ROLLS-ROYCE 1969 to 2019

ROLLS-ROYCE ENTHUSIASTS’ CLUB NORTH EASTERN SECTION NEWSLETTER April 2019 1969 to 2019 This year the North East Section of the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts Club is celebrating its 50th. year. 1 The 50th. Year Anniversary of the section. Our section was formed in 1969 and has been in existence for 50 years this year. Back in 1969 the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts' Club had only1200 paid up members. One of the first mentions of the section was written by the club secretary, Lt. Col. E.B. Barrass OBE. He wrote in Bulletin No.50, 1968 the following: “On the subject of Sections, I hope in the next issue to list them all as by then we may well have the membership list in print, which will make it much easi- er for people to contact each other, as it is being produced territorially. Peter Knighton of Whickham near Newcastle on Tyne, who owns two PIIs and a PI chassis, is prepared to have a stab at getting something going in the north-east next year. Meanwhile he is busily getting married and wants to get sorted out first.” Rogers Ramblings I have just read the email ‘message from the chairman’ This is the first good news I have re- ceived from The Hunt House for many years. If the RREC can now start oper- ating as a well-run small business re- sponsible to its members that would be great. Well done Ian for making a start by rec- ognising the problems. Roger, March 2019 2 3 DATES FOR YOUR DIARY The Noggin and Natter evenings on the first Wednesday of each month are now taking place at the Crathorne Arms, Crathorne, TS15 0BA, just off the A19 near Yarm. A busy pub, but within easy reach of most of us. Bar food is available for those who want it. It is a very se- lect gathering at present, so why not come along and swell the num- bers! The third Wednesday evening meetings involve much lively talk and laughter at: The Old Mill, Metal Bridge, Coxhoe, DH6 5NX. A hardcore of attendees has developed, but new faces are always welcome. These meetings are definitely not men only! Just turn up at about 7.30pm, there is no need to book. Order food and drink at the bar and ask where we are - they usually know! Events for 2019 In addition, the Section meets once a month on an informal basis at the Old Mill Inn, Metalbridge on the third Wednesday of each month at 7.30PM where all are welcome. THE EVENTS. 6/7 April RREC Club AGM and Conference – RM. 28 April Drive-it Day – Wynyard Hall Rose Garden. 10 May Tennants Auction House, Leyburn – JMV. 12 May Hurworth Village Fete – AF. 27 May Russ Swift Fig Hall Show, Leyburn – AF. 2 June Thorp Perrow, Bedale (Joint with Yorkshire Section) 12 June Carrosserie Coach Works, Barnard Castle - AF 21/23 June RREC Annual Rally, Burghley House, Stamford – RREC. 14 July Newby Hall– BS. 3 August Croft Nostalgia Weekend – AF. 4 August RREC North of England Rally, Harewood House - JC 25 August Swainsby Classic Car Show - AF 6/8 September Section Weekend Event – Eshott Hall Northumbria. 29 September NECPWA - Derek Cansfield Memorial Rally, Beamish Museum BS. 8/10 November NEC Classic Car Show – JC. 14 December RREC NE Section Christmas Dinner, The Old Mill. A list of local events that are not club associated, can be obtained by con- tacting: [email protected] . 4 CONTACT POINT COMMENTS. I watch RFU games played with the oval ball with great interest and the referee is often heard to call to the team in possession “USE IT” and if they do not, they lose that possession. It was that thought in mind that around two weeks ago I approached my 1954 car which had been standing for the best part of six months with a degree of trepidation about whether it would start or not. I wanted to give the car a short road run before the first event of the season. The car fired up immediately and a road run was successfully undertaken without any issues arising. I guess that outcome is in part due to the car having no electronic gizmos to drain the bat- tery whilst standing. The first event of the season was a road run to Hawes for a lunch at the Simonstone Hall where a plaque now marks the spot in the bar where Jeremy Clarke committed the indiscretion which resulted in his dismissal by the BBC. Attendance by me meant a round trip of around 160 miles and the car performed faultlessly and arguably with a better performance as the dis- tance travelled increased. A number of attendees came in cars of the marque several did not no doubt in some cases for very good reason but if cars are not used and left to stand they will deteriorate and then require perhaps significant expenditure to restore to a roadworthy state. An observation that perhaps brings to the fore the phrase of “Use it or Lose it”!! Rod MacLeod. Secretary, RREC NE Section, March 2019. 5 Eight of The Best Phantoms? 1/. Starting with Fred Astaire’s 1927 Hooper PI. 2/. Sir Malcolm Campbell’s 1933 PII. 3/. Montgomery’s PIII. 4/. The Aga Khan’s PIV. 5/. John Lennon's colourful PV. 6/. The Queen’s State Limousine PVI. 7/. The first Goodwood Phantom made under BMW ownership, the PVII. 8/. The latest £350000 Phantom, the PVIII. 6 7 Fifty-Five years membership of the RREC Gordon has always been an active member of the Roll-Royce Enthusiasts' Club, Below is an article he produced for the Bulletin in 1968. “From Stockton-on- Tees, Gordon Blacklock wrote to say how satisfied he was with the work of Woodall Nicholson Ltd of Wagle Works, Well Lane, Halifax, Yorks. They have done much work on Silver Ghosts and other early models and have a good sup- ply of suitable materials. Also enclosed was a detailed list of the tools supplied with the 20/25 chassis. This has gone to Nigel Hughes, so please write to him and not to me. “ This year Gordon Blacklock will be celebrating fifty-five years as a member of the RREC. When Gordon joined in 1964, the membership fee was only £1. He is in an exclusive Club of 77 life members. (That means, people who have been members for over 50 years). He is the 25th longest serving member. (As of January 2019). In 1969 The RREC North East Section was formed. Although Gordon was not on the committee, he was a very active member. In 1978 Richard Harrison along with help from Gordon produced the first ever North East Section Newslet- ter. In the same year he became Section Secretary, keeping that post for 8 years. In 1986 Gordon after a brief spell of being Chairman, he then became the Presi- dent of the section. 8 What is most interesting is Gordons work history: He left school at the age of 14. His first job was a grocery boy with Walter Wilsons. One of his daily tasks was to fill two to three hundred weight of stone bags of flour. (14 pounds in 1 stone, 16 stones in 1 hundredweight. (100 to 150 Kg daily)). After nine months with Walter Wilsons he changed job and started working in a Butchers shop doing the deliveries and making sausages. At the age of 16 he started his apprenticeship with John Lynn Forgings, the company made forging for ships deck equipment such as steam winches. Two years into his apprenticeship he was conscripted into the Royal Airforce for three years as a cook. WWII finished and Gordon at the age of 21 decided to finish off his apprenticeship. He started at Easington colliery fixing conveyor belts and face cutting equipment that was situated up to five miles under the North Sea. This was a very hard and hazardous job, three years after leaving the pit, an explosion killed 83 people. At the age of 24 Gordon indentures were signed and approved by the union. Gordon drew me a picture of a Fossilised Mares-tail tree that was found down the pit, five miles offshore and 1100 fath- oms deep. The trunk being two feet in diameter. The face was cut round the tree leaving the tree intact. From the pit, at the age of 24, Gordon started working in the merchant navy as a 5th engineer. His first trip was to Australia and back, this single trip took six months. On return he travelled to London where he had a successful interview as an engineer for the Port Line Shipping Company. He stayed in the merchant navy for a further two and a half years. Now 27, Gordon stared to work on dry land with ICI Billingham. He stayed with the company for 27 years. Over that period, Gordon progressed from being a fitter, to working alongside the research and development teams building new plant and process. At the age of 53, Gordon took a radical carrier change. He started his own silver smith company. Working for his shed at the bottom of the garden, Gordon made numerous commissions that were sold all round the world. One of his commissions was for the King of Jordon and was purchased for a four-figure sum. Gordon had a chance of buy a Bentley 3 ½ litre for £300 but turned it down, saying it was too expensive at the time.

Load more