| Author | Message | ||
     Mark Herbstreit Frequent User Username: mark_herbstreit Post Number: 84 Registered: 5-2005 |
Peter Jordan-Hill bought 1931 20/25 Barker Sedanca Deville sight unseen and rang to see if I would be interested in touring the UK with the intention of attending the RREC annual rally in June. How could I say no! Plans were put in place and we were fortunate to include the 'In the Footsteps of Henry Royce' tour prior to the annual. The following is a very brief account. Peter and I taking delivery of GNS60 in Blockley in the Cotswolds on 7th June 2010  After a brief handing over ceremony we set off for our first stop at Charles Rolls family home The Hendre in Monmouth. We booked the lodge which stands at the entrance to what is now a golf course.  There is a mixture of restored and unrestored rooms and we were given a comprehensive tour of the house. Peter is standing at the front entrance.  The next two days were spent traveling up through Wales to Langwathby near Penrith. The next door neighbor of one of Peters friends owns a garage that specialises in vintage cars, so the opportunity was taken for a quick grease and check over.  We travelled up to SW Scotland just to say we'd been.  We then headed back down to Manchester for the Start of the Footsteps tour on the 11th June. As you can see we stayed off the Motorway!  Here we are arriving at the Midland Hotel where Rolls and Royce first met in 1904.  We visited the site of the Cooke street factory and followed the route taken by Royce in his first Royce car to his home, Brae Cottage in Knutsford.  We then tackled some of the test routes used by the test drivers through the peak district. We visited the famous Cat and Fiddle in Buxton.  We visited the Bentley factory in Crewe where the R word is no longer mentioned. We stayed at Crewe Hall and had a detour to York on the Orient Express.  We visited The Derby factory at Nightingale road which is soon to be demolished. Thankfully the office block will be staying. We went to the Rolls Royce Heritage Trust and saw the exciting work being carried out in No. 12 shop. A must see. GNS 60 pictured at Gate 1 Nightingale Road.  Next stop was the Hunt House. I could be locked in there for a week quite happily.  We arrived at Goodwood House. Home to the Earl of March with the festival of speed just days away. GNS60 is seen setting a new lap record for small horsepower. Actually I don't think we were supposed to be on the track. Stupid GPS!  We were given a warm and friendly welcome at Rolls-Royce Motors. A really nice set up.  We went down to West Wittering and visited Royces summer house Elmstead.  Our final night of the Footsteps Tour was a drinks reception and gala dinner at Goodwood House on the 18th June. We could not overindulge as we had an early start to Rockingham for the RREC annual.  Don't be fooled by the rosettes. They came with us from Australia. We may have given the judges a few headaches!  On our way back to Romford where the car was to be left for shipping we looked up the original address of Cuthbert Dixon, the first owner of GNS 60. He lived at Pipers Corner High Wycombe which is now a girls school. The staff were very interested in the car and its association with the house.  GNS60 completed 2710kms in three weeks with absolutely no issues and will soon be in Australia to start a new chapter. Not bad for an eighty year old. | ||
| Robert Wort Grand Master Username: robert_wort Post Number: 403 Registered: 12-2004 |
Well done Mark and Peter and of course GNS60. Victoria Branch Members will love reading this so It's going into the next Newsletter. Look forward to both of you returning Cheers Rob | ||
| David Bailie Experienced User Username: davidb Post Number: 12 Registered: 11-2005 |
Very interesting reading Mark, glad Peter has seen the light and got into a pre war car - perhaps you will be next. David Bailie | ||
| Mark Herbstreit Frequent User Username: mark_herbstreit Post Number: 85 Registered: 5-2005 |
David, I let Peter drive "his" car for about five of the 2710 kms, so I feel there may be a custody battle upon GNS60's arrival in Australia! I really enjoyed every minute of it. |
