Miscellany, September 1998

‘Babs’, Parry Thomas’ great LSR car, helped collect money for the NSPCC on July 5, following a suggestion from a former pupil of Oswestry School, where Thomas was educated. He organised a giant Classic Car Festival there, with ‘Babs’ the star of the show. The famous car was flanked by the restored Zborowski/Duller Indianapolis Bugatti, the 1922 GP Bugatti, and a Dixon Riley presented by Mrs Farquahar, the link here being that Thomas had had a hand in designing the original Brooklands Riley 9. The rest of the expanse of the school playing fields was occupied by one of the largest assemblies of classic cars I have seen. But ‘Babs’ remained silent, a grass surface being unsuitable for starting the 27-litre Liberty engine.

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An outdoor seating area at BEN’S Benevolent Centre at Ascot has been named The Denis Jenkinson Paddock, commemorated by a suitably inscribed plaque. Here Lynwood’s elderly and disabled residents can reminisce about the other paddocks where Jenks so enjoyed the motor racing scene. Ken Tyrrell unveiled the plaque, with flags lent by the BRDC and beneath a blown up photograph of Moss and Jenks in a 300SLR Mercedes-Benz at Goodwood in 1995.