V-to-C Miscellany, December 1995, December 1995

Browse pages
Current page

1

Current page

2

Current page

3

Current page

4

Current page

5

Current page

6

Current page

7

Current page

8

Current page

9

Current page

10

Current page

11

Current page

12

Current page

13

Current page

14

Current page

15

Current page

16

Current page

17

Current page

18

Current page

19

Current page

20

Current page

21

Current page

22

Current page

23

Current page

24

Current page

25

Current page

26

Current page

27

Current page

28

Current page

29

Current page

30

Current page

31

Current page

32

Current page

33

Current page

34

Current page

35

Current page

36

Current page

37

Current page

38

Current page

39

Current page

40

Current page

41

Current page

42

Current page

43

Current page

44

Current page

45

Current page

46

Current page

47

Current page

48

Current page

49

Current page

50

Current page

51

Current page

52

Current page

53

Current page

54

Current page

55

Current page

56

Current page

57

Current page

58

Current page

59

Current page

60

Current page

61

Current page

62

Current page

63

Current page

64

Current page

65

Current page

66

Current page

67

Current page

68

Current page

69

Current page

70

Current page

71

Current page

72

Current page

73

Current page

74

Current page

75

Current page

76

Current page

77

Current page

78

Current page

79

Current page

80

Current page

81

Current page

82

Current page

83

Current page

84

Current page

85

Current page

86

Current page

87

Current page

88

Current page

89

Current page

90

Current page

91

Current page

92

Current page

93

Current page

94

Current page

95

Current page

96

Current page

97

Current page

98

Current page

99

Current page

100

Current page

101

Current page

102

Current page

103

Current page

104

Current page

105

Current page

106

Current page

107

Current page

108

Current page

109

Current page

110

Current page

111

Current page

112

Current page

113

Current page

114

Current page

115

Current page

116

Current page

117

Current page

118

Current page

119

Current page

120

As a contribution to 100 years of the motor car, Rod Fitzhugh has written a little 28-page booklet about the relatively unremembered Bridgwater cars and the company that inspired their production and which was in existence from 1887 to 1994. Those who like a bit of off-beat history can obtain copies, at £2.95 post free, from the Avalon Press, II Regency Drive, Green Lane, Coventry, CV3 60A.

The very industrious Registrars of the Lea-Francis OC have published a list of the Club’s members’ cars. These add up to an impressive total comprising 92 14hp 4-light saloons, 60 P-types. 34 14hp sports-models, 31 S-types, 21 14hp estate-bodied cars, 13 14hp Specials, one with a Frazer Nash, another with a Laystall Cromard body, eight each of J-types and 14hp six-light saloons, six each of K-type and V-type, five each of ILFS, Ace-of-Spades and pre-war 12.9hp cars, three each of M-type, 14hp Westland, 18hp saloon and Lynx, two each of L-type and Connaught and single examples of D-type, G-type, I-type, Kirkstone, 2LFS, Hyper-replica “Lobster”, 2½-litre Westland and 14hp van. Plus six Lea-Francis bicycles, five motorcycles, and five Unihorse tractors, the 1970 version with a Reliant engine. So now you know!

The latest news of the unfortunate Argyll factory at Alexandria is that it may be turned into a high-class shopping precinct. So it seems that all is not lost, because after the receivership of Zodeco, who had acquired the historic building with its famous facade, apparently with debts of several million pounds, the District Council spent £30,000 on essential repair work, and now it appears that-Classical House has bought the A-listed building, and intends to keep the Argyll facade, while installing shops for the likes of Laura Ashley and the Next chains, among 20 shops, with the prospect of 100 new jobs. Fingers well crossed!

Westons Garage at Much Marcie, originally used for servicing the cider makers’ commercial vehicles, has come on the market. This is a typical vintage country garage, whose one-time owner drove the ex-George Bedford racing Hillman in local hillclimbs and flew his aeroplane from the field behind the building. Photographs of the Hillman, the aeroplane and a Model-T Ford still hung on the office walls when we last looked in. Will it survive, or be rebuilt and lost as an “old-tyme” landmark?