

The Newsletter of The RRECPaulerspury Section

Paulerspury eople P

2 Paulerspury People - January 2011

3Paulerspury People - January 2011

Paulerspury eoplePContents

Not a Lot of People Know That 4

Chairman’s Bit 5

Editor’s Comments 6

A Winter’s Tale 6

Broadwell Driving Day 8

Annual Picnic 10

Cognac Country 13

Prescott Hill Climb 26

Autumn Amble 29

Bedfordshire Pub Lunch 31

Forthcoming Events 33

Technical Corner 35

Member’s Bits, Basil an Austin 20hp Mayfair Limousine 37

Secretary’s Report 40

Section Contacts 41

Januaary2011

The newsletter of the Rolls Royce Enthusiasts’ Club - Paulerspury Section

Front Cover Photograph:Glass mascot on unknown Rolls-Royce at Kelmarsh, June 2009

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 [email protected] 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.


The most married millionaire of all time was Tommy Manville Jr. He was almostas fond of his Rolls-Royce cars as he was of his wives, having ten of the formerand eleven of the latter. It was probable that he kept his Rolls-Royces longerthan he kept his brides, the last one for example, lasted seven and a half hours!

Gordon Selfridge, the London department store genius, made a fortune inbusiness and lost it all on showgirls and gambling. His favourite expression was‘’I’ll bet you a Rolls-Royce your’e wrong!” He often lost his bets.

One of the first owners of a Rolls-Royce in Hollywood was Mary Pickford. Her1926 Phantom I had a secret liquor store in order to foil prohibition agents.

In less than peaceful parts of the world, anti-terroist Rolls-Royces are the vogue.In February 1984, BBC Television featured an Asain owner whose Phantomcan be electrified at the touch of a button. Anyone then touching the outside ofthe car receives a very nasty shock.

Not a Lot of People Know That


Chairmans Bit

Chairman - Chris Ball

Happy New Year to all Paulerspury People from yourcommittee and me.

Following the en bloc election of the committee at theAGM last December there was a meeting in January atwhich the officers were elected and I was delighted to beelected Chairman for a third year (you lucky people!).Jan Dolan the Events Co-ordinator decided to throw inher diary and pencil and resign from the position becauseshe is moving onto greater things such as the DeputyChairman of the women’s section at her golf club. I’m

sure you all join me in wishing Jan well in her new role. Mia Murray gladlyagreed to take on the role and I’m sure will do a good job.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the Committee members for theirstirling work and support over the last year and also thank Adrian Denham forlooking after our website and Barry Gallafent who took on the editor’s role of thePP last year.

As many of you will know, 2010 was the 30th Anniversary of the section withmany organised events. We started off in February with the new member’s visitto the Hunt House and despite the bad weather many turned up. It has beengood to see many new members turning up at other events throughout 2010.The St George’s Drive It Day and lunch was a resounding success and Alanand Margaret Fuller, flush from their success of arranging last year’s jaunt, arekeenly organising this year’s offering. The five days in the Lake District wasanother great success and the Annual Picnic at Claydon House attracted oversixty people with some 40+ cars. The Rally to Cognac proved most enjoyablewith many of us covering a good few miles of the French countryside. The AGMand Christmas lunch was, as always, ably organised by Val Yates. Members ofthe committee very kindly donated prizes for the raffle and king amongst thesewas a full engine service and a complete valet for a car kindly donated by HillierHill. These two prizes were auctioned and a tidy sum was raised for sectionfunds. Therefore my thanks go to Hillier Hill and those who kindly donated prizes.I cannot conclude this report on past events without mentioning the pub lunches.These are so very popular with sixty or so members attending the lunch at theFive Bells at Stanbridge in November

There is a full calendar for 2011 including the Rally in Northumberland in May. Iam hoping that the Annual Picnic will take place at another new venue, namelyHatfield House in Hertfordshire and will keep you posted. The Annual Rally is toreturn to Rockingham Castle and Keith and Pippa Davies have very generouslyagreed to host the tailgate pre-lunch drinks reception from their Bentley MarkVI. There are lots of events planned, so please come along and as with all our


I can’t beleive this is now my third publication since taking over as editor. Howthe time really does fly.

This is another bumper edition thanks entirely to your support in providing materialfor me to publish. Event write-ups arrive regularly and there is always a goodselection of photographs to colour up the stories reminding those who attendedthe events what an excellent time was had and perhaps encouraging thosewho did not, to come along another time.

Photographs are always appreciated with your articles, but can I ask that youattach them separatley to your email and and not just place them in a Worddocument. This is for ‘technical’ reasons and allows me to format the photographproperly for commercial printing or perhaps adjust its colour or brightness. Wherethis has not been possible, and yet the photograph needed to be included, youmay notice a reduction in the quality of the image.

Barry Gallafent

Editors Comments

A Winter’s Tale

events, I make no apology for repeating how imperative it is to book early toavoid disappointment.

Lastly, if any member of the section would like to arrange an event, whether it bea day out or a weekend, please make contact with any member of the Committeeand ideas will be put forward for consideration. Your section needs you!

As I reported in my last year’s ‘Bit’, I adopted the RNLI Harwich Lifeboat as mycharity and I am pleased to report that my target of £3000 has been exceeded.This is down to your generosity and I thank you for that.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a good start to the New Yearand hope to see many of you driving your cars during the winter. Keep warmand lubricated (but not whilst driving your cars!)

Chris BallChairman

Never mind the Taliban, Al Qaieda, Fred and Rose West or even the YorkshireRipper, I can tell you a tale of innocent people being held hostage by none otherthan our own Chairman!


‘Twas on a dim and dark Tuesday evening in January when were invited to theChairman’s house for what he told us was a committee meeting! Someunsuspecting members brought along their partners, understandably, for Silsoeis not a place you should go alone.

A smiling face greeted us at the door and quickly plied us with alcohol. Thecommittee were offered a seat at the table where the Chairman had alreadyreserved his own place. Husbands and wives of the members were ushered in tothe ‘lounge’. As the clock struck eight, the Chairman closed the lounge door firmly.

As the meeting got underway, the guests led by our Chairman’s very own wife,were finding it difficult to breathe and endeavoured to open the door. It wouldnot open. The Chairman continued with business as if he had not heard theircries for help. A little concerned, some committee members suggested that theChairman might like to assist in the opening of the door. He did not seem tookeen. Linda asked for a screwdriver to remove the handle. Had she perhapsbeen held prisoner before? The Chairman was not quick to respond but didreluctantly fetch a screwdriver and began to dismantle the handle from theoutside. No, no cried Linda, I need to do it from this side. Again, the Chairmanwas reluctant and said he could not pass the screwdriver under the door. Bringit around to the other door he was asked, but again that door was locked andthe Chairman apparently did not know where the key was.

Eventually and now under considerable pressure, not knowing whether to gofor his gavel or his bell, the Chairman had to relent. Following Linda’s instructionshe found a key and had no choice but to hand over the screwdriver. Withunequalled determination, Linda carefully removed the handle from the insideand with a flick of the screwdriver, they were free!

Well I have never seen a villain so cool and collected as Christopher Ball. Asthe internees fled from the room that had been their prison cell for almost twohours, he invited everyone in to the kitchen for a drink and a bite to eat!

Two sausage rolls, a scotch egg, a yummy sandwich, some wicked Stilton anda bottle of Carlsberg later, I found myself beginning to forget the trauma theother guests had suffered. Was it Carlsberg I was drinking, was it really Stiltonhe had given me? The final thing I remember was eating a pickled onion, butnot before being told Chris had pickled them himself!

So if you have not seen me or any of the other committee members and theirwives or husbands since that night, it must be that my own wife Ruth, found myscribblings and sought to publish them so that others may avoid the fate thatlies in store for them too at the house known innocently as number 34.

Barry Gallafent


Picnic and Driving Test at Broadwell House - Sunday 27th June

Adrian & Linda Denham kindly invited us to their home with the Paulerspury Section.About 26 cars attended, and were parked in a crescent on raised ground, close totheir house, overlooking the surrounding countryside and the driving test field.The event was in aid of the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance.

We were welcomed with a tea/coffee and biscuits on the lawn to the side of thehouse. We ‘walked the plank’ from our parking place to the lawn, over the ha-ha!It wasn’t as dangerous as you might imagine, as there were hand rails on bothsides.

After talking to the occupants of our neighbouring cars, and inspecting the othercars, we settled down to our picnic lunches. It was quite warm, and manysheltered from the sun under the trees. Others had lunch in groups, assemblingtheir tables and chairs together.

David Towers was persuaded to be thefirst person round the Driving TestCourse – in his Bentley Continental GT.The course was similar to previousyears, with a ‘right hand circle’ with sometight ‘U’ turns and garages which youhad to drive into and then reverse into.Then, the ‘left hand circle’ with a similar‘in & out’ garage, followed by an ‘ingarage’, a reverse around a circle intoanother garage, and finally a tight turn and straight. At the end, there was a‘policeman’ where you had to stop. David was concerned about damaging hisGT, and ‘clocked’ the 5th quickest (out of 6!) – a terrible performance in such apowerful 4 wheel drive car. A winner on many previous years, Steve Dolan, hada very quick time in his 1960 Bentley Continental Flying Spur, but two penalties,which eliminated him from the awards! Steve achieved a very quick time inSteven Murray’s Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith limousine with a Hooper body, butthis didn’t count. Linda Denham drove their 1948 RR Silver Wraith around thecourse – she said it was the first time she had driven the car!

Far Left: Broadwell House & The Ha-Ha!Above: A selection of the cars from the excellent turnout on the day

David Howard - Stopped by a Policeman!


Tom Smith of the Rolls-Royce Heritage Trustdrove his 1938 Armstrong Siddeley 14hp roundthe course. It has a 1,668cc 6 cylinder engine.Last year it consumed more water than petrol,but a new radiator has rectified the problem. Thisyear, Tom had some problems with the pre-selector geabox, failing to get out of reverse inthe garage and knocking over some cones. Therewas a 1958 Armstrong Siddeley Star Sapphire,the last model of car made by the company andthe famous 1904 Siddeley, which Tom drove roundthe course (with Adrian as passenger), butavoided the garages, as he wasn’t sure how toselect reverse! Nevertheless, an impressive drivein a 106 year old single cylinder car – it seemedto be driving better after completing the test thanwhen it started!

At the conclusion, Adrian presented the prizes.Steven Murray was awarded 3rd place in his RRSilver Wraith (it was his birthday!), George Milburn2nd in his Bentley MkVI Mulliner and the winnerwas Martyn Warsop in his 1979 RR Silver ShadowII. The ‘booby’ prize for the slowest time went toMark, David Britton’s son, in his drive of Adrian’s1948 Silver Wraith.

There were many generous prizes in the raffle.Adrian announced that £1,100 had been raisedfor the Warwickshire & Northamptonshire AirAmbulance. An excellent result.

Many thanks to everyone who helped to arrangethe event. Particularly Adrian & Linda Denham forthe fields for us to park and undertake the drivingtest and to Adrian and David Britton for planningand setting up the driving test, with 15 (yes -fifteen) helpers. Adrian said the route for thedriving test had to avoid significant dips in theground, so as to minimise the risk of damagingthe cars – very thoughtful.

Ian Beatson commencing the test

Steve Dolan driving Stephen Murray’sRR Silver Wraith - FAST!

...and the gear lever is on the right madam

Tom and Adrian aboard the 1904 Siddeley

And finally... Mark collects the booby prize David Towers


The doomsayers, the BBC, and the Met Office all said it would rain. But we tookcomfort from the Chairman’s new found links with a higher authority and weknew that the sun would shine. And so it came to pass that on the Sunday, abright and goodly sun shone down on North Buckinghamshire, all was well inthe RREC world, and the picnic could be packed.

The instructions said to be at Claydon House between 10.00 and 11.00 a.m.,and living just a couple of villages away, we left home at a sensible time to bethere amongst the forerunners. How wrong can you be? At ten past ten therewere already 10 or so cars in the very attractive gravelled courtyard in front ofthe house. Linda, armed with authoritarian clipboard guided us into positionand with assistance from Steven Murray; cars were set out in formation to theinch. By 11 o’clock, the courtyard was full and 27 cars were to be counted -such was the enthusiasm for the event.

Conversations were in full flow, and friendships were being renewed when theChairman announced that champagne was being served in the Carriage HouseRestaurant. We all reluctantly stampeded up the slope to another courtyard forsustenance. Suitably refreshed and after further conversation, most of us gotdown to the serious business of setting out our picnics on the lawns in front ofthe West façade of the house. Here we took full advantage of the fabulousviews over the ha-ha to the lake and the attractive distant countryside beyond.With a glorious summer sun shining down, a more idyllic setting would havebeen hard to find and it was only marred by the unwelcome and persistentattentions of several thousand wasps!

Annual Picnic - Sunday 15th August 2010

What better to do on a Sunday afternoon?


A birds eye view of many of our splendid club cars

Whilst partaking of our food, the Chairman (ever keen to serve) had been busynegotiating on our behalf and had managed to persuade the National Trust togive us admission to the house. Chris also proudly told us that he had “done adeal with the little chap in the shed” for admission to the private Verney familygardens, and was subsequently dismayed to discover that the “little chap” wasin fact Sir Edmund Verney, the current head of the family who have continuouslyoccupied Claydon House since 1620.

The house was quiteastonishing, being a littlenondescript from the outside,and yet flamboyantly lavishand over the top inside.Immensely intricate woodcarvings and plasterworkadorned every room andalmost all of us were taken bysurprise by the “talkingheads” pictures, which at firstglance appeared to be simplyanother portrait, but in factturned out to be a very clever“I’m telling you, they are from the Paulerspury Section”


TV screen with actors in full costume telling the past stories of the house. Aclimb to the top of the back stairs was a little energetic for some, but was rewardedwith yet more treasures and some rooms dedicated to the memory of FlorenceNightingale, who stayed at the house and was a family member. A further bonuswas the fabulous view down to the front courtyard to see a perfect display of ourcars glistening in the sunshine.

Somebody was up early this morning polishing

A trip around the family gardens was a pure delight, with the highlight being thekitchen garden extending to over 2 acres and surrounded by a tall brick wall. Allmanner of vegetables and fruits are set out in immaculate rows, and one canonly imagine the vast amount of work in planting and maintenance that it mustentail. It made my humble little veggie patch at home seem quite insignificant.

Later in the day, many of us took advantage of the Carriage House Restaurantto take afternoon tea, and calorie counting was temporarily put aside in favourof scones and clotted cream. This was the time to reflect upon the day, and allpresent agreed that there was a sense of quintessential Englishness about theplace, with a quiet peace and tranquillity. Doubtless the sunshine for our picnicshad helped, but nonetheless, our visit to Claydon House was a resoundingsuccess, and hopefully we will return.

Keith Davies


2010 marked the thirtieth anniversary of the section so this trip commemoratedthe occasion in true Paulerspury fashion - good food, fine wines and, of course,great driving in magnificent cars.

Joined by members from North Wales, Hants and East Anglia, PaulerspuryPeople set off from Portsmouth to head for the delights of motoring across theFrench countryside.

The tour included distinctive and exclusive visits. We were delighted that Barryand Alison Roberts, those expatriate section members, who moved to Francefour years ago were able to join us for a few days whilst we were in Cognac.Thank you to those of you who provided the following daily write up’s and toDavid & Jane Else for taking the time to put together a superb DVD as a mementofor everyone.

Cognac Country - 14th September 2010Perfect for a Tour in a Rolls-Royce or Bentley Motor Car

‘With the river Charente meandering through rollingacres of vineyards dotted with sleepy towns,

France’s Cognac region can seem like a throwbackto an earlier era. A way of life preserved in amber’


Days 1 & 2 Portsmouth to St.Malo and Le Mans

Tuesday 14th September finallyarrived. Car serviced, bags packed,Euros purchased, we were ready.We had been looking forward to thistrip as thiswould be the first time wehad been to France on a sectionRally that we hadn’t organisedourselves. All that was necessarythis time was to sign a few chequesand fill in a form – “simples” as Alexander would say!

We left in plenty of time for the drive to Portsmouth, and all was going very welltill we got to about Oxford when I realised that the European accident form wasstill on the table. Oh well that meant we couldn’t have an accident as we didn’thave a form to fill in!

We were not the first to arrive at the ferry port. After arguably the worst cup oftea I have ever had, at the appointed hour we finally progressed to the boat,unfortunately we were selected for a random security check and therefore arrivedon the boat last, and were parked in a corner away from the rest.

The boat was excellent with very good facilities, an absence of rattles, friendlystaff and a more than adequate cabin. What more can you ask? After a pleasantmeal and a few whiskies, we went to bed, ready for our tour of Cognac.

Wednesday morning came and after a quick breakfast, it was on to the car deckfor the off. Well not quite for us as we were the last club car off, watching everyoneelse disappear down the ramp with not one wave. Typical. Following the excellentdirections we duly arrived at Le Mans (in the rain), having driven around a largesection of the track, to park up at the Museum. Not being a boy racer I did notreproduce the exploits of that well known F1 driver Peter Nightingale whoproceeded to drive his Phantom V at 140 km per hour, blowing a rear tyre in theprocess. Luckily no damage was sustained to either Peter and Audrey or the car.

Our guide for the museum visit had an interesting command of English whichmade for an even more enjoyable visit. He pointed out many of the personalitiesand legends of the races like the Bentley Boys and Jaguar’s Lofty England toname but two, throwing in some interesting facts along the way. Then for thewonderful car collection, which interestingly is not all about 24 hour cars. Thefirst being a steam powered car followed by a very early petrol car with asomewhat dubious petrol starting system. The guide’s command of English madeone car memorable, being an early Renault half track which was designed to be

On our way at Portsmouth docks


dismantled into sections, weighing no more than 150 kilos so it could be carriedover difficult terrain by ‘monkeys’, he meant mules, but the first is much moreinteresting! Following round the exhibits we of course came to a superb collectionof 24 hour cars, in pristine condition.

The French with their reputation for being amorous is not confined to the people,but also extends to their cars; I know this for a fact as a French registeredCorniche kissed the wing of Derek Freeman’s Cloud 3 in the car park. No majordamage thank goodness. Derek got his phone number for future reference.

We arrived at the Hotel Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud in good time, havingpassed the same cars twice, only to see them already parked up. Strange.Mind you some people’s journeys were obviously more interesting thanours as divorce proceedings were mentioned on more than one occasion!

The evening began witha champagne receptionduring which Janet toldus about a passenger onboard the ferry, aswe were waiting todisembark, who said“thank you very much forlooking after our heritageand for putting on such

a marvellous display ofcars, especially the olderones, very impressive andall so well looked after.Keep up the good workand thank you again froma member of the public”.Well you don’t start a rallymuch better than that.

We then had an excellent dinner, and all went our separate ways, I think, readyfor the next stage down to Cognac for five days.Mike Martin

The Hotel L’Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud


Day 3 - At the Mushroom Caves

It was a short drive from our hotel toLe Saut aux Loups or ‘where thewolves leap’ which aptly describedthe cliffs and escarpments where themushroom caves are situatedalthough the wolves are long gone.On our way we came across a fleetof Aston Martins on a club outingwhich gave us a gratifyingopportunity to claim superiority overthe younger pretenders!

We were a full complement having been joined by the French based cars andby Peter Nightingale’s Phantom. I counted 23 cars parked at the foot of the cliffsand we were immediately approached by an enterprising Frenchman sellingstrawberries. Whatever happened to the onions!

A longish path and steps led to the cave’s entrance where there was time topause and appreciate the wonderful view out over the countryside to the RiverLoire. The caves themselves were fashioned as a result of hundreds of years ofstone quarrying which carried on to the 19th century providing stone, not only forour very own St Paul’s Cathedral but for the building of the Abbey at Fontevraud.The abbey was used as a prison from Napoleonic times right up to the 1960’sand the prisoners provided a convenient labour force.

The caves and their vast underground galleries have been used for the growingof mushrooms since the 19th century. The humidity and darkness providing idealconditions for this. Our delightful guide was Bridgitte who was thrilled to see ourcars arriving as she had lived with a family in Esher, Surrey who owned a RollsRoyce. Her English was pretty good and her somewhat cynical and criticalcomments about French ways and characteristics made us laugh. We weregiven a basic guide to the science of mushroom cultivation from growth of sporesthrough to the final product. Now the mushrooms are grown in plastic ‘gro-bags’distributed through the caves and galleries. No watering is necessary becauseof the natural humidity. Many different varieties are grown. We were reliablyinformed that chestnut mushrooms are best for you. Shiitake – which is Japanesefor mushroom – are most popular and is the main product of the caves becausethey sell at a premium price! Working in the atmosphere of the caves took agreat toll on the health of the workers so when the Dutch in the 1970’s startedmass production and the market price fell dramatically, the caves became amuch less labour intensive operation concentrating on providing specialistmushrooms for a local market.


After our tour we repaired to the Cave restaurant for a four course lunch consistingof Mushrooms, Mushrooms, Mushrooms and Mushrooms. Ah well. Wait a minute,I think there was also an Apple Brioche.

Bill and Irene McGregor

Day 4 - Visit to Remy Martin

Another beautiful morning, only spoilt by guilt, as I drewback the curtains to see many owners already washingand polishing their cars. The Château de L’Yeuse breakfastfeatured its expected choices, of which the croissants andcoffee was a popular choice. Few indulged themselves inextreme, as today we were bound for the Remy Martindistillery, a few short kilometres from our hotel, and a splendid lunch wasanticipated.

In the event the beast named Route Barré once again reared its head, causingRolls-Royce chaos in the beautiful old town of Cognac. The disorder wasmagnified by the fact that there are several Remy Martin sites in and around thetown, all of which have arrowed signs to help you arrive. Rolls-Royce and Bentleycars zig-zagged up and down and around the narrow streets, often passing indifferent directions. At one traffic light each of the four roads had Club memberslooking at each others’ radiators, the drivers and passengers wearing fixed grinsof frustration and despair. Jaques Tati would have absorbed the scene withrelish.

As with all good things, thiscomedy came to an endand we all arrived at theMerpins location of RemyMartin. This vast andbeautiful complex with itsformal lake and manicuredgrounds sat amongst avineyard that must surelyhave had an army ofsweepers to keep it all neatand tidy, however as theday was a Friday and theRemy workforce toil onlyover a four-day-week, the

site was without a single distillery or vineyard employee, save our guides.The entrance to Remy Martin


After the introductory speech and a gift each of a booklet, depicting in watercolourrenditions all that we were about to see, we set off on a petit road-train.

All the buildings are built of a local stone, not unlike Bath or Cotswold stone.The evaporated liquor given off during the fermentation process and known asthe angels’ share allows a black fungus to grow on both the inner and outerwalls, looking like a light covering of soot.

The distillation and fermentation processes were explained, and demonstratedin a video-presentation. Within the buildings housing the Limousin-oak barrelsthe scent of sweet brandy was heavy on the air, enough to make deep-breathingexercises a real pleasure.

At tour’s end we were shown into the tasting room, where a selection of differingbrandies was sampled. Of course, this was supported by a chance to buy someof the golden liquor. Our chief guide explained that although it was not normalpractice, but as we were such a special group, a discount of 10% would begiven. I thought of Meat Loaf who wrote and sang in Bat out of Hell “I bet yousay that to all the boys”.

]We retook our steeds for a short drive to Maison le Grollet, the home of thepresident of Remy Martin. Not normally open to the public, we were treated toiced Cognac aperitif in the courtyard, where Madame Pierrette Trichet, the Maitre

The 2010 Cognac contingent


de Chai or cellarmanwelcomed us, before wepartook of a gourmet lunchin the château’s owndistillery. Although MadameTrichet’s title of cellarmansounds a little mundane,she is in fact the chiefblender of the variousbrandies that make upeach and every singlebatch that comes to market.There have only been fourother cellarmen in the lastcentury.

As with all outstanding French food and wine, we were satisfied but not saitedbefore our drive back to the hotel, via the scenic route across the river andthrough the Bourg-Charente region.

Dinner was up to the by now expected standard of excellence, although the maincourse was ‘Dos de Bas’, another fish following our main course at the Châteauof ‘Turbot Roti’ but that is being really, really picky about a splendid day out.

Malcolm Tucker

Day 5 - Guided Tour of the old town of Cognacand River Barge trip on the Charente

It was just a short drive into the Centreof Cognac - Parking had beenarranged by the museum and afterphoto calls with the press (David Elsemade page 3). We then split into twogroups for a walking tour of the townand an exhibition of the Cognachistory and countryside. We learnedthat the Dutch really invented Cognacbecause the wine was so vinegaryand we saw carved in wood on amedieval house the ‘gory story’ of theunfaithful wife and lover (she wasbeheaded and hung upside downwhist he lost the important bits).

Pasquale chose Danny and Val’s Corniche for her ride to the chateau

The Old Town of Cognac


A ‘holiday type’ train ride to a typical French dinner in a heritage hotel followedwith the ‘dropping off and picking up station’ being sign posted with a trafficcone placed on the head of the statue of Francis 1st.

The train then took us to the quay for a cruise on the barge ‘La Dame Jeanne’up the Charente River. Entertainment was provided by a ‘loonie Moonie’ on thelock side and we were able to photograph our hotel through the trees (if youwere quick). We also saw two of the Hennessey houses, one a replica of anAmerican colonial house and the other a modern château built on the site of amediaeval castle that only had one turret left.

We were then left to our own devices to explore, shop orreturn to the hotel for a dip in the outdoor pool.

Arthur & Marjorie Pemberton

Day 6 - Circuit Des Remparts, Angouleme

Some bright spark decided that we needed to get up earlyfor this very special day, so the alarm clock was set for06.00 and breakfast ordered for 06.30. It was a shamethat the hotel management did not share this great planwith the staff, so breakfast was something of a thin affair,although with the amount of food we had eaten thus faron the trip, this was probably not such a bad thing!

Auntie Janet and Uncle Steve said we needed to be in thecentre of Angouleme before 08.00, and so we all set offwell before dawn, travelling the 25 miles on quiet roads,and with most of us testing our headlight diverters for thefirst time. At first light in the quaint city of Angouleme,parking had been arranged for us in the most prestigiousspot of all - the courtyard of the Hotel de Ville - and jovial local marshals were onhand to guide us into line. It was a bit of a squeeze to get all the 21 cars in andsome of us were guided out of and into line on numerous occasions before themarshals had a committee meeting and declared the parking fit for purpose.After the excitement of the parking test, many decided that it was time for asecond attempt at breakfast and various groups repaired to local hotels andcafes for the necessary sustenance to face the rigours of the day.

La Dame Jeanne


Today, the Circuit des Remparts is the only remaining street race in France. Atrack of 1279 metres is set out around the streets in the very centre of the town- think of the Monaco Grand Prix only shorter, narrower and without too muchsafety fencing - and you are there. The racing first started in 1939 with a breakfor hostilities until 1947. The race even formed part of the world Grand Prixseason until 1951. Sadly, racing was banned by health and safety zealotsbetween 1955 and 1978, but they eventually saw the error of their ways, andthe race has been run annually since then, becoming an unmissable event forvintage motor sport enthusiasts worldwide. In pleasing contrast to modern dayracing, the crowd can get as close as safely practical to the action, access thepits, and move easily around the circuit and the town. There is a distinct carnivalatmosphere and the drivers and teams do it all for the fun of taking part - nofinancial prizes, just the prestige of winning a plate from one of the great classicevents of all time.

Les vehicules at the Hotel de Ville, Angouleme

The unique road race circuit in Angouleme and our fantastic vantage point


Morning was dedicated to practice, and most of us took the opportunity tofamiliarise ourselves with the track layout and the best vantage points. We sawa wonderful variety of classic racing cars from a magnificent 1913 VauxhallViper (an 11.7 litre monster), on to 1920’s Morgans, through beautiful Bugattisand Deutsch-Bonnets, past 60’s and 70’s Alfa Romeos, to more familiar Minisand Jaguars. For classic car fans, the day was only marred by a sad displayfrom a modern Lamborghini attempting the hairpin bends, even though it had alarger turning circle than a bus!

In true French style, there was a 2 hour lunch break, when most of us managedto find somewhere to rest our weary bones, and where we were able to stuff inyet more food and wine prior to the serious racing in the afternoon. By the timethe racing recommenced, the sun was at its strongest and beating down on thetown. In the stands, it was hot, hot, hot, but we were British, we persevered, andwe were rewarded with a fabulous display of serious vintage racing – no holdsbarred sort of stuff. Despite the soaring temperature, most of us managed towatch the bulk of the afternoon’s racing, but by 5.00 p.m. the heat had got thebetter of even the hardiest of us, and gradually we all returned to the Hotel deVille to retrieve our cars. The local police and marshals, ever respectful of theheritage of our cars, allow us each in turn to travel the wrong way down one-waystreets to affect our exit from the city and make good our escape back to Cognac.Weary, sunburnt, but happy, we all assembled once again for our aperitifs andyet another splendid dinner and a noticeable further increase in my waistline.

Thanks again to Janet and Steve for organising such a fantastic day, that willlong stay in our memories.

Keith Davies

Day 7- A Free Day

As we had been fully occupied over the last few days we thought a free daywould be in order to enable participants to explore and take advantage of thenumerous things to do and see in the local area, not least a visit to anotherCognac house, of which there are plenty. Keith & Pippa took a group of wouldbe customers to a small country distillery where we understand numerous bottlesof ‘local stuff’ were purchased at really reasonable prices. Personally, we wentoff with Derek & Sylvia Freeman for a round of golf at the excellent Cognac GolfCourse, whilst others went to St.Emillion or visited Gillardeau Oysters, a smallprivate company run by the Gillardeau family. La Rochelle is about 65 milesaway for those who wanted to enjoy another run in the car and some peoplechose to ‘chill out’ and relax in the hotel gardens, pool and jacuzzi. Time to relaxand get ready for another superb five course evening meal.

Steve & Jan Dolan


Day 8 - From Cognac to Montsoreau

We had a very pleasant drive from theChâteau de L’Yuese in Cognac to return toL’Abbaye Royale at Fontevraud, departingfrom the planned route a bit so that we couldexercise our S3 Continental. Our new routewas about 140 miles – 10 more than theplanned route, which is probably why cars35 years older than ours arrived only a fewminutes later at the Abbey.

The Abbey is situated in the World Heritage Site of the Loire Valley, and wasestablished at the very beginning of the twelfth century, but in the 14th century itfell into ruins as a result of the Hundred Years War. Rebuilt in the 1400’s, theFrench Revolution in the late 18th century saw the end of the Abbey, and itbecame a prison for 150 years. During its heyday, the Abbey housed hundredsof monks, the sick and leprous, virgins, and repented women, and in the 18th

century was also a boarding school for the children of royalty and the aristocracy.

Built of local limestone, the wonderfularchitecture is a tribute to the outstandingskills of the engineers and builders, andputs to shame virtually any large publicbuildings being built today. Much of theAbbey has been beautifully restored, andthere is ongoing restoration, mostlyfunded by the French Government, butalso by income derived from its presentuses as an arts centre and hotel.

The hotel part has been sympatheticallyincorporated within the Abbey, andprovides superb dinners, comfortablerooms, and (in our case!) a lively bar.Outside there are extensive herbgardens and pleasant walks. L’AbbayeRoyale has to be on everyone’s list ofplaces to visit one day.

Terry & Judy Weston

All parked up at L’Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud

L’Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud

I’ll just have two, merci


Day 9 - 10 Montsoreau to Calvados and then Back Home to Portsmouth

We left the hotel Abbaye Royale in bright sunshine and made our way toMontsoreau where we pulled into the petrol station to fill up the Spur. Val andDanny Yates had got there before us and we thought that perhaps they had ahole in their petrol tank because of the time it took to fill it up.

Eventually on our way we set off to Calvados, an area known to its locals asCognac’s cousin. We drove through some lovely countryside, including marketgardens with sprinklers going. France has some lovely roads to drive on andthis route was no exception. I have to say, though, I’ve never seen so manyhuge lorries on B roads. It wouldn’t be allowed in the UK. The trees were alsochanging colour and putting on their autumn leaves. We passed acres of maizeand brown sunflowers. What a sight the latter must have been when they werein their summer hue of bright yellow.

We skirted Le Mans which we had visited a week before. It just didn’t seempossible that the Rally was nearly over.

We started to get a bit peckish and made a lunch stop at Marmouille. This was a‘truck stop’ with many white vans parked up in the car park. However, we were infor a great treat because it was very clean and the food fantastic. Not a greasyspoon in sight! The Yates’ and the Nightingales soon joined us for their lunch.

Still in bright sunshine and feeling refreshed we carried on with our drive north.At Vimoutier we entered the department of Calvados and were surprised to seethe countryside looking a bit like the southwest of England with lovely half-timbered houses and undulating countryside. We drove through a village withthe interesting name of ‘Livarot’ and wondered whether this was anything to dowith the inhabitants drinking too much Calvados! Perhaps not.

Having covered over 161 miles we drove into the car park at the Château deBreuil and quickly made for the shade, as it was now incredibly hot. The Châteauwas a fine looking building, standing in landscaped gardens. Very soon wewere joined by a guide who invited us to follow her for a tour. Listed as anhistorical monument, the Château has been entirely restored by its owners whohave been distilling spirits for three generations.

The apple is the basic ingredient in making quality Calvados. The mild anddamp weather and clay soil of the Pays d’Auge give the Château du Breuil idealgrowing conditions for its 22,000 apple trees which surround the castle. Its cideris produced from a 100% natural fermentation Their know-how and experience.are the strengths of the Château, which gives priority to high quality rather thanquantity. When the cider has reached the required flavour, distillation can start


Harvesting of the apples takes place between October and November and thedistillation process takes place between the beginning of winter and June 30thof the following year. To make one litre of 100% pure alcohol Calvados, about27-kg apples or 20 litres of 5% volume cider are necessary. Unlike Calvados“AOC”, Calvados with the AOC “Pays d’Auge” requires cider apples producedonly in the Pays d’Auge area. It makes a finer Calvados, due to the quality ofapples produced locally and to the elimination of the roughest parts of the alcoholduring the distillation.

In the cellars, Calvados is only agedin oak casks. The Château du Breuilchooses its barrels carefully, becausethe variety, size and age play animportant part in the quality of ageing.Some casks are 100 years old and allare made of oak from the Limousinregion. The subtle exchanges betweenwood, air and alcohol give Calvadosits smooth flavour and bouquet.

After our tour we returned to ‘The OldCider Press’ for a typical Normandy meal. It was delicious. Later we all bid a fondfarewell to the Nightingales who would return to the UK via the Shuttle the followingmorning. The rest of us went on our merry way to Ouisterham ferry port and backhome to Portsmouth.

The success of these tours depends entirely upon the support of those whotake part. Our sincere thanks to all of you who came along for your support inmaking this tour a great success.

Steve and Janet Dolan

Chris & Linda Ball

Château du Breuil


It seems that the Paulerspury section can’t be separated from Bugatti’s thispast couple of weeks. From seeing a grid full of them at Le Circuit Internationaldes Remparts, Angoulême, in glorious wall to wall sunshine, to a soggy Sundayat the Prescott Hill Climb, speed being a redundant adjective as there wasmore emphasis on traction this day (the Prescott estate, including the track andall accoutrements is owned and operated by the Bugatti Owners’ Club) But,being the Paulerspury section, did we let that dampen our spirits, not to mentionour Clouds and Shadows, of course not. We had an absolutely fine time.

To begin, we were asked to be at the Rising Sun Hotel in Cleeve Hill by 7.00p.m.but as that entailed a drive through the Cotswolds from our homes, it was anexcuse to shine up the car, check the oil, water and tyre pressures and enjoydriving through the superb scenery that this beautiful part of the country provides.Jan and I devised a route through some of the most picturesque towns and villagesand arrived in time for a chinwag in the bar, only to find that most of us had usedalmost the same route. A hearty dinner and a bottle of wine in the evening sent usto bed refreshed and after a good nights sleep we were ready for the Sunday.

Which dawned amid driving rain and strong winds, but, never to be subdued, offwe went to the excellent venue of the Prescott Estate where there was allotted

Prescott Speed Hill Climb 3rd October 2010

With their cars parked safely behind the trees, do the owners know what lies in store for others?


parking and an entrance ticketin the form of a wrist band. Themorning saw all the variouscars practising and it wasevident that times would beslower than normal as nonecould get off the line cleanly,however, after lunch thecompetitors did their utmost toput on a show, with the overenthusiastic delayingproceedings while their carscould be picked up from thetrack or adjoining verges.

Fastest time of the day was ashade over 55 seconds, which, ona complicated track that rises over200 feet in its 1127 yards wasquite a performance. Incidentally,it was one of the smaller cars thatachieved this, both in engine c.c.and physical size.

Whilst after lunch the competitorsdid put on their show, it wasduring the lunch break that the‘main’ event of the day took place,that was yours truly powering hisBentley Continental up the hill in a cavalcade of motoring club vehicles, whichincluded all sorts from Stanley Steamers to Morgan Aero 8, although I was heldup by the vehicles in front I’m sure it looked the most spectacular from thespectators viewpoint. For those that have an interest there are photographs onthe Section Website, under past events, showing the stunning setting of the hillclimb site and more importantly, showing the angles I got from my BentleyContinental around the ‘Pardon Hairpin’ leaving a Stag in my spray, apologiesfor the shaky picture but Jan was so excited seeing me driving in that style shecouldn’t hold the camera still. While you are on the website, all past events canbe viewed as the sterling work by Adrian Denham has enabled a really userfriendly method of ‘keeping up with events’ and is definitely to be recommended

Thanks are due to Steven and Mia Murray for arranging this weekend whichfollows on the tradition of motor sport venues for which they have arrangedvisits over the years and are enjoyed by all members of the club, not just thePaulerspury section, as those who have attended the Silverstone Classic

Well this is it and it certainly looks daunting

Do you see that aeroplane? Well we could have been on that and dry!


meetings and this hill climb eventcan testify. Incidentally, from amongthe throngs of people admiring ourcars emerged a gentleman to askSteven why the grill mascot on his1952 Silver Wraith was kneeling andall others were not, we think Stevendid an admirable job of wafflingabout fouling bonnets when openedand the height of the grill but in truth,I don’t think any of us knew, I havefound an excellent technical article

on the Australian website, http://rroc.org.au/wiki/images/6/6d/SpiritOfEcstasyPart4-by-BGillings.pdf but this does not explain why, so over toyou, fellow members of our great club, does anyone have the definitive answeras to why the mascot is depicted kneeling and not in the classic pose? Answersvia e-mail please to Steven Murray.

If only the Triumph Stag had a ‘proper’ V8

Stephen Dolan

Steve Dolan and his Continental S2


How do we do it? A lovely day for a decent drive and it is mid October! Kathyand Mike Martin had arranged another stunning autumn run and even sortedthe weather out for us. As ever, this is a hugely popular event and an impressive19 cars met up at the Barns Hotel, Bedford transporting 38 of the PaulerspuryPeople in the style we are quite accustomed to. More surprisingly, to us, wasthat we made it in time for tea/coffee as we had only just returned from the USAand were still heavily jetlagged.

After meeting up and catching up with each other the co-pilots were issued withtheir driving instructions and we headed off. Mia and I were totally relaxed andconfident that we could sit back and enjoy the drive as the Martins are rarelywrong on their directions so we were looking forward to a couple of hours drivingwith no rows. Then the inevitable happened. A few miles into the drive we cameto a triangle junction to find a queue of club cars. Some turned left; others right;and one was doing a three (or there abouts) point turn having changed theirminds. Right, time for a decision. Do we follow the majority (not alwaysrecommended on our drives!) and go left or go with our instincts and instructionsthat seemed to indicate we hadn’t gone far enough for the left turn? Tricky,especially as we cannot always rely on the odometer reading matching theinstructions 100%. We like to be different so we bucked the trend and went right– and that worked out for us just fine although it was interesting that either waywould have worked AND have fitted the instructions – what are the odds?

Autumn Amble – Sunday 17th October 2010

Just a few of our cars lined up outside The Plough at Bolnhurst


Fortunately, that was the onlyconfusion on a perfect drive andno rows ensued. There weresome excellent vistas to see onthe drive although, due to thelate warmth of the summer,there wasn’t much autumncolour to see. Lucky for us wehad decorated the LilyBeament’s rear cabin out in US“Fall colors” so we brought anautumnal feel to the procession.

After about 40 miles we pulled into The Plough, Bolnhurst and gradually the carpark filled with the club cars. Interestingly, cars pulled into the pub from bothdirections so clearly there was some creative navigation going on with somecars. It doesn’t matter though as everyone turned up and had a super drive onour last major outing of the year. We settled into an excellent lunch and I wouldlike to thank all those who donated their Yorkshire puddings to my plate (youknow who you are!) Mia and I didn’t hang around too long as we needed sleepand I had to have enough wits about me to put Lily Beament back into thegarage (always a challenge, even when I am not half asleep).

A ‘Flying B’ glistens on Ian Coomber’s 1950 MKVI DHC by Park Ward

Many thanks to Kathy and Mike for organising a lovely day it really was anotherone of those “happy” days amongst fellow friend enthusiasts.

Steven D Murray

‘A thing of beauty to treasure for ever’... and his 1967 Phantom V by James Young


The Five Bells at Stanbridge near Leighton Buzzardwas the venue for our last Pub Lunch of 2010. Thepub dates back some 400 years and althoughalterations have been made much of the old timberstructure has been retained leaving some beamsrather low for our taller members!

The day dawned cold and grey but that did not deterthe invasion by some 62 RREC members with theirspouses, partners, family and friends, along with theircars. The deep freeze had not yet set in but it wasclear that some of the ‘Older Ladies’ had been put tobed for the winter. I’m referring to Cars of course.Nevertheless there was an eclectic array of Club cars

Bedfordshire Pub Lunch - Sunday 21st November 2010

dating from 50 years ago to the present day. It was also pleasing to see somany of our stalwart senior members as well as a few new faces. All together avery good turn out for a dull autumnal day, a credit to our section.

As the name implies

A lovely setting, prompt service and excellent food


We met in what one mightdescribe as the “Crush Bar “,part of which in fact was alsothe village store, a novel wayof ensuring the survival of thevillage store, which mostvillages have now lost. In spiteof the crush the welcome wasvery warm and the fewvillagers who managed to getin showed great interest in ourcars as always, The diningarea by contrast was veryextensive, exhibiting muchoriginal exposed timber work.

The service was prompt, the food excellent, so together with the company madefor a very pleasant Sunday lunch.

Many thanks are due to Robert and Jill for finding the venue and making all thearrangements.

Graham Swallow

Keith and Pippa’s GT and not a ‘Cloud’ in sight

Another day perhaps, when it is warmer


Event and Location Date

Pub Lunch - The Wicked Lady - Herts Sun 16th JanuaryOrganiser: Robert Kennedy

Pub Lunch - The Old Beams - Bucks Sun 20th FebruaryOrganiser: Mia Murray

Pendon Railway Museum Sat12th MarchOrganiser: Ray Hillier

Visit to BDC HQ Weds 16th MarchOrganiser: Adrian Denham

Pub Lunch Dunkleys - Northampton Sun 27th MarchOrganiser: Val Yates

St.George’s Day Run & Lunch Sun 17th AprilOrganisers: Alan & Margaret Fuller

Trip to Northumberland Sun 22nd - Fri. 27th MayOrganisers: Mike & Kathy Martin

Annual Rally and Paulerspury Get Together Fri 17th - Sun 19th JuneRockingham CastleOrganiser: Main Club Event

Driving Day & Picnic Sun 26th JuneOrganiser: Adrian Denham

Visit to Ely Cathedral and Lunch Sun 17th JulyOrganiser: Peter Nightingale

Cheese n’ Wine Sun 7th AugustOrganiser: David & Barbara Clarke

Annual Picnic Sun 21st AugOrganiser: Mia Murray or Sun 4th Sept.

September Weekend - Poole Fri 16th & Sat 17th SeptOrganisers: Chris & Linda Balland Mike & Kathy Martin

Paulerspury Section Forthcoming Events


Autumn Road Run Sun 16th OctoberOrganiser: Val Yates

Leicester Bell Founders Weekday OctoberOrganiser: David Davis

Pub Lunch - Beds Sun 6th NovemberOrganiser: Chris Ball

AGM & Christmas Lunch Sun 11th DecemberOrganiser: Val Yates

BookingYou need to book for all events directly with the organiser(s). Booking forms canusually be found included with the PP or the Flyer, so do look out for them.

With this edition of the PP forms are included for several events including the ElyCathedral* visit, but ALL published events are bookable with the individualorganisers now! Don’t miss out, contact them and get your deposits off.

*Peter Nightingale tells me his trip to Ely Cathedral is well subscribed althoughhe can still accommodate one or two more, deposits need to be paid now toguarantee your place.

Please familiarise yourself with the following event information

Conditions of Entry:During the whole period of the events you have booked, your entries will becovered by the full third party risks. You therefore agree to indemnify and holdharmless the organisers of the event from any claim for any damage andpersonal injury caused by your vehicle(s) and driver(s) thereof whilst taking partin the event or journeying to and from the event. You also agree to produce theinsurance document and MOT certificate if so required. You confirm that yourvehicle has a valid road fund licence and carries a working fire extinguisher.Each event booking form asks you to sign acknowledging yourunderstanding and acceptance of these conditions.

The Small Print:Please be aware that any payments made should not be viewed as refundableas there is often need to pay for things in advance based upon the responsesreceived. Event organisers do their best to facilitate late cancellations but pleasedo not assume they can always refund payments. Your own travel insurance tocover against any financial loss is recommended.


Technical Corner

Why do we have to use RR363 Hydraulic Fluid in our Silver Shadows?

RR 363 was developed specifically so that it could cope withthe high pressure hydraulic systems fitted to the Rolls-RoyceSilver Shadow range of vehicles. The other critical factor isthe lubricicity of the fluid. This provides vital lubrication tothe rubber components within the hydraulic system and aidsquiet operation of the hydraulic components. This isparticularly relevant in the height control system. The use of

The Problem with Telephone Diagnosis

We had a call recently from the owner of aRolls-Royce Silver Spirit complaining of asuspension fluid leak from the rear of thecar and that he was constantly topping upthe mineral fluid. From the telephonedescription we deduced that either a pipeor hose had burst or one of the struts wasleaking. When the car arrived wemanoeuvred it onto the ramp, only to findthe source of the problem was the nearsiderear caliper. The brake caliper pistons were

almost hanging out and the brake disc had been worn away by the brake padswhich had no friction material left!

We asked him whether he had noticed any noise, and he said he heard a bit ofsquealing but that it had disappeared. The reason it has disappeared was thatthe mineral fluid had been leaking onto and lubricating the disc, hence silencingand masking the problem!

R Type Engine Knock

We received a call from a rather crestfallen owner whose Bentley R type haddeveloped a very serious engine knock. Sure enough when the car arrived, theknock was very evident but quite elusive. We set about listening to the enginefrom every conceivable vantage point using our stethoscope but the sourcewas inconclusive. It was solid, consistent with engine speed and could be heardwherever we cared to place the stethoscope. We switched the engine off, scratched

This horrendous damage could have been avoided

‘Never’ use anything less

proprietary fluid may be seen as a more economic alternative,but you may be treated to creaks and groans from yoursuspension system that you never thought existed.


our heads and did a thorough visual inspection. Whilst checking the various exteriorcomponents, Tony put his hand inside the fan belt only to find a split across theinner vee of the belt with the outer casing in perfect condition. The remainder ofthe inner vee was also perfect. We replaced the belt and started the car with adegree of trepidation mixed with optimism. We were delighted to hear that the“knock” had miraculously disappeared and that the engine sounded robustlyhealthy. As you can imagine the owner had a grin from ear to ear knowing that hisimpending engine rebuild turned out to be nothing more than a split drive belt.

Quality Repairs!

It never ceases to amaze me how some repairs are undertaken. We were recentlyworking on an S type Bentley when we noticed that the right hand rear chassisbump stop was bumpy and misshapen. We cleaned the underseal and paint off,only to find that somebody had effected a previous repair on the chassis.

We spoke to the owner who assumed that the consequences would becatastrophic. We soothed his fears and set to removing the offending repair tocheck the integrity of the immediate area. Sure enough the “fabricated” section

You can get a ‘friend’ to weld it...

had been welded over some pre existingcorrosion. I use the word welded loosely as thequality of welding resembled the deposits at thebottom of a birdcage!!

We set to with the grinder and cut out theoffending area. A new section of the correct gaugewas made to pattern and welded into place. Thearea was ground back to a clean finish. The tricky

Ray Hillier

part was fabricating the bump stop housing as this had to fit exactly into positionand had to hold the chassis bump stop. We also had to make sure that thebump stop location hole exactly matched the bump stop rubber moulded peg.

Once fabricated, we finally welded thehousing into place and trial fitted the newbump stop. Final treating painting andundersealing saw the car repairedproperly and ready for the road oncemore.

See you next time.

...or get it done properly! The finished job, with the bumpstop exactly as it should be


As most of you know I have now had this somewhat rare and imposing car forabout 18months and whilst initially I did wonder why Diana and I had bought it,Basil, as it is now known affectionately within the family, has grown on us.

I think a lot of the initial uncertainty came from the fact that although the man Ibought the car from, now sadly dead, had done the majority of the work to ahigh standard, there were points of detail that let it down. So for quite a fewweeks after getting the car home I was spending time either under the bonnetor under the car just getting to grips with things that were not quite right. One ofmy main concerns was a nasty noise from the front somewhere around the offside front spring, I was pretty convinced that it was a silent bloc bush in thespring shackle and so it proved to be. Having indentified the fault, the nextquestion was how to get it fixed and could the silent bloc bushes be purchased,well you might be surprised to learn, or maybe you wouldn’t, that the bushes onthis car are exactly the same as the 18HP Austins quite staggering when youconsider how different the cars are in size. Fortunately for me help was on handin the form of Peter who, throughout his working life of some 40 plus years, hasworked in the motor trade and consequently had worked on this type ofsuspension system many times in the past, he was willing to get covered ingrease and other messy substances and give me a hand along with ChrisCheeseman who provided the garage and the pit and how vital they turned outto be.

Needless to say this job was never going to be easy and it wasn’t, having gotthe old bush out it was just a matter of pushing the new in: oh no it wasn’t. Wehad certainly got the right size bush, we just hadn’t got the right size hole to putit in. Finally, after much thought and considered discussion we were left withoutany choice but to remove material from the outer cage of the bush, over 30thouin the end and the concern was then would we collapse the bush once we triedcompressing it into the spring eye. Well luck was on our side and it eventually

Basil, our Austin 20HP Mayfair Limousine

Basil (left) and his sister Cybil, an Austin 12 Ascot


fitted and the nasty noise has gone away. Little improvements that make all thedifference to enjoyment of driving the car.

As we all know there is always something to do and numerous other jobs bothlarge and small have been completed including the removal of the sump andthe clearing of 16 years of sludge. It was whilst carrying out his rather messytask that it became apparent just how much abuse the car has had in its 72years, the oil pump has been replaced with a Ford Burman unit, works wellenough but someone had at sometime modified the sump pan to get it to fit,most of the bolt holes in the crankcase have been stripped or stretched makingfor a fascinating collection of bolts holding the sump on. The job is done and atleast the oil remains clean for a little while longer.

Just before he died I called into see Peter Garner the restorer of the car andmuch to my pleasure he had found the original companion set for the car in theform of silver plated hair brush, snuff box, scent bottle and cigarette trays: I hadwondered what the small felt lined pockets in the rear of the car were for, now Iknow. Having displayed the car in various locations since buying it, I have beengenuinely amazed at the interest it generates, admirers walk past other vehiclesof equally interesting manufacture and want to know more about it and its history.Once the car had been restored Peter Garner wrote to the Dorset EveningEcho in November 1992 to seek information on the cars history and originalowner, he received considerable correspondence from people who still live inthe village of Wool nr Dorchester some of whom as small children rememberthe car and Mr Dugdale who lived at Hethfelton House just outside the village. Itseems that Mr Dugdale was quite a wealthy man, he had two chauffeurs one bythe name of Mr Lockyer and the other Mr Farr. The car was always kept spotlesslyclean and seldom driven in the wet or so the stories go.

It would seem from investigations that Diana and I have made and borne out bycomments that I have in the letters to Peter, that Mr Dugdales sister Florence,was the second wife of the author Thomas Hardy. Even humble Austins haveinteresting backgrounds.

Another irritating element of the restoration is the non standard stainless steelexhaust system, it is very noisy and resonates badly. I have tried various methodsof quietening it down with varying degrees of success, but it is still not quietenough. Quite by chance I have be buying the occasional spare parts fromAustin Reproductions located oddly enough not far from Poole in Dorset andthrough a chance conversation it turned out they had just one correct 20HPsilencer left in stock from a batch produced some time ago, along with the correctflanges. How to get them to Letchworth? Well it just so happened that I was duea few days off, the Bentley was in need of some exercise and so Diana and Itravelled to Dorset for a few days. We found Hethfelton House, it is huge and


about a mile down a private drive although we gathered from talking to somelocals that its recent history is somewhat chequered, shame really but at least itis still lived in and not a ruin. The silencer was duly purchased, just about fittedin the boot of the Bentley and we enjoyed the lovely Dorset countryside for awhile before drifting home across some lovely landscapes avoiding motorwayswherever possible. The next job in the winter is to re-engineer the system totake the new box.

Whilst all this has been going on, I was able to borrow some “wind deflectors”which would have been fitted to the front doors of the car, they had gone walkiessome time ago. These where measured and then handed back to Peter to putback on his other 20HP Landaulette, a real rarity. Terry has just delivered somesuperb newly hand made copies, these now need to have the frames chromeplated and glass cut to fit and then another part of the car can be completed.Plenty of work still to be done but it is very satisfying as the car is getting betterwith use and has found favour with a number of brides to be. You truly do “Investin an Austin”

David Davis

Editor’s Note:These are two other cars about which David has a story to tell. If this article hasprompted you to tell us all a story, then drop me a line together with somephotographs and I will get in the next PP.

[email protected]


The Section’s 2010 AGM was completed uneventfully and we proceeded to anexcellent Christmas lunch, again so well organised by Val Yates. We have nowclosed the matter of financial irregularities that existed last year. In every respect2010 was a good year and we move into 2011 with high expectations. A wholerange of events are planned and most at an advanced stage of preparation.

Eight members were elected to serve on the committee. We welcome BarryGallafent but sadly have to accept the resignation of Janet Dolan. Janet will begreatly missed but may, we hope, return in the future. Barry who has taken overeditorship of the “Paulerspury People” and the “Flyer” brings added skills whichwill be much appreciated.

Jim Fleming spoke before the Management Committee Representative, SteveLovatt ,and told us of the serious divisions that had developed in the ManagementCommittee. The good news, it was very good news, was that he is ChairmanElect of the Club. I think all of us will have confidence in him to re-establishharmony and take the Cub forward. There is,however, the need to re-elect himto the Management Committee when the ballot papers come out. Will allPaulerspury members make sure they take the right action at this time.

At our last Section Committee Meeting we made the following appointments:

Chairman: Chris Ball

Treasurer: Kathy Martin

Secretary: Robert Kennedy

Events Co-ordinator: Mia Murray

Val Yates, David Davis, Ray Hillier and Barry Gallafent will serve asmembers.

The snow has disappeared from our roads and hopefully rain will wash awaythe salt. Then we can bring our precious cars out again and start the year inearnest.

With Best Wishes for a very Happy New Year and Happy Motoring in 2011

Secretary’s Report - January 2011

Robert Kennedy


ChairmanChris Ball (Linda)01525 [email protected]@rrecpaulerspury.org.uk

Treasurer01234 [email protected]@rrecpaulerspury.org.uk

SecretaryRobert Kennedy (Jill)The Knoll14 Harpenden Road,St Albans, Herts., AL3 5AD01727 858833 (Home & Fax)[email protected]

Events CoordinatorMia Murray (Steven)Tattenhoe Hall FarmTattenhoe, Milton Keynes, MK4 3AA01908 504606 (Home & Fax)01908 600687 (Work)07956 074859 (Mobile)[email protected]@rrecpaulerspury.org.uk

Committee MembersDavid Davis (Diana)01462 [email protected]

Ray Hillier (Karen)01234 714268 (Work)[email protected]@rrecpaulerspury.org.uk

Val Yates (Danny)01234 [email protected]

Newsletter EditorBarry Gallafent (Ruth)222b Wolverton RoadBlakelandsMilton KeynesMK14 5ABOffice: 0844 504 9500Home: 01908 216804Mobile: 07785 [email protected]

Website CoordinatorAdrian Denham01926 [email protected]

Section Contacts

Don’t forget to look at our section web pages which can beaccessed via the Members pages at www.rrec.org.uk

PROMOTE YOURBUSINESS

IN THE NEXT EDITION OFPAULERSPURY PEOPLERestaurants - Hotels - Boutiques

Health Spas - Dress HireFormal Wear - Artists - Travel

Companies - AutomotiveSpecialist Services - Accountants

email: [email protected] request a rate cardor to book an advert.

It will cost you far less than you think!

FREE DESIGN SERVICE AVAILABLE

Pop-Up Banner Standssupplied with carry case andFREE design

• Easy to Carry

• Quick to Assemble

• Cost Effective

• 2 metres x 850mm

Only £79+vat

signwriting stationery leaflets clothing promotional

you name it, we print it!

Unit L53MK Two Business Centre

1-9 Barton Road Water Eaton

Milton Keynes • MK2 3HU

t.01908 648777

protecting your leisure

protecting your lifestyleFor more information call us on FREE on

Or visit our website atwww.leisureandlifestyleinsurance.co.uk

0800 458 3769

√ Travel Insurance

√ Cruise Insurance

√ Skiing & Snowboarding Insurance

√ Scuba Diving Insurance

√ Boat & Small Craft Insurance

√ Party & Event Insurance

paulerspury people january 2011

Documents

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committee members

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